Car Audio Speaker Types EXPLAINED! Tweeters, Mids, Midbass etc!

If you are installing an aftermarket car audio system you are likely going to want to upgrade your speakers. But there are many options available! There are coaxials speakers, component speakers, 2-way, 3-way, 4-way, different sizes like 3.5", 5.25', 6.5", 5x7's and 6x9's. What are the differences? What about midrange, tweeter, and woofers? What all is the goal? Let's discuss!
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Car Audio Fabrication - Master Car Audio - Design, Build, Install

[@Geniusinventor]

Can we all take a moment to appreciate the work this man is doing to educate us with speaker information. Man thank you very much

[@jimnattress4036]

Thank U for your info !I'm thinking about massive bass with custom cabinet into convertable 12" DJcomponent for base

[@chrisclow6885]

Been watching a lot on the channel lately, just wanna say how great all the videos are! Right down from the educational information, how to, your craftsmanship of building enclosures and amp racks/false floors, and even the video making quality!! It's all great. Thanks so much!!

[@ryanbarker4422]

Love JL audio on everything man and it works great and sounds clear and Crystal.

[@miguelangelguzmanbonifacio4595]

If you have any questions, just ask Mark he’s so good of that car audio and he always be awesome about anything. He is so professional good job Mark,,,, and his work is amazing.

[@davect01]

You are a wonderful resource. I'm in a couple of audio forums and Facebook groups and I regularly refer his videos.

[@jedjones9047]

I know nothing about speakers' I've got old car mint condition one of the speakers don't work so was just going to change it' but after watching your video decided to get a decent pair of speakers so this is exactly the information need cheers

[@jajuanrussell5386]

I like 3-way 6x9s in the rear, 3-way 6.5s in the doors, and Kenwood tweeters up by the window in the front doors. I always run 400 watts high-pass frequency to all of those. I'm hooked on Soundstream Audio for the highs. And I am addicted to Se subs. I like to run 2 12" subwoofers in a 5-cubic square inch sealed box facing towards the cab. I always use at least a 1600 watt peak amplifier. (I've learned that that is not enough power. The Amp will go into protect mode a lot during the summer time. Sometimes, the Amp will burn up.) Last system I had, after the Amp burned up, I went back with a 2200 watt amplifier, but my alternator couldn't keep up. So, I put capacitor in, and the capacitor couldn't recharge fast enough. So, I put in a crossover so I could control the low-pass frequencies. Just rising around, I would cut the lows down to protect the system, but at competitions, I would turn it up. I was putting out 163 decibels. Crystal clear highs and mids. You could hear the bass from 4 blocks away. I couldn't get the TVs to work, though. I had two in the visors up front and 2 two in the headrests. They worked at first, but the audio had interference. I moved the wires, and they just never worked after that... The car looked nice, though. It was a 2001 Nissan Altima on 18" Boss wheels and low profile tires. I tried fire 20s, but they wouldn't fit.

[@southpark159753]

Look up big 3 upgrade for car audio systems

[@masonwilliams1810]

Can you please do a video discussing speaker materials and the sound signatures and durability that comes with each?

[@weduhpeople8504]

I like coaxial style speaker with separate speaker leds to the mid and tweeter. Like a component set. Keeps the mid and tweeter on the same axis and easy solution for install.

[@Sweetaccord]

I do too but does not sound as expansive as seperates. Both have good and bad aspects.

[@carsonday5748]

Man I always love your videos! I been doing installs for 20+ years but I always learn something from your videos if I don't it just encourages me to do better all around wen I'm doing a install if that makes sense I couldn't find the wording I was wanting to use lol long day at work

[@lyttonwilliams7161]

Thanks brother this is my first time looking for a system for my '21 Camry SE.

[@absurdsnail3724]

I love how he actually has a cruthfield shirt, that's so great

[@FaceYourFear.]

