After trying more than 60 cars, I found that there are only two differences between car brand audio and ordinary audio

Dawei is not an audiophile, but when he was doing evaluation and editing in digital media more than 10 years ago, he was responsible for the audio headset product line. He had some understanding of audio equipment and tested it a few years ago. Through countless speakers, sound cards, headphones, etc. Since he changed his job as a car critic, Dawei has tried nearly 70 cars one after another. A small part of these cars are equipped with branded stereos. Of course, most cars are equipped with ordinary stereos (the following pictures are all I took photos of different models myself). In today’s article, let’s talk about the difference between the brand speakers I’ve heard and ordinary speakers. Finally, let’s briefly talk about the quality differences between several brand impressions.

When it comes to the biggest difference between brand audio and ordinary audio, I think there are only two: energy and details.

Let me talk about the first difference: the sense of energy.

I wonder if you understand the core difference between branded audio and ordinary audio? In fact, the difference lies not in whether the LOGO of the audio brand is attached to the speaker, but in the difference in the output power of the power amplifier in the whole system.

car audio can be divided into three modules according to function: host (audio source), power amplifier (signal amplification) and speaker (sounding). Ordinary car audio systems often do not have a separate power amplifier circuit between the car machine and the speakers. The main unit has a built-in power amplifier circuit. The amplified audio signal comes out from the back of the main unit and is directly connected to the speakers on the four doors to drive the speakers to sound. Some cars will design a frequency divider circuit between the mid-bass and the tweeter, and some even save the frequency divider, or only put a capacitor for frequency division. The advantages of this are of course low cost, low heat generation, and high conversion efficiency. Since there is no additional power amplifier circuit between the host and the speaker, the structure of the entire audio system is simple, and there is less failure rate.

The shortcomings of this design are also very prominent: the power amplifier circuit is integrated into the mainframe, limited by the volume, the output power is limited, and the dynamic range is also small, generally each The sound channel is only about 10-40W, and the typical value is 20-25W per channel. Although this kind of power is "loudness" enough to cope with the small space of a car, the control and details are basically no more. ".

brand audio will add an independent power amplifier between the host and the speaker to amplify the energy of the audio signal, so that the speaker can sound better. This amplifier is a physically independent circuit box. Due to its large size, it cannot be placed together with the main unit. The installation parts of different brands are different. Some are in the trunk and some are under the seat. But basically all brand speakers will have this amplifier.

The biggest difference with ordinary speakers is that the power of branded speakers can output hundreds of watts or even thousands of watts, such as the set of Marclays on Lexus ES300 that Dawei has heard Vincent Audio, the output power of the amplifier is up to 1800W (different versions have different powers). Such a large power is obviously very different from the tens of watts of ordinary audio, just like the I7 processor and the Celeron processor 20 years ago. The running speed is different, it is not a matter of several levels.

Based on this difference, the difference we hear will first be the difference in the sense of energy.

Would you say: Although my car is not a brand-name audio system, my car also has a sense of energy? I was also shocked when I heard "playing every time"? All I can say is: listen to the brand audio and you will know the difference.

brand audio cars, the sense of energy will be significantly different, Dawei's so-called sense of energy, you are sitting in the cab, closing the doors and windows, and listening to a fast-paced song, you feel Sound pressure, this feeling may not be just ears, it may be your body, your brain. This sound pressure sense and level are obviously different. Ordinary speakers often only have hollow bass, without a sense of power, which can't give you a sense of physical pressure and make you feel resonance.

Note that I am not talking about the maximum volume, but the sound intensity your body feels at the same volume. For example, when the low frequency is strong, your eardrum and body will receive greater and stronger sound pressure. At this time, you will feel excited, and your adrenal glands will rise slightly, and you will feel refreshed. At the same volume, the sound of an ordinary car can’t give you the same feeling. You can’t feel the pleasing low-frequency energy. What you hear is often annoying low-frequency distortion. At this time, although the speaker diaphragm is still It vibrates, but it is obviously out of control, and it is all buzzing, and you may only experience the urge to lower the volume right away.

The second difference: details.

