Ali se splača nadgraditi tovarniške avtomobilske zvočnike?

Na žalost je dandanes večina vozil tovarniško opremljena z zvočniki nizke kakovosti, ki so ponavadi nič drugega kot opevani obtežilniki za papir.

Dobra novica je, da je nadgradnjo tovarniških avtomobilskih zvočnikov mogoče izvesti zelo hitro in v mnogih primerih za delček tega, kar bi stalo, če bi kupili popolnoma nove tovarniške nadomestne zvočnike, toda ali se splača nadgraditi tovarniške avtomobilske zvočnike? Ugotovimo.

Zamenjava avtomobilskih zvočnikov izboljša kakovost zvoka, vendar le, če uporabljate visokokakovostne zvočnike. Tovarniški zvočniki so ponavadi povprečni, pogosto proizvajajo pridušene ali popačene zvoke. Slaba stran zamenjave zvočnikov je cena in dejstvo, da morate v mnogih primerih namestiti tudi nizkotonec in ojačevalnik, če želite slišati znatno razliko v kakovosti zvoka.

V spodnjem članku si bom ogledal nekaj najpomembnejših stvari, ki jih je treba upoštevati pri odločanju, ali je nadgradnja tovarniških avtomobilskih zvočnikov vredna naložbe.

Ali poprodajni avtomobilski zvočniki res kaj spremenijo?

Zamenjava tovarniških zvočnikov z visokokakovostnimi poprodajnimi zvočniki je eden najboljših načinov za nadgradnjo avdio sistema avtomobila.

Mnogi se sprašujejo, zakaj so poprodajni avtomobilski zvočniki boljši od tovarniških zvočnikov ali kaj je narobe s tovarniškimi zvočniki, če so tako slabi? Konec koncev igrajo nekaj glasbe. Da, igrajo, ampak ...

Ni veliko ljudi, ki nadgradijo avdio sisteme v povsem novem avtomobilu in namesto tega poslušajo tovarniški sistem, ne da bi se zavedali, kako čisto kakovost lahko ponudi. Še slabše je pri rabljenih vozilih, saj so zvočniki v večini primerov starejši od deset let in so bili zasnovani v prejšnjem stoletju.

Samo pomisli na to. Proizvajalci avtomobilov vgrajujejo povprečne avdio sisteme samo zato, da bi avtomobil prodali, in da bi ga lahko prodali, mora biti vozilo cenovno dostopno. Predvsem z vidika stroškov je zvočni sistem ena zadnjih stvari na njihovem seznamu, ki jo je treba izboljšati.

V večini primerov je stranka »srečna«, ker posluša glasbo, vendar ti zvoki pogosto niso niti blizu prave kakovosti glasbe.

Lahko najdete nekaj modelov avtomobilov, ki ponujajo »vrhunske« avdio sisteme, vendar razen če je vaš avto relativno nov, ti sistemi prav tako daleč zaostajajo za kakovostnimi poprodajnimi zvočniki.

Videl sem nekaj modelov z vgrajenim vrhunskim ozvočenjem, ki so bili stari okoli deset let. Imeli so enake standardne tovarniške zvočnike, razlika pa je bila le v moči ojačevalca.

Razen če je vaš avto nov model s pravim vrhunskim zvočnim sistemom, bo vedno obstajal razlog za zamenjavo tovarniških zvočnikov. Tudi če ste bili z glasbo na začetku zadovoljni, se zvočniki obrabijo, njihovo papirnato vzmetenje pa postaja vse šibkejše, zato bo kakovost zvoka, ki ga proizvajajo, slabša.

Obstaja več razlogov za nadgradnjo avtomobilskega avdio sistema in če so poprodajni zvočniki pametno izbrani, bodo naredili veliko razliko v kakovosti zvoka avtomobilskega avdio sistema.

Poprodajni avtomobilski zvočniki so bili zasnovani za bolj natančen in dinamičen zvok. Iz večine poprodajnih zvočnikov boste slišali tudi nižje in močnejše nizke tone.

Spodaj je nekaj glavnih razlik med poprodajnimi in tovarniškimi zvočniki:

Poprodajni zvočniki ne le zvenijo bolje, ampak imajo tudi boljši dizajn

Le nekaj proizvajalcev avtomobilov posveča pozornost kakovosti zvoka v svojih avtomobilih in vsi so vrhunski luksuzni avtomobili, izdelani v popolnosti do zadnje podrobnosti. Te avtomobile lahko primerjamo z zvočnimi odri, kjer ima vsak zvočnik svoje edinstveno in jasno določeno mesto, usmerjenost proti ušesom poslušalca ali preneseno frekvenco.

Najboljši poprodajni avdio sistemi se razvijajo v naprednih laboratorijih, kjer vrhunski zvočni inženirji nenehno eksperimentirajo z ustvarjanjem vse boljšega zvoka.

Ti zvočniki imajo prefinjeno zasnovo in imajo pogosto več gonilnikov za izjemno reprodukcijo zvoka. Top-quality woofers, mid-ranges, tweeters, and often super tweeters are built to reproduce specific sounds perfectly.

Woofers, for example, are focused on lows while tweeters concentrate on the highest frequencies.

Aftermarket speakers also contain more advanced and often active crossovers compared to those found in factory speakers. Perfect and precise frequency allocation to the specific driver is critical for speakers to operate efficiently and deliver great sound.

