Tips Buying Guide for Car Speakers - A car stereo system infuses life into those otherwise long boring car road trips. Most cars these days come pre-fit with car stereo systems from the manufacturer. However, these factory fit stereos are certainly not powerful enough to suit all your music needs — especially if you’re an avid hard rock or hip-hop fan. If you appreciate the quality derived from a good car stereo system, you might want to tweak your car music speaks around for the best quality sound at all times.
Speakers are unarguably the heart and soul of any music stereo system. The sound that you get will depend on the quality of speakers that you have installed. It is always recommended that you buy the best speakers that you can fit in your budget for the best possible sound outcome. But what factors should you consider before buying speakers? With a myriad of styles and brands available in the market, how do you determine which one is best for you? Here are a few tips to help you choose the best speakers for your car:
Understanding the Technicality
Although it isn’t really important that you understand every aspect of the technical specifications given by the manufacturer, there are two main specifications that will help you determine the kind of speaker that you need to buy:
Speaker Sensitivity
The sensitivity of a speaker is nothing but the amount of sound that the speaker emits when a particular power is applied to it. High sensitivity speakers emit a louder sound upon application of relatively lesser power. Conversely a low sensitivity speaker will emit lower sound upon application of relatively more power. So if your stereo system is a low powered (less than 15 watts RMS), then you should go for speaker with higher sensitivity ratings. If you have a powerful stereo (more than 16 watts RMS), then you should consider buying speakers of lower sensitivity. The manufacturer’s manual should have all these details included, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to look out for.
Power Handling Capacity
Power Handling Capacity is the maximum peak RMS power that a speaker can handle. So if you have a low powered stereo, you can buy speakers with a lower power handling capacity. If you have powerful external amps attached, you will need speakers with a power rating more than the max output of the amps for the best quality sound output from your speakers.
Types of Speakers
There are a multitude of speakers available in the market to suit every taste and every budget. All speakers are however of two main types, so acquaint yourselves before making a car speaker purchase decision.
Coaxial/Full Range Speakers
Full range speakers are those that have the entire range of human hearing sound combined in one single speaker. Generally it consists of a woofer and a tweeter mounted on top. The woofer produces the lows and the tweeter produces the highs. Full range speakers are the best choice, if you want to change factory speakers without a lot of upheaval. These speakers are available at every price point and every power handling range. Pioneer and JBL speakers are available at a starting price of $40 and go all the way up to a few hundreds of dollars. If you have the budget, consider looking at Focal Performance or Fosgate speakers. Coaxial or full range speakers tend to be most popular with car owners that like the idea of great quality sound, without the stress of dealing with too many components.
Component Speakers
Component speakers are those which have different speakers for different human hearing ranges. They usually consist of woofers, mid-range speakers, tweeters and crossovers. The component type speakers are designed to give more depth and more reality to your music. For those hard core music fans out there, this is the type of speaker set for you. Tweeters operate in the 2000-20,000 Hz range producing high frequency sound. The Mid range speakers are dominant in the 300-5,000 Hz range whereas woofers produce lower sounds in the 40-1000 Hz range. All speakers come separately and you can buy them, as per your sound needs. This allows for better placement of the speakers and better imaging in the car. Additional equipment such as sub woofers and crossovers are also available for those who can stretch their budgets. Crossovers are external devices that ensure clean frequency separation between the components. Component speakers are excellent for avid music fans who don’t mind the idea of playing around with different parts for improving the quality of sound in the car.
Tips for Buying Speakers
If you’re still confused about which speakers to buy, have no fear. Buying new car speakers involves spending money, so you need to be absolutely sure about what you need. Here are a few tips to help you in your quest for buying new car speakers:
- Decide on which speakers you want to buy. Do you want to buy a fully fledged component system or are you a man of simple needs? For car owners that don’t like to take too much trouble for their sound, coaxial or full range speakers should be your choice.
- Note down the specifications of your stereo system. Your speakers will have to fulfill the power requirement. For the best sound, you will also have to look at the sensitivity rating and choose the speakers accordingly.
- The next step is to set a budget for yourself. Speakers are available right from $50 to $1000 and more. Setting a budget will help you buy the best speakers available in the market at that price point. Also, a budget ensures that you don’t end up over spending.
- Look around — many online e-retailers offer amazing discounts on speaker sets. You should be able to get yourself a good deal. You can even get a slightly more expensive speaker within your budget!
A set of new speakers can really transform the way you listen to music in your car. Keep these important tips in mind to help you understand what you are looking for, so that you can pick the best possible car speakers for your vehicle. And remember, if you don’t know much about installing car speakers, get a professional to install the speakers for a thorough connection to the best possible sound.
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