When choosing a pioneer car audio MP3 it’s important to address a few key questions. How much do you want to spend? What features are most important to you? An MP3 is a way to encode audio that compresses data so it can store a lot more of it while keeping a high standard of quality. Pioneer has a long-standing reputation for quality and also for being one of the easiest car audio systems to install and use. They make a range of car audio that can play MP3’s, including the lower end DEH-P3700MP for a little over $100 to the AVICD1 navigation system for about $1,600. If you are looking for a basic system to play CD’s and MP3’s, a simpler system will be fine. But, if you want more features like navigation or a DVD player you will pay a lot more for a higher end system.

One of the most important things to look for is how you are going to navigate through all of your MP3 files, especially while driving. If you have a large library of music, you will need to find an MP3 player that makes browsing through the discs as easy as possible. Many discs can hold up to about 250 songs, and it’s crucial that you can find exactly what you’re looking for as quickly as possible. One of the most reasonably priced MP3 player’s Pioneer makes is the DEH-P5500M, which costs around $270 and allows you to organize files by artist, track, folder name, file name, and album. It also has satellite radio and CD changer controls. It’s also imperative that you check that the discs you use on your computer for music are compatible with the ones for the MP3 player, otherwise you might end up with a library of music that won’t play in your car. ID tags to identify songs must be a certain version compatible with the car’s system, or you’ll end up with a lot of unusable music. If you figure out what you’re looking for, you can make an educated decision about which system will best suit your budget and your listening needs.

Speaker Positioning

Speaker installation is very critical for performance. Whether you spent $1000 or $10,000 on a set of speakers, if they are not properly installed, they would not sound as they should. Even though it may seem that the best position for most speakers are in the stock housing's that came with the car e.g. on the door panel near your feet, this is just not so. You would see why such positions are still used however along with alternative solutions such as center channels for 5.1 dolby, LCD screen, in-dash DVD players. There are many factors that need to be considered in placing the speakers in the correct position.

Distance

The first thing to consider is distance. If the left speaker is only a couple feet away from your ears, while the right speaker is several feet away from you, then the sound will arrive at different times giving you poor sound. Since the left speaker is closer, it sounds louder. The best solution is to figure out a location where the difference between the distance of the right speaker to your ears and left speaker (also known as path length difference), are minimal. This is where kick panels become the preferred location.

Multiple Speaker Placement

If you have a system with two or more speakers per side, you need to try out different locations to obtain the best possible sound in your car. If you have a 2-way system with a tweeter and sub per side. The subs are mounted in the stock location at the bottom of the door. The tweeters are mounted high up on the front corner of the door panel. From the driver's seat, you can see that there are 4 speakers all aimed towards different orientations and all at a different distance to your ears. This interaction of sound waves at different frequencies arriving at your ears at different times seldom sounds good. The best thing to do is to position the woofer and tweeter on each side as close as possible to each other. This is also why kick panels are used so much these days. Professional installers do use some tricks such as inverting the tweeters' polarity when mounted for example on top of the dash while the woofers are low. Achieving good sound with unconventional mounting schemes is very, very hard and is only achieved after plenty of time has been spent trying different configurations.

Aiming

Our ears can distinguish the direction of sound more easily at higher frequencies. This means that aiming the mids, and most importantly, tweeters towards your ears play a critical role in sound imaging. Midbases are not so critical, but should be also aimed towards the listener's ears if possible. To figure out the best aiming angle involves many hours -even days- of work. To start, try to aim the speakers towards the center of the car. Play around with different angles until you obtain the best sounding position. Subwoofers should be mounted up front for best sound. Since this is not possible in most cars, mounting subs in the back is not such a bad thing, since most people can't distinguish where bass comes from. If you have good midbases going down to 60 Hz or less and subs picking up the signal below 60 Hz, then the bass will seem to come from the front.

Enclosures

Subwoofers need a properly designed enclosure to give top performance. Midbases and mids also do sound much better if they are installed in enclosures. The best sounding and easier to build enclosure type for midbases and mids is sealed.

