Just as it is the case in any system in a car, the speaker system can also be tuned up in such a way that it attains its optimal performance. Most vehicles will normally come with the factory speakers already installed in them which in most cases are not the best to have since they are made of low quality or rather inferior material.

In some cases, your speaker system might end up producing distorted sound in which case you may also need to get an upgrade. The real issue, however, comes in here you need to choose which speaker system you want to install or upgrade your current system.

What if I told you that in a short while, you’ll have the utmost knowledge on exactly what to look into? What if you had all the options you could possibly have before you made your purchase? Well, let’s cut to the chase no and move on to looking at the details when it comes to car speaker components.

Why should you go for an upgrade?

As mentioned earlier, the main reason for replacing your car speakers is so that you can get to have a better performance so that the overall sound of your music, right?

Another reason as to why most people go for an upgrade is so that they can get to meet their specific interests. For instance, whereas some people may love a speaker system that produces the deepest bass, others may lean more towards a system that gives a sharp treble.

Some people, on the other hand, based on their taste in music genres may prefer to go for a speaker that delivers a more luxurious environment. Whichever reason you have for going for a new speaker system, you just need to get the best and your good to go.

Which Types of Speaker System should I go for?

When it comes to the speaker system, you can only choose from two options. What makes the two different is that they have different driver components. The driver is normally the central component of a speaker or rather what transforms the electrical frequencies into sound.

Each of the speaker systems have their own advantages and disadvantages from which, based on your personal preference can decide whether or not to have installed in your car.

Let’s have a closer look at each one of them, shall we?

Component speaker systems

As compared to the full range speaker systems, the component speaker design is aimed at giving you the best possible sound quality you could get. From a component speaker, you’ll get a separate woofer, the external crossovers as well as the tweeters. All of these are connected to work with each other.

Other than the component speaker, another aftermarket speaker you’ll get is the coaxial speaker. The coaxial speakers, unlike the component speakers, have got the tweeter installed into the frame. Though the sound quality is outstanding, it is unfortunately not the best.

Most people will normally go for the coaxial because it’s easier to set up but on the downside, the combined design of the woofer and teeters means that the sound will only be coming from one opening. This, as it turns out tends to compromise the overall sound quality and the speaker does not get to its full potential.

What having a component speaker really means.

Component speakers will normally come with the woofer and tweeters installed with separate drivers controlling them. The benefit of having this is that you can spice things up much more by introducing a crossover which will ensure that each of the speakers performs better individually.

Tweeters and super tweeters

The best part about having a component speaker system installed in your car is that you can have the tweeters installed where they’ll offer the best quality. You can definitely install them anywhere in your car but not all positions will offer as good a sound quality as having them installed at ear level or as close as possible to ear level.

As much as having tweeters alone installed, the frequency may not be enough regarding your preference. Taking this into account, you should consider getting a super tweeter should take care of this

All in all, just ensure they’re high up in your vehicle so that you get to exhaust their higher frequencies even better since the higher the frequency, the more directional it is. Upon using them with the crossover units, you can be able to have the super tweeters receive the highest frequencies hence there is a lossless range of highs.

One more thing that you should know about the super tweeters is that they can produce ultrasonic sounds i.e. above the normal range of human hearing. Their lower ends, on the other hand, is higher than 2000 hertz which is what the regular tweeters will handle.

Crossover network

Another important feature of a component speaker system is the crossover network. The crossover on a component system comes separately with the teeters and the woofer. The crossover is simply hat decides the frequencies that get to the woofer and the frequencies that get to the teeters.

Higher frequencies simply get to the tweeter and the lower ones get to the woofers. You can have the crossover simply tucked in your dashboard and you’re good to go

The woofers

When it comes to the woofers, you can simply have them replaced in the position where you had the factory installed ones installed which most preferably should be at the doors.

Provided you have the tweeter and the woofer installed without any physical interference between the two of them. Doing this will ensure that there are more resonant lo frequencies and a better foundation for the detailed highs.

The Midrange

When it comes to the full range speakers, the frequencies are split between the tweeters and the woofers. On the component speakers, however, the tweeters and woofers are dedicated to both the high and low ranges.

Everything is then sent to a set of mid-range speakers. As compared to having the woofers and tweeters alone installed, the mid-range speakers are by far better when it comes to detail.

For the midrange, the audible spectrum will fall between 300 and 5000 hertz so that there will be an overlap between the midrange and the tweeters

Why is the component speaker system the best?

As far as choosing a speaker system is concerned, the component speakers are far much better than the coaxial or rather the full range speaker systems. Here are some of the added benefits you get from the component speaker systems.

An outstanding sound visualization.

As compared to the coaxial speaker systems, the component speakers function using independent drivers. This means that there’ll be better clarity. Other than this, the sound visualization is made much between especially owing to the fact that the high and low frequencies are separated.

Upon having the tweeters at the correct position, you’ll have the raised sound stage which gives you the concert experience or something close to a three-dimensional sound effect.

Tone clarification.

There’s a huge difference in the sound when you have the crossover network present and when it is not installed. With it installed, the woofer and tweeters will be able to focus on their assigned frequencies independently. The woofers will play the lows whereas the tweeters play the highs.

Having the crossover point defined, there won’t be a strain on any of the drivers hence they’ll be playing exactly what they are meant to play- no frequency overlap whatsoever.

