Having the audio system in your car or truck upgraded can be a lot of fun. A subwoofer can add warmth, impact and detail, upgraded amplifiers let you turn the volume up without fear of distortion, new speakers add amazing clarity, and a digital signal processor ensures smooth frequency response and realistic tonal balance. One issue we see come up often is that enthusiasts get sidetracked by parts of the installation process that don’t matter as much to the overall sound quality of their systems. Let’s look at some of these car audio red herrings and explain how they fit into the equation.

High-End Audio Interconnects

More so in home audio than in mobile audio systems, audiophiles get sidetracked in their desire for premium RCA interconnect cables. Yes, you want to use good quality interconnects, but not the for reasons most people think.

The signal coming out of your radio or an OEM audio system interface like the AmpPRO or ZEN-V is often in the millivolt range, unless you have the volume level near its maximum. This low-voltage signal is susceptible to interference from electromagnetic radiation from computers and high-current wiring in the car. As such, you’ll want to choose cables that offer excellent noise rejection.

If you’re using a signal processor or an amplifier with balanced differential inputs, then choose interconnects with a twisted-pair design. Twisted-pair conductors help ensure that any noise that does reach the cable is equal on both wires and will be filtered by the amplifier. If your amplifier uses what’s known as a single-ended design, then use coaxial interconnect cables to help prevent noise from entering the system.

Do Expensive RCA Cables Sound Better?

Many people will tell you that you need premium RCA cables for the best sound. We’ve measured the output of an amplifier fed by $5 coaxial interconnects and $100 twisted-pair cables. The difference was on the order of 0.01 dB at 20 kHz. Since we can’t hear those frequencies, it would stand to say there is no audible difference.

What matters most is that you keep noise out of the system. Buzzing, hums and white noise dramatically reduce the overall enjoyment of your audio system. So, choose interconnects with excellent shielding. If there is some perceivable difference in sound, it all becomes irrelevant once your installer starts tuning the system with your digital signal processor.

My Car Audio System Needs To Use TOSLINK

There’s no denying the convenience of transmitting signals using fiber-optic TOSLINK cables. They are completely impervious to radio-frequency and electromagnetic noise. With that said, some of the best-sounding mobile audio systems on the planet use conventional analog RCA interconnects to ferry signals from the source unit to the processor and, subsequently, to the amplifiers.

At this level of obsession (and we DO love people who are passionate about their music), the quality of the source material, the quality of the source unit, the quality of the signal processor, the amplifiers and, most importantly, the quality of the speakers all matter more in terms of making your stereo sound amazing. Choosing high-quality electronics and speakers is more important than worrying about digital connections. If it’s an option, go for it! Don’t go out of your way to make it happen.

What Matters Most to Getting Great Sound in Your Vehicle?

Imagine a scenario where you’ve searched high and low for the best source unit on the market. You’ve paired it with a premium digital signal processor and a set of great amplifiers. You’ve chosen to have an experienced fabricator build a custom installation that looks like it was designed by the vehicle manufacturer. After investing tens of thousands of dollars, you don’t have the money for great speakers. Sadly, we won’t say that the entire endeavor was a waste, but you definitely will be missing out on supreme performance.

Speakers are the most important component in any audio system. If the signal from your amplifiers can’t be converted into sound accurately, well, the system won’t sound accurate.

We saw a statement recently where someone claimed that different speaker designs exist for different listening preferences. When it comes to a home audio speaker, that might be true. The balance of bass to midbass, midrange and high-frequency reproduction is determined by the overall design.

In a car audio system, where the installation technicians we hire will determine mounting locations and tune the system, we want speakers that are as accurate as possible. The settings in the signal processor will determine the overall balance of the audio system. Remember, any distortion added by low-quality speakers cannot be removed from the system.

Choose Your Audio Upgrades Wisely

When it’s time to improve the performance of your mobile audio system, find a local specialty mobile enhancement retailer that has the tools and training to deliver world-class solutions. Start with great speakers, then work backward from there, choosing components and installation solutions that work within your budget. You’ll get years of enjoyment from your car stereo upgrade!

