The Rundown: What does what?

[AceX]

Building the perfect audio system is alot like building the perfect engine. You have a vast selection of parts to chose from. Some are better than others, and you want to get the most for your money. Before you can start building that perfect motor though, you need to review each part that is going into it and make sure that it's really what you want. It's also important to not use unnecessary parts. Dual quads are good, but if you can get just one that will do the same job, wouldn't it be better and make tuning easier.

You'd be surprised just how many of the same principles apply to stereo system design, and engine design. This is meant to just give you a basic understanding of the purpose each part serves.


Head unit/Deck: The source of everything for the audio system. This is the most critical part of the entire system. It is the foundation for everything else in the stereo system and should be given alot of consideration. When searching for the right head unit, you really want to look at expandability, features, and overall quality. Aesthetics shouldn't play a part when choosing this part. While some head units may be nice to look at, beauty is only skin deep.

For a good heaunit, look for something with an internal EQ (equalizer), the larger the better (measured in bands), iPod ready, ease of use, and anything else you think you may need later on. Don't realy worry about the internal amp because head units give off horrible power. You MIGHT be able to use it to power a set of small speakers, but I don't suggest it.

Amp: The amplifiers job in the system is to recreate the original signal given to it by the head unit while adding gain (power) with as little distortion as possible. Selecting the proper amp will require an entire "How-to" for itself, so for now, lets just take a basic look at the different types of amps;

Multi-channel: A multi-channel amp (2ch, 4ch, etc) is used to power the mids and highs in a system. These generally produce much less power than a monoblock (sub) amp, but they do it with much less distortion. These can also seperate the music from front to back, and left to right, helping to create what is called a "sound stage/image"

Monoblock: These amps are used to power subwoofers which require much more power than normal speakers. More power isn't always better.

EQ (equalizer): Some people opt to add an external, pre-amp equalizer to make adjustments to their system. These can be used in conjuction with the EQ built into the head unit, or they can do it all by themselves. Generally they will offer a more broad range of adjustments than the head unit will. Generally, EQ's will come in 5,7, and 30-band flavors. Personally, I find that a 7-band EQ with sub controls works very well for most systems.

Crossovers (X-overs): Crossovers are used to separate the frequencies between either different amps, or different speakers. These hep to keep the lows going to the subs, and the highs going to the tweeters. There are actually two different types of crossovers too.

Passive: Used mostly in conjunction with component sets, they receive the raw power/signal from the amp and separate the frequencies to make sure that they go to the proper speaker. Many will have a tweeter adjustment built into them in the form of a jumper.

Active: Usually either a pre-amp part, or internally built into the amp, these tell the amplifier which frequencies will be played by which channel on the amplifier. This can be used to eliminate the passive crossovers and increase sound quality (SQ), but they do take some experience to build, additional parts, and alot of tuning. This type of crossover network is not recommended for beginners.

Speakers: The business end of the audio system. This is a good place to exercise the "you get what you pay for" method for decision making. There are alot of different types of speakers, and each serve a different purpose or have different requirements. The best way to figure out which ones are the right ones for you is to go to your local audio shop and have a listen.

Coaxial: A basic speaker design where the tweeter and mid range speakers are combined. These are simple, cheap, and easy to install. Many can give you tremendous bang for your buck. Most of them do not give the same sound quality as a component set, but their lower price and versatility can't be argued.

Component set: Usually made up of two or three speakers and a passive crossover, these types of speakers usually offer better sound quality and higher volume (SPL). They consist of a tweeter and mid-bass for a 2-way set; a tweeter, mid-range, and mid-bass for a 3-way set.

Sub Woofer (sub): The power hungry, big daddy in your system, sub woofers are used to recreate the lowest frequencies in the sound range. Many can go lower than you can even hear. These will require a dedicated amplifier, enclosure (box), and additional sound deadening to prevent the rattling. It's very easy to go over board with these things. Personally, I think anything above a 12" sub sounds like garbage, but there are exceptions, and proper tuning and box construction play major roles in how the subs will sound.

[tommyd241]

Excellent write-up!

[d10s69c10]

for an uber manual when ever you have a audio question try www.bcae1.com it has more than you can even comprehend.