Car Audio Compontents
In the realm of car audio, the possibilities are endless. There are hundreds of brands and thousands of products out there. Majestic Modifications would like to help restore some order to the chaos of building your system. Lets look at some of the components that make up a car audio system.
The Head Unit
The Head Unit is the brains of the operation. Without this component, your car audio system can't and won't work. The head unitis the central processing device in the system.
The head unit controls all the functions in your car audio system. Music too loud? Turn down the volume. Too soft? Turn it up. Want more bass? Add bass input. In addition to volume, bass, etc., the head unit may contain other systems within its casing. These include: tuner, cassette, equalizer, CD or amplifier.
You see, in a home music system, where you have much more room, many stereo setups will include a separate box for each one of these components -- CD, cassette, etc. You may have a home system like that yourself. In a car, with its space limitations, these components are often crammed into one box -- the head unit. This depends upon a number of factors, such as heat, space, cosmetic design and other concerns, and every car is different.
The Amplifier
All car audio systems have an amplifier, even if it's a small one. Occasionally the amplifier will be attached to the rear of the head unit; however, in most systems it is hidden elsewhere in the car to better dissipate heat.
Signal amplification is actually a two-stage process, handled by two separate components. These are the preamplifier and the power amplifier.
The preamplifier (preamp, for short) is a very tiny signal coming directly from the head unit. Whether it's reproducing a cassette signal, a CD signal, or an FM broadcast, the preamp puts out a signal that the amplifier can use. This is where the power amplifier takes over.
It's the power amp's job to take the signal from the preamp and boost it into the audible range. We'll cover this in more depth in our Amplifier column in this series. Again, because of heat, most amplifiers are located away from the head unit.
The Speakers
The speakers take the boosted signal from the power amp and create sound waves. Essentially, speakers transform electrical energy (the amplified signal) into mechanical energy (the motion of the speaker cone).
For now, know that all sound is vibration, which is a chain of frequencies in the air that eventually vibrate the membranes in your eardrums.
Sound energy is measured in wavelengths, known as hertz, with the audible range falling between 20 to 20,000 cycles. A cycle is the distance from the top of one wavelength to the top of the next.
There are three typse of speakers that produce sounds across the audible spectrum: woofers, tweeters and midrange drivers.
As the name implies, the woofer reproduces the lower frequencies. The tweeter, also aptly named, replicates the highest register. The midrange handles the frequencies in between.
Auxiliary Input Devices
Components such as CD changers and equalizers, not to mention cell phones, navigation systems, MP3 players and many of the newer technologies, interface with the head unit for amplification and signal processing.
We hope this helps you gather a basic understanding of car audio technology. Look for an in-depth view inside the head unit in our next column.
Installing Head Units/CD Players
Upgrading the sound system is usually one of the first modifications attempted when we talk about car customization.
Begining with the head unit, I would suggest buying the stereo wiring harness for your vehicle application. This will make the installation easier for you if you are a beginner, and it allows for easier replacement of the stock radio (if you choose to sell the vehicle in the future) and swaping or upgrading to a different aftermarket head unit.
Begin by disconnecting the negative battery cable from the battery. This will ensure that you don't accidentally cross any wires and burn out a new piece of equipment. Next, remove the old head unit. If you need to see how this is done on your specific vehicle, you can look up your vehicles application on installdr.com. This is a great resource for seeing pictures of how to remove the head unit. Once it is loose, disconnect the wiring harness and the antenna from the head unit and remove it completely.
Once you have obtained the wiring harness, you will notice the color coded wires in the back of the head unit. The head unit wires and the wiring harness wires will be partially spliced for easy installation. There are several good ways to connect the wires. One way is to use butt connectors, which crimp the wires within a connector. These can be picked up almost anywhere that sells/installs head units, walmart, etc. My favorite way requires a soldering iron and heat shrinking sleeves. Twist the wires together tightly, and fold them over paralell to one of the wires. Apply just enough solder to weld the two wires together. Then slide the sleeve over the connection and heat it with a heat gun or good hair dryer. I have had to rewire or repair systems where butt connectors were used, but this could be installer error, and not a problem with the connectors themselves. I have never had any of the soldered connections fail.
Once all the connections are made, and the sleeves heated and shrunk in place, I like to take a zip tie and tie them all together. Connect the wiring harness of the head unit to the wiring harness connected to the vehicle. Plug in the antenna (you may find you need an antenna adapter in some applications). Now slide the head unit in place, but don't attach it yet. Reconnect the negative battery cable and turn on the head unit (make sure the key is turned to the ACC postion). It should be functioning properly at this point. If you plan on adding an amp, or have purchased one for this setup, turn the unit off and connect the RCA cables. Run them through the dash to the floorboard and to the amp (more on how to successfully do this in future post).
If you encounter problems, you can email support@majesticmodifications.com for help.
Upgrading the sound system is usually one of the first modifications attempted when we talk about car customization.
Begining with the head unit, I would suggest buying the stereo wiring harness for your vehicle application. This will make the installation easier for you if you are a beginner, and it allows for easier replacement of the stock radio (if you choose to sell the vehicle in the future) and swaping or upgrading to a different aftermarket head unit.
Begin by disconnecting the negative battery cable from the battery. This will ensure that you don't accidentally cross any wires and burn out a new piece of equipment. Next, remove the old head unit. If you need to see how this is done on your specific vehicle, you can look up your vehicles application on installdr.com. This is a great resource for seeing pictures of how to remove the head unit. Once it is loose, disconnect the wiring harness and the antenna from the head unit and remove it completely.
Once you have obtained the wiring harness, you will notice the color coded wires in the back of the head unit. The head unit wires and the wiring harness wires will be partially spliced for easy installation. There are several good ways to connect the wires. One way is to use butt connectors, which crimp the wires within a connector. These can be picked up almost anywhere that sells/installs head units, walmart, etc. My favorite way requires a soldering iron and heat shrinking sleeves. Twist the wires together tightly, and fold them over paralell to one of the wires. Apply just enough solder to weld the two wires together. Then slide the sleeve over the connection and heat it with a heat gun or good hair dryer. I have had to rewire or repair systems where butt connectors were used, but this could be installer error, and not a problem with the connectors themselves. I have never had any of the soldered connections fail.
Once all the connections are made, and the sleeves heated and shrunk in place, I like to take a zip tie and tie them all together. Connect the wiring harness of the head unit to the wiring harness connected to the vehicle. Plug in the antenna (you may find you need an antenna adapter in some applications). Now slide the head unit in place, but don't attach it yet. Reconnect the negative battery cable and turn on the head unit (make sure the key is turned to the ACC postion). It should be functioning properly at this point. If you plan on adding an amp, or have purchased one for this setup, turn the unit off and connect the RCA cables. Run them through the dash to the floorboard and to the amp (more on how to successfully do this in future post).
If you encounter problems, you can email support@majesticmodifications.com for help.
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