Car Audio Systems
When people are talking about car stereo systems – or any stereo
systems for that matter – they tend to miss out on the big picture.
People focus on one particular aspect of car audio. Usually, it is the
speakers. Most people who are getting expensive car audio systems are
young people. They want big, loud, and low. The bigger, the louder, and
the lower, the better. Although it is possible to get some really
tremendous booming sound with car subwoofer speakers, just having the
speakers doesn't give you a good car stereo system. If you want really
good sound, you can't neglect any aspect of it. The receiver, the
speakers, the wiring, and even the car design play some role in it.
I would say that the audio receiver is at least as important as the car
speakers. The receiver, you see, is what feeds the signal to the
speakers. A good receiver gets you a good clean signal at the right
power, impedance, and dynamic levels. This guarantees the sound that you
need. The best way to do it this to pick out a combo system
incorporating both the speaker and the receivers that you like.
Different speakers and receivers have different impedance levels. If the
impedance doesn't match between the receiver and speakers, you won't get
as high quality sound.
Of course, where you are getting the sound from matters a great deal.
Nowadays, the most high fidelity sound comes from MP3 players, iPods,
and other similar digital sources. Be aware, however, that not all
digital recordings are of the same quality. If you're playing MP3s that
you downloaded online, they may have degraded signal quality. This can
make them sound lousy no matter how good the rest of your car audio
system is.
Finally, we get to the part you've all been waiting for: the car audio
speakers. It is not just a matter of getting the right speakers, but
getting the right speakers for your particular car. If they don't fit
right, they won't sound right. Getting speakers that are too big for the
available space is a great way to guarantee lousy sound. Putting them in
an area where they will be muffled by your feet, by luggage, or by the
car upholstery is another way. Take into account the car design and get
speakers that are suitable for it. After all, the car stereo system
should work as a whole. Every aspect of the car design should be in
tune. |
