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When installing car speakers, you should look at your mounting points and remove any electrical connections before taking out the factory speakers. Learn about mounting new car speakers with help from a car audio specialist in this free video on installing car speakers.
Cars and phones don't mix, or do they? Ride with our tech guru, Emily, as she explores ways for you to connect to the world through your smartphone, while keeping your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
The front door speakers on a 1992 Volkswagen Jetta are set inside the lower-left corner of each front door panel. Unlike many other vehicles, the entire door panel does not need to be removed to access the speaker; Volkswagen engineered a removable speaker grill that allows access to the speaker assembly. Each speaker is held in place with four steel screws and has a two-wire electrical connector attached to the rear side of the speaker that provides the electrical signal from the stereo.
The 1998 Volkswagen Passat relied on an eight-speaker audio system mated to a combination AM-FM radio and cassette player. Pairs of domed speakers mounted behind both front door rearview mirrors and inset into the rear door panels provided high-range audio response, while a woofer-type was fitted to the bottom of each door to fill in the mid-range and bass responses. The front woofer speakers are riveted into place and can be accessed by removing the front door panel. The tweeters, however, are permanently affixed to their triangular trim panels, making it necessary to replace the entire panel should a tweeter…
The Chevrolet Malibu began production in the 1964 model year and ran consecutively until 1983 before falling prey to the fuel economy trend. Nearly a decade and a half later, Chevrolet reintroduced the famous nameplate for the 1997 model year. By 2002, the Malibu had once again become a staple of the Chevrolet lineup. Due to the economical pricing needs of the Malibu's target audience, the 2002 Malibu was not equipped with premium stereo speakers. However, you can remove the factory speakers and install upgraded ones in less than an hour.
When the Mustang debuted midway through the 1964 model year, a convertible was one of the two body styles available. From 1971 through 1982, there was no convertible option for the Mustang. The drop-top sort of returned in the 1983 model year, but it was a conversion that an outside company performed, not a factory option. In 1994, the convertible returned as a factory-installed option on the Mustang. The 2005 Mustang convertible was only available with the base 4.0-liter V-6 engine and came with a four-speaker sound system. Ford positioned the rear speakers behind the rear quarter panel on the…
In 1997, Ford closed the door on the aging Bronco and opened a new door by releasing the all-new Expedition. The 2006 Expedition came fitted with a 300-horsepower, 5.4-liter V-8 engine and AM-Fm radio with a cassette and CD player. The 2006 Expedition also had an optional remote CD changer, which Ford mounted in the center console. Replacing the radio and CD changer in the 2006 Expedition is a straightforward task, but the radio requires you to remove a large trim panel to access its mounting hardware.
The front door speakers in a 1996 GMC Suburban are located behind the front door panel. The front door panel must be removed in order to access the speakers. Each speaker is secured to the door frame with two sheet metal screws. As the speakers age, they are subject to malfunctioning. Malfunctioning speakers may hiss, rattle, or emit a buzzing sound. Replacement speakers are available from a number of aftermarket manufacturers and retail stores.
The rear speakers in a 2001 Buick Regal are located underneath the rear window shelf trim panel. In many vehicles, the rear speakers can be accessed by simply opening the trunk and removing screws from underneath the rear window shelf. The procedure for replacing the speakers in a 2001 Buick Regal is more complicated and involves removing the entire back seat including the cushion and seat back in order to access the speakers.
Toyota released the front-wheel-drive Sienna minivan in 1998. The 2000 Sienna is powered by a transverse-mounted 3.0-liter V-6 engine with electronic fuel injection. Toyota equipped the Sienna with speakers in the front doors and rear quarter panels. Some models have optional tweeters mounted in the windshield pillars. The rear speakers are hidden behind plastic covers and can be readily accessed. Replacement speakers are available from aftermarket sources that will offer superior sound over stock units.
Toyota completely redesigned the Corolla in the 2009 model year, which launched the 10th generation for the popular compact vehicle. This new body style was far and away the most beautiful to date and bore a striking resemblance to its big brother, the Camry. The 2009 Corolla came standard with an AM-FM audio system that featured a CD-player and four speakers. Replacing the door-mounted speakers on the base level 2009 Corolla is a straightforward task that involves removing the door panel.
The 1990 Toyota Corolla features a four-speaker sound system, as well as a standard AM/FM radio or optional stereo cassette player. Replacing a damaged or blown rear speaker will help restore the audio system's left and right stereo bias. Because of the vehicle's age and original speaker materials used at the time of manufacture, you should replace both rear speakers with a matching modernized set if possible.
