Have you ever found yourself trying to turn up the volume that is already on maximum and wondering how to make your car speakers louder? If so, you might be feeling a little frustrated, but there are steps you can take to make a difference.
There are plenty of things that you can do to make your speakers louder, but you should start by checking that your current speakers are working correctly. You may also want to make sure you are using the right cables or adding an amplifier that will help to boost the sound.
How To Make Your Car Speakers Louder
If your car speakers aren’t loud enough, the first thing you should do is get them tested by your mechanic to make sure that there isn’t a technical fault with the speakers. Speakers may get damaged by the constant movement and rattling, and if your speakers have been damaged, the volume is likely to be poor. Check this before you do anything else, and get any problems repaired.
However, before you put money into this, it may be worth thinking about whether the speakers were ever any good – because often, manufacturers put cheap speakers into cars. If you haven’t had your car for very long, try doing some online research for reviews of the sound and find out whether your speakers could be good if they worked properly.
It’s worth checking this before you get the speakers repaired, because if you want a good sound and they were only mediocre even at their best, you may simply want to replace them. It’s worth repairing decent speakers, but there’s no point repairing ones that won’t sound great no matter what you do. If you can read some reviews of your speakers, do so.
While looking at repairs, you should also review the other tech that could be at fault. If you’re streaming from a device, check that its volume is high enough, and make sure that the connection between your device and the speakers is good. If you are using a cable, is it the right cable? Has it been damaged, or is the connection loose? This needs attention.
Other Tips For Making Your Car Speakers Louder
Once you’ve checked the system for technical faults, it’s time to look at how you can improve the volume of poor speakers. One of the easiest options here is to check that you’re playing good quality music files; this makes an enormous difference and will help to prevent distortion. Use a proper streaming service, rather than pirate music, to ensure you’re getting the best quality.
Next, check the seals around your speakers, and see how big the gap between them and the car’s paneling is. This should be small, so if the seal isn’t good, get some gasket tape. You can apply this around the speaker cut-outs, between the speaker and the panel, and it should stop sound from passing through the gap – directing more into the car, where you can enjoy it.
The third thing to do is make sure you take out any obvious sources of rattling around the sound system; this will ruin the music. Kick clutter out of the glove compartment, door pockets, dashboard, and any other nooks and crannies. Check that all wires (including speaker wires) have been taped into place behind the panels. This will make the music clearer by removing other noise.
If that hasn’t helped, check whether your speakers are wired up correctly. You might be experiencing something called phase-out. This happens if the speaker’s positive and negative have been incorrectly connected to the positive and negative in the stereo head unit. Make sure these haven’t got mixed up during installation, because this will affect all of the sound, making it hollow and reducing the volume.
Do You Need To Replace The Speakers?
A lot of manufacturers use cheap speakers in their cars, and you might find that the only way to improve them is to replace them. You should buy some more expensive speakers from one of the well-known brands and get them fitted by your local mechanic; this will make a massive difference to the sound you enjoy. Some of the best brands include:
- DLS
- Focal
- JL
- JBL
- Kicker
High-quality speakers and a high-quality sound file should be enough to make the difference in many cases, as long as everything is installed correctly. If you’re still having issues, you may want to consider installing an amplifier or a subwoofer to the car. These will also help to boost the music.
An amplifier should make the music louder; it increases the signal power and boosts the signal to increase the sound. Many subwoofers have amplifiers built into them, so check whether the one you are looking at does before you buy an amplifier.
A subwoofer should also help with the noise. It works in a low-frequency state and will increase the bass, making sure you “feel” your music as well as hear it. When connected with an already effective sound system, a subwoofer can give you an amazing boost that will take your music to a new level.
What Else Should I Do?
If you still aren’t happy with your sound system or you’re looking for a few other clever tricks, you can try:
- Increasing the soundproofing of the car, especially in the doors, to minimize exterior noise
- Adding tweeters to the doors/A-pillars to spread the sound throughout the car
- Using the tone controls with care, rather than having them all on maximum
- Using the in-built tuning system to get the balance and fade correctly
Conclusion
There are lots of tips and tricks for making your car speakers louder, some of which are free (like checking the wires are correct), and some of which will involve purchasing new speakers or other audio equipment. You should always check that your current speakers are working properly before you consider replacing them.
