A while back we published an article that discussed why aiming speakers in a properly designed car audio system was futile. As usual, we received a good deal of feedback about the piece. The comments ranged from the typical “that’s not how it works” to more scientific discussions about how even minor changes in placement had significant effects on imaging and soundstage position. So let’s dive deeper into this discussion to flesh out some of the finer details in speaker positioning.

Proper Audio System Design

The first thing we need to discuss is proper audio system design and component selection. To deliver the most realistic listening experience possible, you need to choose high-quality speakers. Speakers that add significant distortion will lack clarity and detail and render all other efforts futile. Forget the hype about anti-resonant baskets and fancy cones – the technologies that dramatically reduce distortion are motor upgrades like shorting rings and copper inductance-reducing caps.

Next, the speaker system needs to be designed and integrated into the vehicle in a way that ensures the even distribution of sound through the listening environment. This typically involves using a subwoofer, a set of woofers or midbass drivers, midrange speakers and tweeters. As our article on directivity explained, below a frequency where the effective circumference of the cone is equal to the sound wavelength, the sound is emitted evenly in all directions — as such, tilting a speaker up or down won’t change its perceived frequency. Keep this in mind, as we’ll circle back to it shortly.

Lastly, the speakers need to be chosen so that the high-frequency driver operating in the adjacent frequency range can play low enough to ensure that directivity doesn’t become an issue. Unfortunately, this statement confirms that using a two-way front stage with a 6.5-inch woofer is difficult, as most tweeters bundled in component sets can’t play low enough.

Speaker Placement Matters

When we talk about speaker placement for the front stage of our vehicles, the options are typically a stock location in the lower part of the front door, a location in the middle or upper portion of the door, the dash or in a custom pod on the A-pillar. It should come as no surprise that every location has a benefit and an equal number of drawbacks.

For midbass drivers used in a three-way front stage, the door location often works well. Some will go further with the installation and have custom mounting solutions created in the kick panels. If this driver is going to play up to 400 or 500 Hz, this “farther away” position can help with the perceived depth of the soundstage.

The same concept applies to midrange drivers. If they are installed in the doors, as would be found in many Porsches and BMWs, the soundstage can appear to span the car, but comes from a position that’s in line with the steering wheel. Mounting the speakers in pods on the A-pillars can move that soundstage deeper into the dash. Finally, speaker positions in the corners of the dash, right at the base of the windshield, are about as far away from the listening position as is possible and help to create a soundstage that seems to come from the rear edge of the hood. Some listeners don’t concern themselves with the sound source, while others weigh it heavily in their system design considerations.

The angle at which tweeters are aimed matters. Suppose you want to have any chance of hearing the highest of frequencies. In that case, tweeters need to be aimed toward the listening position or pointed up into the windshield so their output can reflect off the glass and “spray” into the vehicle interior. Tweeters mounted in sail panels can help to increase the perceived width of a soundstage – another consideration in where the music seems to come from.

What About Fine-Tuning Mounting Angles?

Much of the feedback on our article about speaker directivity was targeted at the fact that car audio system performance changed based on the angle at which the speakers were mounted. We don’t dispute this for one second. How a speaker performs in terms of directivity is a constant. How sounds reflect off of nearby surfaces plays a huge role in what we hear, even after setting signal delays and calibrating the system with an equalizer.

Let’s say you have a speaker mounted in an A-pillar, and it’s aimed directly across the vehicle. There will be immediate reflections off the windshield and, a moment later, off the side windows. Given their proximity to the speaker, these reflections may be almost as loud as the sound coming directly from the speaker cone. Another moment later, there may be a reflection off the roof and the dash. Vehicles are very complex and behave differently than a listening room or recording studio.

If we tilt the speaker in or out, up or down, we can change the path lengths from the edge of the speaker to the surfaces off of which the sound will reflect. Even a fraction of an inch will change how the sound these speakers produce interacts with these surfaces.

Let’s Look at An Example

Let’s say you have a Porsche 911 or Boxster with a midrange speaker location in the middle of the door. A number of 2.5- and 3-inch midrange drivers will perform excellently in that location. On the inside of the car, there is almost nothing near the speaker that will cause a significant reflection, other than the smooth surface of the door panel itself. In terms of delivering a predictable performance that won’t require significant equalization, this is as close to an ideal mounting location as is possible in a car or truck.