Americans spend nearly 20 hours per week in their cars, according to OnEarth Magazine. However, in an increasingly connected world, your smartphone or tablet computer can serve as your in-car technology center, providing you with detailed information about your trip while playing audio and keeping you connected to the Internet. Only some newer cars have built-in dashboard systems that offer Bluetooth networking for your smartphone, but you can set up connections in any car by using smartphone accessories.
The Chrysler Concorde was one of the first of a long line of Chryslers in the early to mid-1990s intended to rebuild a slowly decaying lineup. Specifically, the Concorde’s responsibility was to replace the very much outdated Fifth Avenue. The 1998 Concorde had an optional center speaker, which Chrysler mounted in the middle of the dashboard. Upon first glance, this speaker may seem a lost cause when it fails because of its positioning in the dash. But Chrysler made the upper dashboard panel removable, which greatly reduces the amount of work required to install a center speaker in the 1998…
Citizen's band, or CB, radios offer reliable and consistent performance in the home or mobile environment for communicating through short wave. The operation of a CB radio usually involves pressing the "Talk" button and releasing it when you want to hear the response. Tweaking the CB radio's modulation allows you to increase the performance of the radio, especially in areas of interference.
Linear amplifiers are useful for boosting citizen's band radio above other radio noise. Connecting these amplifiers and integrated drivers to a CB radio is a quick process if you're already competent enough to install your CB. Using these amps is a way to boost signal strength with your existing antenna array, using common coaxial cables.
Nissan's 2008 Altima was offered in several trim levels, ranging from the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder model to the sportier 3.5-liter V-6 Coupe. While the high-end trim levels were equipped with a premium Bose-developed nine-speaker sound system, lower-end Altima models were fitted with a standard six-speaker system mated to a single-disc CD player. This fact isn't enough to stop the true automotive audiophile, as the stock speakers can be replaced with high-quality aftermarket speakers. Removing the front door-mounted speakers can be accomplished by removing the door panel that conceals the speakers' mounting points.
Bose factory car stereos are no different than any other when it comes to dirt and grime accumulating behind the volume knob. This is especially true in a mobile environment, where dust particles, pollen and other contaminants find their way in easily. Bose car stereo owners with this situation report fuzzy and erratic volume operation. Cleaning the contacts behind a Bose volume knob is a relatively straightforward process, using compressed air and contact cleaner.
For visual flash and solid sound quality, Plexiglass is commonly chosen when building car audio subwoofer boxes. Plexiglass' transparency and dense nature allow nearly as much flexibility as the more commonly used medium density fiberboard. Plexiglass can also be bent into curved shapes, added to existing medium density fiberboard enclosures, and polished or made into a satin finish. The effect of Plexiglass on your speaker box is therefore a matter of your construction technique and overall goals.
If you are upgrading the stereo system in your 2002 Chrysler 300M, or you need to replace a damaged speaker, you need to know how to access the old one first. A do-it-yourselfer can remove and replace the speaker with little trouble using a few basic tools you can find in most home toolboxes. Unlike some cars, you do not have to remove the dash to gain access to the speaker.
A Global Positioning System has many of the same characteristics as a standard radio, which acts as a receiver for signals sent by an external source. Jamming is possible with a GPS just like it was with the old-style radios in World War II. Once you understand the basics of these systems, you will be able to define terms like J/S jamming.
Car audio systems offer multiple different methods of configuration. Enabling these methods are two- and four-channel amplifiers. Each type of amp is selected for different reasons, whether powering subwoofers, driving door speakers, even providing the power plants for a full-blown mobile surround-sound system. Choosing a two- or four-channel amp largely depends on your individual system goals.
Disassembling the stereo in your 2003 Ford Mustang may prove necessary when performing certain repair procedures to the dashboard or other related components. Base and “Deluxe” vehicle models featured a single-disc CD player, and upgraded models were equipped with a 460-watt audio system with a six-disc in-dash CD changer. Despite the differences in performance and features, both in-dash units rely on the same removal process.
The InterVideo MP3 XPack adds a plugin to Windows Media Player to allow the creation of MP3 music files. This feature is now standard in Windows Media Player so it is mostly useful in older versions of the program. The plugin rips or copies the audio from CDs and saves them to the hard drive in MP3 format. You can then take the MP3s and use them as audio tracks in VirtualDub, a video processing program.
