Two-way and three-way car speakers: A fundamental choice

What type of speakers to choose for a car - two-way speakers with a low purchase price and very high-quality sound in the cramped conditions of a car interior, or three-way speakers “with full coverage of acoustic frequencies” offered today by many acoustics manufacturers from China? This choice today is becoming very relevant and in demand for modern consumers who already own cars and who are planning to soon purchase a comfortable means of transportation on city streets and country highways.

Let's try to systematize the scattered information scattered across the Internet in this small information and reference material, which will help car enthusiasts quickly and profitably resolve the issue of installing car audio in a car - choose ideologically correct car speakers that meet personalized needs, covering all the vehicles that are of interest to a particular owner. m sound frequencies. And, what is important, without loss of quality and encounters with openly fraudulent offers from unscrupulous sellers and acoustic device manufacturing companies who prefer to deceive customers.

Why does the column need “stripes”?

The answer to this question lies in the technical plane. The number of speakers mounted in one housing, characterized by the “bandwidth” of the acoustics, corresponds to the spectrum of frequencies reproduced when listening to music.

2-way speakers have separate bands to produce sounds of different frequencies, just like 3-way speakers. The need for such separation is due to the characteristics of human hearing - a person is able to perceive sounds from many sources simultaneously, “isolating” individual instruments and vocals (voice reproduction) of different people from the general acoustic picture. “Universal” speakers in single-way systems cannot physically separate the sound in different frequency ranges - a single membrane is forced to emulate different frequencies with an invariable loss in the quality of perception of sound “information”.

It is for the high-quality “division” of reproduced audio tracks with automatic division into frequencies of the corresponding ranges that independent speakers in “multi-band” speakers are responsible.

The best coaxial acoustics with a diameter of 13 cm

1. Best value for money Pioneer TS-1339R

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Why we liked it: The Pioneer TS-1339R demonstrates an excellent balance of price and quality. All acoustic elements are made very reliably. The system provides high power and excellent sound quality. Editor's Rating:

Appearance

The TS-1339R three-way coaxial system is highly reliable: a loudspeaker with a polypropylene cone is located on a steel basket. This material allows you to play music with minimal distortion. The tweeters are located on a special base in the center of the device, which creates the correct frequency distribution.

The case has mounting holes for mounting acoustics, but when placing it, you need to take into account the mounting depth, which is 55 mm - for some cars, additional modernization of the interior may be required. The blue diffusers look stylish, but the set does not include protective panels.

Technical specifications

The acoustics have a high power of 40 W and a high sensitivity of 91 dB. The frequency parameters are 30–40000 Hz, which provides effective bass and clear sound in the high range. For optimal sound, it is recommended to connect a high-quality power amplifier.

Sound quality

Pioneer's sound is rich and highly detailed. The power is enough for many users; at high volumes the sound is clear and smooth. The acoustics perfectly reproduce compositions that have bass, but are also suitable for other musical styles.

pros

  • excellent assembly;
  • balanced sound;
  • rich bass and high frequencies;
  • stylish design;
  • wide frequency range.

Minuses

  • large planting depth;
  • no panels included.

2. The best budget coaxial speakers for cars JVC CS-J520X

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Why we liked it: The JVC CS-J520X speaker system belongs to the budget class, but provides a decent level of sound that will appeal to many users. This option is recommended for upgrading a standard speaker system with low finances. Editor's Rating:

Appearance

JVC two-way speakers have a classic design that will suit a variety of interiors. The main speaker is located in the center. Vibration reduction is provided by the upper suspension, consisting of rubber and fabric. There is a tweeter for reproducing high frequencies. In the cabin, the acoustics are fixed using a standard mount. The kit does not include protective grilles. Another disadvantage is that the wire is short (30 cm).

Technical specifications

The system provides a nominal power of only 30 W and can reproduce frequencies from 40 to 22,000 Hz. The sensitivity of the speakers is at a good level - 91 dB, considering that these are inexpensive acoustics. Users who need more power and frequency range can choose Pioneer's 3-way TS-1339R.

Sound quality

The speakers provide good sound quality, with some bass, mid-range and high frequencies in the compositions. This option is perfect for background music and Internet radio.

pros

  • ease of installation in the cabin;
  • uniform sound;
  • high sensitivity.

Minuses

  • wire length;
  • no safety nets.

Two-way acoustics

The most popular two-way speakers on the market today have separate channels to reproduce the following frequencies:

  • MF and LF;
  • HF

In rare cases, a two-way speaker is not capable of reproducing low frequencies, which negatively affects the capabilities of the sound and acoustic system - some musical genres no longer sound as intended by the authors of the work. In such cases, you have to think about installing a separate sound-reproducing device for low and ultra-low frequencies, called a “subwoofer”. For this reason, motorists who are not well versed in acoustics recommend looking towards more “bandwidth” speakers, which will be discussed below.

