If you are an audiophile who loves loud speakers, you have wanted to improve your audio system on one instance or another.
You would want your system to play louder, give out a heavier bass and play more clearly.
One of the easiest ways to make your speakers louder is by using an amplifier. However, amplifiers are expensive, and you might not have the money for that.
In this article, How to make car speakers louder without amp is here to recommend 13 ways of making the speaker louder without necessarily getting the amplifier. You might be wondering if it is possible, and the answer is yes.
13 Ways of Making a Speaker Sound Louder Without an Amp
- Getting new cables and connectors
- Damping
- Use a Sub-woofer
- Phase and crossover setting
- Add tweeters
- Add crossovers
- Use capacitors
- Reduce electrical impedance
- Add a speaker horn
- Use Non-Invasive Add-Ons
- Ported enclosure
- Modify the speaker
- Play high-quality music
It is important to note that it is not all the time that the sound system will be at fault. Sometimes, it could be the wires and connectors causing your speakers to produce an undesired sound.
The cables and connectors involved in wiring your speaker system depreciate with time as well.
Despite the wires being coated with plastic, they are still made of metal like copper, and thus they lose their quality, resulting in low output volume.
Therefore, I would advise you frequently check the wires and connectors and replace them with new ones if necessary. To avoid the inconveniences caused by wires, purchase 12AWG Speaker Wire . The Cable ensures good fidelity sound, its durable and its flexible than wires made of copper.
It is a method whereby insulating materials are added to the parts of your car where the effect of rattling is produced. It is the most effective way to improve your speaker’s volume.
In most instances, due to the design of the speaker’s enclosure and the space in which the speaker is installed, a vibration occurs, which distorts the audio output hence irritating the listener’s ears.
This technique is simple for home speakers because the speakers are in static mode. However, for car speakers, due to the continuous movement of the vehicle, some parts require damping.
Use this method on parts like doors, floor, and boot space, and you will notice a significant outcome. On the doors, you can use good quality dampers from any local car accessory store and ask their expert to install them for you. Door dampers are affordable too.
The spaces between seats and the floor, in which the noise from the speakers starts to distort, dampen the entire floor using insulating materials.
Why dampening? Sound waves need a free flow to reach the listener in an undistorted form.
On the boot space, there could be stuff like luggage or a subwoofer that will affect the performance of the woofer, and the luggage will restrain the sound hence causing it to flow improperly. Hence, the need to dampen the boot space too.
Using a sub-woofer is another way of amplifying your sound without getting an amplifier.
A sub-woofer is like a complete loudspeaker and, in simpler terms, the inner core of a woofer responsible for producing bass and sub-bass.
Their frequency range is around 20-200 Hz normally.
The advantage of this is that the sub-woofers can be used alone or in conjunction with an amplifier if you ever consider getting an amplifier later on.
Subwoofers enable your stereo system to produce additional sound.
Also, sub-woofer placement is a key concern for improving your sound volume.
Install the subwoofer in a location of your car that is not likely to vibrate, for example, a corner.
However, placing it on a corner will close the wall, which could often cause harsh, rumbling, and unpleasant sounds.
This becomes worse if the sub-woofer has an opening for allowing airflow. In such a scenario, ensure the subwoofer is about 12 inches or so from the wall.
In addition, placing the subwoofers asymmetrically will also lead to louder bass and a general smoother response.
If not done properly, your car speakers will be competing for sound with the subwoofer, so it is advised you seek a professional to help with the installation.
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Setting sub-woofer phase and crossover frequency are also very important for sound quality and bass quality.
Therefore, adjust the phase of the sub-woofer and make sure it is in phase with the other parts of the system.
You will also realize that most of the sub-woofers have a single-phase switch or variable dial that you can turn from 0 to 180 degrees. Adjust the switch or phase dial until you achieve the highest bass.
Tweeters boost the sound causing you to hear louder and clear music.
Like subwoofers are made for low frequency, tweeters, on the other hand, are designed for creating high-audio frequency output.
Therefore, combining a sub-woofer and a tweeter will carry your music experience to a whole new level in terms of quality.
Also, remember that most of the time, the speaker’s audio quality is determined by the type of tweeter featured. Having installed Power Acoustik NB-1 200-Watt 2-Way Mount Tweeters, they have enhanced and made listening to music in my car better and fun. I’d recommend them 100%.
Like earlier mentioned, phase and crossovers are very vital when it comes to speaker sound quality.
They work together to set the correct frequencies to produce a smooth and clear audio response.
However, if the crossover settings are incorrect, they will make your main speakers and sub-woofers compete in the bass frequencies and cancel each other out. This will result in distortion and an overall unclear sound.