Mounting Speakers

If you are using speakers that fit into the stock location, make sure there are no spaces or holes. Sometimes building a wood or fiberglass baffle helps reduce holes and gives you much better sound. Always be careful when using power tools around speakers. Holes in speakers usually are not covered by the warranty. For unconventional speaker locations, sometimes metal has to be cut. If you have the resources, plasma cutters and pneumatics tools work great. For most of us that do not have these tools, a pair of metal snips (left and right cut) will do the job.

If you’re looking for an in-car Pioneer car audio video system, there are a number of options to choose from. First, you must decide what features you want - just a basic sound system that plays DVD’s, or one that features a navigation system or other additions too? Here are the top three models of Pioneer car audio video they make.

1. AVH-P7500DVD: This car DVD player has a large anti-glare screen, and is compatible with a broad range of Pioneer accessories. It features DVD audio and video, CD and MP3. It has surround sound and AM/FM radio, and is XM radio-ready. It doesn’t have a navigation system, although it’s easy to add on features like navigation or a game box. The price ranges from $1199-$1680.

2. Pioneer AVIC-N2 Car DVD Player: This system also has a great deal of improved features, and in addition to the DVD system has a navigation system. The in-dash player and monitor plays CD’s, MP3’s, DVD’s, and CD-R and CD-RW. The navigation system has very detailed maps and up-to-date traffic information for most major cities, and the very sensitive touch screen ensures accuracy while searching. It has four channels and an optional XM radio tuner, as well as an amplifier. The price is anywhere from $1330 to $2000.

3. Pioneer NAV-SYS620T (includes AVD-W6210 and AVIC-88DVD): This system combines a lot of features to make an impressive system that will enhance any car. There is an 8- channel GPS receiver for excellent navigation, along with five different viewing modes for the touch screen. It has voice recognition software so users can use voice-control or touch screen mode. It also features “points of interest” on the map discs for the US and Canada. It has CD and DVD, although it doesn’t come with an AM/FM tuner. The price range is $1389 to $1890.

This is part of the request we received for articles: Mobile-Audio-Video - Articles on automotive video and sound systems belong here, including suggestions and tips as well as system reviews.

Auto audio is a big thing here in Idaho if you visit a huge city like Twin Falls so I'm glad to oblige the webmaster.

The main drag of Twin is Blue Lakes Boulevard. Blue Lakes is the traffic-light center of South Central Idaho. That’s when you get to evaluate the auto audio systems. That’s exactly what our leader wants (see above).

Remember the Boom Boxes that teens carried on their shoulders blasting out rock music at 150 decibels? Anything above 100 decibels is considered to be damaging by our government who knows about such things.

That’s why you see jackhammer operators, airport workers, and shooters wearing those things that look like plastic earmuffs.

That’s also why I leave my swimming earplugs in when driving down Blue Lakes.

The Super Auto Boomer is found on Blue Lakes. I’m not sure where they are sold, but I think you can find one on the Internet like anything else you need.

I went to http://www.carstereo.com/ where auto audio sellers are listed and systems compared. I didn’t find Super Auto Boomer but I’m sure it’s on the Internet somewhere. Under Amplifiers I found the Kicker KX-Series KX2500.1 1-Channel Amplifier - 2500W RMS x 1 @ 2-ohm. It is the highest priced ($689.00) so you need to look no further.

Here is part of the description of that ear-buster as given on the site: KICKER’s KX2500.1 Class D Subwoofer Amplifier delivers 2,500-plus watts to your woofers. KICKER supplies jaw-dropping power in a single amplifier. It’s a fact. This brute serves-up the ridiculous power that other amps claim but can’t deliver. At 2-Ohm loads, the breakthrough KX2500.1 produces more than 2,500 ground-pounding watts for bass that lets ‘em know your coming.

I’ve decided what I’ve been calling the Super Auto Boomer is really this baby. It sure in Hades lets you know that it is coming.

The first time I heard one of those audio brutes was from a 1989 Chevy. The car had been in a few fender benders. I decided that these collisions occurred when old ladies had the besednics scared out of them and rammed him.

I invented the word “besednics” for this particular phenomenon.

Anyway, I was about two miles away when I first heard the KABOOM BOOM KABOOM of his woofers. He pulled off the road and then shot out of McDonalds with a coke and a Big Mac®. I caught up with him at the next stop light.