What's wrong when smoke comes into your car? The primary problem is probably that you're still sitting in the car instead of running for your life, or at least going for the nearest fire extinguisher. But all jokes aside, a bit of smoke coming through the ventilation system need not necessarily spell doom for you or your car -- it all depends on what's smoking and where it's coming from.
The door panel on a 2000 Chevy Blazer is attached with a combination of 7 mm screws, a Phillips screw and trim fasteners behind the panel. It is a simple process to remove the panel to replace the door speakers. If after-market speakers are to be used, always make sure the replacement speakers meet or exceed the output wattage of the radio. If it is rated at 100 watts, divide it by 4 for the wattage per speaker. The radio will put out as much as 25 watts per speaker.
You can wire your own microphone to work with a Sharp Citizen's Band radio, provided you know where the different wires of the mic need to connect to the plug pins. Sharp CBs use a four-pin locking ring connector, so they can accept mics with four wires. The pins are numbered counter-clockwise from the notch in the ring from the perspective of the inside of the connector where you will make the solder joints.
Aiwa CD changers allow you to have multiple CDs at your disposal at one time. The CDs are loaded into the trays of a magazine, which is then loaded into the CD changer itself. If, while using your CD changer, you want it to switch CDs automatically once it reaches the end of a CD, you simply have to load multiple CDs into the device.
Port length in a speaker has a direct impact on the overall sound and performance of the woofer. The lowest frequencies played by the speaker are governed by port length and diameter, necessitating careful measurements and evaluation prior to deciding upon how to vent the enclosure. Improper port size results in distortion and/or speaker damage in the worst case, and mediocre performance in the best scenario.
The 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix features a factory six-speaker audio system, which includes a pair of full-range 6-by-9-inch speakers, mounted on the rear deck. Because the rear-deck speakers use the vehicle's trunk area as a “free-air” speaker enclosure, the 6-by-9 speakers play a crucial role with regard to resonant bass frequency production. Removing the rear-deck speakers for replacement or diagnosing audio issues does not require any specialized tools.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to replace a CD changer's head unit -- the part in a car stereo that typically can be removed by the owner when leaving the vehicle, for added security. Provided the new head unit is designed to work with your cd changer, the process of connecting it should take only a few moments. When selecting a replacement, check the manufacturer's specifications -- either by looking at the make and model of your old cd changer and consulting with customer support, or by visiting the manufacturer's website and selecting a compatible head unit.
You can hotwire or connect your iPod to your car stereo using a 3.5 millimeter stereo connector cable and the auxiliary jack on your car stereo. By connecting your iPod to your car stereo, you can listen to audio from your IPod on your car stereo's speakers. Although Apple manufacturers a variety of iPod models, all iPods feature the ability to connect to a car stereo.
PVRs are used in closed circuit TV and security systems to capture and store the footage collected by a video source, such as a security camera. Signal amplifiers boost your video signal as it travels along the coaxial wiring in your video system. You can connect an amplifier to your PVR or personal video recorder to increase the quality of the picture before it is copied to the internal storage on the PVR device.
Bose speakers use proprietary engineering designs to achieve a large amount of sound from smaller speakers. Most of these designs revolve around use of folded transmission lines, which Bose calls Acoustic Waveguides. These designs allow compact enclosures and use of inexpensive drivers. The theory behind use of this design choice is an essential and defining element in the Wave radio, so named due to the use of their Waveguide topology. Other small Bose products such as the SoundDock iPod base also use transmission lines to produce large sound from smaller packages.
A CD may become stuck in your Alpine 6 CD changer at some point in time. The steps to loading and selecting a CD to eject vary slightly based on if you have a single or multiple CD changer. A few tips will enable you to effortlessly load and eject up to six CDs at a moment's notice.
Your Pioneer AVIC-Z3 HDD multimedia AV navigation server provides all the entertainment you'll ever need on your road travels. The AV Source controls M-CD, as well as the iPod and TV connections. When it recognizes your multi-CD changer on the EXT 1 instead of M-CD, it may not necessarily mean that something is wrong, although it could mean that something isn't quite right. The good news is that the AVIC-Z3 typically recognizes all connected devices, and it won't take you long to determine if a repair is really necessary.
Building your own subwoofer enclosure brings a level of customization and fine-tuning that, with care and planning, can't be matched by off-the-shelf solutions. Considering your cabinet design and tuning the speaker box to matching the needs of your audio system and listening room is part of a balancing act between performance and design. Assuming you have calculated your port size for a round opening, converting this area to slot opening size requires several further calculations.
