Which speakers to choose to make car audio sound better
Even the best head unit will not provide pleasant sounding music if we do not connect the appropriate speakers to it. There are too few serial sets to satisfy a real music lover.
Today, a CD tuner is standard on most new cars, regardless of segment. However, at no additional charge, the driver usually gets entry-level equipment that works with two to four weak regular speakers with a diameter of 16,5 cm. For listening to the radio while driving around the city, this is more than enough. But lovers of strong clear sound will be very disappointed with the effects. There are many ways to improve the sound, and the effect usually depends on how much money the car owner decides to invest in additional equipment. An improvement can be obtained for just a few hundred zlotys, but there are also drivers who can bet up to several thousand on car audio.
Start with soundproofing
Together with Jerzy Długosz from Rzeszow, co-owner of ESSA, Judge from EASCA Poland (Vehicle Sound Quality Assessment), we suggest how to efficiently expand the equipment. In his opinion, the modernization of car audio should begin with the soundproofing of the door, which serves as a housing for the speakers. - As a standard, we have foil installed in the door, which isolates water from internal mechanisms. However, it doesn't have any properties that are good for sound quality. Simply put, the effect is as if we put a bag instead of a wall in a home Hi-Fi speaker. It will not play well, - Y. Dlugosh convinces.
Click here for the car audio expansion guide
That is why the professional begins the modernization of the kit by dismantling the door. Factory holes are sealed with special soundproof mats. They are mounted in the factory holes that the car manufacturer left just so that the service does not have problems repairing the lock or windshield. Only the holes through which water flows from the inside of the door do not move.
See also: buy a car radio. Guide to Regiomoto
– Only after this procedure, the door works like a loudspeaker box, no air escapes from there, there is pressure necessary to produce a bass sound. Professional soundproofing costs about PLN 500. I do not recommend replacing professional materials with bituminous mats from a construction hypermarket, says Y. Dlugosh.
This modification allows you to extract up to 2-3 times more bass from the speakers and eliminates the crackling and shaking of metal elements mounted in the door chamber.
Concert plays ahead
With the cameras prepared in this way, you can move on to the speakers. A major mistake especially young people make is putting too many speakers on the back shelf. Meanwhile, the ideal system should reflect the concert experience with the music playing in front.
Therefore, whenever possible, it is best to mount good hardware from the front. - In the budget class, most often they choose sets consisting of four speakers. Two are mounted in factory holes and are mid-range devices. The other two - the so-called tweeters are responsible for high tones. Mounting at ear height is ideal, but this is difficult due to the design of the vehicle. Therefore, they can be placed next to the cockpit, and it will not be so bad, - Y. Dlugosh convinces.
See also: Popular models of car navigators. Comparison
To get the most out of such a set, you need to additionally install a crossover that will divide the high tones up and let the low ones in the door. The back of the car should be reserved for the lowest bass tones. – By choosing full-range ellipses, we break the sound stage, because then the vocalist sings from all sides of the car, which is unnatural, – says Y. Dlugosh.
Vibration from subwoofer
The best way to ensure good bass sound is to install a subwoofer. Why rear? Because there is the most space, and a good woofer with a diameter of 25-35 cm plus a box where to put it. From a musical point of view, the location doesn't really matter as the bass has no direction when listening.
– By closing our eyes, we can indicate where the high tones come from. In the case of bass, this is impossible, we feel it only in the form of vibrations. When a drum roll is played at a concert, you feel a blow to your chest. This is bass, - explains Yu. Dlugosh.
To embed a subwoofer, it is best to use an MDF box, which is rigid, which is important not only for good sound. This material is also more convenient than the weak chipboard used to make the cheapest boxes. The finish of the cabinet doesn't matter to the sound, it's just a matter of aesthetics.
You can't move without a booster
However, the woofer needs an amplifier to function properly. Those that come with the player are too weak. The subwoofer works like a piston, it needs a lot of power to blow. Jerzy Długosz points out the difference between the two types. - It is often written on the radio box that it has a power of 4 × 45 or 4 × 50 watts. This is only the instantaneous, peak power. In fact, this is no more than 20-25 W of constant power, and then a separate amplifier is needed to drive the lamp, - the specialist explains.
See also: CB radio in mobile - an overview of the most popular applications
A good class device costs at least PLN 500. For this money, we get a two-channel amplifier that will drive only the subwoofer. An additional PLN 150-200 is two more channels that can be used to connect the front speakers, which will also significantly improve the sound quality. Experts say that installing good speakers only makes sense when we connect them to a good amplifier. Combining them only with the player, it is not worth spending more money, because we do not use even half of their potential.
– A decent set of four front speakers costs PLN 300-500. The more expensive tweeter domes are made of silk. Larger speakers are usually made from well impregnated paper. While some people say it's bad stuff, I don't agree with those opinions. Cellulose is tough and light, sounds good. The best speakers are made from natural materials, says J. Dlugosh.
Read more: LED daytime running lights. What to buy, how to install?
Recommended brands: DLS, Lotus, Morel, Eton and Dimension. For a good bass speaker with a diameter of 25 cm you have to pay at least PLN 350, a 35 cm device costs about another PLN 150. Prices for ready-made boxes start from PLN 100-150, but usually these are low quality chipboard. Good quality signal cables are still required to connect components. The cost of a set of four speakers, an amplifier and a subwoofer is about PLN 150-200.
Governorate Bartosz
photo by Bartosz Guberna
