Component Speaker system – A shopping guide

Component speaker systems are an important piece in the quest to attain high quality sounds in your vehicle. They are also known as “Seperates”, and include 2 woofers, 2 tweeters and 2 crossovers which are designed to work optimally with one another. When given adequate power supply, they deliver exceptional sound quality.

There are a wide variety of component speaker systems available, and picking the right one for your vehicle can be a bit tricky. There a few points you need to consider which would help you in getting the perfect component speaker system for your vehicle.

Points to consider while selecting a component speaker system

Sensitivity of the speaker is an important factor. A sensitivity rating measures how effectively a speaker converts power (watts) into volume (decibels). In other words, sensitivity measures the ratio of the sound a speaker makes to the power applied to it.

To find out what kind of speakers your car needs (high sensitivity or low sensitivity), you need to check the power output of your sound system. It is advised to go for speakers with high sensitivity ratings (over 90 dB) if your system is low-powered (15 watts RMS per channel or less, as in case of running them directly from your head unit). If you are using high powered systems (more than 20-22 Watts RMs) or an external amplifier, you can choose the speakers that are less sensitive and heavy duty.

If you directly power the speakers from receiver and are not using power amplifier, speakers with high sensitivity ratings can be used for better sound.

Power handling is another important factor. The speakers you choose should be able to handle the power output of the amplifier driving them. The key point in power handling is not the peak power rating, but the maximum RMS power. RMS power ratings realistically measure how much power the speaker can handle over an extended period of time, instead of short bursts. Checking the recommended power range can indicate how a component system will perform in your car. If your stereo is low powered, then a system rated at "2-50 watts RMS" will perform better than another system rated "10-80 watts RMS."

Constructing a component speaker system

The durability and sound quality of component speakers depends on the materials used for construction. Here are a few pointers to guide you in the right direction.

• Woofer materials
  A woofer should be made of stiff and lightweight material, so that the low notes in your music can be rendered effectively. Also, the materials should stand up well to the heat, cold, and moisture that car speakers face daily. A large percentage of woofer cones are made of synthetic films like polypropylene, which perform rather well. For more accurate bass responses, stiffer cones made of polypropylene mixed with other materials, like mica can be used. Light, strong cones that provide excellent response are made of woven fabrics, or synthetics coated with metals like aluminum or titanium.
• Tweeter materials
  The type of sound produced by the speaker depends largely on material used for the tweeter. Generally, sound that’s refined and somewhat mellow is obtained by tweeters made of soft materials, like silk, textile blends, or polypropylene. Hard materials like metal, ceramics, or graphite give bright and snappy high notes.
• Surround materials
  The surround on a woofer allows the woofer cone to move freely, providing better bass outputs. It should be made out of durable material, in order to stand up to temperature and humidity extremes. Surrounds made of treated foam and cloths are found in less expensive component systems; ones made of rubber will provide the best overall performance and longevity.

• The crossovers
  are made of filters, coils & capacitors, and direct specific frequency ranges to appropriate speaker components (woofers, midrange and tweeter). Component systems use them to achieve clean separation between the frequencies sent to the woofer and tweeter. They ensure woofer and tweeter don’t waste energy by trying to reproduce frequencies they’re not intended to reproduce- and help producing a cleaner, more efficient sound reproduction.