One of the best ways to improve the quality of stereo sound in your car has nothing to do with your stereo. Many of the new car models have a real problem with road noise, that's noise coming from outside the vehicle. This noise makes it difficult to talk on the phone, listen to music, or even talk with passengers while driving.

Many of the new economy cars get great mileage but transmit a lot of noise from outside the vehicle. Some of this is due to cost savings and reducing the overall weight of the vehicle to get better mileage. Regardless of the reason, many new vehicles have a tremendous amount of "road noise" that comes up through the floor and door side panels.

One way to lower the amount of noise coming from outside the vehicle is to install dampening material to block sounds from outside. There are several popular products from Dynamat, B-Quiet, Cascade, Fatmat, and Raammat. All of the different products materials are similar, made of sheets of a soft substance with adhesive on one side, and that is kind of half-solid, half-liquid. It is important to make sure you get good contact with the outer shell of your car. This will insure the maximum benefit from the material and absorb the most sound.

Some areas like your car hood and roof can get very hot and may need material that works at high temperatures with no problems. B-Quiet has a separate material that works well in high temperature applications. The material is very pliable and can be cut with normal scissors. Each manufacturer uses a different adhesive and some might give off an unpleasant smell for a few weeks after installation.

There are three main areas to dampen. First is the car hood, then the floorboards and vehicle top, then the door side panels. Some vehicles may also require you insulate the trunk lid too. Each area has its challenges, door panels and headliner areas may require special tools and skills.

Another advantage to applying this type of material is it improves the insulation of your vehicle. Cars with little or no material between the engine and road, and the seating area can be tough to cool in the summers. Corvettes are well know for having a big problem with heat coming from the engine compartment and being difficult to cool in high temperatures.

But the biggest improvement from using the dampening materials is the reduction of noise coming from outside the passenger compartment. Even if you have a great stereo receiver and stereo speakers, background noise can interfere with the nuances of great sound. And you can keep the volume down where you can even have a conversation.

What's this material cost? Well, prices vary by quantity and manufacturer but you could use about $3 per square foot as a guide. There are special versions for the heat intensive areas that might cost more and if you buy in large quantities you might get a little better price.

If you're not handy with tools you can find local installers of these products. The cost increases dramatically but may be worth it if you plan on owning your car for a long period of time. Or, the next time you go to pick out a new car, go for a test drive and determine if the amount of outside noise. Of course the high-end models usually have a much better dampening built in from the factory.