How to choose a subwoofer. Scheme, description

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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RADIO ELECTRONICS AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
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How to choose a subwoofer? Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

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Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering / Speakers

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If you're determined to achieve the very best sound in your car, a subwoofer is a must. The subwoofer delivers deep, loud bass, making the car's acoustic design complete and flawless.

Many reputable magazines talk about subwoofers, test various models of famous brands, choosing the winner from them. But does it really matter to the average consumer that a particular subwoofer gets a perfect score in a test? After all, mainly models of such giants as KENWOOD, PIONEER, SONY are tested, not to mention manufacturers of Hi-Fi equipment - MTX, JL Audio, etc. They are so good that the average ear simply cannot feel a big difference in their sound. So, if you are not going to participate with your car in competitions for the best car audio, then the cost of music in the car should not exceed 20% of the cost of the car. And no matter how connoisseurs of good car audio resist, the car should be the starting point. It is hardly worth buying a powerful expensive subwoofer to sound the already singing interior details of a domestic product. Therefore, this standard system for calculating the cost of installing equipment is recommended for use: if you bought a car for $ 1500, you should not spend more than $ 300 on musical accompaniment - those same 20%.

There are two types of subwoofers: active and passive. Active subwoofers, unlike passive ones, have a built-in amplifier. At the same time, you are being sold a set of "fast food ready to eat", i.e. you only have to connect two pins from the head unit, and the system is ready to go. In this case, there is no need to coordinate the components (head unit - amplifier - subwoofer). However, active subwoofers have their disadvantages, namely: simpler and cheaper components are used in their manufacture, which inevitably affects the sound quality. Active subwoofers include models such as KENWOOD KRC-WA82RC, PIONEER TS-WX205A, PANASONIC EAB-12132J, Earthquake ASB 10, Lanzar HWT-8.

To connect a passive subwoofer, you must select an amplifier that, when connected with a bridge, gives the same power that is indicated in the passport of this subwoofer as nominal.

Now about the types and design features of the subwoofers on the modern market.

There are four types of subwoofers:

- subwoofers of the closed type having the tight case (closed);
- bass-reflex subwoofers (vented), are characterized by the presence of a phase inverter - a slot or a pipe that serves to adjust the frequency response of the component in the low-frequency region;
- subwoofers of the bandpass type (bandpass) - differ from the above in that the speaker itself is removed inside the subwoofer case, and the sound is emitted through a phase inverter;
- subwoofers with a passive radiator have a second speaker, which serves, for the most part, to lower the overall resonant frequency of the loudspeaker.

Vented subwoofers are more effective at delivering loud and deep sound than closed subwoofers, but are also more expensive. The third type of subwoofer is good because it helps to do without crossovers, acting as a filter that passes signals with frequencies in a certain band and suppresses everything outside this range. But its minus is the same as that of subwoofers of the vented type - a complication and, as a result, an increase in the cost of the design. Subwoofers with a passive radiator are not very common and are effective only when fine-tuned in a car above the middle class.

The volume of all kinds and types of subwoofers depends largely on the position of the component in the interior of the vehicle.

Existing cars according to body structure can be divided into three main types:

- Sedans (these include all VAZ "classics", VAZ-21099 and Volga 3110).
- Hatchbacks (small two-volume cars). This type includes VAZ 2108-09, Moskvich 2141.
- Station wagon bodies (large two-volume cars), for example, VAZ-2104.

In a sedan, the speaker and port are directed directly to the rear seat, and it is recommended to leave a small gap of up to 8 cm between the subwoofer and the back of the rear seat. In many cars (VAZ 2106-2107), there is an armrest on the back of the rear seat. It would be ideal to direct the subwoofer speaker into this part of the seat, as this achieves maximum sound penetration into the passenger compartment without a visible reduction in the frequency spectrum (the effect of "muting and booming" inherent in large cabinet subwoofers).

For hatchback vehicles, maximum sound pressure results are achieved with the subwoofer speaker and bass reflex port facing the trunk or upwards. As a result, the necessary sound reflection is achieved, in which the sound does not pass through the rear seatback, but through the top shelf.

In the third case (with a station wagon body), the subwoofer is directed back by the speaker and the bass reflex.

Separately, it is worth noting compact subwoofers. They are interesting in that they make minimal changes to the interior of the car, most often located in places hidden from prying eyes, which is very important in modern Russia due to the flourishing theft of car audio equipment. Small subwoofer models can be easily placed under the front seats or in the dash cavity above the front passenger's footwell.

There are many supporters and fans of this particular type of subwoofer. They are attracted by numerous advantages, namely: ease of installation, invisibility, relative cheapness, small dimensions, which allow saving the useful volume of trunks, etc. But it is worth noting the minus characteristic of compact subwoofers - the use of a speaker of a smaller diameter standard subwoofers. In order to achieve the necessary "lowness" of the speaker's frequencies without increasing its size, the designers use a variety of technical developments: new body shapes, filling the internal volume with mineral wool, compression mode of the speaker, etc. And yet the compact subwoofer does not play too loudly. That is why you should not put it in the back of the car - you simply will not hear it. Among compact subwoofers, the most popular are PANASONIC EAB-12J, BLAUPUNKT CMS-13, PIONEER TS-WX1213, RCF BL 265.

It is worth dwelling separately on subwoofers that are original in design, such as the compact PIONEER TS-WX50 subwoofer mentioned above. It is intended for installation in the spare wheel of the car. And although the idea itself is very original, it is difficult to find a real application for it. The fact is that on typical hatchbacks and sedans, when the spare wheel is in a special niche under a thick rug, it will simply not be heard, and in VAZ-2106-07 sedans, the sound cannot come from a vertically located wheel - again, not enough power. Yes, and the operation of such a subwoofer creates a lot of difficulties.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that your choice of subwoofer will directly depend on what you want to sacrifice - money, time or the interior space of your car. You can do otherwise - turn to professional installers of car audio equipment, and they will make not only an individual subwoofer, but also a perfectly harmonious music system in your car according to your order. Again, it all depends on how much you're willing to spend...

Author: Alexey Barmenkov; Publication: cxem.net

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