Here's my contribution for this forum, hope you guys find this useful.

I'll begin by listing the many different components and aspects of car stereo.

Head Unit: This is the source. Theres many different aspects when it comes to HU selection to see what fits you. Whether or not you want something that aux input, iPod capabilities, Bluetooth, CD, WMA, AAC playback capabilities, Optical toslink outputs, expansion capabilities, the possibilities are endless.

Speakers: Theres basically 2 main types.... Components or Coaxials.

Pre-packaged component systems usually come in 2-way or 3-way configuration with an external crossover. (I'll explain what that is later on)
There are some component systems that have dual woofers but I wont get into that. Basically what a component system is; is seperate drivers (speakers) tied into the crossover. A 2-way component system (one of the more easier to install) consists of a tweeter and woofer. Whereas a 3-way system consists of a tweeter, midrange, and woofer.

Coaxials are speakers where the drivers are integrated into one. You'll see these mostly at your local electronics store (BestBuy, Circuit City..etc) many of them come in 2-way, 3-way, 4-way... even seen some in 5-way configuration. Theres really no need for any more than 2-way.

Whether or not which one is better, it all depends on you and what you need. Alot of things are install dependent.

Amplifiers
Very simple. What amplifiers do is take a signal level output (RCA) and converts the power to a speaker (line-level output).

You can either use the internal amplifier on the HU, or you can opt for an external HU. More than likely an external amplifier will always have higher power capabilities.

Installation will be alot more difficult due to the need of running signal cables, remote turn-on-lead wire, and speaker wires. And lets not forget the power/ground wire either.

Subwoofers
Subwoofers... the source of boom. Subwoofers are meant to play between the 20Hz - 100Hz range. Basically lower than what you would take your door speakers/woofers to.

Theres endless varieties of different types of subwoofers. they all range from different sizes... most common would be 8", 10", 12", 15" and lets not forget JLs off sizes.

Theres also the shallow mount types mainly used for places where a regular subwoofer doesnt fit.

Subwoofers also come in different voice coil configurations. SVC (Single Voice Coil) or DVC (Dual Voice Coil) neither one will sound different from each other, DVC is just for ease of wiring. Only reason one might say DVC is better than SVC is because the majority of subwoofers, even budget minded ones are DVC.

Misc.

Battery: Many choose to upgrade the battery when they notice their headlights are dimming. If you choose to play your stereo while the car off, therefore alternator is not charging the battery. Most opt for a deep-cycle battery which lasts longer than a normal battery does because it has a higher reserve time. also it can be continually cycled (drained and recharged) over and over again without damage to the battery.... whereas a regular battery would be destroyed.

Most common type of deep-cycle battery is the Optima Yellow-Top.

if you dont use your stereo while the car is off you can choose the Optima Red-Top.

And those of you who choose a remote / trunk mounted battery. A dry cell battery that does not need to be vented is the best choice.

theres also other mfgs of high performance batteries...

Odyssey
Kinetic
Stinger Electronics
Braille

Power / Ground Wiring
This is a very important aspect of your car's stereo system. Many overlook this. What you should be looking for is some quality OFC (Oxygen Free Cable) so they do not oxidize in the future. And a rule of thumb that I always use is to always size it bigger than what you generally need it for.

1) A good practice is always to run the power wire down the side of the car opposite from the signal wires and speaker wires. So power wire would go down driver side and speaker/signal wires would go down the passenger side.

2) Always fuse the power wire within 12-18" of the battery terminal. Many do not do this and its an important safety feature... Yes you might have it fused in the trunk where all the amplifiers are but the function of the main fuse by the battery is to protect the wire and the car in case of a short that may cause a fire.

3) Ground wire... ground wire should be no longer than 3 feet. Always use a good grounding point, make sure that you strip the paint of the metal and ensure good contact between the terminal and the frame/body metal.

4) When working on the car stereo.... please remove the main power wire fuse... learn from my experiences.

This post was last modified: 06-24-2008 11:22 PM by tilegend.

very nice write up

4) When working on the car stereo.... please remove the main power wire fuse... learn from my experiences

hahaha ive been shocked a couple times too if not shocked sparks flying everywhere

Great info ...
Damping Factor: An amplifier's ability to control the movement of a speaker. Let's say you're 'popping' a speaker with a battery, the control, precision and timing of your pulses (forward and reversing) would be your damping factor. The higher the number the better. An even easier analogy would be how smooth you could bench press a certain weight. Some amps are better than others and this damping factor correlates to how 'clean' an amp plays.

Amplifier Classes: It's all about switching... turning on and off really fast. The 2 main factors are efficiency and clarity.

Class A - Basically an open window for sound to come through. Very inefficient but the cleanest class next to old school tube amps. Not very common at all. True audiophile and true $$$

Class B - Don't even worry about it, they are junk and no one makes them.

Class AB - Your typical amp. Imagine the same window being opened and closed super fast. Opened to let sound in and closed to save power. Almost every amp is this class unless stated otherwise.

Class D - Your typical bass amp. Digital amps based off of square waves. Not too great for anything above 100Hz (bass). Very Efficient, cheap watt per dollar, not very clean if you're an audiophile... square waves are not clean sound waves. Most people can not hear the difference between a Class D and a Class AB. So if you want loud bass, this is the amp for you, but probably not the amp for your mids and highs, unless you only care about rattling windows and concerned about how far people can hear you coming.

Class G/H - A hybrid switching supply. Very clean, very efficient and very $$$. Imagine the same window being opened and closed, but with a psychic genius robot controlling the window. If a strong bass note is playing the window is opened all the way (full throttle) but if a mid-range note is playing, the window is only opened enough for that note (half throttle). The energy demand depends solely on the music and how loud it's being played. Genisis, ARC Audio (new KAR and Signature Series) and some Audison use this class. NOTE: since this is such a new class, the scientific community has not yet agreed on what it should be called. Class G/H is what Gordon Taylor (Genisis engineer/owner) is calling it since he developed it. ARC called it hybrid last time talked to them and their signature series is slightly different but operates on the same principal. Time will sort this out.

So, know your class, it will save you money!

Disclaimer: This was not a technical white paper or anything of the sort, just trying to lay it out for regular people before they spend too much money.

Ronnie

gonna give this it's own thread sorry for the double post

This post was last modified: 09-27-2008 02:53 AM by ronniestamps.