This is a think-out-loud post. I've never worked on a car stereo so I'm not sure how to approach a system build.
2019 Honda Clarity. I want to improve hi-fi quality of system at lower volume listening levels. In my home I listen at about 75db. Peaceful car commute styles of music.
I pulled the door speakers and tweeters to take a look. Door speakers are built into a plastic frame. They're light so must have a tiny magnet. Tweeters are located in the A-pillar and in the rear door panel.
The vehicle has active noise cancelling with two microphones inside the car. The Honda Clarity is an EV so they lightweight everything. I think the ANC is to reduce road noise without adding weight.
I'm not sure how to approach this because I don't know how the car audio environment works. For example, do cars bother with stereo separation or does mono sound just as good? In home audio you can have a center seating position. But since you can't do that in a car is it just as good to play all your music in mono channel?
Do good car systems try to place the speakers as close as possible to the head for near field listening or is the environment so small that all speakers are effectively near field?
I need to find some articles to help me figure out how to think like a car audio system designer.
2019 Honda Clarity. I want to improve hi-fi quality of system at lower volume listening levels. In my home I listen at about 75db. Peaceful car commute styles of music.
I pulled the door speakers and tweeters to take a look. Door speakers are built into a plastic frame. They're light so must have a tiny magnet. Tweeters are located in the A-pillar and in the rear door panel.
The vehicle has active noise cancelling with two microphones inside the car. The Honda Clarity is an EV so they lightweight everything. I think the ANC is to reduce road noise without adding weight.
I'm not sure how to approach this because I don't know how the car audio environment works. For example, do cars bother with stereo separation or does mono sound just as good? In home audio you can have a center seating position. But since you can't do that in a car is it just as good to play all your music in mono channel?
Do good car systems try to place the speakers as close as possible to the head for near field listening or is the environment so small that all speakers are effectively near field?
I need to find some articles to help me figure out how to think like a car audio system designer.
Attachments
I found this regarding small room modes in very small rooms such as cars.
" Often the Schroeder cut-off frequency is suggested to mark the transition
between low- and high-frequency regions. This is about 300 Hz in a typical car compartment.
Cabin Modes.
The low-frequency performance of a vehicle audio system is closely related to the cabin modes, which are considered useful to support the low-frequency auditory experience. For this reason it is of paramount importance that the woofer loudspeakers are placed so that they can couple with these modes. These locations are often in the front or rear corners of the interior."
http://www.sandv.com/downloads/1301paik.pdf
" Often the Schroeder cut-off frequency is suggested to mark the transition
between low- and high-frequency regions. This is about 300 Hz in a typical car compartment.
Cabin Modes.
The low-frequency performance of a vehicle audio system is closely related to the cabin modes, which are considered useful to support the low-frequency auditory experience. For this reason it is of paramount importance that the woofer loudspeakers are placed so that they can couple with these modes. These locations are often in the front or rear corners of the interior."
http://www.sandv.com/downloads/1301paik.pdf
Car audio is definitely stereo.
A center listening position isn't really an issue for most people. For the left speakers (in a left-hand drive), you are far off axis in many vehicles so the level is reduced. For the right speakers, you're farther away but more on axis. The left/right seems mostly balanced. Part of that may be because you can't stop both channels from reaching both ears in approximately the same levels. To get a better sense of separation, tweeters are often mounted higher and more directly facing the driver's head.
For those who are more critical, DSP and time alignment are available but they take a more elaborate system.
A center listening position isn't really an issue for most people. For the left speakers (in a left-hand drive), you are far off axis in many vehicles so the level is reduced. For the right speakers, you're farther away but more on axis. The left/right seems mostly balanced. Part of that may be because you can't stop both channels from reaching both ears in approximately the same levels. To get a better sense of separation, tweeters are often mounted higher and more directly facing the driver's head.
For those who are more critical, DSP and time alignment are available but they take a more elaborate system.
You can look at an home system for to think to car system, but is impossible to get the same results.
Yes, can be a reference, and important for imagine your objective, that must to be clear.
The most modern cars are awful to working about car stereo system, the head unit does all functions like navigator, cameras, noise cancelling, general car info and main digital check line, so you must to hold it.
Than you can to add a DSP with all function you need.
Amplifier is necessary, i suggest class D for to simplify the mounting and current absorptions.
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