Is this the perfect location, though? What if you like the sound to appear to come from the windshield or dash of the vehicle, or even out on the hood? Will this speaker location offer that? It isn’t very likely. The soundstage is apt to seem very shallow. Tonally, the system may sound excellent, and the lack of nearby reflections should offer impressive clarity.

If we put those same speakers in small enclosures up on the dash, just as we described above, the sound will reflect off of every surface imaginable. We can make the system sound good with an equalizer, but the interaction of multiple reflections won’t deliver the same amount of clarity.

Balance the Benefits and Drawbacks

The goal of any speaker system design (i.e., the placement and configuration of the drivers in a listening application) requires balancing the benefits and drawbacks of each location. The specialty mobile enhancement retailer you are working with can help explain each location’s benefits and disadvantages. Together, you can choose a solution that will deliver the sonic performance and aesthetics you want from your upgrade.

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.

Have you ever looked at something and thought you were only getting part of the story? Many previous articles have discussed amplifier distortion at length but haven’t delved into how power output levels and frequency affect distortion measurements. If you’re looking for the best amplifier for your car audio system, especially for midrange drivers and tweeters, this information should be crucial to your purchasing decision.

Amplifier Distortion Specifications

If you’re browsing a car audio amplifier manufacturer’s website, you’ll see a single specification that’s intended to quantify the amount of distortion an amplifier adds to the audio signal. The CTA-2006-C standard requires that the total harmonic distortion and noise added to the audio signal be specified at an output level that is 50% of the maximum rated output for the amplifier. Of course, that power rating needs to comply with the CTA-2006-C standard as well.

Measuring Amplifier Distortion

When an amplifier is being tested for distortion, the technician or engineer will typically look at the harmonic information and noise added to a single test tone.

In the measurement above, you can see the test signal at 1 kHz at a level of 2.0 volts. The second harmonic (labelled with the pink 3) is at a level of -77.10 dBV, or 83.15 dB below the 6.03 dBV (2.00V) test signal. The third-order harmonic (labelled with the pink 1) is louder at an absolute level of -68.18 dBV and a relative level of -74.23 dB. You can see the pattern of even and odd harmonics continue well past 20 kHz. It’s worth noting that this is a good Class AB amplifier and not a poorly designed, inexpensive unit.

Sadly, this single specification is quite incomplete in terms of telling the whole story. Audio measurement and analyzer devices like those from Audio Precision and QuantAsylum can generate distortion graphs across a range of power output levels and frequencies. So let’s characterize this amplifier in terms of the amount of distortion it adds to an audio signal based on the amount of power it produces.

Before we dive into analyzing the data, we should explain that the horizontal X-axis scale is in decibel volts, known as dBV. This way of looking at voltage represents the amplifier output level using a decibel scale with 1 volt as 0 dB. Thus, the equation to convert dBV to a voltage is 10 ^ (dBV/20).

The output level of 6.03 dBV, where we measured %THD+N in the first chart, would be 2.00 volts. At the low level, distortion is at 0.075%. At an output level of 22.6 dBV, you can see that the distortion increased. This level is the point where the amplifier started to run into clipping. Maximum power output measurements are specified at the output level that corresponds to a THD+N of 1%. For this amplifier, that would be about 24 dBV, or 63 watts into a 4-ohm load.

At the other end of the scale, you can see that distortion increases as output power decreases. This performance is very typical for a Class-AB amplifier. At very low levels, the harmonic distortion content is buried in the noise created by the amp, which for this unit is at about -105 dBV. Crossover distortion at very low volume levels plays a significant role in adding unwanted information to the audio signal. As the output level increases, the audio signal passes through the transition between the positive and negative output devices at a steeper slope, reducing the time the signal spends in this transition region. As such, distortion decreases relative to the output level.

The CTA-2006 THD+N specification for this amplifier would be 0.02% at the output level of 21 dBV (-3 dB from the maximum power output level). This information doesn’t do a good job of describing how well the amp performs in a real-world application since most of the time, we’re only using a fraction of the power available to drive a speaker. For example, if we have a midrange speaker or a tweeter in a three-way system, we may only need 1/10 to 1/20 of the power a midbass speaker would need, or even less than a subwoofer. Played at high volume levels, a tweeter rarely needs more than a few watts.

