Size
The size of the speakers of the acoustic system; in speakers with different driver sizes (component and coaxial, see "Type"), the size is determined by the diameter of the largest (woofer) driver. The size of the speaker determines primarily its ability to work with low frequencies. It is believed that acoustics up to 4 "is practically not suitable for low frequencies (regardless of the frequency range), 5-6" refers to the average level, and speakers of
6" or more even allow you to do without a subwoofer. Also, the size affects the installation options. So , some cars may provide seats for acoustics of a certain size — this limits the choice.And for large acoustics, there may not always be a place in cars with cramped interiors.
Number of bands
The number of separate frequency ranges into which the total frequency range reproduced by the speaker is divided. In this case, a separate speaker (or even several) is allocated for each range (band). the optimal speaker parameters for each band are different. Therefore, multi-band speakers are considered to provide better sound quality than full-range speakers. In modern multi-band car audio,
2(HF / LF) or
3(HF / MF / LF) bands are usually provided.
Rated power
Rated power of the speaker system. Most often, the average (rms) sound power is indicated as the nominal one.
The most obvious point associated with this characteristic is sound volume: the more powerful the sound system, the louder the sound it can produce, all other things being equal. In addition, compatibility with an external amplifier depends on this indicator: its power should not exceed the power of the sound system, otherwise overloads and damage to the speakers are possible.
Max. power
The maximum power of a short-term (up to several seconds) incoming signal that the speaker can withstand without physical damage. Just like the nominal power, it matters for the selection of acoustics for an amplifier (or vice versa): it is believed that the maximum power of the speakers should be at least 2 times higher than the maximum power of the signal source.
Frequency range
The total audio frequency range reproduced by all speaker speakers.
Obviously, this range should not be too narrow, so that the acoustics do not cut off the lower and/or upper frequency limits of the reproduced sound. At the same time, the human ear perceives sound within 16 Hz - 22 kHz, and it simply does not make sense to provide speakers with a wider frequency range. We also recall that in
mid-frequency acoustics and tweeters, reproducible frequencies are limited due to specialization (for more details, see "Type"). And the overall sound quality will depend not only on this indicator, but also on a number of other features.
Sensitivity
This parameter determines the volume of the sound of a particular speaker when a certain standard signal is fed to it. Typically, this is considered a 1 W signal with a frequency of 1000 Hz. The higher the sensitivity, the less the speaker is demanding on the power of the amplifier. So, it is believed that for acoustics connected directly to the car radio, the sensitivity should be 80 dB or more; for less sensitive systems it is recommended to use a separate amplifier.
Tweeter diameter
The diameter of the tweeter (speakers) provided in the design of the speaker.
The diameter affects the amount of space needed to install the speaker. However, large cones are not needed for high frequencies, so this dimensions is usually small and does not really affect the overall dimensions of the speaker. The only exception is separate tweeter tweeters (see "Type"), where the overall dimensions of the cabinet are directly related to the dimensions of the cone.
Midrange speaker diameter
The diameter of the midrange speaker(s) provided in the speaker. Midrange in this case may also mean a combined woofer/midrange speaker or an emitter of broadband acoustics (see "Type").
The size of the midrange speaker is often a key parameter that determines the overall dimensions of the acoustics and, accordingly, the requirements for its installation location. Exceptions can only be found among models with separate woofers (see below). But from the point of view of acoustics, a larger size allows you to achieve higher power and richer sound, including on bass.
Mounting depth
The mounting depth of car audio is, in fact, the size of the speaker in depth. Note that for component sets (see "Type") this parameter is given for the largest speaker, and for case models it is generally irrelevant.
The mounting depth, along with the diameter of the speaker (see above), determines the amount of space needed to mount the speaker — in this case, how deep a niche would be required for normal mounting. At the same time, the larger the speaker, the larger, usually, the installation depth. And with similar diameters of equal size, a more powerful model is likely to be more “deep”.
The smallest amount of space —
up to 15 mm deep — is required by some tweeters. A depth
of 16 – 30mm is normal for tweeters and very shallow for general range speakers, most of these models have a depth
of 30mm or more. At the same time, full-range speakers are usually "recessed" by
less than 60 mm, component systems — by
less than 90 mm, and
more depth may be required only for some coaxial and mid-range models and, oddly enough, tweeters.
