How to choose car speakers

• Posted by Markus Leader September 12, 2023 Filed in Technology 69 views
  click to rate

  Car acoustics (sound system, speakers) are designed to reproduce sound inside the car. A speaker system consists of one or more speakers of different frequencies.

   

  Type

  Wideband - one universal speaker is used to reproduce all frequency ranges (from 40-50 Hz to 18,000-20,000 Hz). As a result, such speakers are the cheapest and easiest to install, but the downside of these advantages is poor sound quality.

  Component (spaced) - in such a speaker, each frequency band corresponds to a separate speaker. Thanks to this solution, the highest sound quality (“presence effect&rdquois achieved. At the same time, component speakers, due to the significant number of speakers, are expensive and difficult to install.

  Coaxial (combined) - the golden mean between the previous options: low-mid and high-frequency speakers are combined in one housing. This ensures ease of installation and higher sound quality than broadband. The sound characteristics of coaxial speakers are lower compared to component speakers. In addition, the difficulty of setting up speakers increases.

  Mid-frequency – “cuts off” the highest and lowest frequencies and reproduces the middle range (usually 50-6000 Hz).

  Cabinet-mounted – the speakers of this speaker are built into the cabinet, making installation easy. The downside is that cabinet acoustics require more space in the cabin.

  Speakers

  Midrange speaker (Mid-range) – reproduces middle frequencies (MF) in the range from 250-350 Hz to 6000-7000 Hz how says in Peavey manual.

  HF speaker, tweeter (Tweeter, “tweeter&rdquo- a speaker designed to reproduce high frequencies (HF) in the range from 1500-2500 Hz to 20,000-30,000 Hz.

  Woofer – reproduces low frequencies (LF) in the range from 40-60 Hz to 800-1000 Hz.

  Subwoofer is a speaker that reproduces low frequencies in the range from 20-30 Hz to 400-600 Hz.

  Mid-Bass is a speaker that reproduces mid and low frequencies (MF/LF) in the range from 200-400 Hz to 3000-4000 Hz.

  Wideband – universal speaker.

  Standard size

  Round

  8 cm (3 inches), 10 cm (4 inches) – reproduce sound from 120 Hz. Installation location: protective nets in the dashboard.

  13 cm (5.25 inches) – reproduces sound from 100 Hz. Place of installation - kick panels, which are located under the dashboard, side clamps of the rear shelf, doors.

  16.5 cm (6.5 inches) – reproduces sound from 80 Hz. This option occurs most often. Installation location: doors and rear shelves.

  20 cm (8 inches) - rare.

  Oval

  10x15 cm (4x6 inches) – placed in side latches or kick panels.

  13x18 cm (5x7 inches) - mounted in doors or rear shelf.

  15x23 cm (6x9 inches) - most often found, installed in the rear parcel shelf or doors. Popularly, such speakers are called “pancakes”.

  18x25 cm (7x10 inches) - rarely used, placed on the rear shelf.

  20x30 cm (8x12 inches) - not available.

  The larger the speaker, the better its low frequencies. For speakers without a subwoofer, 16 cm speakers are suitable. This is the best choice, since such speakers convey low, mid and high frequencies well.

  For acoustics with a subwoofer, 13 cm speakers are selected. Smaller speakers do not reproduce the lower sound register well. The size of the subwoofer ranges from 20-40 cm.

  Number of lanes

  Band means a separate range of the entire frequency spectrum that is reproduced by car speakers. Each strip corresponds to a speaker/s. Multi-way speakers sound better than broadband (single-way) speakers.

  The most common are two- and three-way speakers:

  • 2 – consist of two speakers: HF (for upper high and mid frequencies) and LF (for low and part of the middle frequencies) how says in SCOTT manual;
  • 3 – consist of three speakers: HF (for the upper ones), LF (for the lower ones), MF (for the middle ones).

  Power

  Nominal – power parameter for continuous operation. This is the main indicator of power. The rated power of the speakers should be equal to the rated power of the amplifier, or even better - be less. Otherwise, the speakers will be damaged at high volumes. The optimal speaker power indicator is 50-80 W.

