Speaker Size. Does it really matter?

17th December 2008, 20:58

I have read a number of times that 4 inchers can not produce good sound. Everybody prefers bigger speakers.

Let me share my personal experience. I have Sony Hi Fi system at my home. Bought it some 10 years ago. Still tops the list of all my audio devices when comes to quality. Well those speakers are 4 incher. And they kick out some serious bass.

My PC speaker system is the best when it comes to the bass. Again a 4 incher.

But when it comes to the car audio, 4 inchers are always looked upon in suspicion.

When a home system can do justice to the sound ( I seriously say that.), why cant the car speakers?

Do we have some technical explanation for this?

greenhorn · 17th December 2008, 21:06

1. a 4" woofer in a home system will have a significant enclosure. a 4" car driver will not.
2. a car speaker will have lesser depth and consequently smaller magnets, lesser excursion
3. a high excursion 4" woofer used in minicompos will have problems with linearity of the magnetic field, and so the mids will suffer
4. car speakers, especially the cheaper ones will be tuned more for efficiency than fidelity - since power is at a premium in systems run off the HU , so frequency response suffers
5. the bass in most minicompos is just one note bass, kinda like a bass tube, while the 4"ers used in a car are designed more as fulrange, and with more emphasis on the mids
6. placement - a 4" in a spark sounds better than an alto. in most cars, the stock location is less than optimal, the dash less than rigid, and the seal less than perfect

17th December 2008, 21:13

About point 1.
Why can't we do that in case of car audio?

Not sure about 2,3,4 so can't comment.

About point 5, I respectfully disagree here. My creative system is capable of very refined and definitely not a monotonous bass.

I am still equally confused.

ImmortalZ · 17th December 2008, 21:34

I wish I could get the sub from my Cambridge SoundWorks system into my car. It's like 8 inches, but it has blown a window pane off from my room one time.

greenhorn · 17th December 2008, 21:46

I've heard a lot of small creative and cambridge subs. the bass is nowhere near the league of a good Hi Fi sub. maybe not one note, two possibly

point is , they are still tuned for bass , not a flat response

iceman91 · 17th December 2008, 21:55

nitin the 4inchers have a limit of sounding good.
they have a lower limit compared to a bigger speaker. but the magnet and coil too count for it.

17th December 2008, 22:10

Na i am not looking for a point to point comparison.
I would be a happy man if my car audio can groove as good as my lousy creative sub. I wonder why anyone hasn't tried it yet.

iceman91 · 17th December 2008, 22:15

A few people have done it.
A friend of mine had AM5's in his sierra, but car audio is car audio

valhallen.282 · 17th December 2008, 22:20

True True i agree with all here BUT i can seriously still say that the tiny coaxials upfront in my blau system still kick out a lot of power running off the HU. thats is a wagonR.

Also note that companies like Creative and cambridge have been doing this biz a long time and since they also make the enclosures and the ports used they are able to tune and seal them better. the old SBS 370 ive got stuck in my store has now got a few fans in people around.

greenhorn · 17th December 2008, 22:22

like they say, there really is no replacement for displacement

ImmortalZ · 18th December 2008, 01:15

Hmm, you heard a 550THX?

low_bass_makker · 18th December 2008, 12:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenhorn

like they say, there really is no replacement for displacement

Totally agree. Same goes for engine, and same for speakers

simply_sunny001 · 18th December 2008, 13:27

Nitin
very funny thread title though

Car audio is different from home audio so they may not yield same results when interchanged.

18th December 2008, 13:51

What I am thinking of is, I'll put my home hifi speakers in the boot and will see how those work. Let me start the research. I am sure I'll uncover some interesting facts.

iceman91 · 18th December 2008, 13:55

I had done htem for a while but you gotta rememebr car speakers draw more power and the ohmic values too are different.

For eg: straight of the HU a pair of small speakers will sound great but put in a pair of bigger bookshelves and you need an amp.