I wanna do a component set up front and coaxial speakers in the rear with a 10” sub in the rear all ran to a 5 channel amp into my Prius 👍🏼 HOPEFULLY SOON!!

[@BStreet666]

If you have a gen 3 Prius like I do, Crutchfield advises not to exceed a 30 amp fuse rating on your amplifier. I opted to take the four channel amplifier route which powers a 6x9" component set up front and a single 10" sub-woofer in a sealed box in the rear cargo area. I removed the speakers from the rear door and covered the openings. Despite that, it sounds absolutely amazing.

[@FaceYourFear.]

@@BStreet666 I have a 2013. NICE!! I heard you could exceed it. It’s just not recommended. I’ve heard someone put in a 2000w 15” subwoofer in a Prius and it worked perfectly. It probably affects the MPG. I’m not doing anything big, similar to yours but I’m doing rear speakers.

[@FaceYourFear.]

@@BStreet666 what gauge wire did you run from the battery?? 4 ?

[@Mike-In-O-Town]

I wish you'd do a segment on selecting a head unit and speakers on more of a budget. I have a 20 year old daily driver truck I adore that needs a new audio system. Obviously, given the age and use of the truck, I don't want to spent a ton on money, but I would like to maximize value and end up with something with a decent feature set and sound. No amps, no subs, just a good all around system that makes sense installing in a used truck. How about it?

[@theycallmeherbie]

I have a 99' Maxima, 23 years old and just got a full SQ build. I planned on just a head unit too and a year later its a full overhaul now.

[@Mike-In-O-Town]

@@theycallmeherbie That's cool, but my truck is my second/weekend/home improvement vehicle, so doing a big system install in it given its age and use isn't in the cards. Heck, the only thing that works in it today is FM radio, so any upgrade I do would be a leap forward. Having Bluetooth connectivity and Android Auto would be mind blowing. I'd just like some recommendations on what to buy to get a decent system that won't break the bank.

[@Joe020man]

@@Mike-In-O-Town usually my recommendation is getting a decent deck. Preferably a name brand, pioneer, alpine, Kenwood,jvc or Sony. As for speakers, kicker tends to be really good for the price you pay. I always recommend amplifying them because you definitely get a wider range of sound. I get a lot of customers asking for something simple for their truck bc it's the "work" truck and get beaten 10times over. But I always reply with, which car is the one you spend the most time in, so which one will you enjoy your speakers the most in. Just a thought.

[@gakudzu7282]

Decks almost all put out 14W rms @1%THD, up to 50W max @10%THD. Higher powered units are hard to find and are cost prohibitive, imo. 2way speakers with sensitivity above 90db are all you need. I go with poly cones and rubber surrounds in older vehicles, especially work trucks. Those closed-cell foam baffle cups that mount behind the speakers will give you a lil better bass, and help keep dust and moisture away. Just watch that they don't interfere with window operation in door mounting situations. Personally, I usually go Pioneer deck with whatever name brand speaker is on sale.

[@justintanner246]

Well I'd say look at Walmart not sure if it's all Walmart but I got a decent pioneer radio and some decent pioneer 6.5s in a bundle deal for about 85 with tax and all. 4 speakers and the radio they sound pretty good with them hooked just to the radio. Also if you're looking for amplifiers and subs, skar has a 15% off deal right now

[@honahwikeepa2115]

Thank you for your service. This is what I needed.

[@lylewentzel5587]

Please can you do a segment on midbass and midrange speakers and the different applications for these

[@Navtool]

Very good information

[@CarAudioFabrication]

Thanks for watching!

[@AnasSuhaimi]

What is mid-bass, actually? The term confuses me. Does it cover "bass + mid range" spectrum? Or just the middle part of the bass spectrum? Does it refer to audible sound spectrum, or does it refer to driver construction type? If it refers to construction type/class, how is it different from woofer? Shouldnt drivers be classified into sub-woofer (for sub-bass), woofer (for bass), speaker (for mid range, or vocal spectrum), twitter (for the trebles or highs)? Where does mid-bass fit into? I rarely encounter mid-bass term used in home audio.

