Satellite radio is the hottest thing in car audio -- and little wonder why! Once you’ve had an earful of satellite radio’s 100 channels of crystal-clear music, news, sports and entertainment, you’ll find it hard to go back to terrestrial signals. Satellite radio can be added to your factory receiver with an FM modulated package or a cassette adapter that slides into your dash’s cassette opening.

FM modulators send a signal to an unused frequency on your radio through the FM antenna jack. You’ll mount the control unit in a convenient location (some mount under your dash and display the names of the channels). After you connect to your in-dash receiver, just tune to an open channel on the FM band and enjoy the incredible variety of satellite radio programming.

If you own a receiver with auxiliary inputs, you can also send a signal directly to your receiver with a set of RCA patch cables, bypassing the modulator.

Just because your factory radio lacks a CD player doesn't mean your CD collection has to stay at home when you're on the road. There's an easy and affordable way to enjoy hours of CD music in most vehicles -- even an older, classic car with an AM/FM receiver.

Add-on CD changers hold six to 12 CDs and let you play CD music without replacing your car stereo receiver. These compact CD changers connect to your receiver and play CDs through an unused band on the FM dial.

Mount the changer in your preferred location (some can be mounted at multiple angles to save space), connect the changer to the FM modulator, then to your in-dash stereo, and never again fumble for discs under the front seat.

If you do have a factory CD player in your vehicle, an ever-growing number of CD changers are designed for specific vehicles, so that you don't have to pay dealer mark-up.

Many vehicles have a little button next to the radio that indicates they have “CD changer controls.” With these options, you retain the use of the radio’s controls to run the changer and enjoy full digital sound quality.

Subwoofers are a popular option for car audio systems because they provide depth and realism that you don’t experience with stereo speakers alone. But, until recently, they were not a viable option for most people who wanted to keep their factory radio because the radio alone couldn’t power the subwoofer.

Handy powered subwoofers come with versatile speaker-level inputs, so that you can connect them to a factory system without buying a separate amplifier.

Powered subs are real space savers, too. Some are small enough to slide under your seat or in a corner of your trunk. Others are custom built to fit in unused cargo areas, and match your vehicle interior color scheme. They’re ideal if you lease a vehicle and want better sound without a lot of expensive, customized work.

For even more ideas on how to get the most from your factory stereo system, visit www.crutchfield.com/addons .

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