Throughout the history of car audio, upgrading a factory head unit has been standard practice in the quest for better sound quality, power, and features. Historically, factory-installed (OEM) car stereos were feature-poor and there wasn’t much of a downside to replacing them with an aftermarket head unit.

The landscape of aftermarket and OEM car stereos is more complicated these days. Many car owners are now wondering if the loss of OEM features is worth the improved sound quality of an aftermarket head unit. With the advent of infotainment systems, integration with steering wheel controls and voice controls, and OEM telematics systems like OnStar, simply ditching a factory head unit for an aftermarket system can eliminate some great features.

However, with careful planning, the right adapters and accessories, it is possible to upgrade a modern factory head unit without sacrificing performance.

Infotainment can mean something different depending on the manufacturer. It’s an umbrella term that covers everything from GPS navigation to Bluetooth integration to in-car multimedia. A growing percentage of new cars sold each year come with these systems in place of standard head units.