subject: How to Choose Car Audio Speakers [print this page] How to Choose Car Audio Speakers How to Choose Car Audio Speakers
You've purchased a brand new stereo system for your car and you love all the awesome features it provides, but your car audio system isn't complete without a good pair of speakers. With such a large selection of brands, sizes, and types, choosing the right set of speakers can be daunting. Keep these important features and factors in mind when you're shopping around.First, the speakers need to match the stereo system. Look at the speakers' sensitivity. Sensitivity has an inverse correlation of power and sound. If you have a low-powered system, choose speakers with high sensitivity. If you spent a lot of cash investing in a high-powered system, match it up with low sensitivity speakers. The sound quality will be infinitely better when paired correctly.Next, consider the power-handling, which simply tells you how much power the speaker can deal with before you blow out the speaker. Power is measured in watts. A low-powered system does not need speakers that can handle a lot of power and a high-powered system will require speakers that have high power-handling. When determining power-handling, look at the maximum RMS. RMS measures how much power a speaker can handle on a continuous basis rather than a short period of time.There are two main types of speakers to choose from, full-range and component. Full-range speakers are your simple, all-in-one set. The tweeter, which produces highs, is mounted on top of the woofer, which produces lows. If you're looking for something very basic and easy to install, full-range speakers are for you. They will easily replace the speakers initially installed on your car. Sizes and prices vary depending on the quality. Component speakers are much more complex and each component is separate. The tweeter is not mounted to the woofer so you can choose the best location to produce a natural, more realistic sound. The quality is these speakers is much better and therefore, more expensive.The materials a speaker is made out of has an effect on the sound quality. A woofer should be made out of stiff, lightweight material such as polypropylene mixed with mica. Mica is very stiff and will give a better bass response. Other speakers are made out of woven materials coated with metals which are also lightweight and provide excellent sound quality. The material of the surround on a woofer is also important. A rubber surround will give you the best sound but costs more. Foam and cloth are still suitable and cheaper. Tweeters are typically made out of soft materials that produce a mellow sound. The harder the material, the brighter the sound.If you crave an exceptional car audio system, purchase pivoting tweeters which will aim the sound towards the listener, creating more depth. Also consider external crossovers. The crossover will send the frequency to the appropriate output so your woofer and tweeter aren't straining to reproduce frequencies they can't handle.With these considerations in mind, you'll be able to make a more informed decision when it comes to upgrading your car audio speakers.