Three-speaker acoustics

Three-way speakers with three “bands” differ favorably from their two-way “brothers” by a clearer and more obvious separation of frequencies into:

  • LF;
  • midrange;
  • HF

That is, in a three-band system it will be possible to distinguish sounds in each frequency range due to their better and more obvious division. Each “mini-speaker” in such a device is responsible for “its own” frequency, providing the best sound quality in the desired frequency range due to:

  • mathematically selected membrane size;
  • component base for the required frequency;
  • resonator size.

On the one hand, there are advantages acquired by the owner of such a sound system - separate sound frequencies with a pronounced acoustic picture, however, such separation has a significant drawback that applies only to car audio.

Peculiarities

Three-way acoustics is a system of three speakers that reproduce low, mid and high frequencies on separate bands. The amplitude-frequency response of such systems is much better than that of two-way devices due to the good elaboration of different tones. The speaker plays in piston mode, which makes the sound cleaner and more detailed.

Despite all the advantages of three-way systems, they have a higher cost. Due to their design features, they are more difficult to configure and install. In addition, in the budget segment, three-way and two-way acoustics practically do not differ from each other in sound quality.

Subwoofer versus three-way speakers

The seemingly ideal and mathematically correct frequency division of the acoustic signal in 3-way acoustics imposes certain restrictions on the owner planning to install car audio in a car. There are several reasons for this - three-way speakers:

  • they are much more expensive than two-lane ones;
  • are large in size;
  • have serious installation restrictions;
  • reproduce low frequencies worse compared to a subwoofer.

It turns out that any three-way acoustic device will lose in direct comparison with a simplified system of two-way speakers and a separate subwoofer in several respects:

  • in terms of sound quality;
  • by price;
  • for ease of installation.

Installing car audio with 2-way speakers and a subwoofer is easier and more profitable, which is what experts in the field of car audio recommend using. The sound using a well-selected passive, or better yet, an active subwoofer and correctly installed two-way speakers with the “correct” power will be cleaner and more melodic for all people sitting in the car - both for the driver and passenger sitting in front, and for friends or members sitting in the rear seats families.

3-component car acoustics

High-quality car 3-component acoustics is a set of interconnected speakers capable of reproducing frequencies in audio format at strictly defined frequencies. If 2 or 3-component acoustics are installed on the car at the same time, the motorist will be able to easily cover the available frequencies.


Car speakers Pride WS165.3

At the same time, a high-quality connection according to the car acoustics connection diagram will help you tune the sound to a wide variety of sound ranges.

At the same time, the advantages of such a 3-way 16 cm speaker system are that:

  • possibility of precise adjustment;
  • the ability to high-quality sound settings;
  • possibility of installing additional types of components (crossovers, amplifiers);
  • the ability to tune a specific speaker to reproduce a specific frequency spectrum.


Component acoustics 3-way
According to the review, the branded models Pride Wild Sould 165.3 or Focal have their own advantages, including:

  • installation of a spaced nature;
  • the ability to use crossovers;
  • the ability to independently adjust the sound.


Pride Wild Sould 165.3 Focal
At the same time, the same model Pride Wild Sould 165.3 or Hertz has some disadvantages:

  • some high cost of high-quality acoustics;
  • attitude related to some professional skills;
  • the need for special podiums and materials for sound insulation.


Model Pride Wild Sould 165.3

Conclusion

Thus, we can draw a completely logical conclusion that will help the motorist choose acoustics with the required number of stripes for his favorite car without overpaying and additional problems.

The selection formula is quite simple:

1. If you need very high-quality car audio, it is better to buy and install expensive three-way speakers and a separate subwoofer; 2. If you need to do it inexpensively, but with high quality, you should install two-way speakers with a passive subwoofer; 3. If you have a minimum of money, it’s better to get by with single-way pre-installed “tweeters” for high frequencies, supplementing them with inexpensive 2-way speakers with low-frequency coverage.

Experts from the CarWorks workshops located in the capital will help you make the right and technically competent choice, where you can inexpensively install car audio in a car with the selection of the most suitable and high-quality components from brands that have proven themselves on the Russian market.

Also, if you contact us by appointment at the most convenient time, you will be able to:

  • tint the car;
  • polish the body;
  • install xenon;
  • polish the headlights;
  • repair glass;
  • install parking sensors;
  • install a security alarm.
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