Aftermarket speakers offer better sound imaging

Factory car audio systems, including speakers, are designed to work with limited power from the factory stereo. Such a way of programming has to compromise the quality of the sound details or the bass amount, to allow the entire system to work with a lack of power.

That is why the music sounds muddy, and to solve it, factory speakers should be replaced with aftermarket component systems.

Component systems create stage effects in the car, and if you never heard them in action, just imagine woofers at the door bottoms make an ideal low base, and tweeters facing your ears and create a perfect surround effect.

This imaging of the high tones is what factory speakers are missing.

When you install component speakers, you can steer high tones from tweeters, and regardless of their position, you will have a better sound stage, and frequency separation.

With the components system, your car can have better sound imaging. And if you value music quality, tweeters will add to it another dimension.

Aftermarket speakers are made from materials of a better quality

As mentioned earlier, most cars have to be affordable, which means they will not be made from high-quality materials. This approach is no different when it comes to car audio.

Cheap materials that standard speakers are made of, like paper, wear out quickly and cannot handle extreme temperatures or humidity inside the car.

Aftermarket speakers can work much longer than typical factory speakers, thanks to the durable and better quality materials.

The woofers in the aftermarket speakers are made of lightweight but stiff materials. The best woofer cones are made from synthetic films such as polypropylene or fiberglass and often are coated with aluminum or titanium. These materials can stand up well to cold, heat, and humidity extremes and create higher quality bass.

Tweeters designed to perform soft sounds are made from soft and textile materials, like nylon or silk. These for sharper and brighter highs are made from harder materials like aluminum, ceramics, graphite, or titanium.

No less important is the speaker’s surround. It has to be flexible to allow free and not limited movement of the speaker cone, and on the other hand, it has to be strong and durable, as not to get damaged too quickly. Depending on the speaker’s design, the surrounding can be made from foam or butyl rubber in the hi-end speakers.

Aftermarket speakers have better power handling

Factory car speakers are not designated to work with powerful amplifiers or to handle lots of power, which is the main reason they cannot produce high-quality sounds, especially when listening to music at a high volume.

Another reason that factory speakers are unable to work in powerful audio systems is the low quality of the materials they are made of.

On the other hand, aftermarket speakers have much better ability to handle more power and, therefore, reproduce brighter sounds with deeper bass. Their robust design reduces the risk of clipping or sound distortions even when they receive a large amount of electricity.

When you are a fan of loud music, aftermarket speakers will allow you to enjoy loud and crystal clear sounds at a high volume without worrying about damaging the speakers.

How much does it cost to upgrade car speakers?

Many audio technicians say it’s the number-one upgrade you can make to improve your car’s overall quality, and they are right. Adding new speakers to your vehicle can dramatically improve the sound quality and does not have to cost a fortune.

Once you know the speaker’s size and type of the system you will install, the next step is to start searching for the best ones to fit your criteria. And at this point sky is the limit because there are hundreds of models, brands, power levels, and of course prices.

A replacement for factory speakers can cost anywhere from $100 to over a thousand dollars if you decide to aim for the top-shelf speakers with audiophile music quality.

The price range does not always depend on the speakers’ size, but rather on the technology and quality of used materials.

You can find a small 5.25″ that will cost multiply of larger 6″x9″. It all depends on personal preferences and what you want to achieve. Another important factor is the power that speakers can handle, and we are talking here about continuous RMS power, not anything else.

The speakers’ power can be misleading when searching for the right speakers, especially if they have to be connected to the external amplifier, so be careful when looking at the “powerful” speakers that have hundreds of Watts and are being sold on sale for barely $149.99.

Power handling is a common marketing trick, and sellers use firstly peak volume, which usually is twice or higher than RMS. Secondly, they often put power as a summary of both speakers.

So, for example, when you see “fantastic” 600W speakers with a low price, search for a catch because, in reality, it can happen, these are two pieces of 300W each peak power, and not more than 100W RMS.

So, it is actually nothing exciting, but as you see, marketing works.

Another factor that affects the price is the design of the speakers. In general, you will find coaxial speakers are cheaper than component systems.

• The coaxial speakers are the speakers that have tweeters built on top of the woofer.

• Component speakers are these with separate tweeters and woofers, that are connected to the external crossovers.

Good components systems like JBL, or Kicker you can buy for less than $200, but pair of those with ultra-light titanium cones will cost close to a thousand dollars . So if you want to install hi-end component systems in front and rear doors in the car, you should have a budget of around $2000, and these are just speakers. On top, you have to add the cost of the amplifier, proper wires, installation, sound deadening, etc.

While such a high amount can be extreme, in the majority of cases, you will spend a couple of hundreds of dollars. To all these, you will need to add an installation cost between $40 and $100.

Povzetek

Stock speakers that are installed in the majority of cars have poor quality and the sounds they produce are on the far end from real music quality. If you are not happy with the music experience, or the sounds are muffled, it is time to upgrade the car audio system.

If you want to upgrade the car audio system, the factory speakers should be the first elements to replace. To get the best results from your upgrade, consider installing high-quality component speakers with separate woofers and tweeters.

You can get excellent replacement speakers for less than $200, and they will move your in-car entertainment to a different level.

Aftermarket speakers are designed with high-quality materials and there are thousands of speakers in various types or sizes to choose from.