Most cars don’t usually have great speaker systems. The technology improves each year, you get to play your favorite music while driving, but you don’t actually get the best possible sound from your factory speakers. When you are watching a movie at home, you probably won’t like it if your speakers produce low-quality sounds. There’s just something off with it. The same can be said with wanting the best car speaker system for your car. Why put up with a lousy car speaker when you can have the best. Learn how to install your own car speaker system.
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If you want to install your own car speaker system, you need to consider a lot of factors and know where to start. Here are some tips that can help you achieve a great car speaker system.
Build your car speaker system one step at a time. Building your own speaker system is a process. It doesn’t have to strain your budget or should be done all at once. You need to plan it and do it in stages so you can achieve the best results.
Identify what you need. Before you start doing anything else, you need to figure out what you need. The best car speaker system for you is not really synonymous to the loudest one or maybe the most expensive one. It is the one that meets your taste and your needs.
Some people want an audio system that makes them feel like they are in a concert arena, with music blasting everywhere while some prefer to listen to something that makes them relax. It really depends on your preference. Starting the whole process with a plan and a goal in mind will really make a difference. Not only will the process become smooth and easy but it will also save you a lot of trouble and keep you from wasting your hard-earned money.
Determine if your speaker system needs upgrading. Before you upgrade anything or install new speakers, you need to know first if your audio system needs upgrading. To find out if it is, you need to do these simple steps.
Step 1 – Sit in your car with its windows and doors closed and turn on your car’s radio. You can also connect your phone to your audio system and play some music.
Step 2 – Turn the volume up and listen for a bit. Keep your ears open and listen carefully for a lot of things. Does the sound lack treble, bass, or clarity? Lack of treble or clarity can be fixed with a few upgrades. If you hear that the sound seems hollow and empty even after turning up the bass, an upgrade can fix it too. If what you hear from your audio system is music with a lot of distortion especially when the volume is up really high, then it probably needs more than just an upgrade.
Step 3 – Drive around with your car speakers loud enough and listen carefully. Can you hear the music loud and clear above the road noise? What can you hear and how does it sound?
Step 4 – Take note of the things you noticed. List all the components of your car speaker system and rate them. Know what needs to be upgraded and what needs to be replaced.
If you want to achieve a better sound, installing a new car receiver will be the first thing you need to do. You will just have to pick the right receiver and decide what you want it to do. Would you like it to be Bluetooth-ready so you can stream music and make calls through it? Or maybe you want it to play DVDs there on a retractable display? You can start your search from there and pick one that best suits your needs.
If you are satisfied with your car receiver and you don’t want to replace it, then you can focus more on the other components of your car’s audio system. You can replace or upgrade your speakers first and work from there.
Make sure that the components match to your vehicle. Before you shop for audio components, make sure that they match to your vehicle’s make and model. You can research online to find what components are the best for it. This can help you narrow down the search and focus on the parts that actually fit. If you are shopping for an external subwoofer, make sure that it fits in your trunk and that it doesn’t take up much space.
What can I do to make my car speaker system better?
If it has been already decided that you want to install your own car speaker system, here are some of the things that you can do.
Replace your car’s factory radio. Installing a new car receiver can really help make the sound better. This is because an aftermarket receiver usually sends a much cleaner and stronger audio signal to the rest of the audio system. Your system will also get more power which translates to a better sound from your speakers even at full volume.
Replace your car’s factory speakers. Putting in new speakers is one sure way to improve your vehicle’s audio system. It is also one of the most affordable components that you can get to improve the system. Aftermarket speakers don’t usually cost that much but they can help improve the entire range of your audio from the bass up to the clear highs. It is also easy to install in your vehicle.
If you own a four-door vehicle and your budget doesn’t allow you to purchase all the needed speakers yet, you can start putting new speakers up front first. You can take care of the other locations as soon as the budget permits.
You can research online or ask some experts to find the best speakers for your car. Since you want to improve the quality of your audio, make sure that you will get the high-quality ones. Also keep in mind that its mounting location will also determine what speakers you need. You have to pick the right car speaker size for your car. Whether you need a full range one, a 6.5, or a 6.9 that is known to be the all-in-one speaker solution. It has been said that the full range ones work best when installed on the rear and the component tweeters and crossovers make great audio when mounted up front.