So far, in all the TestDriveReview product evaluations we’ve published, the distortion has been specified at the same level as the signal-to-noise ratio. This would be at an output level of 1 watt in a 4-ohm load or 2.00 volts. From now on, we’ll include the Power versus THD+N graphs as shown above so readers can see the entire picture of how the amplifier behaves.

Distortion Versus Frequency Response

Another characteristic often overlooked is the amount of distortion an amplifier adds relative to different frequencies. We ran another test on this amplifier to characterize this. We used an output level of 1.95 volts (very close to our 2.00-volt number) and measured distortion at frequencies from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

While the numbers don’t vary as much compared to output level changes, you can see that there’s more distortion added at higher frequencies compared to midrange levels.

In an upcoming article, we’ll start all over with a new set of measurements with the three amplifiers we used in the What Do Better Amplifiers Sound Like article a few years ago. We’ll throw in a Class-D amp or two to round out the mix, so you’ll have a benchmark from which to compare solutions.

In the meantime, if you’re interested in purchasing an amplifier for your car or truck, drop by your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer today and ask them about a high-performance solution that will make your music sound amazing!

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.

More and more companies are offering motorcycle audio system upgrade solutions. Bikes like Harley-Davidson Road Glide and Street Glide can sound so much better with proper speakers and a high-power amplifier. In this article, we’ll cover four things you need to keep in mind when shopping for new tunes for your touring bike.

1. Installation Is Crucial to Performance and Reliability

How the new speakers, amplifier and perhaps a new radio are mounted, wired and configured plays a considerable role in the performance and reliability of your motorcycle audio system. New speakers are often much more substantial than the factory-installed products they replace. The speakers need to be mounted securely with corrosion-resistant fasteners. Of course, the speakers need to fit perfectly and seal tightly against the faring face for optimum performance.

Amplifiers can draw a lot of current from the battery and charging system when the volume is cranked. High-quality, appropriately sized wiring with solid electrical connections is mandatory to get the most efficient delivery.

2. Buy from a Brick-and-Mortar Retailer

If you’re going to have work done to your motorcycle, make sure that it’s by someone who will be available to support the products and services they sell you. Many bike enthusiasts buy audio upgrades at shows and rallies. If you have problems or need adjustments weeks or months after the purchase, you’ll need to find someone else to help and you’ll have to pay them for their time. Dealing with a local shop that specializes in motorcycle audio can save you a lot of headaches. A deal at a show isn’t a deal if you have to invest more money down the road.

3. Choose Premium Products

Face it: Your motorcycle is likely worth a lot of money. Inexpensive speakers and amplifiers aren’t apt to perform well or last as long as products from reputable companies. A motorcycle presents a challenging environment for audio equipment. Vibration is a huge factor, and when poorly designed audio components are used, they often fail in a few months.

Amplifiers need to be designed so that they are efficient and reliable — the fragile components inside need to be secured so that nothing will break. Speakers need to be weather-resistant in case you get caught in the rain. You also want a solution that is designed to handle prolonged UV exposure without drying out, chalking, cracking or fading. Woofer cones that fade or change color after prolonged exposure to the sun may become more brittle and eventually crack and fail. Regular car audio speakers simply aren’t a reliable option.

If you’re upgrading the radio on your bike, be sure to choose something that is weather resistant. You want a bright screen that’s easy to see in direct sunlight. You will also want something that can integrate with the handlebar stereo controls, if your bike has them.

4. Audio System Upgrades Need Tuning for Accurate Sound

We may have beat this topic to death, but it’s worth stating at least one more time. The factory-installed radios in 2014 and newer Harley-Davidson touring bikes have a slew of signal processing built into them. If you don’t address this tuning when upgrading the bike with a new amp and speakers, the system likely won’t sound right, and you could damage the new components. A reputable mobile enhancement retailer should have the tools to check the output of the radio on a Honda, Yamaha or BMW bike before they dive into an upgrade.

Your best bet is to purchase a digital signal processor (DSP) from the shop installing your equipment. They can use their audio test equipment to smooth the EQ curve in the radio and fine-tune the system to sound the way you want. Having the radio flashed to reduce the equalization settings is another option, but this process could be undone if you take your bike in for service. Likewise, there may be concerns about your warranty when you make alterations to the software.

Upgrade the Audio System on Your Motorcycle Today!