I yelled out the window :“CAN’T YOU TURN THAT THING DOWN?”

He couldn’t hear me of course.

He gave me a big smile with the special sauce running down his chin. He turned the volume down and said, “Thank you! It cost me a month’s wages.

How to get a good deal when buying car stereo equipment…CENSORED VERSION!

In this article, find out:

1. How to save at least 25% on expensive stereo equipment at your local stereo shop

2. How to save up to 50%+ (!!!) on stereo equipment from eBay

3. How to save even more on stereo equipment buying from auctions.

4. How to save money buying used equipment

5. How to save money buying refurbished equipment.

6. How to get sponsored, and get stuff for free

7. How to form a business, get stuff for cheap, and make money!

The situation:

Stereo equipment is expensive. In fact, autosound is the most expensive hobby I’ve ever had. As such, most of us who don’t make tons of money want to find the best deals possible, without going through tons o’ trouble.

Bet you didn’t know…

Stereo components don’t really cost their price. In fact, most dealers pay less than half of the MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) for a component. This doesn’t mean that a dealer can just turn around and sell the item for their cost. Dealers spend significant amounts of time and money to sell an item, and as such mark up the price of an item. I mean, if a dealer has a unit that sells for $500, they might spend $250 for it. HOWEVER, the dealer also has to pay rent, utilities, payroll, etc. in order to make that item available to you. On top of that, a dealer must also spend time locating the item, ordering the item, and storing the item. In short, the dealer is doing work, and needs to be paid for it. So, they mark up the price. This is to be expected. The good news is that many stereo shops won’t charge full MSRP if you bargain with them.

Bargaining…

So, you walk into mom and pop stereo shop in Anytown USA (or Anytown World), and see a unit that you like. The price is $499. You see a salesman hovering around, so you ask the salesman if you can buy it for $250. No way says the salesman.

Why did this happen?

You made a “lowball” offer to the salesman. You basically asked the salesman to sell the item without a profit. Forget about it. Most salesmen earn a commission on what they sell, and as such this salesman will not accept your offer because he won’t earn a commission. Would you work for free? Of course not.

Instead, make an offer that is well above the wholesale price, but well below the retail price. Halfway between these two prices is fair. If wholesale is $250, and retail is $500, offer $375.

The salesman still says no. Wait a second! I thought you said that you could bargain with the salesman, what the hell?

I was correct when I said you could bargain. However, the salesman is still thinking commissions. Why should he sell it at a price lower than he is used to? Because you’re willing to do something for him. Tell the salesman that you’ll tell your friends. Tell the salesman that you’ll promote his business. If you scratch his back, he’ll scratch yours.

Now, don’t be shady about this. Don’t lie to the salesman telling him that you’ll refer your friends to him, and not do it. Think about it, you just saved $125 on a piece of equipment. To be 100% fair, you should do $125 worth of work for the salesman. One way to do that is to refer your friends. Ask for a few business cards, and pass them on to your buddies.

How do I go about this?

This is the phrase that has always worked for me:

“What kind of deal can you get me on that DEH-P960?”

This phrase is highly effective because it gives the salesman some vital information:

1. You sound like you know what you’re talking about by using the model number

2. You are interested in buying—if the price is right

3. You want a deal

Many times, a salesman will come back with a slightly lower price. If the item was $500, they might say: “Well, how about $475?” You know you can do better, so just be up front with the salesman. “Come on, both you and I know you can do at least $400”. “Better still, let’s make it $375, and I’ll tell my friends—do you have any business cards?”

Chances are good that the salesman will say yes. If he says no, just raise your offer by a few dollars. Often times the salesman will make a counter-offer. Never accept it. At this point, the salesman REALLY wants the sale, and will be trying everything in his power to close the sale. Don’t be obnoxious or cocky, just be firm.

It has been my experience that I have been able to save about 25-33% on expensive gear at brick and mortar stereo shops.

Another hint: Don't try this at a national chain, you will get rejected. Why? Because these chains are bad bad companies. They've got enough money, anyway. Do business with local shops who actually care about car audio, and care about providing you with good service, and don't hire lame kids who don't know anything about anything!