Presented by a multitude of vehicle manufacturers as premium sound systems, Bose audio packages often incorporate a subwoofer. However, for those wanting increased tactile response from their automotive stereo, adding an aftermarket subwoofer remains an option. Using a line-out converter interface adapter between the Bose system and sub amp allows addition of more bass without gutting the entire setup.
A lot of vehicle owners who have installed subwoofers in their trunks have discovered that along with the bass frequencies comes an annoying rattle or vibration. Sometimes a discernible amount of volume escapes from the trunk to the outside, which can annoy neighbors and result in sound equipment violations. Metal material has a sound resonating frequency, and when exposed to low frequency pressure waves, amplified sound becomes trapped and interacts with the surrounding metal. A vehicle owner has a few options and tricks to muffle his trunk for subwoofers, which can provide a cleaner bass frequency flow, allow less volume…
The booming base produced by a subwoofer is an important component of a car audio system's output. A subwoofer is complicated acoustic system consisting of several components working together, and the best sound is produced by a subwoofer in which all the components cooperate effectively.
The Sciphone i9 is a smartphone manufactured in China sold at a relatively inexpensive price -- $139.99, as of November, 2011. Critics of the Sciphone note its inability to download apps, its slow run-time of Java-based games and the proliferation of unlicensed manufacturers. However, the Sciphone i9 has several redeeming features, such as multi-band network functioning, MP3 and MP4 support and the ability for use as a webcam.
With access to hundreds of stations, AOL Radio allows you to listen to your favorite music. However, audio problems caused by issues with sound cards, drivers and system volume settings diminish sound output. Powered by Slacker, AOL Radio covers a range of formats and genres such as rock, Jazz and country depending on your interest. If the AOL Radio music is playing and the speakers have no audio, troubleshooting the audio settings on your computer helps solve sound problems.
For MP3 players that don't support Bluetooth headphone connections, JayBird uSport provides wireless functionality to a device for high-quality audio output. The Bluetooth accessory is compatible with any MP3 player that has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack for headsets. If your MP3 player has compatible headphone jack, within minutes you can stream music wireless using a Bluetooth headset.
A subwoofer is the component of a speaker system that provide thumping, low bass tones. When constructing a sound system there are several different subwoofer designs that you can consider. Many popular subwoofer designs include ports that are cut into the face of the speaker box. These ported speakers usually feature either round-hole ports or slotted ports. You should carefully consider the type of subwoofer that you want for your speaker system because the geometry of the port affects the subwoofer's tuning, maximum volume and sound crispness.
An external CD changer is a standalone device that is capable of holding multiple CDs and playing them in a random or consecutive order. The devices only play one CD at a time and are found in automobiles and home entertainment systems. External CD changers also contain input/output ports for connecting them to radios, receivers and other audio equipment. Some external CD changers even include remote controls and the ability to connect to audio amplifiers.
You can manually wire the Alpine IVA-W205 mobile multimedia station to work with the systems in your vehicle. Typically you would plug the wiring harness from the IVA-W205 into an adapter that will interface with your vehicle, but if no adapter is available, you can solder the connections yourself. Soldered connections are more secure and last longer in the vehicular environment, which can be exposed to extreme heat and cold due to weather.
Sony manufactures aftermarket car stereo receivers equipped to handle MP3s and other forms of digital audio from many different sources. You’ll need to reference the manual for your specific Sony car stereo to find out which MP3 sources it supports. Visit Sony’s car audio support site and search for your model number to download a digital copy of your product manual. Your model number is listed somewhere on the exterior of your receiver, often on the front panel.
High quality speakers allow you to enjoy your favorite music in your home or vehicle. All types of speakers need a sturdy and stable box to support the delicate audio equipment. Building your own speaker boxes gives you a chance to experiment with the resonating qualities of different materials and construction methods.
Many electronic-savvy homeowners install sound systems to get the most out of their stereo and television setups. A set of quality speakers is the key to clear, rich sound. Making your own speaker boxes gives you the freedom to fully customize your sound system, and keeps you from going broke.
Hanging speakers from the ceiling is a great way to build a custom surround sound system, yet save floor space for more important items, like stadium seating or a dance floor. While modern speakers often come with convenient wall or ceiling installation hookups, vintage speakers, though still capable of producing perfect sound quality do not offer convenient ceiling attachment. Building a wooden speaker box to hang the speakers from the ceiling offers the best possible sound potential while showcasing the appeal of the speakers themselves. The positioning of the speakers allows the installer to make them as prominent or as…