If you can’t crank the stereo on your motorcycle to the point that it gives you goosebumps, drop by your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer today and find out about the upgrades that are available. Don’t be afraid to research the suitability and reliability of their suggestions before you make a purchase. In the end, a little planning will keep your investment sounding great and last for years.

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.

There seems to be some misunderstanding about the relationship between subwoofer mounting depth requirements and performance relative to enclosure volume. We constantly see enthusiasts talk about having a 10-inch shallow sub mounted under a car or truck seat. Their expectation is full-size subwoofer performance without the need for a large enclosure. Let’s do a few simulations to see if they have any hope of getting the bass they want.

What Is ‘Great Bass’?

In our opinion, the purpose of a subwoofer is to extend the low-frequency output of an audio system such that the entire audio spectrum is covered. Unless they are massive (which causes other problems), the speakers in your doors or dash won’t play much below 50 Hz at high volume levels. The addition of a dedicated subwoofer with a dedicated amplifier can easily play to 20 or 25 Hz and relieves the smaller speakers of the task of playing these frequencies. As a result, the smaller speakers will sound better, and the subwoofer will give you the impact you expect from your audio system.

When quantifying bass performance, we talk about output capability and extension. Quantifying these characteristics is tricky, as the numbers depend on the vehicle into which the products are installed. Instead, we’ll use simulations from the BassBox Pro software to give you an idea of how different subwoofers perform in compact enclosure volumes. While not absolute in terms of in-car performance, the relative differences will be demonstrated clearly.

Sample 1 – Rockford Fosgate Subwoofers

Rockford Fosgate has dozens of differently sized subwoofers in their product line. Their solutions range from affordable entry-level products in the Prime Series to competition-grade Superwoofers in the Power Series. For this comparison, let’s look at a Punch P3 shallow 10-inch subwoofer and compare it to a full-depth version at the same feature level. The two subs will be the shallow-mount P3SD2-10 and the full-depth P3D2-10.

Because space is usually at a premium for shallow subwoofer installations, let’s take a look at how each of these subwoofers performs in a compact sealed enclosure with a net internal volume of 0.5 cubic foot. If you want to picture that enclosure, it might have a width of 13.5 inches, a depth of 5 inches and will need to be 22 inches long if constructed from ¾-inch-thick material (as it should be).

It would be easy to think that the shallow sub plays louder, as the peak output is 109.7 dB at 106.7 Hz compared to 109 dB at 75 Hz for the big driver. However, in almost every application, your subwoofers will be used with a low-pass filter that’s set somewhere around 60-70 Hz. As such, it’s the system efficiency below 70 Hz that will determine how much bass the sub produces for a given power level.

The P3D2-10 simulation predicts 103.2 dB of output at 40 Hz and 101.8 dB from the shallow sub at the same depth. In this case, the big woofer will be louder for a given enclosure size.

Sample 2 – JL Audio Subwoofers

Another company with a great selection of full-depth and shallow subwoofers is JL Audio. Let’s look at the big 10W3v3-4 to the shallow 10TW4-D8 driver. The big sub needs at least 5.93 inches of mounting depth, while the shallow TW3 driver requires only 3.25 inches. Let’s look at both of these drivers in a half-cubic-foot enclosure and see which is louder.

Here we see that both subwoofers are very similar below our crossover frequency. The big W3 sub is producing 102.9 dB at 40 Hz, and the shallow TW3 driver offers 102.6. In our opinion, that’s pretty much the same.

Sample 3 – Kicker Subwoofers

Let’s run these calculations one more time with a pair of Kicker subwoofers. This time, we’ll compare the 10-inch square dual-4-ohm L7R sub to its shallow-mount L7T brother. Both drivers are rated for 500 watts maximum power handling. The L7R requires 6.125 inches of mounting depth, while the L7T needs only 3.75 inches.

Just as with the JL subwoofers, the output of the shallow subwoofer is very similar to that of the big sub when driven with 300 watts of power. The L7R’s predicted output is 103.7 dB at 40 Hz, with the thinner L7T is calculated to produce 104.3 dB. You might be able to hear the difference, but not likely.

Are Shallow Subs the Same as Deep Subwoofers?

