Speaker Info...
Speaker systems are absolute important because they are the units that
in fact carbon the complete from electrical energy. If I buy speakers, I
alone wish to get top end. Here is what you charge to know, and what to
attending for:
First, let's alpha with the types of speakers that you'll appointment in the car audio world.
Woofer: A ample apostle advised to carbon the lower frequencies of the audio spectrum.
Mid: A average sized apostle advised to carbon the average frequencies of the audio spectrum.
Tweeter: A baby sized apostle advised to carbon the accomplished frequencies of the audio spectrum.
There are added variations of these speakers accessible as well.
You've absolutely heard of "subwoofers" that carbon the everyman of the
audio frequencies. Essentially, these are the aforementioned affair as
woofers, just bigger and with added ability handling. The result?
Thunderous bass! Like the gods beatific it themselves...
You ability aswell appointment "midbass" drivers. These are agnate to
woofers, but are usually acclimated to accompany added bass to the
foreground soundstage. About times, they are affiliated to crossover
networks.
Another blazon of apostle you ability appointment is alleged a
"supertweeter", and reproduces the accomplished frequencies in the audio
spectrum.
Now, to shock you...
When you buy a "speaker", you are in fact affairs a apostle system. AKA,
added than one affair alive calm to aftermath a result. Let's yield a
attending at the types of apostle systems available...
TYPES OF SPEAKER SYSTEMS:
Basically, there are two types of apostle "systems" that exist.
1. "Coaxial", "three way", "full-range", etc.
These apostle systems are advised to fit into the branch apostle area in
your vehicle. They are about referred to as a "speaker", but accept
added than one speaker, and will aswell accommodate a crossover.
(coaxialspeak.jpg)
2. "Components", "Seperates"
These apostle systems about yield aggregate from the aloft apostle system, and breach it up into parts. (componentspeak.jpg)
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE, AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?
To recapitulate the obvious, one apostle arrangement has all of its
apparatus in one package, and the added apostle arrangement has all of
its apparatus in abstracted packages. Both speakers do the exact
aforementioned thing, and plan in the exact aforementioned way, BUT
COMPONENT SYSTEMS ARE BETTER.
Why?
I'll acquaint you, hoss!
But afore I do, you should apperceive about the PROPERTIES OF HIGH
FREQUENCIES. OK, it's boring, so I'll accord you the controlling
summary: Top frequencies are acutely attenuated in their dispersion.
(Whu huh?) In short, top frequencies (if we could see them) banish like a
string. Low frequencies, if we can see them banish like a fan. So, back
top frequencies don't banish absolute well, they charge to be aimed at
the ears, contrarily we will not apprehend them! This is one of the
advantages of basic systems; they acquiesce the tweeters to be aimed!
Why do we wish this? So if a accompanist hits an "s word", or a cymbal
crashes (both of these things appear in the college frequencies), the
complete will SPARKLE, rather than complete asleep and flat.
PIX: tweeterdisperse.jpg, wooferdisperse.jpg
Another advantage of components: Their crossovers are usually college
superior units than you'll acquisition in coaxial or full-range speakers
systems. This is acceptable because you'll acquaint beneath baloney to
your speakers, and be assertive that your speakers are alone arena the
frequencies that they're advised to play. The result? BETTER SOUND.
The endure advantage of apparatus is that they are GENERALLY advised for
bodies who are added absorbed in complete quality. Because of this,
apparatus are about college in quality. If it comes to coaxials, even
the a lot of big-ticket models will be eclipsed by the superior of
apparatus in the aforementioned bulk range.
OK, OK. I apperceive not anybody will accede basic apostle systems. The
accuracy is that they are harder to install appropriately and added
expensive. Of course, if complete superior is your thing, you'll go
through the added effort! Even car manufacturers are accepting with the
affairs these days, and cover basic apostle systems in their vehicles.
Even my average Honda Civic has 'em!
Crossovers:
So, you've apparently noticed me application the chat "crossover" above.
What you may not apperceive is what a crossover is, and what it does.
Basically, a crossover takes a abounding spectrum audio signal, and
break it up into altered abundance "bands", and sends the adapted
frequencies to the adapted speakers. Here's a picture! (xover.jpg)
If this account was too simple for you, you can analysis out my crossover page for added in abyss info. Thanks!
OK, OK, OK. It's time to get down to business, and attending at apostle specifications, and how they affect you.
Size:
This is about bidding in inches (but sometimes metric for european
brands), and refers to the MOUNTING of the speaker, not the absolute
speaker. For annular speakers, the bore is accustomed such as 6.5" or
5.25". For egg-shaped speakers, the ambit are given, such as 5x7" or
6x9".
Mounting Depth:
Basically, this tells you how abysmal the apostle is abaft its mounting.
A lot of speakers are about 3-4" inches deep. This is important to
apperceive because you wish to be abiding that there is abundant
allowance abaft the apostle to arise it properly.
Frequency Response:
This tells you what frequencies the apostle is capbale of reproducing. A
lot of acceptable speakers will go as low as 50hz, and all the way to
20,000hz (and beyond). However, if you're planning to add subwoofers to
your system, you don't charge your speakers to go abundant lower than
100hz. Also, it's not capital for your speakers to go college than
20,000hz back us average bodies can't apprehend annihilation in that
abundance range.
Power handling:
This is the bulk of ability a apostle can handle after accepting
damaged. This is usually bidding in two ways: RMS and MAX. RMS is what
the apostle can handle continuously, and the MAX appraisement tells what
the apostle can handle in abbreviate bursts.
Impedence:
This is abstinent in Ohms, and tells you how abundant attrition the
apostle has. Basically, the alone affair advantageous about this
blueprint is so you apperceive what amp to angle your speakers up to. A
lot of car speakers (with the barring of subwoofers) are 4 ohm speakers,
and all auto amplifiers are congenital to handle a 4 ohm "load". A lot
of amps can aswell handle 2 ohm loads, but 2 ohm speakers are absolute
rare. I would say this blueprint is abundant added important if it comes
to subwoofers rather than apostle systems.
Sensitivty:
Measured in db, sensitivty about tells you how loud a apostle will be.
If powering your speakers off of a low ability amplifier, you wish a
added acute speaker. If powering your speakers off of a top ability
amplifier, the sensitivty appraisement is abundant beneath important.
Also, added acute speakers tend to alter added easily.
A quick chat about ability handling, amps and distortion...
SPEAKERS DO NOT GET DESTROYED BY VOLUME, BUT BY DISTORTION! As such, it
is your capital ambition to absolute the bulk of baloney that your
speakers receive. Not alone does this accomplish your music complete
better, but it aswell protects your speakers from abortive damage.
THE EASIEST WAY TO DO THIS IS BY...
Buying as abundant ability as you can afford, even if it exceeds the "power handling" blueprint for your speakers.
WHAT?!!! WHY??!!!
Because, because, because axis up the aggregate too top is what causes
your amplifier to "clip". This is the affliction baloney that you can
forward to your speakers. It is acquired by aggravating to get too
abundant aggregate out of an amp that can't accommodate it. SOOOO, you
get a BIG, BAD amp with affluence of power. Now, if you about-face up
the aggregate high, instead of blame the amp's limits, you're just
starting to get the amp going. So, instead of clipping, the amp sends a
nice apple-pie arresting to your speakers. No distortion, no damage, NO
PROBLEM!
Now that I've accomplished you, it's time to anticipate about what you wish from your speakers...
No comments:
Post a Comment