  Maximum – power parameter for short-term operation (with overloads). It is desirable that the maximum power of the speakers be twice that of the amplifier or radio.

  Important : check the rated power, since manufacturers often indicate only the maximum power on the product packaging.

  Frequencies

  The human ear perceives frequencies in the range of 20-20,000 Hz. No speaker is capable of reproducing this range. Therefore, for surround sound, a set is installed: HF + MF + LF + midbass. The lower the minimum and higher the maximum frequency (the wider the range), the better the sound quality of the speakers.

  Sensitivity

  The volume of sound produced by the speaker when a signal is applied to it depends on this parameter. The standard signal is 1 W with a frequency of 1000 Hz. Sensitivity is measured in decibels (dB) and varies between 40-250 dB in different devices.

  A high-sensitivity speaker does not need a powerful amplifier, and vice versa, a low-sensitivity system requires a powerful amplifier. The higher this indicator, the better. The optimal parameter is from 85 dB.

  Resistance (impedance)

  This parameter means resistance to alternating current (in this case, the signal). In modern speakers the impedance is 2; 4; 8 ohm. The sound quality does not depend on the resistance value, but it should be taken into account for the correct selection of car acoustics and amplifier.

  Higher speaker impedance relative to that of the amplifier will result in quieter sound, lower impedance will result in distortion.

  Levels

  Initial - inexpensive acoustics that provide acceptable sound for an undemanding listener. The entry-level speaker is connected to the radio without an external amplifier. Layout: coaxial or component acoustics (front), pancakes (rear).

  The middle one is a more “advanced” speaker, which is reflected in its cost. Such acoustics show excellent results when connected to an external amplifier. Midrange speakers often use silk dome podiums and tweeters.

  High - Expensive speakers with high quality sound. The effectiveness of such acoustics depends on the quality of each element of the system, audio recording, installation nuances. High-level acoustics need soundproofing and podiums.

  Professional - differs in layout from previous options: spaced speakers, consisting of tweeters, midrange speakers and midbass. There are no rear speakers, and two speakers are installed in front instead of one pair of speakers. Such speakers are the most expensive and are selected by professionals.

  According to the characteristics of sound, acoustics are divided into three types:

  • Speakers with pronounced lows and highs (club sound);
  • Speakers with accentuated mids and clear highs, as well as bass support by a subwoofer how says in Jabra manual;
  • Speakers with a very wide and even frequency range (universal option).

  Subwoofer

  View

  Active - equipped with an amplifier, which reduces the size of the subwoofer, makes it easier to set up and connect to speakers. This model has low sound characteristics, since to reduce the price it is often equipped with low-quality speakers. An active subwoofer is most common and is suitable for entry-level and mid-level acoustics.

   

  Passive - does not have an amplifier and does not need power, which facilitates the installation of a subwoofer. At the same time, the passive model requires an amplifier to work - this improves the sound quality, but increases its price and complicates the setup. Please note that a passive subwoofer puts a load on the stereo system, which may damage it. A passive subwoofer is often used in high-end speakers.

  Design

  By design, subwoofers are cased (equipped with a special shell) and caseless.

  Cased

  Sealed Box - a sealed box with a speaker cone on the front panel. Such a constructive solution provides a low price and clear sound with a minimum of distortion. In terms of volume, sensitivity and bass depth, this model is inferior to other case subwoofers. This subwoofer is easy to set up (the only value is the volume of the box).

  Due to these advantages, the Sealed Box subwoofer is suitable for most users.

  Phase reflex (Ported) - has a special tunnel (phase reflex), which connects the internal volume with the environment. As a result, such a subwoofer is more compact, more sensitive, sounds louder, gives a greater frequency range than the previous type. Cons: higher price and exactingness in setting (taking into account the volume of the box, the length of the tunnel and the cross section).

  Band -pass - combines the design features of previous models. The case of such a subwoofer is divided by a partition into two parts: one is hermetically sealed, the second is equipped with a phase inverter. The bandpass subwoofer produces maximum volume and high-quality sound in a narrow low-frequency band. This option will interest, first of all, connoisseurs of powerful bass.

