Every car enthusiast who values high-quality sound should know the basics of installing an audio system. Today, not all cars are equipped with radios, so drivers have to install the speakers themselves. How to connect speakers to a car radio, how to position the speakers correctly and what you need to know about wire insulation - read below.
Learning to distinguish between plugs
How to install an audio system in a car, how are the wires connected and is an amplifier needed? Let's figure out which plugs can be used for installation. Plugs may have different markings depending on the standard. ISO marking is typical for multimedia systems and wiring in cars; if such a device is used for other purposes, it may break. Most manufacturers make their own adapters for the ISO standard, so there are many different plugs available commercially.
Before you install speakers in your car, you need to understand which plugs to use. Each individual car is characterized by original adapters with which the speakers must be connected to the radio in the car. If standard wiring is installed, it is possible that the audio system can be connected to it. To connect the speakers in the car to the new radio yourself, use a Euro standard adapter.
Subwoofer
An important element of high-quality sound is also the correct match between the power level of the speakers and the bass level of the subwoofer. Since the sound power of the subwoofer will be much greater than the audio system, and it will not “pull” it, the resulting sound will be of poor quality and simply terrible.
As a rule, expert recommendations indicate that in order to achieve the most optimal sound from a subwoofer, it is necessary that bass amplifiers exceed those of full-range speakers by 2-4 times.
Car radio installation steps
It is no secret that the battery is the main source of power for the on-board grid of a car, but a battery malfunction can lead to damage to the car radio. To prevent equipment failure, you need to know how to properly connect the device yourself. During installation of the system, do not allow the positive contact of the battery to touch the negative or the speaker terminal. Experts do not recommend powering the device with plus or minus from the cigarette lighter or ignition switch.
Before connecting the speakers, it is necessary to take into account that the system connection will be optimal only to the battery. Thanks to this, you will be able to rid your speakers of various interferences and speakers, and it will be possible to operate them at full power. To make the connection, it is better to use a short copper stranded cable; its cross-section should be at least four mm2. On this wire, if it goes to the speakers or amplifier (not important), you need to install a fuse, which should preferably be located 50 cm from the battery. The wiring should be installed away from energy consumers; the wires should not be twisted - first of all, they are connected to the speakers, and then to the radio.
Connecting the speakers
Installing speakers to the radio is an important point. To prevent mistakes, during the repair process there should be a speaker connection diagram nearby, which marks all the points of correct installation. When connecting the front or rear speakers, pay attention to the markings on them, thanks to which you can find the positive and negative terminals. Manufacturers usually make the positive output wide and the negative output narrow.
If you accidentally decide to connect your speakers incorrectly, it can result in a large loss of quality, up to 80%. First, this will damage the speakers, and then the audio system will also fail. If there are no markings on the speakers, during installation you can first connect one element, and then activate the audio system at full power. Then the next element is connected, if after connecting the sound increases, then you are on the right track, you can continue. But if the sound remains at the same level, this means that an error was made in the process.
Important! You cannot connect speakers in parallel, because all radios are designed for 4 ohms resistance, and if you connect approximately 2 ohms in parallel, there will be almost a short circuit. With this connection, the radio amplifier will fail faster.
Wiring selection
Wires for speakers or loudspeakers are marked - there can be 2 or 4 pairs. If the wire is a single color, it is positive; if it has a black stripe, it is negative. A single color must be connected to the wide terminal of the speaker, and with a strip - to a narrow one. The negative wire can be common to the side or front speakers (up to 20 W). If the speaker system is more powerful, each channel should have its own negative and positive wires. These cables cannot be swapped or connected to the car body, that is, grounded, as this will lead to a deterioration in sound quality.
Do you need an amplifier?
We will not go into the features of amplifiers. Let's just consider what it gives and whether it is possible to do without it. An amplifier is primarily needed to increase the output power of the head unit. The inscriptions on the box of the 4x50 W radio tape recorder are true, but only partially; the manufacturer in bright advertising shows the peak power of the device, but in fact there are three powers - nominal, maximum and peak.
Peak power is what the tape recorder is capable of producing at the limit of its capabilities, for a short period of time, with sensitive overheating of the built-in amplifier. We are interested in the rated power - this is something between peak and idle during a song change, the power that the radio delivers most of the time.
