A Simple Breakdown for Beginners
For many of us who own cars and have been enjoying all the benefits of modern car audio, we understand how to use it but not necessarily how it works. From a user standpoint, car stereos are highly intuitive and can perform virtually any command with a simple press of a button. Behind the scenes, however, is another story. If you were to remove your head unit, behind it you’d find a rather confusing assemblage of different colored wires and connections. At first glance, it’s not going to make a whole lot of sense.
Much the same can be said for speakers. Drivers know where the sound is coming from, but the science behind it remains a mystery to them. Fortunately, it’s not all that complicated. For those who are looking to gather a basic understanding of how car speakers work, this installment is for you. We’ll not only break down the science behind your speakers, we’ll also discuss why aftermarket speakers perform better than stock speakers.
Speakers 101 – The Basics of How They Work
Most basic car audio systems have four speakers. Think of that as your basic starter kit when it comes to speakers. Since the stereo/head unit is the proverbial heart of car audio, the original signal is going to come from there. That signal can go directly to your speakers (as is the case with most stock systems) or it can first be passed through an amp (which boosts the signal) before being patched through to your speakers.
Once your speakers get the audio signal, it will be converted into mechanical energy that causes the cone within the speaker to move back and forth. These vibrations displace air, which in turn creates the sound of the song, podcast, or audiobook you’re listening to. What’s interesting about this is you can see the science of sound at play if you watch the cone. During playback of an audiobook, you won’t see much…but give your speakers a loud aggressive track with lots of bass and that cone will vibrate extremely hard.
Types of Speakers – Coaxial vs. Component
When shopping for car speakers, you’re going to hear two terms rather frequently: coaxial and component. Coaxial speakers refer to speakers that are an all-in-one design. That means they contain the mid-range speaker, the tweeter, and the woofer all in one structure. Your stock car speakers, for instance, are coaxial. The biggest advantage with these types of speakers is that they’re easy to install and upgrade, regardless of the type of car that you drive. The user-friendliness of coaxial speakers is what makes them the most popular variety.
However, just because component speakers are a little more work doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. As you’ve probably gathered by now, component speakers are not an all-in-one speaker, but rather, a series of components in which each element is its own separate thing. Your woofer, subwoofer, and tweeters will all run independently and require their own output channel. They’re also a little bit trickier to install. The core benefit though is that this allows drivers to fully customize their listening experience to their exact specifications. You can invest heavily in the components that matter the most to you.
Aftermarket vs. Stock – Which Car Speakers Are Better?
This is a question that gets asked a lot in car audio shops. The short answer is that aftermarket speakers are always going to outperform stock speakers. Full transparency, most auto manufacturers don’t invest very much in their car audio. It’s usually towards the bottom of their list of priorities. In fact, some stock car stereo speakers are made from cardboard, which means they can blow out rather easily. If you start to hear buzzing or distortion coming out of your car stereo speakers, then you know it’s time for an upgrade.
Ready to Elevate Your Car Audio? Here’s the Next Step
Now that you know the basics of car stereo speakers and how aftermarket compares to stock, you can finally proceed forward with your own upgrade. Finding shops that install car stereos and speakers is easy. Simply search the phrase “car stereo installation near me” or “car stereo installation in San Diego.” That will bring up the shops in your direct vicinity that offer car audio products and installation services.
Remember, you don’t have to spend a fortune on car audio. Since aftermarket car speakers routinely outperform stock, you should be able to find a decent set of coaxial car speakers for less than $300.