Better soundstage.

The installation location for the factory speakers is normally on the doors which are also the case for the full-range speakers. The fact that these are below your results to the sound hovering below you as well hence you don't get as good a soundstage.

When it comes to the component speakers, however, the tweeters are elevated to a position you deem most suitable. This, in addition to them being more directional, ensures that you get the best sound quality from them.

Pump up its performance.

Comparing the coaxial speakers and the component speakers, the latter are able to handle more power which makes them usable with an external amplifier. What an amp basically does is boost the highs, the lows, and the mids.

If on the other hand, you do not want to add an amp to your component speaker system, ensure that the deck power and your system match up quite well to give you the best.

Despite the advantages, you should be ready to spend a little bit more than you would have on the full range speaker systems. The installation process is also not that simple and it may take some time to do it perfectly.

Full range speaker systems

Moving on to the second type of speaker system, we have the full range speaker system. These are basically meant for anyone who is doing speaker installation for the first time. As a matter of fact, it is what you will get in most of the factory installed audio systems so as compared to the component speaker system, they are more available.

The main difference that sets the component speakers and the full range speakers apart are that whereas the component speakers have different drivers, the full range speakers are handled by the same driver. This, in turn, has the frequency originating from the same place.

As compared to the component speakers, the fact that the frequency is originating from the same place on the full range speakers results to most of the frequencies getting lost in translation. This means that there will be less clarity and detail.

The simplest full range speaker system normally comes with the woofer to produce the highs and mounted on the woofer are the tweeters which take care of the higher frequencies. Other than these, there are other models that come with the mid-range drivers installed in them too as well as the super tweeters.

These are easy to install and more so, you can easily fit them in the location of your factory speakers

What makes the coaxial speaker systems ideal?

Coaxial speaker systems are more or less similar to the factory installed units. The main advantage is that if you choose to have these installed, you don’t have to go through the hassle of doing so as it is the case in component speaker systems. You can simply replace your stock speakers with them in a jiffy.

The coaxial speaker systems are also cheaper as compared to coaxial speakers. Considering that both the tweeters and the woofers are handled by the same driver, fewer resources are used when constructing them which automatically makes them cheaper.

Pivoting tweeters

If you’re considering to replace speakers in your vehicle, especially low in your door, you should have the full range speakers installed with the pivoting tweeters. Owing to the fact that tweeters give a directional frequency, you can point the swiveling tweeters towards you so as to get a higher soundstage.

Detachable tweeters

An outstanding feature to settle for whether you are using coaxial speaker systems or the full range speaker systems, detachable tweeters can be used effectively If you’ want to install them in a different vehicle.

Which is the best speaker material to go for?

As far as speaker systems and speakers are concerned, the material from which they are constructed does matter. Other than dictating how durable the speaker will be, the material from which it is constructed determines the quality of sound that you will be getting.

Let’s have a look at what type of material is good for what part of your speaker.

Tweeter material

Starting with the tweeters, we all know that they are responsible for the highs, right? So as to have them performing at their best, manufacturers normally use soft materials while constructing them. In most cases, you’ll have them constructed of poly, silk or some textile brands. This way you’ll get a highly refined sound.

Nonetheless, your best is not everyone’s best and we’ve all got our different tastes in music. Taking this into account, you should consider the nature of sound you like. Only go for the tweeters with a soft material construction if you don’t like the highs bright and crispy, otherwise, go for those with hard materials such as ceramic, graphite or metal.

Woofer material construction

Whether you have a full range speaker or a component speaker, it is important that you get the best low notes from your woofers. So as to make this possible, you’ll need to have the best material on them which in this case is something that’s both stiff and lightweight. If it’s too loose, it may detach from the woofer and if it’s too heavy, the sound quality will be distorted.

Taking this into account, manufacturers will normally make their speaker woofer cones mainly out of synthetic films like polypropylene. This can be mixed with other materials such as mica which makes it stiffer and at the same time yields a more accurate bass response.

An alternative to polypropylene are synthetics that are coated with metals such as titanium and aluminum or oven fabrics. These too, are lighter and stiff at the same time and the best part about having them on your woofer is that they stand up quite well to heat, moisture, and cold.

Surround material.

Something else that’s quite vital when it comes to speaker construction is the surround. The surround is basically what allows the woofer cone to freely move and give you that bold bass you desire. Just as it is the case in tweeter material construction, the woofer too does need to have a durable construction.

The best surround you’ll get in most cases is rubber. Since rubber is flexible, it will allow for enough expansion hence the sound quality gets better regarding the rubber used in the construction.

Something else that you should be keen on is how durable the surround is. Without overlooking the sound quality, make sure that the surround stands up quite well to extreme temperatures as well as humidity.

Final verdict.

It’s not about how loud you can play your music but it’s more of whether or not your speaker system is going to offer you exactly what you need. Choosing a speaker system for your vehicle all comes down to either the component speakers or the full range coaxial speaker system.

If you’re after a simple upgrade or the current system is not at par with your standards, you’ll eventually have to go for an upgrade. When the times comes to do so, there will be a variety of shapes and sizes all of which will have their strengths and weaknesses.

If you need a deeper bass, pay attention to the subwoofers, if otherwise, have a closer look at the tweeters; or perhaps you love a specific music genre. Regardless of whatever you’re into, just ensure that you get the best by paying attention to even the tiniest detail.