[@chasedunk3278]

Absolutely love all your videos you are the car audio 🐐

[@jean494]

Love your videos man. Ive learned so much from this channel. What is your opinion on those sound absorbtion pads that gets placed behind the door speakers to eliminate backwaves? Do they actually work? What do you usually use to help with speaker backwaves in doors

[@francisap1632]

Mark, what is the purpose of a 6.5 inch or even an 8 inch 'midrange'? Does it handle the same frequency range of a 6.5 inch 'midbass' or is it essentially an overpowered 3.5 inch midrange that plays those midrange frequencies louder?

[@Pha807]

What amp would you use to run a single JL13w7. Looking for SQ.

[@256moxley]

Any recommendations for 19 ram classic. Has basic speakers. Wanting more clear crisp sound. 😩

[@brando81]

Do you have the alpine system? If so, the problem is the factory eq. For some reason the front door 6x9s are not full range, they are just mid bass, and the rear 6x9s are full range. So upgrading your fronts will won't make a huge difference, because they aren't getting sent high frequencies. I put a LC7 in my ram to get full range in all the doors, sounds great.

[@positivevibes4966]

Can you explain the difference between a true mid bass speaker and a mid range speaker

[@scrimpyd]

Your video a are great. You give a lot of good information.

[@mazzo99]

Replaced factory head unit with a Sony aftermarket. Sounded great with factory speakers. But when I went with new aftermarket Sony 6.5 on the front, the sound quality deteriorated. No bass and harsh mids and highs. It was a 3 way 6.5 poly cone. Ended up putting factory speakers back on.

[@amdrew1612]

I get that 2 way speakers combine the woofer and tweeter. And the 3 way adds midrange to it. Would that mean that a 3 way speakers is better or would it be basically the same?

[@CarAudioFabrication]

3 way is "better" because each speaker can do more of a dedicated task, rather than trying to do several things at once. (In layman's terms)

[@silvajay6443]

hey, any suggestions for new speakers for a Harley street glide. been watching you for years so I know your the guy. if you haven't already it would make great content

[@undercrownhiphop9422]

What’s your opinion for the best midrange speakers for a full, flat highest sound quality?Music quality is all in the midrange. I’m coming from audio recording world and car audio sounds like garbage to me. Diamond audio was the best I could find 12 years ago for a full accurate sound. What’s the best today?

[@lunaticleone8534]

So if I have 2 10s, I should just get 4 midrange speakers and not coaxil

[@samfitzgerald7353]

Thank you very much for this

[@shukorfadzil4514]

what about full range speaker?

[@Deraco1]

Love your videos sir! I just got done installing two JL-Audio-C1-690x and JL-Audio-C1-650x speakers from Crutch Field. Sound great! Now to look for a lowish profile subwoofer box that will work for my 2017 Subaru Outback. Do you have a video on differences between different manufactures, just out of curiosity lol

[@jadion7199]

Can you please do a video on head units compatible with 2017 8.4 Uconnect Durango’s . Everyone just gives a list of what works but not a list of features you lose like heated seats or sports mode .

[@patrickhansen6705]

I’ve been looking for an answer for this for some time, please help; If I already have subwoofers, what speakers should I go with? Thank you

[@KhashayarGhazianzad]

Great information! Thanks for sharing. Fully watched, liked and subscribed. You have a new friend here👍

[@BeBpato]

I mostly see tweeters put on the pillars or on the top side of the doors. Can tweeters be placed in the middle of the dash? As in under the stereo of a car?

[@creativespecies7032]

Which is better overall if you want luxury bass, clarity, and sound inside the car only not outside the car Alpine R, GTO 629, Focal, or Infinity Kappa or another brand??