For all of those MP3 music owners, the future of car audio is finally here for you. Gone are the days where you had to burn your MP3s onto a CD for playback in your car audio system. Sony recently released the MEX-1GP CD receiver, a CD receiver that also features a built-in 1 GB flash memory unit. So now your car audio CD receiver behaves in the same manner as your iPod or other type of MP3 player. The 1 GB flash memory unit can store up to 500 of your favorite songs, giving you plenty of playback time for your music. This little device will make even the longest of trips in your car smoother and more enjoyable, since you will not have to worry about changing CDs any longer.

Aside from playing MP3s, this CD receiver also plays CDs (as the name implies) along with burned CD-Rs and CD-RWs so that those who wish to play their old CDs can still take advantage of this nifty product. However, the real attraction to this new car audio head unit is the MP3 playability. The flash memory unit is located in the detachable faceplate. Here resides the USB port which allows you to connect the faceplate to your PC (similar to your iPod or other MP3 player). Once your faceplate is connected to your CD, you simply drag and drop the MP3 files onto the flash memory unit of the faceplate. Unfortunately the faceplate is only compatible with Windows operating systems, so all of you Mac owners will have to go to your buddy’s house to copy the MP3s to and from the Sony MEX-1GP.

The new receiver is also aesthetically pleasing to the eye as well. It is finished in a high-gloss black color and features a 13-segment LCD display for simple navigation of track and title information. The screen displays album, artist and track name when playing your MP3 music files. Users can shuffle or repeat tracks, albums or personalized groups through controls on the faceplate or with the supplied remote control. The MEX-1GP unit has a built-in 208-watt power amplifier and a three-band equalizer enabling clear, rich sound. The selectable rear/subwoofer preamp outputs, controls the frequency and output level of an external amplifier.

After installing this receiver and experiencing it for a little over a week, I must say that I am quite impressed with this product. For one, the sound quality when playing MP3s through this unit is nothing less than phenomenal. If you didn’t know any better, you would think that you were playing a CD with the crisp and clear playback quality of this head unit. While traveling on a three hour road trip (three hours each way, six hours total) I was able to listen to one selection of songs on the way up and an entirely different selection of songs on the way back, all without the hassle of changing CDs and enduring a pause in play. I’m just a little surprised it took so long for a product like this to hit the market, especially with the increasing popularity of portable MP3 devices such as the iPod over the last several years. While it may have taken awhile for a product like this to hit the market, I’m sure Sony will have plenty of competitors very soon, which will benefit car audio enthusiasts like myself.

Build quality:

Some head units are flimsy and weak. Some are built to last. Usually the best way to determine this is by the weight of the unit. Also, check to see if anything doesn't "fit", or if there are parts that are cheap or flimsy. The truth is this: The bigger name units tend to be better. Also, the more expensive units tend to be better. This isn't always a big deal for everyone, but I believe that build quality is very important.

Basic Head Unit Features:

Power output:

Most head units have built-in amplifiers. These drive the speakers. Some head units do not have internal amps, and therefore, require the use of an external amp. Head units without amps are usually high-end models. Anyway, power is measured in WATTS. We'll talk more about watts later, but for now, just see more watts as more volume. Most head units (unfortunately) are deceptive about the power output. Usually, the power output spec on a unit will say "50Wx4 MAX output". This means that when the laws of physics are on your side, it's a clear day everywhere in the world, the planets are aligned, the bass hits really really low and hard, and for about a tenth of a second, yeah, your head unit will put out 50Wx4. However, most of the time, your head unit is probably putting out a quarter of that. It's not that the head unit manufacturer is lying, it's just that they are exaggerating the truth, AND MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW BETTER. So, anyway, many people put a lot of importance on a head unit's power output. I don't because head unit amps suck, and no serious car audio person uses the head unit's amp anyway. Most head unit brands have about the same power output anyway. 9 times out of 10, an aftermarket head unit will put out more power than your factory head unit, and as such, will sound better.

RCA Preouts:

These are used to connect external amps to your head unit. These are the same red and white cables that you use for your home system. Basic head units usually have one set of preouts (front left, front right). Some head units have two sets (front left, front right, rear left, rear right), but most decent head units have 3 sets (front left, front right, rear left, rear right, subwoofer left, subwoofer right). One quick note about subwoofer outputs: Sometimes they're called "non-fading" outputs because they are not effected by the head unit's fade control (front to back balance). If you're not planning on adding an external amp, you don't need to worry about RCA pre-outs. If you want to add an external amp (or amps), I would always recommend getting a unit with three pre-outs.

