Every motorist dreams of good acoustics in the car. For some, the main requirement for the system is the rattle of the windows of the houses they pass by. Others prefer the most authentic sound, elaborate detailing of the sound picture, juicy bass. However, most motorists simply cannot articulate their desires. In this case, the ideal installation option in the car is broadband speakers. They are characterized by an acceptable sound, do not frighten the cost, and if you select the parameters correctly, they will delight you with really good sound.
Content
Device
Broadband speakers in cars have a simple design. In the most inexpensive version, this is a large-diameter speaker. It has a special design:
- the diffuser coil generates a strong magnetic field for fast movement over relatively large distances;
- the diffuser is made of classic or modern materials of high rigidity. It can be paper with special impregnation or a multilayer polymer film;
- the design always uses a powerful permanent magnet;
- along the contour of the diffuser there is a shock-absorbing block made of soft rubber. He is responsible for the quality factor of the system, the higher it is, the better the broadband speakers sound.
Such a simple design causes a lot of controversy among sound specialists. Some speak out about almost zero phase distortion during playback. This is a true statement, since the sound comes from one point and there is no overlap of waves, as is the case with multiband speakers with several speakers.
However, purely technical and physical processes do not allow confidently rejecting the negative statements of audiophiles. No speaker, no matter how good it is, is not capable of working equally on the entire spectrum of audible frequencies. Dips in the upper and lower zones are necessarily observed. The simplest broadband speaker physically cannot reproduce rich bass and subtle tones of sound on the verge of audibility.
To neutralize the flaws of flat sound, coaxial acoustics was created. This is an advanced broadband system. In construction:
- large main speaker;
- a small speaker located inside the large diffuser;
- frequency filter system.
The principle of the system is quite simple. Using the frequency filter, the playback range of the large speaker is shifted to the bottom (bass and mid). At the same time, a small speaker works in the upper area of audibility.
The option of coaxial placement of the speakers is also not chosen by chance. With this arrangement, the overall acoustic background is characterized by minimal phase distortion. The coaxial broadband speaker reproduces sound really better than its predecessors of the simplest design.
Coaxial-type broadband speakers have not gained inconvenience with the increase in sound quality. It is also easy to install it in the car to the prescribed regular places, you do not need a complicated adjustment of the position and sound level, you do not need an amplifier with separate channel control. This scheme is loved by car owners, literally "screwed - works."
Advantages and disadvantages
If you plunge into the discussion of a forum of auto sound, you can easily get confused and get lost in the sea of arguments for and against broadband speakers.Therefore, it is reasonable to immediately bring the advantages and disadvantages of such decisions. Undoubted advantages include:
- lack of phase distortion (this feature has both a simple speaker and a coaxial speaker);
- sound output from the point region (there is no need to select the position of the system, volume adjustment in the lower and upper regions of the frequency range is not required);
- special adjustment of parameters is not required;
- no signal distortion due to the use of independent crossovers.
Users who enjoy broadband acoustics claim that it has a special, airy, really good and natural sound. But there are also disadvantages to systems of this class:
- In any embodiment, the tonal balance has dips in the low frequency region.
- Mid frequencies sound quite flat. The reason is in physical processes that do not allow the large diffuser of the main speaker to quickly respond to signal changes.
- The cheaper the system, the greater the noticeable drop in playback quality. In the most budget models, part of the sound image will simply disappear or sound incorrect.
Listening to audiophiles, you might think that broadband speakers are an old, awkward black and white TV. In practice, this is not so. If you pick up models with good characteristics, the car will play with sound, as broadband speakers work great in tight spaces.
How to choose
The popularity that a broadband speaker has among motorists can be understood by the many proposed models on the market. But when choosing your perfect acoustics, you don’t have to follow the dishonest marketers.
The average coaxial broadband speaker has one or two crossovers and a pair of speakers. This allows:
- save air passage from the main speaker, provide more lively bass and intelligible midrange;
- expand the frequency range.
But today you can find anything on the market. Starting from three-way, ending with six- and eight-way coaxial speakers. In place of one small tweeter, an overall head with several sound emitters is often piled up. Do not agree with the not entirely correct opinion that "more bands - better." In practice, this means the following:
- with multi-band filtering, often only two crossovers or a circuit with parallelization of circuits are used;
- a head with several sound emitters in the center of the main speaker closes the passage of sound, which negatively affects its quality.
Thus, chasing the number of bands that a broadband coaxial speaker system has for cars is completely unnecessary. It is reasonable to pay attention to technical specifications.
Frequency
Manufacturers always indicate the range of reproduced frequencies. When choosing a broadband speaker system in a car, it is worth remembering the failures in the lower and upper audibility zones. You need to buy a model with the widest possible range. Ideally, if its lower limit is less than 20 Hz, and the upper one approaches 48000 Hz.
Sensitivity
Most auto speakers have a sensitivity of around 90 Hz. This value is enough if you plan to make a really good sound in the car by installing a high-quality amplifier. If the playback device cannot boast of significant output power, it is worth looking for acoustics with greater sensitivity.
But choosing record values, for example, 150 or higher, is not worth it. In this case, the speakers too clearly react to various radio and electrical noise, which are abundant in the car.
