Car subwoofers play a key role when it comes to the sound of your music. They can add some extra bump to your car sound system and give your music some depth so that you can get a complete sound. However, purchasing the perfect subwoofer for your car can be a complex process. You don’t just pick one at random, throw it in your vehicle and wire it up. You need to do some research so that you can pick the perfect speakers for your car audio system.
When choosing your vehicle subwoofers, you need to keep in mind some important things such as the amount of space available in your car’s trunk or or can, power rating, size and the kind music you enjoy listening to. In this article, we have rounded up some few aspects you must consider when buying your car subwoofers.
1. Size
Does size matter when buying car subwoofers? Yes, size actually matters a lot — but it’s good to note that a big subwoofer is not always the best. However, if you want tooth-rattling, bone-shaking bass, then a big subwoofer is what you need. This is because sound tends to obey the laws of physics, so a small speaker has to work very hard to produce loud and low-frequency waves. A big cone means that the sub will move more air producing a loud bass.
2. Compatibility with your Vehicle
Another factor to consider when choosing your car subwoofers is whether they will be compatible with your car. There are two important things that you should check to know whether the new subwoofer is going to fit smoothly with your car’s audio system.
– Sensitivity: this refers to the amount of power the subwoofer requires in order to produce a given level of volume. So it’s important to know how much power your external amp or head unit puts out.
– Power handling: knowing the subwoofer’s RMS power handling rating is vital because you need to know the amount of power you need to power it. So you need to make sure that it’s compatible with the head unit or amplifier using RMS power.
It’s recommended that you slightly over-power your subwoofer according to its recommended RMS power handling rating. This will help avoid accidentally blowing or over-powering your sub. You should select a car subwoofer according to how much power output your amplifier generates, the voice coil specifications and the sub’s impedance.
3. Where You Will Put It
Before a specific subwoofer catches your attention, you will want to be sure that it fits in the space available in your car. This will depend on the size of your vehicle as well as the volume of the box or enclosure in which it’s housed. The latter is usually easy to figure out. Most speakers manufacturers usually specify the configurations and volume of the enclosure that should house their speakers. The enclosure shape and how it’s built —prefab or custom—are up to you.
4. Type
Another factor to consider is the type of subwoofer you want for your car. There are three types:
– Subwoofer Driver; a subwoofer driver is the woofer itself. This needs to be mounted inside the enclosure of the subwoofer in order to operate properly. This type of a subwoofer needs to be powered by an external amplifier. Subwoofer drivers can range from 8 inches to 15 inches in size.
– Powered Subwoofer; this type combines a subwoofer and an amplifier and in an enclosure. A powered subwoofer does not take a big space in your car. However, it’s limited in the amount of bass it produces.
– Vehicle Specific Subwoofer; this type of subwoofer is designed to fit in the space of your car model. These subwoofers can be made for trucks, cars, and SUVs. However, they are not the best choice for people looking for big bass.