Considering getting some new speakers for your vehicle? You have quite the journey ahead of you. This is a complex purchase that requires thought, as well as a little knowledge regarding your car and its current speakers, to make the right choice. Here are a few factors you should take into consideration when choosing your speakers!
Component vs. Coaxial
The first element of a car speaker that you may want to take into consideration is whether you are looking for component or coaxial speakers. Not familiar with these terms? Well, you’ll likely find that component speakers will provide you with better sound quality, but they will be significantly more expensive than coaxial speakers. Full-range or coaxial speakers, on the other hand, are lower cost and more straightforward to install and you are going to be able to find replacement parts more easily if you do experience any issues with them down the line. However, they don’t have the level of sound quality that component speakers do.
Of course, the right choice between these two types of speakers will depend entirely on your individual needs and preferences. If sound quality is of the utmost importance, choose component speakers. If cost, ease, and stability are important, coaxial will better tick your boxes. To find out more about this, you can read some reviews at SoundRating.
Speaker Size and Configuration
Chances are, your car already has speakers in it. So, before shopping, it’s a good idea to measure them up and determine exactly what size speakers you are looking for. This will save you the time, effort and money entailed in buying new speakers that you ultimately find don’t fit. If you are unsure of how to measure your speakers effectively, a shop will be able to do this on your behalf, or they may be able to look up the details of factory-installed speakers in your vehicle without even seeing it. You can then choose speakers that are a matching size and configuration hassle-free.
Power Handling
Of course, if you’re going to be playing music loudly in your car, the speakers will need to be able to handle the power load of the head unit or external amplifier. Not heard of power handling before? It is essentially the amount of energy (measured in watts) that the speakers can deliver without distorting the sound. This is commonly measured by the root-mean-square (RMS) value. Make sure to look at the RMS power rating before buying any speakers. This will give you insight into how much power your potential speakers can handle.
Sensitivity
Speaker sensitivity is how much power the speakers require to put out a chosen volume level. Speakers with higher sensitivities tend to require less power, while speakers with lower sensitivities require more power. You will need to determine the best sensitivity for your speakers based on the power your car can provide.
Of course, there are other elements that you may want to take into consideration. But these basics should get your search for the perfect car speakers off to the best start!