THE BENEFITS OF ADDING A CAR SUBWOOFER

A subwoofer is a large speaker that adds bass and clarity to your car sound system. A high-quality subwoofer will add an element of realism to your music listening experience. A factory audio system will just not be able to give the same results.

If the subwoofer is installed properly, and paired with a high-quality amplifier, it will change the way you listen to music by adding deep frequencies that would be impossible to hear with a regular head unit and speakers from the factory.

WHY ARE SUBWOOFERS USED?

Bass frequencies are one of the hardest sounds to reproduce. Speakers move air, and to reproduce a bass sound, a lot of air must be moved. This is why subwoofers are so large and heavy.

To save costs and space, most factory installed music systems come without a subwoofer and therefore miss out on the bass frequencies when playing music. In fact, they will cause the music to distort at high volumes when playing music that has a bass element to it.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A SUBWOOFER?

A subwoofer is a large speaker that is designed to reproduce low frequency bass sounds. To reproduce bass sounds accurately, the subwoofer must be installed along with a high-power amplifier and a good quality head unit.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A SUBWOOFER?

1. Size

   Large subwoofers can handle all types of bass sounds – and the bigger the subwoofer, the better the bass. But you must take into account space constraints. Take measurements of your car, so that you know it will fit properly before you buy the subwoofer.

2. Enclosure type

   Enclosure is the box that the subwoofer is housed in. Some enclosures are closed and will produce better bass sounds than open enclosures. A sealed enclosure is better for playing music that is focussed on all frequencies.
   
   Open closures will produce a bass sound that is louder and more powerful and is recommended for music that is focussed on bass sounds.
   
   

3. Power

   The power output of the subwoofer is measured as RMS wattage and the more watts a speaker can reproduce, the more powerful the bass sound will be.
   
   For the subwoofer to match well with the head unit and the amplifier, you must look at the RMS power rating. Preferably the RMS output of the head unit and the amp should exceed the RMS power output of the subwoofer.
   
   

4. Sensitivity

   Sensitivity is the amount of power the subwoofer needs to produce a sound at a given volume. The sensitivity is measured in a sound pressure level number (SPL). If the SPL of a subwoofer is high, then it has a high sensitivity. This means the subwoofer won’t need much power to produce sound at a high level.
   
   If you have a head unit or amplifier that is underpowered, then you will need a subwoofer with a high SPL rating i.e., high sensitivity.
   
   

5. Impedance

   You will also have to match the impedance level of your subwoofer to the head unit and amplifier. Impedance is the electrical resistance that is measured in ohms.

DO AMPLIFIERS COME BUILT IN TO A SUBWOOFER

All speakers do need amplifiers, others all you will hear is silence. Therefore, some subwoofers come with a built-in amplifier, known as a powered subwoofer or active subwoofer, while other subwoofers rely on an external amplifier to boost the power output of the bass sound. Subwoofers that don’t have a built-in amplifier are known as passive subwoofers. Active subwoofers take the sound signal and then amplify it. A passive subwoofer usually has a filter that masks low frequencies and then bypasses the signal to the speaker.

Powered subwoofers are preferred by drivers because they come pre packaged and ready to install. Powered subwoofers come with a built-in amplifier and all the wiring that needs to be hooked up to the rest of the system. Powered subwoofers are available in compact sizes and have a designated power source.

Powered subwoofers are priced at around Rs.5000 – Rs.10,000

SUBWOOFER BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES

When used with a good head unit and amplifier, the subwoofer has the following benefits:

1. Better bass response

   The subwoofer is able to reproduce bass sounds that regular speakers cannot recreate. Regular speakers can only go as low as 50Hz but subwoofers can produce sounds in the 20Hz range.
   
   This results in full depth of bass music and more clarity for low frequencies. You end up experiencing a more immersive music sensation.
   
   

2. Better clarity

   Subwoofers have very good sound response and will be able to recreate even fast bass lines very clearly.
   
   A low-quality subwoofer will not be able to handle rapid bass lines and quick starts in vocals and instruments. The low-quality subwoofer suffers from being unclear.
   
   

3. Less distortion

   Subwoofers produce less distortion by removing the demands of other speakers from producing low frequency sounds. When a regular speaker tries to produce a bass sound, it will start to distort because of the cone size and frequency demand.
   
   Subwoofers allow you to play music without distortion at high volumes even if the music is demanding and full of bass frequencies.
   
   

4. Less demand on small speakers

   Subwoofers take the responsibility away from small speakers from reproducing extremely low frequencies. Small speakers can do what they are designed for and that is reproducing the higher frequencies in the spectrum of music.
   
   Subwoofers take the load of even mid-range speakers so they can play music without any distortion
   
   

5. Full spectrum response

   A good quality subwoofer integrates itself well in the full spectrum of speakers that are installed in a car. These kinds of subwoofers perform their best across the spectrum, so that even low and mid-range speakers will be able to reproduce music with good clarity.

SONY CAR SUBWOOFERS

Sony car subwoofers are a popular brand of speakers that help you feel more of the music on the road. They come in a range of sizes and prices, but all share the properties of good quality and superior sound reproduction. Their unique design produces less distortion and more clarity to give you an appealing sound experience.

Sony branded car subwoofers produce accurate bass tones and can handle high powered amplifiers that add more depth to every beat.

The powerful subwoofer box is enclosed to provide deep bass tones.

The 12-inch cones are made from polypropylene and can reproduce louder, deeper bass.

Sony car subwoofers are designed to handle high power outputs at peak and RMS values so that they can be played at high volumes producing clear, distortion free music.

The woofer cones add extra rigidity for low frequencies and accurate bass tones.

Acoustic distortion is minimised by the rubber surround stroke stabiliser, giving quick response to all kinds of music.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN 8 inch and 15-inch SUBWOOFER

8-inch subwoofers are the smallest and most compact kind of subwoofer. They are a favourite because of their size and will fit in almost any car. With this size of subwoofer, the stock speakers will not have to be replaced. This kind of subwoofer is less expensive and often two are paired in a car for the added bass effect it gives.

For a 15-inch subwoofer, the large size affords immense bass reproduction. Although the sound quality won’t be as high as the 8-inch subwoofer, lower frequencies will be well heard on a 15-inch subwoofer. Stock, regular speakers will definitely have to be replaced to match with a 15-inch subwoofer’s sound. They occupy a substantial amount of cargo space and are more expensive than smaller size subwoofer