Radio
An often underestimated component of the hi-fi system. Unfortunately, in many vehicles it is no longer possible to replace the radio, as the radio display also shows the settings of, for example, the air conditioning system. In this case, you can only expand the range of functions of the radios with external modules and have to be satisfied with the HiFi quality of the original radio. Often, however, the industry offers suitable adapter panels that make it possible to replace the radios, which are optically adapted to the dashboard, with universal radios in the 1-DIN or 2-DIN size.
The manufacturer Zenec specialises in building head units that visually match the original units and fully support the vehicle's electronics. Radios from Zenec are available for many common vehicles, but unfortunately not for all.
Loudspeaker
An important, but not the only component that determines sound quality. Many customers suspect the loudspeaker if it distorts in an original system, although it is usually rather a lack of amplifier power and the absence of an external subwoofer that are to blame for the lousy sound. Nevertheless, there are of course huge differences in sound between the cheap original drivers and high-quality retrofit speakers.
We have had the best experience with the German speaker manufacturer Eton and the speakers from Focal, most of which are produced in France. Benefit from our experience as to which loudspeaker delivers the best result in your vehicle!
Amplifier
Since there is not much space for amplifier electronics in the standardised installation compartments of car radios and the ventilation situation is anything but perfect, the output power of car radios is usually limited to approx. 20 watts RMS per channel. If you want to listen to anything louder than room volume, the loudspeaker will quickly start to distort. The "inferior loudspeaker" is quickly suspected, but the fault lies elsewhere. The loudspeakers could play much louder, without distortion, if only they had enough power. This is where we come in with external amplifiers, which are either analogue or digital. Digital amplifiers have the advantage that they are much smaller (due to smaller heat sinks/less heat generation) and can be operated with thinner power cables. In contrast, the analogue amplifiers have a warm sound and are designed to be gentle on the speakers. Both variants are available as 1-, 2-, 4- or 5-channel versions, so we have a huge selection to upgrade your car with the right power amplifier.
The many plug-and-play power amplifiers are also interesting. They are simply plugged in between the vehicle wiring harness and the car radio, thus minimising the installation effort considerably.
Subwoofer
Subwoofers still have the bad image of the huge bass boxes that completely filled the boots of vehicles in the 1990s and made their owners audible from afar. On the other hand, Audi recognised the magic of these wonder boxes 15 years ago and placed them discreetly behind the trims in almost all of their models, putting a smile on the faces of most Audi drivers. In the meantime, it has to be said that a balanced, voluminous sound also requires a certain amount of bass, which high-midrange systems simply cannot reproduce. Fortunately, the industry has recently put a lot of development work into the design of these cabinets, creating bass solutions that either fit in the spare wheel well or under the seat, or are so compact that they only take up a small amount of space in the boot.
Furthermore, there are now a large number of active subwoofers on the market. These bass boxes also contain an amplifier and significantly enhance original sound systems without costing a lot of money. Axton in particular has created two models here with the AB20A model and its successor AXB20A, which enjoy great popularity.
DSP
Reproducing good music quality in the living room is relatively easy. In the car, however, the installer has to deal with a multitude of problems: you are not sitting centrally between the speakers, the sound is reflected by a multitude of different materials and the installation locations are usually anything but optimally arranged. These are just a few of the difficulties that need to be addressed. A wonderful tool for this is called DSP, which is the abbreviation of "Digital Sound Processor". This electronic component is installed between the radio and the amplifier, or is sometimes integrated into the radio or the amplifier, and offers interesting possibilities:
- An integrated crossover allows you to assign each individual speaker exactly the frequency range for which it was built.
- Numerous frequency bands make it possible to add or take away power from the individual speakers at individual, finely graduated frequency ranges, thus allowing the speaker to play louder or softer here.
- By means of a time-of-flight correction, one can delay the playback time of each individual loudspeaker. In this way, one sits at the same distance from all speakers again, taking into account the speed of sound. The impression that "everything comes from the front left" disappears and the speaker systems (tweeter, midrange and woofer) can be united into a single sound source.
With the help of our computer-aided measuring systems and our trained ear, we can adjust the hi-fi systems perfectly and thus help you to achieve a new unforgettable sound experience!
Insulation
Every loudspeaker stimulates the surrounding plastic and metal parts to resonate. Since vehicle sheet metal is getting thinner and thinner these days for weight reasons, this often leads to unpleasant rattling and metallic resonances. This effect can be counteracted with insulation. Mats made of aluminium butyl or foam are glued to the sheet metal or plastic parts to prevent vibrations from being passed on.
Rattling noises are avoided, the audio reproduction of the speakers becomes more precise and driving comfort is improved.