The power ratio between the speakers and the amplifier will allow you to choose them correctly for each other. The rated power of the radio is significantly lower than the peak power and an amplifier is required for the full sound of good speakers. But speakers also have their own maximum power, and a powerful amplifier will most likely burn out weak acoustics very quickly. For car acoustics, a 30% power reserve in front of the amplifier is preferable. For example, if the amplifier provides 100 W per channel, then speakers are desirable at 140 W.
Speaker placement
When installing high power rear channels, they must be installed correctly. Oval speakers are mounted on the rear parcel shelf so that the speaker axis is directed diagonally across the vehicle. The rear right column should be aimed at the driver, and the left column at the front passenger. Only after proper installation has been carried out can the speakers be connected to the audio system.
To ensure high-quality sound, the speakers cannot be covered - they need more space to work properly. As for the tweeters, they need to be installed on the windshield pillars. If you mount them away from low-frequency speakers, you can achieve a bright quad effect. The direction of the tweeters is done in a similar way - the front left one is directed towards the passenger, and the right one - towards the driver. The wiring must be secured securely.
When purchasing a certain type of car speakers, you need to understand their inherent specifics. Thus, in this article we will look at options for connecting the device to a personal computer.
How to properly connect speakers from a car to a computer
The equipment itself is one of the representatives of passive speakers. Therefore, if you connect them in the usual way, simply into a connector or using an adapter, then of course there will be sound, but it will be quite quiet. Therefore, in order to achieve a decent result: full performance of the function, it is recommended to purchase a special amplifier. Its model will directly depend not only on the manufacturer, but also on the speakers themselves.
ATTENTION! If the structure has two inputs called RCA (they are also called tulips), then the connection can be made using a mini-jack audio cable. Moreover, their size should be 3.5 millimeters.
It is this that will need to be connected to the sound card, which is usually characterized by a green tint. It is advisable to use the product as front speakers. In addition, you can use two RCA-2 and a corresponding adapter, that is, a mini-jack. Then it will function directly on two inputs. If there are two terminals on each speaker, then the best outcome would be to use a cable from any headphones. But it is important that it has a cable with 3.5 mm.
Therefore, you need to do the following:
- First, the speakers are cut off, after which the wire is stripped.
REFERENCE! This must be done with extreme caution, since at this stage it is easy to damage some elements.
- Finally, all that remains is to connect the converted ends directly to the terminals, and the wire itself to the sound card.
Types of speaker systems
Of course, the choice primarily depends on the financial capabilities of the car owner. There is no point in resorting to replacing acoustics if the budget does not allow installing speakers that will provide better sound than the “original” system.
Wideband acoustics
Wideband acoustics consists of a single speaker that reproduces almost the entire spectrum of sound frequencies. In this case, the best car speakers have a low end of about 40–50 Hz and reach a sound level of 12–15 kHz.
Car audio systems with one speaker are the easiest to install.
The cone system of a full-range speaker does not allow for excellent reproduction of low and high frequencies at the same time. As a result, at the edges of the sound spectrum, small blockages in the amplitude-partial response (AFC) are obtained, and the sound becomes a little “flat”.
Wideband acoustics create a general sound background in the car interior, but you shouldn’t expect the highest quality music playback from them.
Coaxial systems
Coaxial systems are popular with most car owners because they provide good sound quality in any conditions.
Moreover, they are easy to install. Structurally, such a system is a broadband loudspeaker, in the central part of which a small-sized high-frequency speaker is installed on a special bar.
In some models, the number of central heads can reach 3 units: this means that there are two mid-frequency heads on the central speaker, not counting the frequency tweeter. In this case, the acoustics are connected to the amplifier not directly, but through a crossover, which divides the entire sound spectrum into bands according to the number of speakers.
Component systems
Component systems are assembled from several separate devices, and each of them can be easily replaced.
They are:
- two-component (includes midbass and tweeter);
- three-component (in addition to the midbass and tweeter, there is also a third speaker responsible for supplying mid frequencies).
Component systems also include a crossover, but it is not considered a major component because it does not produce sound. In this case, its task is to evenly distribute the elements by level (volume) and frequencies.