Add an amplifier. You now have speakers, now it’s time to give them more power by adding an amplifier. Adding more power if important so you can use the speakers’ full capacity and will bring out a more clear and detailed sound. It is known to be the heart of your system. If you installed front and rear speakers, you will need a 4-channel amp to power them. If you are planning to add a subwoofer, you can use the amp’s rear channels to power it just until you’re ready to install a separate amp for the subwoofer.
There is also a 5-channel amp that lets you power two front speakers, two rear speakers and a subwoofer. When shopping for an amplifier, remember to look for an amp that has RCA input and outputs. This can make the installation of your receiver and speaker a lot easier later.
Add a subwoofer. You can get by without adding subwoofers. Adding one depends on your preference but unless you add it, you won’t know what you are missing. Subwoofers give you a lot of bass and add depth to your music. Just make sure that you pick the right one that matches your amp and also the right size since subwoofers can use frequencies lower than the human ear can hear and it might damage your hearing if you use too much bass in your car.
How to install my own car speaker system?
Once you bought all the components you need for your own car speaker system, you now need to pick the right equipment so you can install it. You will need a screwdriver, a socket wrench, and speaker wires for the new connections.
If you are installing a big amplifier with 1000 watts, you will have to use a 4 gauge wire. If you are going for an amp with an 800 watts or lower, you will need a 6 to 10 gauge. Remember that the lower the power the higher the gauge you have to use. To make sure that your connections are clean, you will have to get wire strippers and a few female to female and female quick slide-wire connectors.
The Installation Process.
Step 1 – Disconnect the vehicle’s battery.
Step 2 – Pull one of the doors of your vehicle and check the colors of the wires. Doing so will help you understand how your stereo wirings were set up. Also remove the other door speaker and see if the wires have the same colors.
Step 3 – Pull the radio and look for the colored wires you saw from the front door speakers. You should see them in a harness connected to the back of the radio.
Step 4 – Remove the rear speakers by doing the same removal process of the front door speakers. Check again for the colored wires. This allows you to determine the right speakers from the left, and the front speakers from the rear. You might want to take note which one connects to what.
Step 5 – Look for the main power and the ground from the radio. The red is usually the main power and the black is the ground. Unscrew the ground wire and detach the wire harness from the back of your old car receiver. Cut and strip the red wire and pull out the old receiver.
Step 6 – Before you install your new car receiver, you need to install your new speakers first. Remember to read and follow the instructions for your specific car speakers. Make sure that you install them in their correct places. If you are going to use those fancy connectors, you need to ensure that the polarity is correct when you connect them. Red is usually connected to the positive and the black or striped wire to the negative.
Step 7 – If all of the speakers are installed correctly, connect the colored wires to the back of the car receiver and attach the RCA cables to the RCA outputs. You will know which wire goes to where by their colors. You need to run the RCA cables through the car’s driver side to prevent signal interference from the power cable of the amplifier.
Step 8 – Install the amplifier. A good place to install it is in the trunk. Installing it can be difficult since it will require a direct line to the battery. Fortunately, most cars have a hole in the floor. You can find it in the right passenger side’s firewall floorboard where the electrical for the dashboard is located.
When you purchase an amplifier it always comes with a fuse box to protect your vehicle and a long power wire. Place and install the fuse box near the battery. Ensure that the red power wire runs from the battery through the hole in the floorboard and down the car’s passenger side. Do not connect that red wire to the battery yet. Tuck the wires away neatly and cover any exposed wires.
Step 9 – Next step is to plug in the RCA cables to the amp and attach the amp’s power cord to your car’s red battery harness. Then connect the old receiver’s red power wire to the new receiver’s red power cord. Install the new receiver into the dash.
Step 10 – Reconnect the vehicle’s battery, start the car, and test if your new speaker system works.
Conclusion
Installing your own car speaker system is not that complicated. You can do it yourself. The best thing about it is that you can build it your way and on your own schedule. There’s no rush, no pressure. You will get to enjoy the process and soon you’ll be off, driving on a highway with great music blasting from your own car speaker system.