Posted: January 28, 2011

Car audio speakers have been around for decades, but the theory behind their optimal use is improving all the time. At the heart of the speaker is a magnet surrounded by copper wires. When you turn on the radio, electrical currents are sent to the speakers and the magnet vibrates and pulses based on the patterns. The process is called transduction.  It’s the changing of electrical energy into mechanical energy (creating the motion of the speaker).

Common in cars are full-range speakers. These play all sound ranges, from low to high. Typically found in cars with lower-cost, four-speaker set ups, full-range speakers can’t produce the same quality of sound as an assortment of specialized speakers. More expensive sound systems don’t just have more speakers. They also have better ones, such as smaller high-range pieces, or tweeters, and low end subwoofers. Big speakers can move more air and therefore create more bass, while smaller, quicker speakers can shape and chime treble tones more readily.