Useful tips
Below are some nuances that can help every user:
- It may happen that the cable plugs cannot fit into any of the sockets on the computer. In this case, of course, you can use adapters. The only thing is that it is not advisable to use several at once; one will be enough. Otherwise, the PC will require too much power, and therefore a malfunction is likely to occur. And if the product turns out to be defective, then the speakers can also suffer death. So, if it is possible to replace the system with another one, then it is recommended to use it.
- If any problem occurs, the first thing to do is check the volume. Most often, owners of a structure confuse a defect with the minimum value on the regulator, which forces them to make rash repairs or contact a service center.
- After completing the procedure, you should check the serviceability of the device. This is done as follows. First, the PC turns on. After which you should expect an automatic search for an available unit and download of the necessary drivers. If this does not happen, then you will still have to do this yourself, namely install the software. Most often you can find a special disk with the necessary files. Therefore, you need to look into the package. This is how the performance of these inventions is tested.
For most drivers, a car is not just a means of transportation, but their own little world. This is their personal space, in which everything must be perfect, from small things like rugs to the sound system. At the same time, many are not satisfied with standard cheap equipment, which cannot provide anything other than a loud, ear-piercing sound.
Therefore, many people immediately after buying a car start connecting new, better speakers. In order not to spend extra money on paying for the work, you can connect them yourself. How? Yes, very simple!
What you may need when connecting speakers to the radio
At a minimum, we will need speakers, a radio and a car. But seriously, before you start equipping your car with good acoustics, you need to prepare the following:
- tester;
- insulating tape;
- corrugation;
- spacer rings;
- speaker cable (if it was not included).
Connection diagram for speakers in a car
To ensure that the front and rear speakers are connected correctly, we advise you to carefully study the diagram before starting to install the system. It usually comes with the radio, or is printed on a sticker on the back. For all models they are basically similar and look like in the photo.
Thanks to a correctly designed and easy-to-understand diagram, you can easily not only install a standard version of 4 speakers in your car, but also connect 6 speakers to the radio. You can watch this process in all its details and nuances in the video. For professionals, this procedure is not difficult and takes relatively little time. An ordinary amateur, of course, will have to tinker, but the result and the feeling of satisfaction from the fact that the connection was made with one’s own hands are worth it.
Therefore, now let’s move on to the question of how to connect 4 speakers to a radio without an amplifier, and consider in detail all the stages of the procedure.
Preparatory stage
If the car already has holes for installing a speaker system, you are lucky and this step is automatically skipped. If there are no holes, they must be cut out.
Note. The front speakers are usually installed in the doors, the rear ones - on the trunk shelf. In this case, it is better to dismantle the standard decorative shelf and install an acoustic one with special podiums in its place. This castling allows you to eliminate in the future the unpleasant rattling of plastic caused by loud music that irritates many car enthusiasts.
Rating of the best speakers for a car
Despite the fact that the sound is largely influenced by the installation of the speaker, the price still remains significant - an expensive speaker has an improved magnet and a larger number of stripes. It is not recommended to install speakers of any price in standard places - the sound quality will still be poor. The best place to install the speaker is a door with wooden rings.
But now we’ll figure out which speaker to buy.
Alpine x s65c
The speaker has strong and clear sound without any distortion. The frequency response is stable (at midbass). The high-quality material of the diffuser is light, but at the same time, hard. The magnets are neodymium, due to this the seating depth has decreased, but remains just as powerful.
The mid-frequency emitters are made of aluminum, which is distinguished by its strength and simultaneous lightness. The frequency can be adjusted. The manufacturer even allowed you to change the polarity of the speakers.
Alpine spg 17cs
The sound is transparent, the assembly is of high quality, which is especially nice given the low price. You can install a tweeter in the column. With good tuning, low frequencies appear. The manufacturer designed the speaker so that door installation is possible, but an amplifier is needed for better bass.
Avatar xbr 613
Fair value for money. This package includes a set of tweeters and the best speakers for the door without distortion or interference. The speakers are easy to install and pleasant to listen to.
Audison prima apk 165
The device accurately conveys all the details and builds the scene. Before installation, think carefully about where it is best to install the device, and also understand the settings. You don’t need to buy anything to install – the necessary parts are already included in the kit.
