Car Audio Blog

Car audio has moved a long way from the old standard AM/FM Radio/Tape Deck combo. Today, in-vehicle multimedia systems include DVD video, television and navigation systems with local hotspot news. Common to all systems is the sound quality.

The quality of sound in a car audio system depends upon a number of factors - the type and quality of the media player system, the type of speakers used, the acoustics of the vehicle and interference from other devices.

Type and Quality of Media Player System

Before we look at the different types of in-vehicle media players it pays to have a basic understanding of audio quality. When deciding what type of audio system to install, and also when comparing one make and model to another, there are two key specifications to consider:

Signal-to-noise ratio [SNR] - a measure of signal strength compared to background noise in the signal or equipment. Measured in decibels. The higher the dB, the better. A car CD player has an SNR of 90 or 100 dB.

Frequency response [FR] - a measure of how much of the audio spectrum, from bass to treble, gets reproduced. It’s measured as a range in Hertz, and the wider the range, the better. Look for a CD player with a range of at least 10-20k Hz.

An FM radio, cassette player, and CD player all have different measurements for these specs. To help understand these two specifications, let’s compare a car tape cassette player and a car CD player.

Cassette player has an SNR of 50-70 dB. This is much lower than a CD player, so the sound quality degrades at each end of the spectrum. The FR is around 30-18k Hz for a cassette player, so does not contribute as much to sound quality as the SNR.

That’s why overall, a car CD player gives a much better sound than a cassette tape player.

Media players in vehicles today are either radio tuner, CD player/changer, or Digital Audio player.

Car CD Players & CD Changers

There are a number of options when it comes to playing CD’s in a vehicle:

• An in-dash CD Player - often combined with radio tuner, WMA/MP3 player
• An in-dash CD Receiver - with a multiple CD cassette / changer located elsewhere in the vehicle
• Connect a portable CD player to an existing in-dash audio unit using either a cable and adapter or a bluetooth wireless connection.

When choosing a car CD player the first two things to consider are:

1. Will it physically fit into the vehicle?
2. Will it integrate cosmetically with the dash and other electronics?

Most decks have standardized form factors; so fit most cars, but there are exceptions, so make sure that the deck is suited for your car…

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Sony Debuts New Car Audio Systems at SEMA

Sony is providing quality mobile audio components with three new speakers, three new amplifiers and a new subwoofer here at the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s (SEMA) annual trade show.

The company unveiled its new GTX series speakers, which are the perfect complement to the GT series head units. Three new models - XS-GTX1620S, XS-GTX6930 and XS-GTX1640 - feature sleek designs and dynamic sound quality.

For improved sound imaging in the GTX design, the XS-GTX1620S two-way component speakers provide 260 watts peak power. They have a highly oriented polyolefine (HOP) cone woofer, which offers rich and solid bass as well as superb sound. The speakers offer a good option for factory replacement for newer vehicles with tweeters located in the A-pillar behind the side-view mirrors.

The separate .75-inch tweeters provide versatility in installation to optimize a vehicle’s soundstage, and can be surface or flush mounted. For better sound, the 2-way passive crossovers direct the appropriate frequencies to the tweeters for clear highs and better bass response from the woofers.

Both the XS-GTX6930 three-way speakers and the XS-GTX1640 4-way speakers offer an HOP woofer. The XS-GTX6930 has 400 watts peak power and offers powerful sound at a great price.

To get the best results when installing speakers, installers should match the power source level of RMS or continuous watts to the high end of the speaker’s range in RMS. The XS-GTX1640 has 300 watts peak power (75 RMS) and has a high density layered diaphragm (HDLD)…

Full story: ecoustics.com