Intro to Audio: Top 5 Speakers for your Budget

By Chad Lückhoff 

An audio system is far more than merely a means of keeping up with the news or listening to some music, an audio system improves your driving experience, keeping you relaxed.

Ever noticed how high-end luxury vehicles have better sounding audio systems than your entry-level cars? There is a reason for this. Great sounding audio systems certainly do increase your driving pleasure and once you dive into the world of car audio, you will soon learn that there are upgrade options available for even the most expensive cars on the market, some of which can cost as much as the car you’ve just purchased.

For some odd reason, when you talk about car audio upgrades, a number of folk picture a youngster at the robot with his system blaring. Not many are aware that there is so much more to car audio than a blaring system. Depending on your musical preference, you could tailor a system to suit your personal preference, much like the 'street-pounders' have tailored their systems to be audible from down the road.

If you enjoy a very detailed, Hi-Fi sound, then you need to visit a Sound Quality event. Here you will be left speechless at how life-like these systems sound. If it's detail you’re after, you will find a lot of it with these systems, to the point where you can discern every instrument as well as its placement on the virtual sound stage. Yes, this is achievable depending on how serious you are about musical enjoyment.

There's more to an audio system than just a radio (or correctly termed: a head-unit) and speakers. Diving down the rabbit hole will see you encounter amplifiers, crossovers and subwoofers, however, simply upgrading your current items can go a long way in making a cheaper system sound better.

This first part of our ‘Intro to Audio’ will look at upgrading your speakers.

Fortunately, there is an aftermarket solution to virtually any and every vehicle out there. Here you have the choice of either direct OEM replacement-speakers where you literally remove the standard speakers and replace them with these direct-fit aftermarket speakers. It uses all of the stock plugs and screws. The only way one would ever notice that an upgrade was done is if you listened to the system. Naturally these do come with a premium price attached to it, however there are other solutions which can deliver equal, if not better results.

Click for a start to stock- speaker replacement.

The other option, which allows you to achieve far greater results would be to purchase a set a conventional set of component speakers and have them retrofitted by an installer with experience in this area. The trick here isn’t so much buying the most expensive speaker system, but more a case of spending as much as you can on getting them properly installed. Ideally you want to look for an installer who competes in Sound Quality, as that’s one way of ensuring that your installer understands what it takes to build a great sounding car. Remember, fancy looks do not mean your investment is able to deliver optimal performance.

Here's some of the top brands and models to look for:

Top 5 speakers to buy on a student budget:

1. JBL GT series
2. Pioneer
3. Hertz K165
4. Rockford Fosgate Prime
5. Journey Audio

Top 5 speakers to buy for a mid-priced system:

1. DLS Reference series
2. Focal
3. Kicker KX series
4. Audison Voce
5. Rockford Fosgate Power series.

Top 5 speakers to buy for audiophiles (Hey, big spender!):

1. Ground Zero Reference series
2. Hybrid Audio Technologies (Lagashare)
3. Gladen Audio
4. DLS
5. PHD Audio Studio

Grab a copy of the Speed and Sound Magazine [www.speedandsound.co.za] to find out more information about approved installers to assist with the installation.

Information supplied by Neeresh Harrichand – Speed and Sound Magazine.