The speaker is of good quality, which means it will last you a long time. The only thing I'm not happy about is the price - it's too high for a typical two-way acoustic system. Also, the design does not correlate with the high cost.
Econ ebs 1602
Econebs 1602 surprises with melody effects at any volume. The device has good sensitivity and sound quality. Among the disadvantages, motorists point out the plastic body. It is not entirely reliable - cracks may form at high volumes.
Cadence qsa pr8
Manufacturers have equipped the device with the necessary connectors; the materials contain durable and lightweight aluminum, which will eliminate vibrations even under heavy loads.
Kicx aln 8 3
There are large frequency ranges and high-quality Italian production. But they are not designed for the cold season - they take a long time to warm up in winter, and are also adjusted only with the help of an equalizer.
Morel tempo ultra 602
The sound stage is prominent, the bass here sounds without overkill. There are neodymium magnets, cellulose and silk in the diffusers. The device will not be damaged even if dropped or bumped.
Mystery mr 61 5
- Low level of nonlinear distortion of frequency distortion at medium/high frequencies;
- excellent build quality is guaranteed by a trusted manufacturer;
- Excellent bass, well matched with the subwoofer.
Among the disadvantages are not the best tweeters (despite their Israeli origin). To obtain the best quality, you will need power from an amplifier and door treatment with Shumka.
Pioneer ts wx36m
The quality/price are commensurate, for little money they are suitable for beginner car music lovers who are not ready to shell out impressive sums for a component system. An interesting design, which for some has a certain meaning when choosing. The small installation depth allows them to be placed in different places inside the cabin. The sound is loud without the help of an amplifier.
The sound is average, exactly within our means. Don't expect amazing polyphony from $29 speakers; for some they have little bass, for others they have a lot of highs, and a number of car audiophiles complain about insufficient volume. The presence of protective nets does not protect the dynamics from anything, they are pure fiction.
Pioneer ts 1675v2
Quality/price – for the price they provide excellent quality – loud, clear, but music lovers may not be happy. Nice design with good layout. The contents are sparse, but sufficient for installation.
Pioneer ts e130ci
Quality/sound – “pancakes” delight with good bass and clear, loud sound for quite reasonable money. No amplifier required. The high sensitivity of the speakers reproduces music in high definition and volume even from a standard radio. Wires are not included and must be purchased separately.
Hertz mpk 165 3 pro
The model from this well-known manufacturer has very deep bass with clear sound. Crossovers are user-configurable and can be easily installed in any car.
Infinity kappa 93ix
The speaker has an unusual design - the coil here is shorter than in other models. The design does not distort the sound and allows you to freely control the speaker from the amplifier side. Attaches to any part of the car, well suited for doorways.
Infinity ref6530cx
Manufacturers have worked on the frequency range - it is 35 - 20500 Hz. It is especially pleasant to listen to vocal compositions on the device. The diffuser is based on cellulose, because of this the frequency response is without disturbance.
Ivolga vhc 6 21
This budget option still pleases with high-quality sound even at low frequencies. The design will fit into any salon and will remain a stylish and inconspicuous accessory. The kit is not entirely complete - there are only fasteners and wires without amplifiers. Suitable as a basic option for medium volume.
Sundown audio sd3 12 d2
The head speaker is suspended on polyurethane, and because of this the speaker does not go into resonance, even at high volumes. The device has an unusual Z-shaped design, which adds rigidity to the speakers.
Pioneer ts z65f
The design will fit into the salon. Disadvantages include noise pollution with high bass, inconvenient wire due to its length; professionals recommend using the device with an amplifier. For a low price, this is a completely acceptable option.
Pioneer ts 1701i
The speaker has low frequencies with clear and bright sound, even without another amplifier. There is bass potential, but you have to pay more for these advantages. The speaker also has disadvantages, for example, unclear reproduction of high frequencies. The driver sometimes has to adjust the sound himself.
Jvc cs j610
Bass is combined with mid frequencies - the music is not split into pieces and the melody is perceived as a whole. The volume of the subwoofer is not very large, but the manufacturers have worked hard on the sound output, as well as on the build quality. The nuts are not just tightened, but glued on for strength.
Jbl gx608c
These car speakers are designed for the rear panel. Jblgx608c requires oval shapes for installation (you can purchase them or make them yourself). Great for deep bass.