RCA Pre-out voltage:

Usually this spec is next to pre-out spec. It is measured in VOLTS (which we'll go over later). Basically, the higher the voltage, the LOUDER the music will be at your amp. Don't look at this as "free power" because it is not. In addition, the higher the voltage, the less noise that will be introduced to your system. Again, this spec doesn't matter if you don't plan on using an external amp. If you do plan on using an external amp, try to find the HIGHEST voltage you can. 2 volts is basic, 4 is standard for a good unit, sometimes you'll see units with 5 volts. I know Eclipse units have 8V(!) pre-outs. In short, more voltage=less noise and cleaner sound.

Digital time correction:

This is used to simulate a perfect stereo environment. If you're at home listening to music, you want to situate yourself in the middle of the two speakers to get the best sound. The same is true in the car, EXCEPT that it's a hell of a lot more difficult. Usually, the passenger side speaker will be farther from your ear than the driver side. Since sound travels fairly slow (comparfed to light), you'll have one ear receiving a portion of sound before the other ear. The digital time correction delays the music slightly so your ears will be perceiving the same music at the same time. This is a very important feature if you are planning an SQ system.

Crossover:

This feature is incorporated into many components in a car audio system. If your head unit doesn't have it, don't worry. Just be sure your amps have it. Basically, this makes sure the right speakers are playing the right sounds. I will go into more detail about crossovers later.

Equalizer aka EQ:

This feature allows you to tweak the sound. The most basic EQ is a two-band, and controls BASS and TREBLE. Some head units have 3-bands, BASS, MIDS, TREBLE. More advanced head units have 5-band EQs. If you are serious about tweaking your sound to perfection, you won't use your head unit's EQ; You will get an external unit, and some of these units have 30 bands! I will go into much more detail about EQs later.

Theft Deterents/Security Features:

There are a few options when it comes to head unit security:

Detachable Faceplate:

The most common method is a detachable faceplate. Basically, you remove the faceplate of the unit (where the screen and controls are), and the unit won't function. This will deter thieves, but please don't leave the faceplate in your car. Thieves know most people do this, and will still break into your car, find the faceplate and steal your head unit

Have you ever wanted to combine the benefits of commercial free satellite radio along with listening to your favorite MP3s, all while driving in your car? If so, Sirius Satellite Radio may offer the product that you’ve been looking for. While car receivers that allow you to listen to satellite radio and your favorite MP3 music have existed for some time now, a recent product released by Sirius Satellite Radio takes the satellite radio/MP3 combination to the next level.

The Sirius S50 is a satellite radio/MP3 player that you can listen to while you’re either riding in your car or sitting in the comfort of your home or office. The Sirius S50 comes with a car dock that connects the main unit to your vehicle. While the unit is connected to the car dock, you are able to listen to live Sirius Satellite Radio programming as well as any MP3s that you have stored on the 1GB flash memory unit. You can also pause and rewind the live satellite broadcasts as well as record up to 50 hours of your favorite Sirius Satellite Radio programming.

This unit also comes with a full color display which features channel logos and wallpaper so that you can easily identify the station that is currently playing. The neat My SIRIUS Channels feature automatically determines your three most listened to music channels and captures programming from each. Do you like to create playlists of your favorite MP3s? Well, you will find the Sirius S50 suitable to your needs as you can create playlists from your MP3s as well as from songs that you have recorded from your favorite Sirius broadcast channels. Additional features of the Sirius S50 include: game alerts that prompt you when your favorite teams are playing, a sports ticker with up to the minute scores, 30 channel presets, and a one touch channel jump button.

Along with the main unit itself, you also get a USB cable, earbuds, and PC software that allows you to download MP3s to the Sirius S50 from your PC. The software also supports streaming Sirius music channels over the Internet which is free with your Sirius Satellite Radio subscription. Currently the software is only available for Microsoft-based PCs, therefore all of you Mac users will have to go to your friend’s house to download your music if you decide to purchase the Sirius S50.