[@ceescorner]

My factory setup as tweeters in the dash facing the windshield. Should I wire the tweeter with a component in this location or move the tweeter into the door panel? Reference 05 Frontier 6 speaker no amp or dsp

[@bkordel]

Didn't mention super tweeters, bullet tweeters etc.

[@CarAudioFabrication]

That falls under tweeter.

[@SQ_Silverado]

Hey Mark, is it a bad move to use 4 coaxials and tweeters? I have a w7 and it has so much bass, will the lack of mid bass hurt my sound quality and imaging?

[@07wrxtr1]

It will make sound stage and TA a process. I would stick with separates and run them fully active with a dedicated 4 channel. You want loud and clean and control. If your deck has time alignment and a parametric eq - then you’re all set.

[@donblancoakram3031]

Love your chanel... I'm new Subscriber.. 😎

[@delightyoutube]

Hi, thanks!. Can we join 2way coaxial speaker with tweeter through cross over to increase the high range sound? Please clarify.

[@djnevous3us]

I wish u made this vid 2days ago 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@Smallyardguy]

I have a stock 3 way component set up in my Kia carnival 2023.. it’s the stock system. If I replaced it with a 2 way component system would that be ok?

[@zCreepingDeathz]

Thanks Mark. How do you personally calculate port volume vs air volume when building a subwoofer enclosure that will hold multiple subwoofers. Like say an enclosure with 4 8" subs. Not tuning, but port velocity which not too many people talk about. I am building a box and wondering if I need to add double the port area for each sub and make the port longer for tuning since it is wider but that would allow for proper port velocity as opposed to a restricted velocity which make the subs underperform and may cause chuffing.

[@carlosberrios1021]

What are seald back speakers use for?

[@scottouimet2865]

What video was it you made where you explained how doubling power gains 3db in theory and how cone area effect that etc? I wanted to watch it again and I can't remember what video it was

[@Ahmedyamin_]

I recently installed 4 speakers of jbl cs762 in my car,what you think is the best amplifier i should be looking for?

[@SONGBIRD434]

Hey how's it going? I have a quick question for you. I building an enclosure for 4 12s the specs are 44 x 18.5 x 28.5. My question to you is what size port/ports should I have in the center to get some where around 31 to 34 hertz. Thanks

[@ericolsen8926]

@caraudiofabrication is there a threshold of frequencies that tends to switch from "directional" to "nondirectional"? E.g. if my factory door speaker location(s) most point to my ankles/knees, what frequencies would be better produced at other locations so that they may be directed more towards my ears?

[@oscarbrsting954]

Love your videos! What do you think will fit my Mercedes w124 best, it got 2 12" sub in the trunk with 1500w rms each.. Ported box.. Regards Oscar

[@jordanhale7673]

Hey, I'm thinking of getting the Audison SR 4.300 4 Channel Amplifier, If I use the high level inputs, can I then use the RCA pre outs to send the signal to another amp? or would I need to use RCA in to get the RCA signal out again. thanks.

[@sousa2721]

i'm replacing oem speakers on my 01 polo, it does already have seperate tweeters near the mirrors, should i replace the 165mm speakers with woofers or mid range drivers? i don't think coaxial is the way since i already have separete tweeters

[@weduhpeople8504]

I want 3 way Dynaudio Esotec 362 xovered digitally with dedicated channels for each using Audison Bit 1, 5.1 and a Quattro for rear fill, center channel and rear fill. Can I fit those 8” Esotec mid bass using a spacer in a 2018 Hinda Civic Type R? I could put the 4” mid and tweeter in an aluminum pod on the dash being able to swivel them for the best imaging and sound stage. Single 10” low profile JL Audio sub to save weight and fit in the factory sub enclosure, modified of course.

[@Dashcam_istanbul]

I need help on a subject. I would like to separate low end of the spectrum as much as possible by adding different size woofers as listen to various genre of music. 18-15" sub for deep bass, 12-10" subs for 120bpm sound and 8" for low-mid bass range. Is it possible to separate low frequencies even more just like a drum set. I don't want just 18", 15", 12 or a 10" I want them to co-exist together.

