What do i need to know when buying speakers for my car?

Question

I mean what are the important points to consider to make sure i get the speakers that go best with my amp and subby. I sort of dont want to have the guy in the shop crapping on and making my decision for me. I want to know what i want before i go and why i want it.

Answer 1

The most important thing is the size of the speakers. If they don't fit your mounting bracket/opening/etc., they won't work. There are several different sizes, 5.25" or 6.5" are common in many cars.

The next thing to consider is price. How much are you willing to pay?

After that, whether or not you have tweeters. If you do, you won't want to buy speakers with integrated tweeters. Trust me, I made that mistake, and the treble can be harsh sometimes, even with lots of EQ adjustment.

Finally, quality. MAKE SURE you listen to the speakers you consider before you buy them, because that can mean everything. Granted, you won't be able to have them with your exact setup, but it'll help.

Don't completely discount the guy at the shop, either. He probably knows his stuff, so listen to his advice. He won't be perfect, but he'll help you out.

Answer 2

basically all you need to know is what brand to go with and wat the RMS is and wat the PEAK is. Good brands are Alpine, Boston acoustics, infinity......

Answer 3

Well, if you've already got an amplifier, knowing the details on that would be good.  How "in the weeds" do you want to get?  Have you researched the local shops you're looking to buy from?  What brands to they carry?  What are you looking to get from these speakers?  What are your design goals?

Answer 4

Really the most important thing is sound. Take some of your favorite CDs and audition the speakers. Note that some may be running through better amps, so that can affect volume and clarity, but you should be able to get a feel for the general sound. Other than that, it's nice to have high power handling if you intend to play them loud, and the higher the SPL/db rating, the more volume you will get for any given power input. Anything 91db and up is pretty good. A couple of dbs can make a pretty big difference. I am running a set of Infinity Perfect 6.1 now and these are possibly the best sounding speakers I have ever heard (and pretty as h**l, not that you see them much), and they only cost me $200 on ebay. The baskets are HUGE, which might make for tricky installation, but otherwise HIGHLY recommended. I almost always run component speakers (separate mid and tweeter with crossover) up front by themselves. I don't like rear speakers, but that is a personal preference.