Before you think further, ICE means In-Car-Entertainment.
The ICE in my car in the form of my CD player is my life-line whenever I am stuck in a traffic jam or travelling along the North-South Highway. After I bought my trusty Iswara back in 2003, my focus from the very start was to ensure that the ICE is “top-notch” (based on my budget of course).
This is what I did to improve the ICE:-
1. Changed the standard Clarion cassette player to a Blaupunkt single CD player (I wanted to have a CD changer but did not have the money then. Nowadays, my friends who had CD changers are advising me to not to buy one as it is not “worth it”)
2. Changed the standard Proton rear speakers (which had a paper in speaker cone) to 3 in 1 large speaker (now my bass is heard “deeper” – sometimes I think Darth Vader is sitting at the back)
3. Added component speakers in the front (separate bass and tweeters). Now, I don’t have to turn up the volume to listen to my favourite songs from the rear speakers
4. Added a layer of sound-proofing inside my car doors (all 4 doors), engine compartment and my boot (I did not do the roof as it was late and I was out of cash). The result, the cabin is more insulated from the external noise (including engine and exhaust). This was one of my major projects on my car
5. Amplifier. Yes, the missing component to my so-called “complete ICE”. I bought a cheap one due to a tight budget. Now I can hear the sound moving from the rear to the front, left to right to give the real “surround sound”
With a CD burner in my home PC and an easy to get songs from my friends, relative and the net, it will be easy to burn one great compilation CD for my easy listening whenever I am stuck in traffic jams. My next ICE project will only begin when I will be changing my car.
Until then, check your ICE in your car. Will you be upgrading them?