The really neat thing about this unit is that it also doubles as an IPOD-like MP3 player, as you are able to listen to your MP3s and pre-recorded Sirius channel programs with the earbuds that come with the unit. You can clip the Sirius S50 to your hip and listen to your favorite tunes on your way to school or work. The unit supplies up to 6 hours of playback on the rechargeable battery. If you’re in the market for an in-car satellite radio unit, you should definitely give the Sirius S50 a good hard look before you make your final purchase. While it may be a little pricier than your average satellite radio unit (Suggested Retail: $329.95), it really puts those extra dollars spent to good use.

Many people just spend too much and in some cases go into debt. What can make this particular situation worse is that people go into debt for a system they realize they do not even like. First, figure out how much money there is available to spend. Then decide how much of the car audio system needs to be replaced. At this point plan a budget – how much can you afford to spend? Therefore you can locate system components in your price range. Deciding what is most important in the car audio system and plan to spend more on the important items. Going over budget is the first and most common mistake car audio system buyers make.

Another thing to consider is how much of the car is going to need to be modified for your potential choices. For example, some speaker installation will require many modifications to be made to the car. Modifications will need to be made by a professional and therefore you will have to budget into the total cost of the car audio system parts as well as labor. Another car audio systems mistake is that the owner of the car does not think about the future. How long are you going to keep the car for? Will you sell the car with the new audio system or will you remove it before sale? Remember audio systems never increase the value of a car enough to balance what was spent on the audio system in the first place. Also, if you plan on remove the system before you sell the car that could be problematic. Having a radio and an audio system are high priorities when people are searching for a new car to buy.

When and for what do you use the car for? If the car sees a lot of use as well as wear and tear, then buying higher quality components like the car speakers is a great idea. Understandably, if you are spending more time in your car then at home you want to make sure it is as comfortable and entertaining as possible. However, if the car is only used for weekly shopping, low end parts are more appropriate.

Another car audio system mistake people make is choosing a system, which is not appropriate for the type of music they listen too. This is probably the most important factor, which should influence the choice of the right car audio system. If the music that you enjoy is strong, bass beats then a high-end power amplifier is needed. In addition, subwoofers would also be a good choice. However, if your music choice is at the opposite end of the music range then you will need a different audio system setup. For example, if you listen to classical music or trendy pop music, you will need to get a car audio that has a strong speaker system that offer even play of the sound spectrum.

Speaker Info...

Speaker systems are very important because they are the units that actually reproduce the sound from electrical energy. When I buy speakers, I only want to get high end. Here is what you need to know, and what to look for:

First, let's start with the types of speakers that you'll encounter in the car audio world.

Woofer: A large speaker designed to reproduce the lower frequencies of the audio spectrum. Mid: A medium sized speaker designed to reproduce the middle frequencies of the audio spectrum. Tweeter: A small sized speaker designed to reproduce the highest frequencies of the audio spectrum.

There are other variations of these speakers available as well.

You've certainly heard of "subwoofers" that reproduce the lowest of the audio frequencies. Essentially, these are the same thing as woofers, just bigger and with more power handling. The result? Thunderous bass! Like the gods sent it themselves...

You might also encounter "midbass" drivers. These are similar to woofers, but are usually used to bring more bass to the front soundstage. Often times, they are connected to crossover networks.

Another type of speaker you might encounter is called a "supertweeter", and reproduces the highest frequencies in the audio spectrum.

Now, to shock you...

When you buy a "speaker", you are actually buying a speaker system. AKA, more than one thing working together to produce a result. Let's take a look at the types of speaker systems available...

TYPES OF SPEAKER SYSTEMS:

Basically, there are two types of speaker "systems" that exist.

1. "Coaxial", "three way", "full-range", etc.

These speaker systems are designed to fit into the factory speaker location in your vehicle. They are often referred to as a "speaker", but have more than one speaker, and will also contain a crossover. (coaxialspeak.jpg)

2. "Components", "Seperates"

These speaker systems essentially take everything from the above speaker system, and break it up into parts. (componentspeak.jpg)

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE, AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

To restate the obvious, one speaker system has all of its components in one package, and the other speaker system has all of its components in seperate packages. Both speakers do the exact same thing, and work in the exact same way, BUT COMPONENT SYSTEMS ARE BETTER.

