Car Audio Tips for Maximum Sound Quality
I’ve put together suggestions on how to improve the sound in your vehicle, with some tips for simple factory systems and some ideas for more sophisticated setups. Don’t live with bad sound — even the simplest improvements to your system can yield great results.
TIP #1: REPLACE YOUR CAR’S SPEAKERS.
In most cases, speakers are just about the last thing a manufacturer thinks about when building your car. Factory systems have improved in the last few years, but many so-called “premium” systems still use relatively inexpensive amps and speakers that don’t deliver top-notch sound. You can make a big difference in your system’s sound quality by installing a nice set of speakers. You’ll hear tighter bass and more overall clarity, and you’ll most likely notice little details in familiar songs that you’ve never caught before. Replacement speakers give you maximum bang for your buck, so they’re a good first step on the road to better sound.
TIP #2: SELECT A LOWER LEVEL OF COMPRESSION FOR YOUR MUSIC FILES.
Yes, you can store more music files in your MP3 player with more compression, and they’ll sound OK when you’re listening through earbuds. But you lose some high- and low-frequency information when you compress your music, along with some of the details that make your music interesting. And, on a good car audio system, you can really tell that something’s missing.
Don’t settle for the default setting when creating your files. If you want to use your iPod or MP3 player in your car, try using as little compression as possible. The higher the bit rate, the better your music will sound through your car’s system.
TIP #3: USE DYNAMAT OR ANOTHER SOUND DEADENING MATERIAL.
Dynamat does two things to make your system sound better. First, the thin metal in your door panel does not make a good home for a speaker — it vibrates as your speaker plays, affecting accuracy. When you attach Dynamat to your door panel, it deadens those vibrations and rattles, creating a more stable platform for your speaker, more like the wooden baffle on a home speaker.
Second, have you ever noticed how your system sounds really good at 25 mph, but gets a little harsh when you hit 60? Road noise tends to mask the lower frequencies first, so your system sounds overly bright when you turn it up at highway speeds. Dynamat lowers interior noise levels in your car, so you don’t have to turn your music up as loud when you’re driving. You’ll hear more musical detail, and your amps won’t have to work as hard. And that’s all good.
