Dreams of clean and surround sound in the car is easy to implement.
All you have to have is a minimum amount of knowledge about the car audio, choose the essential elements of the system and to determine the place for their installation.
We will pay attention to these aspects in this article.
Types of automotive acoustics
Today there are two types of speakers on the market:
Coaxial acoustics
Coaxial acoustics is made in the form of speakers. It consists of 2-3 speakers of different frequencies. The main advantage of this type – ease of installation. There is no need to drill anything and make additional holes in the panels. But because of the desire to simplify the design, the main drawback of such systems is the low quality of manufacture. But there is no certainty. If you choose acoustics from a well-known brand and at an affordable price, the design and quality will be excellent. The main thing when deciding is to pay attention to the technical characteristics, material, and quality of manufacturing of bases for speakers.
Component acoustics
Component acoustics belongs to the category of components. This means that the speakers will have to be mounted separately, and each of them will have their frequency. This system has several disadvantages:
- high price;
- the need for mounting the speakers, which requires special fasteners and cutting suitable holes.
But there are advantages — when properly installed it is possible to achieve the maximum purity and intensity. The main thing is to pay attention to the sensitivity and power of the device. An important issue is the size of the speakers, which should look good in the interior of the cabin.
What does car acoustics consist of?
The car acoustic system is not just a head unit and a few speakers. It consists of a group of devices, the sound quality will depend on the choice of location and installation rules.
Consider the main elements of the system:
1. CROSSOVER (band-separation filter)
Is a device to separate the sound into several bands. In appearance, the crossover is a compact box that is mounted in the circuit between the speakers and the amplifier. Depending on the design, crossovers are produced as passive and active.
2. AMPLIFIER
When purchasing this device, consider what functions will be assigned to the device. If the car stereo is needed to create a common background and listen to the news, then it is meaningless to spend money on an amplifier for the car. In the case where the task is to get high-quality and powerful sound, this particular device is absolutely necessary.
When choosing an amplifier, consider the following parameters – power (must be from 100 Watts), the volume of interior and available acoustics. If you install a 100W power amplifier with speakers of 10-15W, the latter will not “live” for a long time.
The first attempt to turn up the volume will cause damage of a diffuser, that can’t be repaired. The power of amplifier should be 10-15% less than the same parameter of the subwoofer and speakers.
Power is not the only parameter that should be given attention when choosing. Note the following points:
- the working frequency range is not less than 30 – 20000 Hz;
- the signal-to-noise ratio (background level) should be between 96 and 98 dB. Otherwise, constant noise in between songs will make you go shopping for a new amplifier;
- number of channels. Modern devices for sound amplification are produced with 1-channel, 2-channel, 4-channel, 5 – channel, 6-channel.
3. SUBWOOFER
The main function of this device is the production of low-frequency sound. The primary parameter when choosing a device is power. The subwoofer itself is available in two types:
- passive: this device does not have a built-in amplifier;
- active: with the amplifier in the case of the device.
For full-fledged work of the subwoofer, it is necessary to provide the correct sound registration, namely ideal interaction of front and rear waves. There are three ways to solve the problem:
- make an endless screen. The main advantage of this method is easy installation and high-quality bass. Minus is low sound pressure and the appearance of differences in sound effects with a different filling of the luggage compartment;
- the phase inverter is a closed box with a particular hole (tunnel), which acts as a connector for external and internal sound. The disadvantage of this method is the complexity of the calculation, installation of the box and a large volume of the finished product (it is a difficult task to find a place for it in the trunk). The advantage of such execution is the minimum distortion and the most significant impact of low frequencies;
- the sealed box has a simple design, excellent bass quality and reliable protection for speaker from mechanical damages. On the other hand, the efficiency is reduced, so the amplifier and speakers are better to pick up with more power.
It is possible to find excellent subwoofer for a price under $200. Read our detailed guide here https://carinmydna.com/best-15-inch-subwoofer-under-200/
4. SPEAKERS
If you do not want to make the holes in the body, it is better to give preference to coaxial acoustics (of which we have already mentioned above). If for the sake of high-quality sound you are ready to make sure “sacrifices” and spend personal time on the alteration of the cabin, you will have to take care of choosing the right place for installation. In the same 3-band system you will have to install six speakers and all of them need to be correctly positioned. Otherwise, even expensive car acoustics will not provide the proper effect.
Read also: Best 6.5 Speakers For Clarity – Buyer’s Guide (Link)
When buying a component system, consider mounting the rear speakers, because they should provide a sense of volume. People often make a mistake and install full-size speakers near the rear window. This is wrong. It is enough to install two full-range speakers. Also note that the rear speakers should not reproduce low frequencies.
Conclusion
Deep and clear sound in the cabin allows you to get real listening pleasure. The main thing is to strictly follow the rules given in the article, do not save money on good car acoustics and carefully carry out installation work.