As one of our readers asked on Facebook, “So, the benefit is only shallow mounting depth, not a change in enclosure requirements?” He is right. The physics that govern output and low-frequency extension don’t change with a shallow subwoofer. Their benefit is minimized mounting depth, not magical deep-bass from microscopic enclosures. Your installer can create unique low-profile enclosures with a shallow sub, letting them mount them in spaces where a full-size sub doesn’t fit.

One thing to keep in mind is that shallow subwoofers may not have as much cone excursion capability as their full-sized brethren. The Kicker L7R has an Xmax spec of 13.9 millimeters, where the L7R is only 9.2 mm. The full-depth Rockford Fosgate P3D2-10 has an Xmax of 15.2 millimeters versus 8.4 mm for the shallow P3SD2-10. The chosen JL Audio subwoofers are the exception here. The TW3 has a rated Xmax of 15.2 millimeters, where the W3v3 sub is 14.0 mm. Both are good numbers, so it’s not a concern.

Do Shallow Subs Work in Small Enclosure?

The answer to this is that every subwoofer needs a certain amount of air volume behind the cone to perform. Subwoofers with shallow designs don’t produce more deep bass from a small enclosure. We’ve heard both deep and shallow subs in 0.2- and 0.3-cubic-foot enclosures. They sound terrible. Our take-away from this series of simulations is a recommendation to resist asking the local specialist mobile retailer you are working with to design and fabricate an enclosure that doesn’t provide the subwoofers you’ve chosen with adequate space. You’ll likely find that you’ll get more deep bass by using fewer subs in a properly designed system.

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 a reader of BestCarAudio.com, you know we’ve published a lot of articles about distortion. We include detailed measurements of harmonic and intermodulation distortion in our Test Drive Reviews to help show you the quality and performance differences between products. In this article, we’ll make a series of speaker distortion measurements using our new Clio audio analysis hardware to explain why investing in the best quality speakers you can afford is crucially important.

An Overview on Distortion

Before we start talking about distortion, we ask that you forget about amplifier clipping. That’s not what we’re talking about here. Yes, clipping IS the addition of significant amounts of unwanted information to an audio signal. With that said, clipping should only happen when an audio system isn’t designed or operated correctly.

The distortion we are discussing happens in low, mid and high volume levels and comes from every component in the audio signal path. Source components in an audio system add a small amount of distortion. Quality amplifiers shouldn’t add much unwanted information when operated in their linear range. On the other hand, speakers can easily add a lot of distortion.

Any time information is added to the original recording, that’s distortion. It could be hiss from an improperly configured processor or harmonics from a poorly designed amplifier. Have a look at this article (https://www.bestcaraudio.com/what-do-better-car-audio-amplifiers-sound-like/) that discusses the performance differences between low-, medium- and high-quality car audio amplifiers to get a feeling for just what they add to an audio signal.

Let’s look at a theoretical example of distortion before we dive into measuring any speakers. Imagine that we’ve created a single-frequency test tone to evaluate the distortion characteristics of audio equipment.

The graph above shows a spike at 1 kHz. There’s nothing else of significance in the display.

Next, we might play the above recording of a 1 kHz tone through a medium-quality source unit. Though it can be subtle, every audio component will add a number of harmonics to the signal. The output of our head unit might look like the graph below.

The graph above shows the same 1 kHz tone, but harmonics have been added to the signal at 2, 3, 4 and 5 kilohertz. The loudest harmonic, measured at 80 dB below the original signal, would represent a signal distortion of 0.010%.

The source unit has added information to the audio signal that wasn’t in the original recording. For example, the small spike at 2 kHz is second-order harmonic, the spike at 3 kHz is third-order, and so on. The relative level of the even and odd harmonics can give the audio component a harsh sound or make it sound unintentionally warm. Either way, the sound has changed from the original recording, and that’s not what we want any audio device to do.

Passing that slightly distorted audio signal into an amplifier will have the same effect. It will create multiples of any and every frequency that passes through it. So, it will add more unwanted information at 1, 2, 3 and 4 kilohertz, along with harmonics of each of those frequencies as they were present in the signal going into the amp. Below about -110 dB, you aren’t going to hear that information. We’ll get into another deep discussion of intermodulation distortion as we prepare to evaluate speaker configurations.

Let’s Test a Car Audio Speaker

It’s easy to create a low-quality speaker. Guess at a cone mass, pair that with some random voice coils, spiders and surrounds, then glue them together, plop those parts in existing baskets and put a label on the box. If you think there are speakers on the market that aren’t created this way, you’re wrong.