  Passive radiator - resembles a bass reflex subwoofer, but unlike it is equipped with an additional diffuser. According to the characteristics, it approaches the phase-reflex model. In such a subwoofer, there is no air noise in the resonator tube. The passive radiator needs fine tuning and is rare.

  Isobaric - consists of two speakers. This design provides greater volume and better sensitivity. Cons: high cost and significant dimensions.

  Frameless

  Free air - mounted directly on the panel, able to sound without a special shell. The limit of the possibilities of such a subwoofer is not lower than 100 Hz. Occurs rarely.

  Some subwoofers include a housing, but are sold without it, so that the user can choose whether to make their own or order acoustic design. This will allow you to install the woofer under the seat. This option will be of interest to “advanced” users who precisely adjust the sound to their requirements.

  Important : the power of the subwoofer must be equal to the output power of the low-frequency amplifier, or more precisely, the total power of the output channels. For example, for a power of 50 W X 4, purchase a 200 W subwoofer. In this case, we are talking specifically about rated power.

  Location

  The location of the speaker elements directly affects the sound quality of music inside the car. At the same time, regular places are far from the best. For example, there are places for tweeters in the door trim, but with this option an insignificant stereo effect is achieved.

  To achieve maximum effect, coaxial speakers are mounted at the rear (rear shelf, rear doors), and component speakers are mounted at the front (dashboard, front doors). This arrangement creates surround sound inside the car.

  The standard speaker layout is as follows: small tweeters are placed on the dashboard, larger midrange and low-frequency speakers are located in the front doors, a subwoofer is located in the rear parcel shelf or trunk of the car. However, midrange and low-frequency speakers are also installed on the rear shelf - in this case, they and the subwoofer should be at some distance from each other.

  Important : practice shows that midrange and bass speakers installed nearby distort the sound. The optimal solution would be to install woofers under the front panel or seat. But the front doors are considered the best place for midrange speakers.

  To create high-quality acoustics, it is worth using special podiums (attachments) that allow you to install large speakers. The podium not only attaches the speaker to the surface, it improves or worsens (if chosen incorrectly) the sound.

  Important : sound quality is also determined by the correct installation of speaker elements. The speakers must be securely fastened: strong vibration worsens the sound characteristics (especially important for midbass). But you shouldn’t replace the standard wires connecting the radio and speakers with gold-plated cables: the improvement in sound quality will be minimal, and the costs will be significant.

  Equipment

  External crossover – divides the input signal into separate frequency ranges (MF, LF, HF). Budget models use a crossover that is built into the speaker housing. In more expensive devices it is external (separate unit). This option breaks up the sound better and distorts less, and also allows you to fine-tune the sound.

  There are two types of connectors:

  • screw clamps – highly reliable;
  • spring latches are easy to use and are found in budget speaker models.

  Gold-plated contacts on the connectors are resistant to oxidation, characterized by low resistance, and reliably connect the speaker to the connected wires.

  Ferrofluid cooling - removes heat from the voice coil that is generated when the speakers are running at full power and which accelerates speaker wear.

  Protection from moisture - relevant for cars with an open body type, boats or yachts.

  Adviсe

  • Buy car audio in specialized stores. Pay attention to speakers from well-known brands that value their reputation. Request a quality certificate from the seller. And do not forget to make sure that there is a warranty and the possibility of providing service.
  • Remember that the technical holes for speakers may differ for different car models and brands. By purchasing speakers of appropriate dimensions, you thereby facilitate the installation of speakers.
  • If your car has a radio with a GPS module, then for the navigation system to work correctly you need to install only those brands of acoustics recommended by the manufacturer. Otherwise, the speakers will make it difficult to receive the satellite signal.
  • When choosing speakers, take into account the technical standards of the radio (specified in the operating manual). It makes no sense to buy expensive and powerful acoustics for a cheap radio in order to improve the sound quality.
  • To achieve high-quality sound, you need sound insulation, which dampens extraneous sounds from the wheels and engine. To do this, they cover the doors, roof, floor, and the space between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment with special material.
  • Installing an acoustic system is a complex matter, requiring specific knowledge and skills. Therefore, trust the installation of speakers in your car to professionals.