Lead-in image: Custom A-pillar pods by Nick at Apicella Auto Sound in Stony Point, New York.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

If you’ve been an avid reader of BestCarAudio.com, you may have noticed that we never refer to a live concert as being the reference for great sound from your car stereo system. We’ve alluded to concert-level output capabilities to determine how loudly your system will play. We’ve also talked about imaging and staging that describe the recreation of the position of the performers on a stage. If you’ve followed closely, our reference for great sound is for your mobile audio system to sound as if it were what a recording engineer and producer hear in a studio.

How The Recording Process Works

When a musician or band spends time in a studio, the engineer and assistant engineer will arrange microphones around the performers to capture their performance. The placement of these microphones determines the sound of an instrument. For example, a mic placed near the sound hole of a guitar will capture a very different sound than one placed beyond the body along the neck. Likewise, microphones on the head of each drum will sound different than a microphone placed a few feet away from the kit so that it can include room reflections.

Finally, one of the more dramatic examples would be the difference between recording the output of an electric guitar after it passes through whatever effect pedals the performer has chosen, and the option of recording the output of a guitar amp-and-speaker combination.

As the musicians perform, the recording engineer will blend the levels of each microphone using the mixing console or a digital audio workstation (DAW). He may also apply different signal processing to each signal through rack-mounted processors like equalizers, compressors, limiters, noise gates, delays, reverbs and distortion modules. If working in the digital domain, these modifications can be done through software plug-ins that mimic their physical brethren.

It’s important to note that the perception of the recording session depends on the quality of the speakers in the studio and the acoustics of the control room (where the engineer works). The sound also depends on how many instruments and performers were in the studio while recording. Imagine the process of recording a jazz trio, but only one performer was in the studio at a time as opposed to all three playing together. Minute to moderate amounts of sound from each instrument will be captured, after a short delay, by microphones on other instruments.

Why Doesn’t My Car Stereo Sound Like a Concert?

If you choose to crank up AC/DC or The Who to sound pressure levels above 120 dB, then you are indeed recreating a component of the concert experience. What you are lacking is the acoustics of the venue. As the performers play, what you hear is determined first and foremost by the audio system at the venue and the front of house (FOH) engineer who is blending all the instruments together on the mixing console. Next, if the venue is indoors, strong acoustic reflections will add energy to different parts of the audio spectrum. These reflections also wrap the performance around the audience, since sound reflected off the ceiling, side or back walls arrives a moment after the sound coming directly from the speakers.

How Do I Know if My Car Stereo Sounds Right?

We could go on and on describing the technical differences between a live performance and what you hear when you play a song in your car. Accurate sound reproduction is a concept that fraught with myths, misconceptions and misinformation. The perception of accurate sound is also tainted by people’s listening preferences in terms of bass levels and high-frequency output. What is universally agreed upon, yet rarely discussed, is the goal of choosing products that offer minimal amounts of unwanted distortion. This starts with the source of your music and extends through the radio, signal processor, amplifier and finally the speakers used in the system.

How can you make sure your stereo sounds good? Listen to as many audio systems as possible. When you hear something that impresses you, find out why. Was it the speakers or the way the system was tuned? Latch onto that as a key component of your system, then listen to more. Many retailers will say things like, “These are the best speakers I’ve ever heard.” While that statement may be true, it doesn’t make those the best speakers available. Do your research. Audition as much as you can. Ask questions. Once you have established a reference for great sound, choose a mobile enhancement retailer to help you achieve that goal in your car, truck or SUV. Your new car audio system may not sound exactly like a live concert — it may sound a lot better!

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Many car audio customers ask if it’s necessary to choose a specific size or type of speaker to play certain kinds of music. Do paper-cone midrange drivers handle classical music better? Do 15-inch subwoofers reproduce kick drums with more accuracy? Let’s take a look at how sound works and explain the benefits and drawbacks of different speaker sizes and designs.