Playing high-bass songs sometimes creates a rattling and reverberating effect in your car, and this dissipated energy might affect your vehicle’s general performance.
Often, when the sub-woofer does not get the same power supply, they lower their performance abilities. Therefore, capacitors are used with the sub-woofers to supply them with the necessary power to make them perform their best.
Capacitors don’t provide this required power continuously. Instead, they store the energy and supply power to the sub-woofer only when maximum performance is needed.
Using capacitors ensures that your car runs smoothly without being affected by the high bass from the speakers.
Electrical impedance is the distortion or resistance from the audio system or speakers resulting from turning electric signals into audio.
The more the impedance means, the less the audio system’s performance.
Therefore, check the specifications of your speakers and match them with those of your audio system to get maximum performance.
This doesn’t mean you downgrade your speaker size. Instead, check the speaker coils, magnets’ health, state of your cable connection, and the entire circuit should be properly checked to keep the impedance as low as you can.
A horn is a flared tube attached to the speaker’s output. It helps in reducing audio impedance by reducing the impedance nearer to that of open air.
In the case of speakers, efficiency is very vital for loudness and sound quality. That is why fitting a horn to it is another way of increasing loudness without needing an amplifier.
Fitting a horn to your speaker will achieve better power transfer, power output, and power efficiency.
The only disadvantage is the non-linear nature of air, making them distort when you are put through excessive power.
Also, wind noises can come through the horns causing distortions. Air pushing against the surface of the horns causes these distortions.
Therefore, you must be careful and check thoroughly before considering this option.
The modern market has many gadgets that you can add to your car that are non-invasive and will enhance a boost to your sound system.
Thanks to technological advancements, these gadgets assist in tuning and controlling the audio levels.
These gadgets are easy to use because they don’t need installation; they can be carried around even outside your car.
Moreover, it would be best if you never maxed out the tone controls of your audio system. You should ensure proper tuning like all other musical instruments, and adjusting the frequency are necessary. Also, always have two or three audio Equalizer presets ready to prevent any hustle while on the road.
Mount them flat and then tweak one or two things as the music plays on to control the output.
Buy a signal processor or an equalizer to maintain the sound quality, as poor adjustments will allow plastic and glass surfaces to reflect crazily and cause ear fatigue.
Also, use Bluetooth or wireless systems to eliminate wirings and their disadvantages. They are affordable too, portable, compatible, and many more advantages.
Therefore, you can buy gadgets or systems instead of investing in wired audio systems.
In addition, before making a purchase, you must research the available options in the market.
Also, be keen on portability, sound quality, and the number of accessible stations.
Also, setting your speakers inside a ported enclosure will boost the speaker’s general loudness.
Ported boxes are great for higher output of both high and low frequencies. This is why this design is often used to acquire a stronger bass response from subs.
If you have tried all these methods and there is no noticeable change, maybe it is your speakers.
When something is electrically wrong with the speaker, you may be required to upgrade it and replace the failing parts.
You can also choose to do proper maintenance for your speakers, including changing the coil, changing the magnet, and changing the cone.
- If the speaker’s coil starts to wear, you may experience loss of power because the cones’ force that produces vibrations will reduce. Hence the need to change it.
- The magnet’s force produces the magnetic field that creates the electrical impulses, which leads to vibrations on the speaker cones. Old, worn-out magnets produce a weak magnetic field, leading to weak vibrations.
- Speaker cones also may be tattered and eaten by insects. Such cones can’t produce powerful vibrations. Hence making it necessary for you to replace them.
All of these changes will cause the speaker’s frequency response to shifting. It won’t sound the same as before when you place it back in your audio system.
To sum up, ensure that you re-tune the system once you have made any changes.
I would recommend you get a professional to do this for you. And at times, buying a new speaker is cheaper.
As simple as this sounds, the quality of the music you play directly affects the sound you get from your speaker system.
Therefore, if you are playing music that needs you to compress a file, it is good not to compress too much.
In other terms, the larger the file, the higher quality the music will be.
For example, you must have noted that while streaming or downloading music, we get options like 128kbps, 320kbps, etc.
There are various formats to play an audio file, but the MP3 format is enough for producing high-quality sound and is also supported by almost every device.
Conclusion
Trying all or some of these methods will surely improve your speaker’s overall performance.
This eventually narrows down to improving your audio quality as you desire.
Also, consider factors like the type of songs you like and want to play, the bass level required, sound clarity, and many other factors when checking out a new sound system.
Also, always remember to seek professional assistance when you doubt what you are doing.