[@pureplayaz580]

Do you do custom walls?

[@bigrick8525]

Any recommendations for upgrading my Bose system in a 2016 Porsche Panamera GTS, I want to replace the head unit and all factory speakers, as well as add a 10” or 12” subwoofer or 2.

[@Sadness-Brain]

I wish i have bose system , why you don't like it

[@safecribbo]

Hey! I just had a subwoofer installed under my drivers seat and it sounds. Well, bad boomy and lacking that punch. It’s an Audison subwoofer in an enclosed box in my vw transporter van, running at 500w’s. Is it the positioning? Or do I have a bad sub? Thanks for these awesome videos fyi!

[@gakudzu7282]

I'm guessing it's an 8" or 10" sub? Your van has too much internal volume for a small sub at that power level. Having the sub under your seat just makes the sound quality worse. Moving it as near to the rear of the van as possible will help, especially with proper time alignment. However, if it's just bare sheet metal interior, it'll never sound good. It just wont.

[@kid_rajah]

I would think a subwoofer is common in any application. Just imagine how BB King would wound without a subwoofer? How about the selective sounds of Michael Jackson, a production by Quincy Jones, etc, how would they sound without a subwoofer? Classical music is the best way (my opinion) to test a system for a "true dynamic" sound. Why? because most productions do not deviate to far from the norms. Yes they may use heavy processing but it's to more than often give a natural sound, that's even for electronic music like Dubstep, Trap, and Trip Hop.

[@DENZEN220]

what was that crossover

[@avaxgaming-tuborg1509]

It doesn't have Peugeot 206cc on the site...

[@dustinfortier9500]

Is there a way to increase the voltage of your head units pre outs?

[@brando81]

Most of audiocontrols units step up the voltage. I have an LC7i , and it steps up to I think 6v when turned all the way up. The gain on my amps is set around half, and putting out rated rms power.

[@RomasTam]

I have an old Audi with speakers on a dash and no speakers in the doors. Originally they came with simple 4" speakers on both sides, but the foam of the speakers has since disintegrated. Should I go with a simple 4" woofer like it did originally or would I get better performance putting coaxial speakers instead? (Component speakers in the rear of the car)

[@A6Legit]

I'd go coax unless you are willing to add tweeters for the front. You're definitely better off with more tweeters/high range. I have coax up front, woofers in the back, but it wasnt enough highs with my 15" sub. I added some (4) powerful tweeters in the back that face forward. Im assuming you have a sub, in which case its easy to drown out mids/highs.

[@CarAudioFabrication]

You want to make sure you have full coverage for the full bandwidth of frequencies up front, so likely better to have coaxial. But you also need to be sure that the speakers are being fed a full range signal. This is where testing of the signal comes into play.

[@josedejesus617]

CHINGON 😎

[@CarAudioFabrication]

Gracias!

[@clydesharman2053]

Want to do a build for me Mark

[@dantewilliams3503]

Do i get a free question answered? Lol

[@dantewilliams3503]

I was first!!

[@AHMEDTRIBLEXXX]

Really your video's are extremely knowledgeable and I appreciate your work sooooo much I am following you from Egypt but I want to know something about speakers and I want to choose 8 inches speakers should I get them midbass or midrange ? ♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@Jayty676]

If I use coaxial speakers already do I need the component speakers too? Or should I use both. I already install 4 coaxial speakers in my door. Thanks

[@turboduckhead6179]

I’m positive Pioneer has 5 way component speakers.

[@_FJB_]

I know 100% that there are 4-way coaxials.

[@youngmers]

i have a sprinter campervan and only have space for some components and a small amp.. what do you think of the small under seat subs to help with the bass??

[@turboduckhead6179]

Do Crutchfield cover the European market?

[@kenlast8920]

is front component speakers enough? no sub,rear spears nor amps.