Radio Speakers??

[slinches]

Bigger is not always better, but there's no substitute for size in certain situations.

One of those situations is generating lower frequency sounds. In order to do it effectively, you need to move a lot of air and it takes a big speaker to do that. The opposite is true for high frequencies. There, the issue is moving the speaker fast enough and smaller size (i.e. lower mass) makes that much easier. Of course, speakers of any size come in a wide range of quality.

 

[Sethodine]

Bigger is not always better, but there's no substitute for size in certain situations.

One of those situations is generating lower frequency sounds. In order to do it effectively, you need to move a lot of air and it takes a big speaker to do that. The opposite is true for high frequencies. There, the issue is moving the speaker fast enough and smaller size (i.e. lower mass) makes that much easier. Of course, speakers of any size come in a wide range of quality.

So THAT is why woofers, tweeters, and meowers are all different sizes!

 

[Maurtis]

I assume the basic stereo will have crap speakers and low power, but hoping the upgrade is worthwhile. The last time I bought MTX gear was in 1997, they were known for being cheap and loud, but not good. Not sure how much that has changed over the years.

I would prefer to buy my upgrade from the "factory" if possible, but will do the upgrade myself if need be. Trying to decide whether to go with an underseat sub or something decent but lose all trunk space.

 

[floydv]

sorry, yes you're right It was an attempt at humor, I'm in the group that keeps reminding myself that " bigger is not always better"

Uh, I was agreeing with you, RU. Like I've always said:

It's not the size of your steak that matters, but how well you can stick a fork in it, convince her it's well done, then call it a day.

 

[Muzhik]

Uh, I was agreeing with you, RU. Like I've always said:

It's not the size of your steak that matters, but how well you can stick a fork in it, convince her it's well done, then call it a day.

D*mn. Now I'm hungry, it's close to dinnertime, and I AIN'T GOT NO STEAK!

 

[Trusting]

A couple of more points. Simply changing the speakers and not the amp could prove to be dangerous. There is in audio a phenomenon called "clipping". Simply put, if you match a speaker with an amp that has too little power, the amp is unable to control the movement of the speaker back and forth. In a power demanding situation the amp will do a push but be unable to do the return pull. When this happens the current will change from a.c. to d.c. and you end up with a burned out speaker. This most commonly happens to woofers. You have to be careful what you match together. Consult a professional if you are not experienced in this.

In theory a larger woofer should produce better bass because it can move more air. But size is only one factor. What is (in my and other audiophiles opinions) more important is the degree of control that the woofer has. This is largely affected by several factors with the magnet size being one. Where space is a premium, such as in an Elio, I would look for a woofer with a small diameter but a large, heavy magnet. There is no guarantee it will have good sound but a least it's a place to start. Your ears should make the final decision.

Installing a "matched" system from one manufacturer can have the advantage of taking some of the decision making off of you. The manufacturer has already chosen components that work well together. Remember, as with most things, you get what you pay for. Buy a cheap system and you get crappy sound. But quality, you pay more, but it's well worth it.

Finally, most people don't have a clue how to judge a good stereo. They think the one that booms the bass most and plays the loudest is the best. Not true! If you're auditioning a system try listening to it with the bass turned down and see what you think of the sound. Most music is mainly mid-range and you want it to sound natural. If you're please with the sound that way then check out the bass.

 

[NSTG8R]

One word. 'Crutchfield'.

The marine system I have in my kayak will stunt the growth of the hair in your ears [a plus in my case ]!

 

[RUCRAYZE]

Engineers have hairy ears,
they live in caves and ditches,
They F their wives with butcher knives,
those dirty sons of bit_hes

 

[floydv]

Engineers have hairy ears,
they live in caves and ditches,
They F their wives with butcher knives,
those dirty sons of bit_hes

What about engineers who are also lawyers. There's gotta be a special place in heck for them, right?

 

[Coss]

Hey! This sidetrack is starting to get close to running out of rails.