Why?

I'll tell you, hoss!

But before I do, you should know about the PROPERTIES OF HIGH FREQUENCIES. OK, it's boring, so I'll give you the executive summary: High frequencies are extremely narrow in their dispersion. (Whu huh?) In short, high frequencies (if we could see them) disperse like a string. Low frequencies, if we can see them disperse like a fan. So, since high frequencies don't disperse very well, they need to be aimed at the ears, otherwise we won't hear them! This is one of the advantages of component systems; they allow the tweeters to be aimed! Why do we want this? So when a singer hits an "s word", or a cymbal crashes (both of these things happen in the higher frequencies), the sound will SPARKLE, rather than sound dead and flat.

PIX: tweeterdisperse.jpg, wooferdisperse.jpg

Another advantage of components: Their crossovers are usually higher quality units than you'll find in coaxial or full-range speakers systems. This is good because you'll introduce less distortion to your speakers, and be certain that your speakers are only playing the frequencies that they're designed to play. The result? BETTER SOUND.

The last advantage of components is that they are GENERALLY designed for people who are more interested in sound quality. Because of this, components are generally higher in quality. When it comes to coaxials, even the most expensive models will be eclipsed by the quality of components in the same price range.

OK, OK. I know not everyone will consider component speaker systems. The truth is that they are harder to install properly and more expensive. Of course, if sound quality is your thing, you'll go through the extra effort! Even car manufacturers are getting with the program these days, and include component speaker systems in their vehicles. Even my lowly Honda Civic has 'em!

Crossovers:

So, you've probably noticed me using the word "crossover" above. What you may not know is what a crossover is, and what it does. Basically, a crossover takes a full spectrum audio signal, and breaks it up into different frequency "bands", and sends the appropriate frequencies to the appropriate speakers. Here's a picture! (xover.jpg)

If this explanation was too simple for you, you can check out my crossover page for more in depth info. Thanks!

OK, OK, OK. It's time to get down to business, and look at speaker specifications, and how they affect you.

Size:

This is often expressed in inches (but sometimes metric for european brands), and refers to the MOUNTING of the speaker, not the actual speaker. For round speakers, the diameter is given such as 6.5" or 5.25". For oval speakers, the dimensions are given, such as 5x7" or 6x9".

Mounting Depth:

Basically, this tells you how deep the speaker is behind its mounting. Most speakers are about 3-4" inches deep. This is important to know because you want to be sure that there is enough room behind the speaker to mount it properly.

Frequency Response:

This tells you what frequencies the speaker is capbale of reproducing. Most good speakers will go as low as 50hz, and all the way to 20,000hz (and beyond). However, if you're planning to add subwoofers to your system, you don't need your speakers to go much lower than 100hz. Also, it's not essential for your speakers to go higher than 20,000hz since us lowly humans can't hear anything in that frequency range.

Power handling:

This is the amount of power a speaker can handle without getting damaged. This is usually expressed in two ways: RMS and MAX. RMS is what the speaker can handle continuously, and the MAX rating tells what the speaker can handle in short bursts.

Impedence:

This is measured in Ohms, and tells you how much resistance the speaker has. Basically, the only thing useful about this spec is so you know what amp to hook your speakers up to. Most car speakers (with the exception of subwoofers) are 4 ohm speakers, and all auto amplifiers are built to handle a 4 ohm "load". Most amps can also handle 2 ohm loads, but 2 ohm speakers are very rare. I would say this spec is much more important when it comes to subwoofers rather than speaker systems.

Sensitivty:

Measured in db, sensitivty essentially tells you how loud a speaker will be. When powering your speakers off of a low power amplifier, you want a more sensitive speaker. When powering your speakers off of a high power amplifier, the sensitivty rating is much less important. Also, more sensitive speakers tend to distort more easily.

A quick word about power handling, amps and distortion...

SPEAKERS DO NOT GET DESTROYED BY VOLUME, BUT BY DISTORTION! As such, it is your main goal to limit the amount of distortion that your speakers receive. Not only does this make your music sound better, but it also protects your speakers from premature damage.