A good speaker is typically designed backward, from a target performance objective. For example, the aim could be a smooth response through a particular range of frequencies, enhanced low-frequency extension or maximum output efficiency. Most often, a group of these characteristics are combined during the development phase. Once the guidelines have been established, an engineer can model different components in simulation software. Once a plan is in place, parts can be developed to hit target mass, dimensional, compliance and electrical characteristics.

The companies with a wealth of knowledge in designing and testing speakers have a foundation for what works in each application. As such, hitting a target performance goal is more efficient and the results more accurate. Some companies use test equipment that combines acoustic measurements with laser-based cone movement measurements to evaluate samples and adjust or fine-tune the design. Hardware like this is available from Clio and Klippel.

No matter how hard the engineer tries, designing and producing moving coil loudspeakers is challenging. A little too much or too little glue can change performance. A misalignment of the vertical height of the coil to the cone and spider can result in non-linear performance. It’s easy to get this all wrong, and as such, it’s difficult to produce speaker products that are consistent in offering excellent performance.

Let’s Measure Speaker Distortion

We will start this evaluation of speaker distortion by testing a 6.5-inch coaxial speaker that was introduced to the car audio market in 2004. I knew from the first time I heard it that there was something odd with the design. First, there’s a sharpness in the upper midrange that’s quite unpleasant. The second reason I chose this driver is that it has the tweeter mounted right at the base of the woofer cone. (Why this is important will be revealed in an upcoming article.)

Let’s set the speaker up in my 2.2-cubic-foot test enclosure and measure the driver’s frequency response at a drive level of 1 volt and the microphone at 0.5 meter. The results are in the graph below. Ignore what’s happening below 30 Hz – those are room reflections.

The measurement above tells us a few things. First, there’s a nasty dip of 10 dB at 5 kHz and a second dip that extends from 6.5 to 7.4 kHz. Second, it also has a LOT of energy in the top end, rising steadily from 2 kHz to be almost 10 dB louder than the midrange level. Even if these measurements don’t correlate directly to what might be found in an anechoic chamber, they give us a clear idea about what’s going on with the speaker design.

Let’s Look at Distortion

The Clio measurement system can measure total harmonic distortion and precisely quantify second- and third-order harmonic content. So let’s sweep this speaker again at the same drive level and look at the distortion output. Once again, please ignore the bass information below 30 Hz.

The red trace is the measured frequency response of the speaker that we saw previously. The blue trace is the level of unwanted second-order harmonic distortion. The green trace is the level of third-order harmonic distortion. Finally, the violet trace is the sum of all the distortion content produced by this speaker.

To clarify these measurements, when the speaker is fed a signal at 200 Hz and reproduces that tone at an output level of 85 dB, it will also produce output at 400 Hz at a level of 42 dB and 800 Hz at 34 dB. The 400 and 800 Hz sounds were NOT in the original recording. These characteristics repeat for every audible frequency. So tones at 201 Hz have 402 and 804 Hz harmonics added, 202 Hz tones have 404 and 808 Hz harmonics, and so on across the entire frequency spectrum.

We can see that below 500 Hz, distortion increases quickly as frequency decreases. This phenomenon becomes clearly apparent at about 125 Hz where the total distortion jumps to 21 dB below the primary signal. That’s equivalent to about 10% THD. From 500 to 1 kHz, the distortion level is fairly constant at around 45 to 50 dB below the fundamental signal. That works out to between 0.3 and 0.5% THD.

The type of distortion that is added changes based on frequency as well. Below 500 Hz, the distortion is primarily the second-order blue trace. This kind of distortion is usually because of variances in suspension compliance and magnetic field linearity. Above 500 Hz, the distortion becomes primarily third-order, which can be attributed to changes in inductance. Above 1 kHz, distortion is usually based on cone and surround resonances. When we refer to changes in a characteristic, we are talking about variations in cone position and drive level.

The Tip of the Iceberg in Speaker Distortion

As mentioned, this is a preliminary introduction to speaker distortion. We’ll follow up with additional tests on speakers over the next few months to help explain the differences between low-quality and premium solutions. In the meantime, if you’re shopping for speakers, let your ears do the math for you. Drop by your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer to audition the upgrade solutions available for your car or truck.

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.