Frequency Content in Music

Whether you’re listening to Nine Inch Nails, Neil Young, Taylor Swift or Metallica, all performers and musical instruments cover a surprisingly wide range of frequencies. The male voice typically covers frequencies from 125 Hz to over 3 kHz. For female singers, their voices typically fall between 200 Hz and 4 kHz.

When it comes to instruments, their frequency ranges are much wider. An upright piano extends from less than 30 Hz to more than 4 kHz with harmonics that extend even higher. A triangle has significant energy right up to 15 kHz. What most people don’t expect is that an instrument like a snare drum covers a surprisingly wide bandwidth. The fundamental is at 275 Hz, but harmonic content extends solidly up to 6.5 kHz before starting to roll off.

The Importance of Audio System Frequency Response

For a high-quality car stereo system to sound good, we need the system to cover as much of the audible frequency range as possible. For most of us, this means we need everything from deep bass at 30 Hz or lower up to the highest of highs between 15 and 20 kHz. To achieve this, we need at least two speaker sizes; in practicality, three sizes work better.

The next requirement is that the frequency response of our sound system needs to be relatively smooth with a pleasant balance. Some people like a little more bass while others like laid-back high-frequency reproduction or a little extra sizzle on top. In almost every blind test performed by speaker manufacturers, the midrange response (150 to 4,000 Hz) of the system should be as flat as possible for vocals to sound accurate.

The Three-Way Audio System

Most audio systems installed in vehicles use a three-way design. The term three-way describes the use of three differently sized speakers, each operating in different frequency ranges to recreate the recording. In a factory-installed sound system, you may have an 8- or 10-inch subwoofer in the rear parcel shelf or cargo area to reproduce bass frequencies below 80 Hz. A 5.25-inch or 6.5-inch woofer in each of the doors will play from 80 Hz up to the crossover point with a midrange driver on the dash or a tweeter in the sail panel. For a tweeter, the crossover is likely around 4 kHz; for a midrange, it could be between 250 and 450 Hz. Using multiple speakers reduces system distortion because small speakers aren’t being asked to work at high excursion levels to produce low-frequency information.

Does Speaker Size or Material Matter?

Does it matter what size speaker you use in your car audio system? To keep the answer short and sweet, larger speakers typically reproduce low-frequency information better. However, this doesn’t have to be directly associated with bass. A 2-inch midrange on the dash of a Jeep can play down to 400 Hz without any problem, whereas a 1-inch tweeter needs to be crossed over at 4,000 Hz.

The drawback of using larger speakers is that their output becomes directional at higher frequencies. An 8-inch woofer in the door of a sedan will need to be paired with a midrange in the dash to produce even sound throughout the listening environment. The phenomenon of speaker directivity is purely related to the cone diameter and not the speaker’s design or materials. Directivity is one of the reasons why some systems use a four-way design with dedicated midbass and midrange drivers.

So, back to our question about speaker sizes and music types. Does speaker size matter? In terms of the sounds the speaker is reproducing, speaker size does not correspond to a specific type of music, only to a specific range of frequencies.

Does Cone Material Affect Sound Quality?

Choosing a material for a speaker cone requires balancing three criteria: mass, damping and rigidity. For example, a metal speaker cone may be light and rigid but could run into problems with resonance at higher frequencies. Paper, plastic and composite cones all have their strengths and drawbacks. The speaker designer’s goal is to choose a cone material and design that will function without distortion within the desired frequency range. The speaker doesn’t know what kind of music is being played, nor does your source unit or amplifier.

How Do I Choose the Right Speakers for My Car Stereo?

When it’s time to upgrade the stereo system in your car or truck, visit a local specialty automotive enhancement retailer. They will inspect your vehicle to confirm speaker size and location, then suggest a combination of sizes to meet your needs. Your goal during the audition process is to choose a solution that sounds accurate and detailed, especially at high volume levels.

If you’re wondering how they’ll make sure the system sounds good with the music you enjoy, the answer comes in the form of tuning. If you include a digital signal processor (either as a stand-alone piece or one built into an amplifier), the installer can calibrate the system to ensure smooth response and the right amount of bass and high-frequency output to meet your needs.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.