Board logo

off topic car audio
luke2152 - 28/10/17 at 08:56 PM

So my van has horrible sound system. Want to replace it with full aftermarket setup. I've never really dabbled with car audio before and I'm not an audiophile but I spend a lot of time on the road. Just want the equivalent of a premium factory type setup.

Been gifted a 10 year old sony bluetooth head unit. I've wired it in and it seems to do everything it should but the sound isn't any better.

Was looking at this sub which looks like a good one to fit under the drivers seat: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132329393574

And these speakers for the doors: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/372053800105.

Reasonable choice? And what about wiring. I believe the sub wants a good thick wire straight from the battery. Do the speakers want any special wiring too or just use the factory wires.

loggyboy - 28/10/17 at 11:34 PM

Do speakers first. But go for components. Coax are a massive compromise.

cliftyhanger - 29/10/17 at 08:43 AM

The car manufacturers seem very good at getting a decent sound out of what are usually cheap components. I guess this is down to design and research, something hard to do without a lot of experience.
Most head units/amps can produce decent sounds, I reckon it is speaker enclosure that is the key thing, decent damping of panels and so on. Quality speakers help, big seems to be best. I just bought some 5 1/4 JBL coax speakers which I have wedged into my spitfire. About £60 and wy better than the 4" previous pair. However, I wish I had just bought a JBL flip4, it would have been so much easier!! (they are amazing for their size)

bi22le - 29/10/17 at 01:26 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Do speakers first. But go for components. Coax are a massive compromise.


I disagree. I spent many years as an autoelectrian and have used coaxial speakers with success.

The main problem you have with components is getting a good mid range as they expect to be part of a multi speaker system. So it ends up being a 2 amp system with 3 levels of speakers.

If you want a simple and cheap solution then get a decent set of 6x9 or 7x10 oval 3 ways. Then if you want more you can build on them.

Regarding how OEM get good sound, it is all about speaker enclosure and speaker placement as clifty mentions.

nick205 - 30/10/17 at 09:35 AM

Too old for this now, but as a yoof I spent some summers messing around with car audio.

Generally the head units are not the issue, it's the amplifier(s) and speakers than let the systems down. Think about a good sounding Hi-Fi system - the speakers have 2 or 3 drivers and are built into fairly solid cabinets (closed or bass-reflex).

I found improving the amplifier and in particular the speaker/enclosure elements made the biggest difference. For example in a cheap and tatty Peugeot 106 I fabricated some MDF mounting panels for the front door (factory) speakers and an MDF parcel shelf with some 6" aftermarket co-axial rear speakers. The improvement in sound was very noticeable - better frequency range and the system would play louder and clearer.