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| Mr. Mobile - Info Center - Car Speakers |
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Don’t you just hate it when you go to turn up your car stereo and you hear the crackle of blown speakers? Or, even worse, you stereo sounds "tinny” and the vocals sound muffled? Well, it sounds like it is time for new speakers for your car.
Do I need new speakers?
Your car stereo speakers reproduce the sound that is coming from your car stereo. The speakers are what you actually hear. It does not matter how good a car stereo is if the speakers are not very good, your sound quality will not be very good. Speakers give you the best “sound quality improvement for your car stereo dollar”. What I mean by that is you would get better sound out of a basic factory stereo playing thru a pair of $100 aftermarket speakers than a new $100 car stereo playing thru basic factory speakers. The same goes with buying a new car stereo. If you had $300 to spend, you would get better sound quality out of a $199.99 stereo with $99.99 speakers. Than you would get out of a $249.99 stereo with $49.99 speakers
Why should I replace my existing speakers?
There are a few reasons to buy new speakers. If you still have factory speakers in your car, more than likely they are about as cheap of a speaker as the car manufacturer could find to put in. Most are one way speakers made out of inexpensive materials. Here are the most common reasons to replace your factory or existing speakers:
- Upgrade the sound quality of the existing factory stereo – Even a modest priced pair of after market speakers would sound better than most factory speakers.
- Better Power Handling when you replace your existing stereo – Factory speakers are matched to the power of the factory stereo, if you upgrade from a factory car stereo with 6 watts RMS per channel [or less] which most factory stereos are, to a car stereo with 15 to 20 watts RMS per channel, you will more than likely have a problem with your factory speakers. They will not handle the power of the new stereo. They will start to distort as the power goes up.
- Better Sound quality when you replace your factory stereo – Factory speakers will not give you the sound quality and frequency response you would expect from your new stereo. Your new car stereo probably has built in sound shaping and other features that enhance the sound. Your factory speakers will not give you the full benefit of these features.
- Replace blown factory speakers - nothing worse than listening to blown speakers
What types of speakers are available?
Full range [AKA dual cone] – This is the most inexpensive type of speaker available. A dual cone speaker is basically a one way speaker, meaning one speaker is trying to reproduce the full sound spectrum. Dual cone speakers are what most basic factory car stereos come with.
2 way [AKA coaxial] – Two way speakers are two speakers in one, usually a mid range or mid bass and a tweeter. The mid bass reproduces the mids to lows, the tweeter reproduces the highs. This type of speaker gives you better highs and mids, are clearer and can handle more power than a basic full range speaker.
3 way [AKA triaxial] – Three way speaker are three speakers in one. Three ways have a tweeter, mid and mid bass speakers. This gives you better sound definition, plus a cleaner and fuller sound.
4 way or 5 way – This type of speaker adds a “super tweeter” to a three way to give you even brighter highs than the triaxial.
Component speakers [AKA separates] – Component speakers are similar to your home theater speakers without the cabinet. Component speakers have a separate tweeter and midbass plus a separate crossover network. The crossover network directs the proper frequencies to the proper speakers ie: the highs to the tweeters, the midrange/mid bass frequencies to the mid range/mid bass speaker. Some cars have factory locations for components, most do not. If your car does not have factory locations for components, you should see your local install professional to have them installed correctly.
If you noticed, I did not use the word ‘bass” above. That is because with the size speakers we are talking about, usually 4” to 6” or even a 6” x 9” cannot produce real low bass. You really need a subwoofer for true bass reproduction.
Key features to look for:
Power Handling – Be sure you match the max. and/or RMS power ratings of the speaker to the out put of your car stereo [or amp if you are playing them thru an amplifier] The more power you can play thru your speaker, not only will it play louder, it will play clearer since the point of speaker distortion is at a higher volume level with more power. You are better off getting a speaker rated higher than the output of your stereo [or amp] than one that is rated lower.
Cone Material – Paper is a less expensive cone material. It is not as stiff or durable. Poly, carbon fiber and other composite materiel cones are stiffer which means more power handling, better durability and less distortion.
Size – In the car stereo world, size matters! Car speakers are a little different than home speakers. You need to be sure the speakers you buy will fit in your vehicle. We have a “fit guide” on our home page that will show you what size speakers will fit your car and keep that factory look.
Sensitivity – All speakers have a sensitivity rating shown in decibels [db’s]. The higher the rating, the louder the speaker will play. So if you want to keep your factory stereo and just upgrade the speakers, look for a higher db rating [90 db or higher] so you will still get good sound, even with the lower power your factory stereo probably puts out. If you have a high powered stereo or an amp, it is ok to get a lower DB rated speaker since you have the extra power to drive the speaker.
Well, that’s about it on speakers. As you can see, speakers are vital to the overall sound quality of your system. It is the one area I would recommend you invest a little more of your car stereo budget on as you can afford, you will be glad you did. If you would like more help, please feel free to call or email one of our Mobile Electronic Specialists.
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