When your mission is upgrading the car sound system, there are a number of things that you need to find out. The factory audio system in your car works just fine but for some people, good music touches their soul. Hence the reason why you need to determine whether you’re going to keep the factory radio or undertake an upgrade.
When the car engine is off, the type of car battery you use will determine if the upgrade may drain it. Hence causing your car to have starting problems. Further, if you are the type who blasts the music during a drive, you definitely need to consider this factor.
When upgrading the car sound system, there are parts of it that you could consider. This all depends on the budget that you have for the project. Also, it depends on how you want to enjoy the music. Because, different components of the sound system enhance different aspects of the music. For example, subwoofers enhance lower end frequencies.
Perfectly using car insulation materials can help to enhance the car’s sound. The material may be installed inside the car’s door behind the speaker. This helps to keep everything else outside while the music saturates the interior space.
Car Sound System Components.
1. Head unit.
It is where everything starts in the system. It allows you to play and control the sound. Factory head units allow basic controls of the sound. But most of them have some unique features hence the reason you should know what you need before installation.
2. Subwoofers.
They come in three major sizes, that is, size 8, 10 and 12. They majorly cover the lower end frequency. Installing them guarantees a sound experience that cannot be offered by factory installed stereo systems.
3. Amplifiers.
A high power amplifier is capable of supplying the proper amount of power for a nice sounding music system. Different amplifiers have unique number of channels. Secondly the amplifier’s channels should be able to match the RMS power to the speakers / subwoofer power.
4. Speakers.
Speakers give out the sound and make it audible depending on the amount of volume. The factory speakers fit into a hole on the doors and different areas of the car’s interior. So, ensure that you choose the speakers that fit into the hole size installed by the manufacturer. Otherwise you can adjust the same in order to fit the size of speakers that you purchase.
How to choose the right speaker.
There are many things to consider when purchasing speakers, in terms of brands components and material. All of this is defined by what is important to you during the selection. For example, size, sound and price.
1. Speaker style.
The speaker styles are majorly two, component and coaxial. Maintaining the same speaker style is highly recommended during an upgrade.
The difference between component and coaxial speaker styles.
Coaxial speakers are 2 way speakers. This means that they are one speaker assembly that houses the tweeter, woofer and a simple crossover. Further, their capacity results to good full range sound production based on their design.
Coaxial speakers are not as expensive as other options. But they’re a better option when compared to single cone speakers. These speakers are very popular because of their balance between quality and price factors.
Something else to know about these speakers is that it is available as a 3 way. The difference is felt both in terms of sound quality and price. In fact, the difference is also notable in terms of appearance. The 3 way coaxial speakers appear more attractive than the 2 way.
Component speakers on the other hand use separately mounted speakers which offer high quality sound production. This feature makes them more advantageous than the coaxial speakers.
Further, they are characterized by their unique tweeter dome and high quality woofer materials. The tweeter dome includes features that allow volume reduction, additional wiring and fusing that protects against overload.
When you’re upgrading the car sound system with the component speakers, you will need some custom fabrication for the tweeter mounts. Also the fact that you will need to mount the crossovers, makes the component speaker installation a bit tricky.
2. Speaker materials.
The woofer cone is made of polypropylene or special paper materials because of their role in bass. Similarly, tweeters also have unique material components to suit their function of enhancing audio voices and instruments. Further, tweeters are made of fabric and synthetic material as well as metal. The metal tweeters produce a higher level of clarity than all the others.
3. Two or three way speakers.
The number 2 or 3 refers to the number of drivers that are in each speaker. For example, super tweeters, woofers, tweeters and mid-range drivers. Look out for specific characteristics for each one the replacements that you sort to install. For example;
1. sensitivity.
The sensitivity is easy to determine. Through a rating of the speaker you can tell if it requires a lot of power to run or not. The rating is usually 90 dB or less. Those that are below 90dB require a lot of power to run while those at 90dB don’t require a lot of it.
2. Powering.
Ensure that you look at the power handling of the speaker. Look out for RMS rating.
3. mounting depth.
This is the amount of space that the speaker requires. There are mounting brackets that are designed to hold any speaker on the car door. Measure the mounting depth available and ensure the new speakers are less or the same depth.