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Car Audio Basics - Planning Your System
This part of the game can be fun or disappointing depending on
what you can do. First I'm going to give you an example system that I believe
includes everything you need to have a pretty good system. After that I will
show you how to make compromises and leave out parts that may not be as
important to you to keep your system within your budget. If you want to go
beyond my basic system you probably already know more than what this site can
tell you. Also, you do not have to get everything at once. I put my system
together over a few years. With a little planning you can upgrade your system in
steps and that way its like getting a new system every time you change something
instead of getting everything at once!
Basic System: This is my opinion
only but I think that a good system should start off with a good head unit that
either has a CD player and/or is connected to a CD changer. A good system sounds
best when playing CDs, tapes just do not cut it. Next I think component sets are
made with fewer compromises than coaxial speakers so I suggest getting a good
midrange/tweeter set for the front. Head units generally do not put out enough
clean power so you will want an amp to drive the component set. In the rear
where you only need some "fill" for ambiance you can get away with cheaper
coaxials and set their level lower than the fronts to keep the sound stage in
front. A modest (50x4) 4 channel amp is a good choice here for powering the
component set up front and the rear speakers. You could use a good 2 channel amp
and run the front and back in parallel on the amp but it would harder to adjust
the level between them. Midranges sound best when they do not play bass so you
will want a 2 way electronic crossover and use the high pass output to drive
your 4 channel amp. I did not forget the bass! Most people are happy with a
single 10" woofer or a pair of 12"s. Use an appropriate enclosure and a big amp
(at least 75x2, preferably even more). Throw in installation and wiring
accessories (like fuses and distribution blocks). Here's an approximate price
break down of what this costs in my area. Your prices may be significantly
different.
head unit: $300-$500
4 channel amp for highs: $250-$400
2 channel amp for lows: $300-$700
sub(s) (1-10" to 2-12"): $150-$450
enclosure for sub(s): $0 (free air) - $250 (custom)
component set: $200-$500
coaxials for rear fill: $100-$400
crossover/equalizer: $100-$500
wiring and accessories: $50-$250
installation: $0 (do it yourself) - $100
(basic) This comes out to $1450-$3950! I realize
that this is a lot of money and that most people do not spend nearly this much
money on their car stereo. However, the things listed above are what I feel is
necessary to have a system with only a few compromises. If you are less
concerned about highs, get coaxials in front instead of the component set and
power them off of the head unit and use some bass blockers on them. This will
save you about $400. Getting a bargain head unit can save you some money as
well. If you are really not into bass much you can forgo all the bass related
equipment and run your component set full range. This will still give you clean
sound but not much bass. However, you will save $550-$2300. I would start with
what I have listed above and take out parts you do not care about as much. Only
you know what kind of system you can be happy with.
Please do not email me asking for recommendations about
specific brands. There is a lot of equipment out there that I have not used so I
will not comment on them. I am happy with the components that I have but that is
as far as I can go with recommendations. When buying equipment try to spend time
listening to it before you buy, especially with speakers. Also try to use
equipment that is similar to yours when listening in a store. As for amps, it
costs money to build a good amp so if you see some awesome price on an amp you
have never heard of, it is probably a piece of junk. Stick with good names with
amps.
Finally, if you are on a budget (aren't we all?) it works
better to upgrade in steps. The most important thing is to have a car
audio system that sounds good to you not someone else. If you are happy
with just changing the factory speakers and stopping there then just do
that. There is a level when that new amp or speaker is not going to make a
difference so it is not necessary to always upgrade. There are people who
think my system is terrible but it works well enough for me and anything else I
do to it would be a minor gain and not worth my trouble. Do not let a
salesperson talk you into something you do not need! Good luck!
Head Units | Amplifiers | Speakers | Equalizers/Crossovers | Accessories | Planning
Tech Articles: Power Amp Specs | Ohms | Power Ratings | My System
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