To Do... Or Not To Do...
Feb 23 '02
The Bottom Line It can be as easy as falling off a log or more difficult than you could believe... depending.
Whether to "do it yourself" or "let a professional handle it", that is the question. The answer is "yes". You see, there are apples and oranges out there and it is simply a matter of what suits your specific case. Some cars are made for a Saturday afternoon project - others are not so kind. So, how do you figure out what you have?
First, what physically fits in your car? Do you have 5-1/4, 6-1/2, 5x7, 6x9, or something really weird? Crutchfied.com has a free service that will give you that info... sort of. But that's not necessarily the whole story. You may be able to install two different sizes. Sometimes factory speakers are not quite "standard" and require anything from removing/installing a bracket to cutting and fabricating before you replace them. If you call a Crutchfield representative, they can usually give you the story on how easy or difficult it will be to replace your speakers.
I recommend Crutchfield or any reputable company that specifically caters to do-it-yourselfers. Your local car audio store is usually less than forthcoming with that kind of information. After all, they want you to pay them to do it, right?
Next, what electrically fits your car? There are numerous electrical considerations, but for the sake of space, let's deal with the two most important, watts and ohms. Think of ohms as the "load" that the amplifier has to "push" in order to create sound. Whether you are keeping the factory receiver/amp or replacing it, you need to match the speakers with the receiver/amp. DO NOT mismatch speakers and amplifiers! You can do permanent damage to either or both. If you have a receiver/amp that supports both (4-ohm and 2-ohm stable), then you need to decide.
Should you use 4- or 2-ohm? Well, that's a matter of opinion. I think that audiophile "purists" probably go with 4-ohm. It gives you better technical specifications but the higher load means a more powerful=expensive amp to "push" the bigger "load" to the same volume. Others say that you really can't "hear" the difference, so go with the 2-ohm and get more bang for your buck. Either way, just make sure your amplifier matches your speakers and you'll do fine.
Also, pay attention to the wattage rating and remember: A speaker that is rated at 500W probably doesn't sound very good at 20W. Looking for the speaker's "nominal rating" is a good way of determining what wattage it is designed for. Many companies don't publish that spec but as a rule of thumb, you can match the receiver/amp's max output per channel to the speaker's max rating.
So, what's the answer? If you understood what you just read, go for it. If you reach a point that you do not feel qualified to proceed, hire a professional. Just make sure you don't "burn your bridges" finding out. If you don't have a clue what we're talking about here, then either let your local car audio place take care of it or spend some time boning up on basic electronics and car audio tutorials before attempting this at home.
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