What to look for in new speakers

[vividjazz]

Your factory speakers may sound okay to your ears, but have you wondered what better sounds like? It's no secret that factory car speakers are designed to be cost-effective, not great sounding. Quality aftermarket speakers allow you to enjoy your music loud and clear. Take the first step to better sound by upgrading your speakers.

With so many choices available, it can be hard to know what to look for. But if you keep a few important points in mind, you'll find it isn't too hard to pick out the speakers that will make your vehicle sound better.


Match your speakers to your system

There are two main specs to consider when considering what speakers will work best with your system:

* Sensitivity
Sensitivity measures how much sound a speaker makes from the power applied to it. If your car's stereo is low-powered, like most factory systems, speakers with high sensitivity ratings will be the best match. If your system more power, like that provided by a brand-name receiver or external amplifier, then consider speakers with lower sensitivity ratings. Properly powered, they'll provide excellent sound quality.

A sensitivity rating tells you how effectively a speaker converts power (watts) into volume (decibels). The higher the rating, the louder your speakers will play with a given amount of amplifier power. Sensitivity is often measured by driving a speaker with one watt and measuring the loudness in decibels at one meter.

The table below illustrates that a few dB in sensitivity can make a big difference:

Speaker Sensitivity Power needed to produce a given volume
Speaker A 85 dB 100 watts
Speaker B 88 dB 50 watts
Speaker C 91 dB 25 watts
A speaker with a sensitivity rating that's 3 dB higher than another speaker's only needs half as much power to deliver the same amount of sound.


* Power handling
Power handling lets you know how much power (measured in watts) a speaker can handle. If you've got a low-powered system, it's not important that your speakers handle a lot of power. On the other hand, a system with powerful external amps will require speakers whose power handling is close to the output of the amps. And remember, the key spec in power handling is the maximum RMS power handling, not the peak power handling. RMS ratings realistically measure how much power the speaker can handle on a continuous basis, not just for a short period of time.

These 2 parameters will tell you nothing about how the speaker will actually sound. A speaker that handles higher RMS does not sound better and likewise a speaker with higher sensitivity does not sound better.


What type of speakers do you need?

Aftermarket car speakers can be divided into two main categories: full-range speakers, and component speaker systems. Let's explain each and look at their advantages and disadvantages.

* Full-range speakers
Full-range speakers contain all the speaker elements in one basket. In their simplest form they consist of a woofer for the lows, and a tweeter mounted onto the woofer to produce the highs. Some models will have additional drivers, like midrange or supertweeter. Full-range speakers are a great choice when you're looking to replace factory speakers with a minimum of muss and fuss. They're built in a variety of sizes that mount easily into factory speaker locations. In most cases, you simply remove the old speaker, connect the new speaker but you will need a mounting spacer in the Jazz. You'll find full-range speakers at nearly every price point and power range.

* Component speakers
Component systems use a superior speaker design to give you the best possible sound. A typical component system includes separate woofers, tweeters, and external crossovers — all of which are designed to work in concert with each other.

In a component system, the tweeter is separate from the woofer, and can be mounted in a location that provides the best imaging. Your music will sound more realistic, more "live," and have greater depth. The crossover network in a component system is external to the woofer and tweeter, so higher quality internal components can be used to ensure a sharp delineation between the frequencies sent to the different drivers — that means more realistic sound for the listener. Component systems are generally made of better materials than their full-range counterparts, so they're capable of delivering exceptional dynamics and detailed sound.


Speaker materials

What a speaker is made of can have a big effect on its durability and sound quality.

* Woofer materials
To effectively produce the low notes in your music, the woofer of a full-range or component speaker should be made of material that is stiff, yet lightweight. Most car speaker woofer cones are made of synthetic films like polypropylene, which serve well. Polypropylene mixed with other materials, like mica, is often stiffer, for more accurate bass response. Woven fabrics, or synthetics coated with metals like aluminum or titanium, are also light and strong and provide excellent response. All of these materials stand up well to the heat, cold, and moisture that car speakers face daily.

* Tweeter materials
The material used for the tweeter has a big effect on the type of sound produced by the speaker. Generally, tweeters made of soft materials, like poly, textile blends, or silk will give you sound that's refined and somewhat mellow. If you like the highs bright and snappy, go with hard materials, like metal, ceramics, or graphite.

* Surround materials
The surround on a woofer performs a vital role — it allows the woofer cone to move freely, so you get better bass output. It needs to be durable, so it can stand up to temperature and humidity extremes. Surrounds made of rubber will provide the best overall performance and longevity. Foam and cloth surrounds are less expensive, but still provide good performance.


Other features

Several other common features in car speakers may be important for your system's needs.

