When it comes to car music system the most essential part according to many is selecting & buying the components but to be true ‘proper installation’ makes the system stand apart. An expensive system will sound like “Just Another” system if not installed correctly.
We aren’t just talking about location and mounting of the speakers/ tweeters/ sub woofer, there is another aspect to music system which integrates the components with each other & gives you the sweet sound of happiness….
Electrical Connection
Most of us leave this part to our sales person but a little know how can save you from being cheated upon.
In car speaker system the power comes from the battery. A stronger battery delivers more power which controls the current in the system. However, the strength of the current in a car audio system does not remain the same and reduces due to components in the car audio system that is why the car owner must know how to wire car speaker systems.
The most commonly used way is the parallel connection, in this the speakers share the same voltage, and that voltage coming from the speakers goes to the amplifier (shared power) i.e. more current can flow through each of those same speakers.
Wiring
Wiring Harnesses
If you are planning on replacing your factory head unit but want to be able to put it back in easily, like if you sell your car later on, a wiring harness adapter kit will be needed. These are specially designed for each car and allow you to disconnect your stock radio and connect a new head unit without cutting your original wiring. The wiring harness plugs into your existing wiring and allows you to connect a new head unit to the harness.
RCA Cables
These are the cables used to transfer pre-amp signals. Usually, you use this type of cable for unamplified signals such as the connection between your head unit and amp or crossovers or equalizer unit. Look for appropriate thickness and shielding. The end connectors should be sturdy to prevent breakage from stress. Some expensive cables come with gold plated connectors which improve the connection quality and last longer since they don’t wear out as quickly as unplated connectors.
Speaker Cables
When the signal from the head unit is amplified it becomes much stronger and requires thicker cable to carry it. This is even more dramatic for subwoofer wiring. Use something between 8 gauge and 14 gauge wiring for subwoofers since a lot of current has to flow through those wires. For tweeters and midranges thickness is less critical but still important because appropriate shielding is still necessary to prevent leakage and contamination from outside sources.
Installation
There are different ways for one to install their speakers & sub woofers which determine the quality of desired sound. Basically there are 3 main categories:
1. One’s who will buy the head unit and speakers only and get the speakers installed either in the door panel or the rear tray as per the arrangement provided by the car manufacturer.
Cost: Almost nil, just the labour cost.
2. These types of people like to go a step further by installing an additional amplifier and sub woofer for that extra effect punch and effect which is missing in a regular system and speakers. Usual mounting is done by making a cut-out in the rear tray for the speakers and the sub or having a sub woofer box in the trunk.
One can also opt for the coaxial speakers with cut-out in the rear tray for that better sound but it alters the look a lot.
Cost: Woofer mountings may cost a few bucks, but all the cutting and fitting will be a bit more expensive than regular fitting.
3. Here we have the true audiophiles who will go to a great deal just for that perfect sound. You are likely to find all the essential components in their car along with crossovers and equalizers, customized enclosures for sub, speakers & tweeters. Money isn’t the deicing factor for them while selecting their system.
Cost: Dude, you gotta have some serious moolah!
Customized Sub Woofer Boxes
Free air:
It is basically mounting the subwoofers to a board and then placed behind the rear seat of the vehicle. The trunk acts as the entire box, so for the best performance, it is important to have an air-tight trunk seal. It is the simplest and easiest to follow design available to house your subwoofer. These are most commonly used and offer good sound quality at least cost but have poor low frequency response.
Ported:
These boxes also provide a round port behind the speaker, hence the name. Ported subwoofer enclosures are always bigger than a standard sealed enclosure. These enclosures have a wide audience because of its ability to make most types of music sound good. They have good sound quality with higher sound and volume than a sealed enclosure & mainly a strong mid bass sound.
Sealed:
A sealed subwoofer enclosure is a sealed box that is completely and totally airtight that provides a home for the woofer. It is must for tight & high quality bass with less booming type of music. Ample power is a must for sealed subwoofer enclosures and the best method is to use an amplifier for the additional power. The tight accurate bass that this type of box offers is only guaranteed if the box the speaker is put into is constructed correctly without any air able to get in, which is why most stereo enthusiasts purchase them from someone else.
Band pass (6th oreder):
The 6th order bandpass enclosure is ported, meaning has vents, in both the front and rear leaving the rest of the box completely sealed. It offers more bass over a narrow frequency range with additional sound effect. Its large enclosure makes it less suitable for installation in cars.
Fiberglass/ Plexiglas:
Plexiglas subwoofer enclosures are one of the preferred ad they are very durable. Even though they may feel like they are not sturdy, they are a great protective source for your subwoofer. Plexiglas subwoofer enclosures are also very nice looking. If you are looking for a way to spruce up your car Plexiglas is definitely one of your best options.
Aperiodic & Isobaric:
These are good for tight & accurate bass but offer less booming effect. They a bit complicated to design and tune. Isobaric gives the best bass for its small size but the sub woofer is exposed which is a major drawback.
Transmission line:
A transmission line subwoofer is comprised of a waveguide system. It produces a very characteristic and unmistakable bass that many people enjoy. It is an extended low end response that those who desire a more realistic and tight sounding bass would not appreciate this enclosure. One drawback to a transmission line subwoofer is the size of the enclosure as it is typically quite large to accommodate the waveguide system.
Do's & Don'ts
Always opt for a genuine dealer for your purchase as there are less chances of geting duplicate parts.
Do specify the salesperson the type of sound or output you want from the system.
Always enquire about the continous or RMS (Root Mean Square) power handling of the components.
Stand at a distance of 1 metre while checking the sound of any co-axial speaker.
Do check the quality and the strength of the boxes used to enclose a sub woofer as it directly affects the quality of sound.
Always insist on high quality wiring as jus t for the sake of few bucks the performance of the system can get degraded.
Lastly, something most of us forget, get the system included in your car insurance cover.
This brings us to the end of your effort to help you understand your priced installation. There are many more things we could have included but that would have confused our readers who didn't know much about car systems.
If you have done something with your car and think it is worthy of being featured in our blog, then mail us the pics.
- Grease Monkey Blog Team
