What are some specs I should look for when buying car speakers........not the sub?

Question

I am talking about the speakers that go on the door that the treble comes out of. What should I look for in a good one and does anyone have a good website that compares a few of them?

Answer 1

for front, get a component set, like this(just an ex.)
http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=17986
notice how the tweeter(highs) is separate from the midwoofer(mids) and the box is a crossover, it sends the highs to the highs and the mids to the mids, that way the speakers get what theyre made for and wont get damaged. as for what to look for here is what you want
Sensitivity: 91 dB (higher the better)
RMS Power Range : 200 Watts (the higher this is the more power they can handle without blowing them)
Peak Power Handling: 400 Watts (dont even pay attention to this)
Frequency response: 30-25000 Hz (a broad frequency responce is good, its the lowest to highest sound freq it can hit)
those are the main things, you also want to watch the ohms. most speakers are 4ohm, a couple(like some infinity) are 2ohm. the 2ohm speakers let you get away with buying a cheaper amp and getting more power out of it.

for rear speakers you want a set of 2way or 3way speakers.

Answer 2

Well, Id suggest you go with a Honda accord or CRV or Acura, or Toyota. In the interior look for it to be clean, If it has a bunch of cigarette burns in it then its a indicator that it has not been taken care of. Turn on the air and the heat let them run for awhile. I live in Florida so air conditioning is very important. Check the windshield wipers to see if they work. I once bought a car and the friggin wipers didnt work. Check the miles to see how many miles are on it. if its got high miles Id reconsider or negotiate the price, Check all controls such as the lights, cruise control, windows, radio, every control. On the outside of the car make sure the lights turn on, signals work and a little trick that my Grandpa told me was to have someone with you. When you test drive it, take it to a gas station and get some white napkins or white towel, or white hanky is what he used. Hold the hanky over the exhaust pipe very firmly and have the person with you rev up the engine high a few times. If that hanky is now black dont buy the car. I once did that with a little Fierro and the thing shot what looked like oil all up my arm. When I took it back to the car lot and told the guy what I had did and it shot crap all up my arm and that I wasnt buying it he was pissed. He got in it and gunned it, sqealing the tires and acting like a fool. I thought no wonder its leaking a bunch of crap everywhere, look at the way he is driving it. I will never for get that. He thought for sure he had found himself a sucker and when I told him why I wasnt buying he was MAD. Also Id reccommend flooring it just once for a second to see how it reacts. Pay attention to the transmission and how it shifts. Is it sluggish does it jerk or shift hard when it shifts? If so then thats a bad sign that the transmission is slipping. After you have test driven it look under the hood and see if anything is linking, like the radiator or hoses, break fluid or any other fluid. Also its always best to have a mechanic look at it and ask him if he thinks you should buy the car and how much you are going to pay for it. Just tell him a friend of yours is wanting to sell it to you. (sometimes a local mechanic is in good with the car lots around the area) Thats why I say tell him a friend is selling it to you. Oh yeah if you hear a ticking sound from the engine then its the lifters tapping which isnt a good sign, Also if you hear a knocking sound then the motor is about to go. Either of these sounds and I would not buy it. Also make sure it dont smell funny when you start it up or smoke bad out the tail pipe. Best of luck to you.

Answer 3

A good pair of door speakers will have a separate crossover and should normally be components (separate tweeters from woofer). A good pair of speakers will not only produce highs, but should give some decent mid bass too.
With this said though, there are some decent coaxial speakers on the market depending on how picky you are about the sound quality.

If you are serious about sound quality, Dynamat or similar sound deadening in the doors will help a lot. To go even further, if you door has space and you have a good installer, then put the door speakers in an enclosure too.

Answer 4

You're better off just ignoring all the numbers except for impedance and power handling, and maybe sensitivity if you don't have an amplifier to run it with. A higher sensitivity means it doesn't require as much power for high volume. If you have an amplifier, don't worry about sensitivity.

The only effective way to tell how a speakers sounds it to listen to it. Frequency response and other specs won't give you any idea how it sounds, and they're not useful for comparison purposes because different manufacturers use different standards for measurement.

Answer 5

You will want to look at the materials they are made of, and their efficiency. You should also match the power handling with that of the amp you are going to use. If you are looking for better performance, clarity, and sound stage, I would suggest components.
http://www.caraudiomag.com/
This magazine has a monthly side by side comparison of amps, subs, components, TVs, etc.., they also do an unbiased test report each month. It may take some digging, but I am sure you will find something there.

The best suggestion I can give is to go listen to some different brands. Numbers on paper can't make your ears happy.

Answer 6

Crutchfield is good to find the speakers but I have never seen Crutchfield have the best price on any speakers (in fact they're quite overpriced). When you find what you want look them up on www.pricegrabber.com.

Answer 7

http://www.crutchfield.com is your best friend for this. Not only can you easily compare speakers there, but it'll tell you which ones fit in each location in your car and if you need anything else to make it all work together.

Answer 8

a good site to look on is www.crutchfield.com they have all you need to find what your looking for