What do audiophiles listen in their cars?

I subscibe to the school of "road noise makes serious audio impossible." That doesn't mean I don't use the audio in my car also a 99 Volvo (didn't know it had a Nakamichi sound system not sure this one does). I listen to the CD player and FM radio. I think you are wise to include car audio it prolly has more general demand than serious home audio. I would think if no car stereo than you would have to have Home Theater, an already very saturated established market in most places. Good luck on your new venture we need as many brick and mortars as we can get.

My '04 XJR came with a Alpine system that sounds fantastic.
Single CD in dash & a six pack in the trunk.
Simple DSP controls & fantastic bass from the sub.
But mostly I listen to the engine open up when I put the pedal to the metal & play the audio when stuck in traffic.

' the sounnd of the toyota tundra system wasn't nearly as good so I passed on the purchase.'

Good to see I am not alone.
I am car shopping now and I have noticed the 6cd changer is getting harder to find this model year(2013). That has already changed my shopping list. I think the Avalon still has a 4cd changer. I guess the 'old' tech goes in the cars for 'old' folks!!
I love the new cars, but am hesitant to buy one due to the lack of CD changers. And as has been stated, after market is not much of an option these days. Guess I will have to accept my fate and join the the 'senior' set. Great deals on 2012 Avalons :)

It was a viable business years ago when most factory systems were unbearably poor....after market car audio is now in the realm of sub workers and amps that proudly disturb the peace whenever they are used.

I get great use and enjoy very much my car stereo. It's an upgraded Rockford fosgate system in a Nissan Titan. It's one of the better sounding car systems I've heard. I was thinking about getting a new truck a couple years ago and the sounnd of the toyota tundra system wasn't nearly as good so I passed on the purchase.

The real challenge with after-market car audio today is that it isn't all that easy to improve on the audio equipment included with the vehicle -- which is often integrated with other systems in the car and has frequently had its frequency response and imaging "tuned" to the vehicle's interior -- and this is especially true with upscale vehicles. Add to this the fact that the quality of after-market installs varies so widely (I once had an iPod interface added to a Toyota Avalon -- it worked, sort of, for awhile) and you probably find a lot of audiophiles reluctant to take the plunge.

I wish you well with your new store -- I think we are in dire need of good, reliable places to audition and purchase affordable hifi equipment. But I'm not sure how much demand there is among audiophiles for after-market audio equipment, except possibly adapters for mobile music players in cars that don't have them. Perhaps others can offer more insight.

My '99 Volvo wagon has nicely designed and arranged Nakamichi system with its own speakers only labeled Volvo. The ride is quiet and ambient sound isolation is great. The CD playback is FANTASTIC. It plays abused and scratched CDs, barely skips and sounds balanced and warm. It's not integrated with my phone and it doesn't have any new today's technologies, but I don't mind. I can find later model salvage car to take steering wheel with radio controlls and connect it to my radio for convenience and that's the only upgrade I wish to make.

In my car I listen everything I listen home only using CDRs that can also have my digitized vinyl recordings.

Well, mine is certainly not affordable, but it is nice. I have the Pioneer P9 setup (4 way digital Xover and time alignment, L/R 31 band EQ) feeding a L/R pair of Alpine F1 amps tri amped on a pair of active Focal Be No7. A pair of Audison LX 900 watt class AB amps driving 2 Hertz Mille 10" in a sealed box. Kimber 8TC and Cardas NR cabling. XM, Ipod, Heaven!

Personally, I don’t give car audio upgrade much though as my car stereo system is integrated with my navigation, phone, voice command activation etc. The only time I give car audio any thought is when buying a new car.