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Subwoofers are an essential part of car audio system equipment. It enhances the quality of the songs and plays the otherwise inaudible low sound frequencies. A subwoofer is similar to a regular loudspeaker, but generally amplifies sound frequencies, which range between 60 to 150 Hz.

Cars usually come attached with small speakers, which do not produce low frequencies. So it is often beneficial to use a separate speaker for listening to low frequency sounds. Subwoofers come in different sizes and thus they can perform optimally according to the surroundings.

Buying a subwoofer

When buying subwoofers, one should have a detailed knowledge about subwoofers and sound systems. It is not advisable to have a blasting effect of sound in your car. Car audio system must have amplifiers, woofers and subwoofers to get the right kind of sound effects inside the car. As subwoofers are available in different sizes, one should also know what the right size is for his car. Common sizes available are 8-inch, 10-inch, 12-inch and 15-inch. The larger the subwoofer, the lower the frequency it will produce. The right size will produce the right effect. One should also decide how many subwoofers to buy. Generally people buy one or two subwoofers for their car stereo system. One is adequate for those who listen to classical, rock, or country, while two are more suited for those who like listening to rap, pop or techno.

Different features of a subwoofer

Subwoofers have the same basic parts as all other speakers. These parts include:

- Basket: It is the metal frame that holds all the components of a subwoofer together. The basket's firmness and resistance to resonance help determine the subwoofer's sound quality.

- Box Volume: Box volume listed with each component of subwoofer indicates the recommended interior volume in cubic feet that an enclosure should have to get the best output from the subwoofer.

- Damping Factor: It is the ability of an amplifier to control the electrical current of a subwoofer.

- Dual Voice Coil: While typical speaker drivers have one voice coil, dual voice coil subwoofers have dual voice coil. Parallel wiring or dual coil is provided for maximum amplifier output.

- Frequency Range: Frequency range is the range of sounds from lowest to highest that the subwoofer is capable of reproducing. The actual range can vary depending upon the type of box, crossover point, and the vehicle the subwoofer is installed in.

- Polarity: In order to get the polarity right, the positive speaker terminal must be wired to the positive amplifier terminal, and the negative speaker terminal should be wired to the negative amplifier terminal.

- Peak Power: It is the amount of power the subwoofer can handle as a brief burst during a musical peak.

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