Car Audio Genetix

05/30/2014

05/16/2014

05/16/2014

04/16/2013

Car Audio Genetix SQ Tip of the Day: Speaker Power Handling

Did you know that most speakers can handle amplifier output that exceeds their rated power handling specifications by up to 3 times? It's true!! Here's why...

When you observe a speaker power handling rating, this number can be derived a number of ways. Most commonly it's a rating that's based on use in a full range configuration. Since a speakers physical limitations at tested harder as frequencies get lower, it's these low(bass) frequencies that determine the speakers thermal and physical capacities. Another way a speaker can be power rated is by the diameter of the voice coil. Larger coils can handle more energy. There's a old school myth that correlates a speakers power handling with motor(magnet) size. This is NOT accurate! Even though the size of a magnet can make a speaker look more powerful, it's not a reliable method of rating one.

So what's the leading cause of speaker failure? Heat!!!

A loud speaker is simply a coil of wire that electro-mechanically operates over a magnetic field when A/C is applied. It uses voltage a lot in the same way a filament is used on a stove top. The difference is the speaker is in motion and the voltage applied is dynamic. This means the speaker has a way of cooling itself. Nevertheless, this coil of wire still gets hot! The most common cause of excess heat is amplifier clipping. What clipping does to a voice coil is reduce the dynamics from the audio signal(music) that's being applied. Clipping makes the voltage constant and this turns the voice coil into a stove top burner. Think about how hot a 500watt light bulb gets...then compare this with a clipping amplifier that puts out the same power or more!! In the car audio world, we call this a 'Car-B-Que'. Only a properly set up amplifier can reduce or prevent this kind of damage from happening.

When you remove the clipping from the signal and filter your speakers properly. It's very realistic to drive a speaker with amplifier power that's stronger than the speaker rating. It also makes your speakers sound a lot better by maximizing their control and accuracy.

04/11/2013

04/09/2013

Did you know:

What is the purpose of a fuse/circuit breaker on the main, high current power wire to the amplifier(s)?? ...To Protect Your Car!!!

Here's the rules of properly fusing your power cable...

* The fuse must be wired within 10 inches of the battery.
* The fuse must be rated properly in coordination with the batteries discharge properties.
* The fuse has nothing to do with protection of the amplifier!

Remember, it's the battery that ends up blowing the fuse! So make sure you check the batteries current output capabilities for choosing your fuse value. A fuse that's too large, will not blow or blow fast enough to protect your car from a wire fire created by a shorted power cable in the event of a collision or improper routing.

The fuse MUST be installed at the battery...not the amplifier!! A fuse installed near the amp does nothing to protect your vehicle and the amplifier is already equipped with its own protection circuitry.

04/06/2013

Car Audio Genetix SQ Term of the Day: Smiling EQ!

The smile is not one of happiness, it's a devious smile that is waiting for trouble to occur.

Many cars which include a graphic equalizer have been observed to have it set as a 'smiley face' curve which emphasizes low and high frequencies. Misuse of the graphic equalizer is common, as many users know just enough to get themselves in trouble—large amounts of bass boost and treble boost can distort music and damage loudspeaker drivers.
A smiley face curve can indicate that a car's sound system is lacking both high and low frequency response or that the user didn't know what they were doing. This lack of low and high frequencies are most often the result of an under-powered or mismatched audio system. The simplest solution for this is installing a stronger amplifier which will give the speakers better punch, control, and clarity throughout the audio spectrum.

03/17/2013

03/17/2013

11/21/2012

11/09/2012

10/27/2012