I had a pair of Acoustic research's in my car for a while (dont ask why

) but then a pair of 6x9's sounded better. Both running from the HU

17th December 2008, 20:58	#1
nitin.dangayach Posts: n/a	Speaker Size. Does it really matter? I have read a number of times that 4 inchers can not produce good sound. Everybody prefers bigger speakers. Let me share my personal experience. I have Sony Hi Fi system at my home. Bought it some 10 years ago. Still tops the list of all my audio devices when comes to quality. Well those speakers are 4 incher. And they kick out some serious bass. My PC speaker system is the best when it comes to the bass. Again a 4 incher. But when it comes to the car audio, 4 inchers are always looked upon in suspicion. When a home system can do justice to the sound ( I seriously say that.), why cant the car speakers? Do we have some technical explanation for this?
	() Thanks

17th December 2008, 21:06	#2
greenhorn BANNED Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: KL-01 Posts: 7,878 Thanked: 4,910 Times View My Garage	1. a 4" woofer in a home system will have a significant enclosure. a 4" car driver will not. 2. a car speaker will have lesser depth and consequently smaller magnets, lesser excursion 3. a high excursion 4" woofer used in minicompos will have problems with linearity of the magnetic field, and so the mids will suffer 4. car speakers, especially the cheaper ones will be tuned more for efficiency than fidelity - since power is at a premium in systems run off the HU , so frequency response suffers 5. the bass in most minicompos is just one note bass, kinda like a bass tube, while the 4"ers used in a car are designed more as fulrange, and with more emphasis on the mids 6. placement - a 4" in a spark sounds better than an alto. in most cars, the stock location is less than optimal, the dash less than rigid, and the seal less than perfect Last edited by greenhorn : 17th December 2008 at 21:10.
	() Thanks

17th December 2008, 21:13	#3
nitin.dangayach Posts: n/a	About point 1. Why can't we do that in case of car audio? Not sure about 2,3,4 so can't comment. About point 5, I respectfully disagree here. My creative system is capable of very refined and definitely not a monotonous bass. I am still equally confused.
	() Thanks

17th December 2008, 21:34	#4
ImmortalZ Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,195 Thanked: 601 Times View My Garage	I wish I could get the sub from my Cambridge SoundWorks system into my car. It's like 8 inches, but it has blown a window pane off from my room one time.
	() Thanks

17th December 2008, 21:46	#5
greenhorn BANNED Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: KL-01 Posts: 7,878 Thanked: 4,910 Times View My Garage	I've heard a lot of small creative and cambridge subs. the bass is nowhere near the league of a good Hi Fi sub. maybe not one note, two possibly point is , they are still tuned for bass , not a flat response
	() Thanks

17th December 2008, 21:55	#6
iceman91 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: melbourne/banga Posts: 1,961 Thanked: 36 Times View My Garage	nitin the 4inchers have a limit of sounding good. they have a lower limit compared to a bigger speaker. but the magnet and coil too count for it.
	() Thanks

17th December 2008, 22:10	#7
nitin.dangayach Posts: n/a	Na i am not looking for a point to point comparison. I would be a happy man if my car audio can groove as good as my lousy creative sub. I wonder why anyone hasn't tried it yet.
	() Thanks

17th December 2008, 22:15	#8
iceman91 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: melbourne/banga Posts: 1,961 Thanked: 36 Times View My Garage	A few people have done it. A friend of mine had AM5's in his sierra, but car audio is car audio
	() Thanks

17th December 2008, 22:20	#9
valhallen.282 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 331 Thanked: 196 Times	True True i agree with all here BUT i can seriously still say that the tiny coaxials upfront in my blau system still kick out a lot of power running off the HU. thats is a wagonR. Also note that companies like Creative and cambridge have been doing this biz a long time and since they also make the enclosures and the ports used they are able to tune and seal them better. the old SBS 370 ive got stuck in my store has now got a few fans in people around.
	() Thanks

17th December 2008, 22:22	#10
greenhorn BANNED Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: KL-01 Posts: 7,878 Thanked: 4,910 Times View My Garage	like they say, there really is no replacement for displacement
	() Thanks

18th December 2008, 01:15	#11
ImmortalZ Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,195 Thanked: 601 Times View My Garage	Hmm, you heard a 550THX?
	() Thanks

18th December 2008, 13:27	#13
simply_sunny001 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: London & Rohtak Posts: 1,338 Thanked: 19 Times View My Garage	Nitin very funny thread title though Car audio is different from home audio so they may not yield same results when interchanged.
	() Thanks

18th December 2008, 13:51	#14
nitin.dangayach Posts: n/a	What I am thinking of is, I'll put my home hifi speakers in the boot and will see how those work. Let me start the research. I am sure I'll uncover some interesting facts.
	() Thanks

18th December 2008, 13:55	#15
iceman91 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: melbourne/banga Posts: 1,961 Thanked: 36 Times View My Garage	I had done htem for a while but you gotta rememebr car speakers draw more power and the ohmic values too are different. For eg: straight of the HU a pair of small speakers will sound great but put in a pair of bigger bookshelves and you need an amp. I had a pair of Acoustic research's in my car for a while (dont ask why ) but then a pair of 6x9's sounded better. Both running from the HU
	() Thanks