* Pivoting or swiveling tweeters
If you're replacing speakers that are low in your door, full-range speakers with pivoting tweeters can have a big effect on your sound. The high frequencies that tweeters produce are very directional, so pivoting tweeters can be "aimed" towards the listener for a higher soundstage. Your music will sound more realistic, and have a greater sense of depth. Remember that component speakers will still sound better with the tweeter away from the mid woofer avoiding any cancellation.

* External crossovers
Some higher-priced, full-range speakers employ external crossovers to achieve clean separation between the frequencies sent to the woofer and tweeter. The woofer and tweeter don't waste energy by trying to reproduce frequencies they're not intended to reproduce. You'll enjoy cleaner, more efficient sound reproduction. Crossovers come with all component speakers.

* Detachable tweeters
Speakers with detachable tweeters can be used as either full-range speakers or component systems — a nice feature if you want to reuse the speakers in a different car later on, or haven't decided on how you want to mount the speakers in your present vehicle.

As for particular makes and models of speakers. Don't shop based on brandname. Most brands make a big variety of speakers and just because they wear that brand doesn't mean they are all good. Some brands spend a lot more on advertising than engineering and more on appearances than sound.

If you at all interested in sound quality (SQ) then you will be looking for the most natural sounding speakers (the instruments sound as close to the real instruments as possible). If you just want loud as possible (SPL - sound pressure level) then get the biggest amps money can buy to go with special SPL optimised subs as other speakers won't matter as they will be completely drowned by the subs.

Your ears are the only judge. What sounds great to you may not sound great to me so you need to make up your own mind by auditioning as many speakers as possible yourself to come to the best decision.

[vividjazz]

Walk into the store with a plan. When auditioning speakers be sure to bring music that you normally listen to. This will give you a better idea of how the speakers are reproducing sounds you are familiar with. Never, ever use radio to evaluate speakers. Listen closely for low level details and how natural different instruments sound. When you have narrowed down your choices to a couple of different speakers, audition them at length.

A poor quality car speaker will become tiresome to listen to, usually because of an exaggerated low and high end. Be sure to adjust the bass and treble as well as the volume to levels that are comfortable to you.

Make up your own mind about speakers. The sales person is there to maximise their commission and/or may be biased to a product they have some knowledge about. Most sales people know less about car audio than my mother and by their nature won't shut up long enough to actually even listen.

Beware of salespeople that do an A/B comparison of loudspeakers for you. When switching between speakers, unscrupulous salespeople will turn up the volume slightly on the more expensive speakers to persuade you to buy them. It is an established fact that people tend to prefer the loudspeakers that they determine to be louder.

Demo boards aren't the best way to hear how speakers will sound in your Jazz but its hard to try out a good variety of speakers which are already installed. Speakers that are on the display board at ear height have a big sonic advantage over ones that are above your head or firing into your stomach (guess where the ones they want to sell you are). Bare in mind they will sound quite different in the actual car.

On the demo boards the speakers will be set to run through a meaty amp to make them sound their best. Make sure the amp they are running through is similar to the one your are going to use or if you aren't going to be running an amp make sure you hear them just running off a head unit.

Some speakers "jump off the shelf" and sound flashy at first listen and then turn out to be annoying sounding over time. The speaker that sounds most natural and well balanced gets your toe tapping and emotionally connecting with the music will be the more satisfying speaker over the long haul.

[vividjazz]

When it comes time to buying replacement speakers for a car audio system, there are several mistakes which are commonly made. Be sure to read this handy guide to avoid the five most common mistakes when buying car speakers.

1. Plan your budget. Are you revamping your entire audio system? If so you need to allocate money to different parts of the system. If you are just changing the speakers, decide how much money you want to spend on them before seeing what is available. This will allow you to keep costs within a reasonable range.

2. Consider how much you are willing to modify your car. Some speaker systems require extensive modification. This is an extra cost which must be factored into your budget, and also may affect the resale value of the car if you decide you want to try and keep the audio system.

3. What do you use your car for? If you travel extensively and are on the road almost every day, you should probably splurge and buy the best quality speakers you can afford. After all, your car is like a second home, and anything you can do to make it more comfortable will enhance your working life. On the other hand, if you only use the car to go to the grocery store and most of the time it sits on the driveway, it's a bit of a waste to go for high-end car speakers.

4. How long are you going to keep your car? If you plan on using the same car for two years or more, it makes sense to buy good-quality speakers. If you're going to sell the car next month and are simpler looking for a upgrade to the audio system to make it easier to sell, keep your car speaker budget to a minimum.

5. What kind of music you listen to? This will have a big influence on the type of car audio system that you have. If you like to listen to strong, bass-heavy music, you should get powerful amplifiers and ample subwoofers. On the other hand, if your music tastes run to classical or pop, you want a speaker system which can reproduce the entire audio spectrum evenly.