Sound system - a choice with knowledge of the matter

It is difficult to imagine a modern car without a powerful and high-quality audio system. Every lover of fast and not very driving is familiar with that oppressive and nerve-straining feeling when you have to wind kilometers in loneliness and silence, accompanied only by monotonous noise and the creak of plastic. In such a situation, only your favorite radio wave or the bewitching sounds of familiar melodies can come to the rescue. However, they can also be damaged by a bad receiver or incorrect installation. To avoid this, lets try to make some certainty in the issue of equipping a vehicle with equipment for sound reproduction.

How to achieve quality sound

Before choosing the equipment and installing it in the car, you need to theoretically and practically prepare for this. The installation of any car audio system requires careful thought. If we neglect the simple installation algorithm, even the “coolest” of them will sound “dull” and “inexpressive”, and vice versa, the simplest one will delight you, if not powerful, but stunningly clear sound. Any speaker system consists of several components, each of which determines the sound quality.

It is quite natural that the choice of speaker systems is the main factor that determines the perception of its sound by the driver and passengers. When choosing them, special attention should be paid to such characteristics as:

• sensitivity: the power consumption for sound reproduction and its purity depends on this indicator. Experts recommend equipment with a value of at least 80 dB / W / m;
• frequency range of reproduction: the largest spectrum of transmitted sound lies in the range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, which corresponds to the boundaries of perception by human hearing organs. Recently, more and more equipment is being released with frequencies reaching 30 kHz, which creates a rich and natural acoustics in the cabin and outside. The latter will be especially relevant for country trips and outdoor recreation.

The existing range of speaker systems for use in vehicles can be conditionally divided into three groups, differing in the set of speakers:

1. Coaxial speaker. In its design, all devices for the low, medium and high frequency bands are combined in one housing.
2. Component speakers. They are a combination of separate speakers (most often low and high frequency) and a crossover filter.
3. Subwoofer . Designed to reproduce low-frequency sounds (no more than 100 Hz).

Thus, the choice of a speaker system is based on these two classification features: its type and technical characteristics. Well, and, of course, its price plays an important role for the domestic consumer. And it, in fact, is determined by the combination of these signs and properties.

Head unit selection

If we describe the diagram of the device of an audio system in very general terms, then it consists of receiving, converting and transmitting means. That is, in a simplified form, its structure and completeness are: antenna, signal amplifier, receiver-converter and speakers or, as they are also called, speakers. This is how the cars sound system functions. Its basis, as you might guess, is an apparatus that converts a signal into a set of acoustic vibrations that we perceive as music, rhythm, words, etc. They are usually called head units (HUs).

There are different types of GU:

1. Radio - combines the functions of a radio receiver and a cassette player. At present, it has lost its relevance due to the withdrawal from the market of cassette-type devices;
2. CD-receiver and MD-player are means of reading from CDs in the first case or mini-discs - in the second - with the ability to listen to radio broadcasts;
3. CD changer - designed for sequential or selective playback of several CDs, is part of a mechanism that includes a radio tape recorder or CD / MD device.
4. Devices that read information from universal storage devices, for example, flash drives, hard drives and other external devices.

Of course, the most common at the present time and with the prospect of further application is the last category of GIs.

When purchasing GU, you need to keep in mind that they can differ significantly in terms of indicators that provide high-quality sound. This is primarily:

1. Frequency range of reproduction (ideal - 10 .... 20000 Hz), in sections:

• CD-player section - 10 .... 20000Hz;
• FM tuner section - 30 .... 15000Hz;
• section for reading from an external storage device - 20 .... 25000 Hz.

2. Signal-to-noise ratio (preferably the maximum value of this indicator), by section:

• CD-player section - not less than 90 dB;
• FM tuner section - not less than 60 dB.
• section for reading from an external storage device - not less than 100 dB.

Modern HUs provide high-quality sound reproduction with a power value of 10-15 watts. This indicator is indicated in the technical documentation for the device in its nominal terms, that is, for average operating indicators. In practice, it can be much larger, while its operation using the maximum power potential, as a rule, is accompanied by distortions, wheezing, "frequency dropout", etc. Taking into account the limited space of use, you should think ten times whether you really need such a lot of power or is it better to limit yourself to modest but reliable equipment. Whatever your decision, products of various directions and in a wide range of characteristics can always be found in the DD Tuning online store.

With the basic principles of installation and audio systems, as well as the conditions for obtaining their ideal sound, you can find out by reading the article " Installation of car audio systems " on the pages of our resource.