The size
The dimensions of the broadband speakers are selected in accordance with the regular places provided for in the car for their installation. Most car owners follow this tactic. It’s not worth trying to modify the areas for installing acoustics without the appropriate experience.This can not only degrade the performance of the cabin, but can also lead to a decrease in sound quality due to sealing failures and other errors.
Rated and peak power
When buying speakers in a car, you should focus solely on the nominal number. This value shows at what power the acoustics will reproduce sound without distortion for an arbitrarily long time.
Peak power is the ultimate acoustic performance. According to production testing standards, the diffuser coil and other speaker circuits can withstand maximum currents for 5 minutes. Therefore, it is recommended to ignore the peak power parameter and choose acoustics only at the nominal value.
Resonance frequency
The resonance frequency index is almost the same as the cutoff of subwoofer systems. For broadband acoustics - the lower the indicator, the deeper the bass it can play.
Full Q factor
This parameter is purely physical. It describes the ability of the contour rubber block of the diffuser to maintain the amplitude of oscillation. According to the value of full quality factor, speakers for closed space are selected, for example, installed in the doors. If the value is between 0.4–0.6 (low), the sound will be flat and inexpressive. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase models with the highest possible quality factor.
The last parameter of any acoustics is the electrical resistance of the system, or impedance. You need to buy a column with such a value of this indicator, which is indicated in the technical passport of the amplifier. In simple words, if it is written that the playback system produces 100 watts per channel with a resistance of 4 ohms, it is the acoustics with this impedance that you need to buy. This will reduce signal distortion and avoid emergency operation of the amplifier.
Quality System Components
In modern cars, you can quite unexpectedly find a large number of regular places for installing speakers. For example, they are in the doors, front pillars of the roof, in a dashboard. This is done to accommodate component acoustics. But you can build a system with high-quality sound using broadband speakers. This will require additional components.
Subwoofer
The subwoofer is designed to operate exclusively in the low frequency band. It forms that very beloved by many juicy bass. This device must be located either in the trunk or behind the back of the rear row of seats. Today produced models that can be placed under the seat.
The rule of location of the subwoofer is only one: it must be located behind. This will allow you to distribute the vibrations throughout the cabin, without forming an area where the bass clogs the rest of the sound image.
Crossover
The task of the crossover is to separate the frequencies. Roughly speaking, this is a multifunctional filter. The crossover can be single-channel, tuned to a narrow bandwidth. But to build a good multipoint audio system in a car, it is recommended to buy more advanced models.
The standard crossover divides the signal into three bands: bass, middle bass, top. They wind up on the playback points as follows:
- bass - to the subwoofer;
- middle bass - on the dynamics of doors and torpedoes;
- top - on the speakers in the roof racks.
The advantage of using a crossover is that its output signals can be converted as you like. For example, installing separate amplifiers for the subwoofer, mid-frequency and high-frequency reproduction circuits.
Rating
User preferences are the best source for ranking, unlike advertising materials and the opinions of marketers. Motorists with their volumes of purchases clearly showed which models of broadband acoustics are in demand and allow you to get good sound in the cabin.
Pioneer TS-MR1600
- strong case;
- protection against water and dust;
- nice sound;
- good sound in the wind.
- you have to overpay for protection that is not needed in a car;
- the case looks rude;
- low rated power.
This model is designed for installation on boats, yachts and other vehicles where there is an impact on the acoustics of water and dust. Speakers are coaxial type, two bands, landing diameter 6 inches. Frequency range 30-30000 Hz, sensitivity 90 dB, rated power 25 W.
Pioneer TS-1701I
- attractive price;
- good bass;
- build quality and materials;
- good detail of the sound picture.
- in some cars, they are hardly put in a regular place;
- flaws of high frequencies, flat, from afar;
- in some machines, the rated power may not be sufficient;
- a complex sound picture, rich music is not reproduced well enough (interference, distortion, garbage).
This model has a successful design with a small tweeter and a large space for the passage of waves from the main emitter. Size 6 inches, 90 dB sensitivity, rated power 35 W, frequency band 32-19000 Hz.
JVC CS-J610
- cost;
- good enough sound;
- acceptable power;
- coverage of almost the entire declared frequency range;
- stylish appearance.
- no protective mesh;
- rattle of the case at high volume;
- do not work well in confined spaces (doors);
- the sound is a bit dry.
This budget speaker is made in an interesting, stylish case. Reproduces all frequencies, plays quite cleanly. Ideal for small cars and midsize cars. Has a good sensitivity of 92 dB, the claimed frequency band of 35-20000 Hz. Landing diameter of 6 inches, rated power rating of 30 watts.
JVC CS-V618
- good sound;
- coverage of the claimed frequency band;
- corporate stylish case with a protective mesh;
- low height simplifies installation.
- dry sound;
- rattling at high volume;
- low rated power;
- work poorly in tight spaces.
Budget coaxial speakers that fit perfectly in a medium sized car. When installed on the rear shelf, protective nets have a huge advantage, protecting the speaker from debris and mechanical damage. The model has a size of 6 inches, two bands, rated power 30 W, frequency range 42-20000 Hz.
Conclusion
Despite the extremely negative opinions of audiophiles, broadband speakers for cars are very popular. There are many reasons for this. The speakers have an attractive price tag, and if you carefully choose a model, analyzing its technical characteristics, it is easy to get great sound. With the help of broadband speakers you can build a very high-quality multi-point audio system using a subwoofer, crossover and multi-channel amplifiers.