The details of the sound are related to many links, such as amplifier circuit, frequency divider, power amplifier, speaker. This article is not a boring technical article. We will not discuss the generation and optimization of the details in the audio. Dawei just wants to share with you the difference between the car's brand audio and the ordinary audio.

Having said that, I would like to cite two typical positive examples: Volvo's Bauer and Mark Lexus ES300. BAUER’s car audio uses metal tweeters. Just like the picture above, this is Volvo’s XC60 top version. Through the mask of the high-profile tweeter in the middle of the center console, you can clearly see that there is a A tweeter with a metal diaphragm. I was very impressed by this set of speakers, and its resolution for high and pan-high frequencies made me different. Compared with other brands of speakers, Baohua's system has obvious advantages in high-frequency detail display.

Specifically: You can hear obvious differences in many tracks, the piano sound will be crisper and stronger; the extremely high frequency pipa sound in "Anyone", the inadvertently crisp sound of the triangle... in many In the sound system, these details are often hidden behind other sounds, making you unpredictable, seeming to hear but not hearing; but in the Baohua system, these are the extended range of high-frequency and extremely high-frequency sounds, their clarity, Pleasantness, the resolution of sound details, the more complete and proud it appears in your ears, which makes you unavoidable to hear it, and it also has a strong metallic taste. You can hear it even with your eyes closed. Diaphragm speakers are different, this is the charm of metal tweeter. With the high-resolution mid-to-treble, plus enough power as a confidence, the sound is dense and delicate.

The low frequency of Mark Lexus on Lexus also impressed me. Compared with the high-frequency difference, the low-frequency texture of different brands of audio is not that big, but the low-frequency texture of this system of Mark Levinson is indeed better. Low frequency is the source of energy and requires strong power support, but the control and diving depth are different. As for non-branded audio in ordinary cars, the core reason is that the power is too low.

Mark Levinson’s low frequency is not exaggerated in terms of energy first (the exaggerated classmate is called BOSE, who is good at creating a strong low frequency sense, but the quality details can’t be discussed), it is just right and does not burst. You can feel it deliberately click to the end, which not only makes you feel enough energy, but does not make you feel fat. However, in terms of low-frequency quality, Mark Levinson is indeed excellent. The dive depth and low-frequency control are very good. Under strong sound pressure, the low-frequency is not blurred, and the details are still maintained. The extremely low-frequency dive depth is very good. , The low-frequency extended tail can still be well controlled, which is amazing. But back to high frequencies, Mark Levinson is not as good as Baohua's set of resolution, without the metallic taste.

Finally, let’s talk about the rankings of these brand speakers that I have heard.

I broke my fingers and counted, I have heard almost all car brand stereos, Lexus's Mark Levinson, Volvo's Baohua, BMW's Harman Kardon, Mercedes-Benz's Voice of Berlin In recent years, B&O on Audi cars, BOSE on GM family, Yanfei Lishi on some domestic models, JBL on Toyota, and even beats occasionally seen on Volkswagen. The pictures in this article are all taken by Dawei from different models. Of course, the configuration of these car stereos will be different between different models.For example, Mark Levinson will also match different versions of the number of speakers and power output according to different models. We can't evaluate it in detail. Dawei's subjective ranking according to the overall sound quality evaluation should be:

Mark Levinson ≈ Bao Hua> Harman Kardon ≈ The Voice of Berlin> BOSE ≈ JBL ≈ B&O> Yan Fei Li Shi ≈ beats.

If you don’t understand this "formula". The translation is:

According to the comprehensive evaluation of sound quality, the order from top to bottom is:

First echelon: Mark Levinson, Baohua;

Second echelon: Harman Kardon, Berlin Voice;

Third Echelon: BOSE, B&O, JBL;

Fourth Echelon: Yan Feilishi, beats.

(Note: This ranking is extremely subjective, the same brand also has different power and number of speakers, so this is just a subjective impression of a person's head, and does not have any meaning. If you have different opinions, please raise the bar.)

Of course, Dawei must also emphasize one more sentence: Even the beats ranked in the fourth echelon, the sound quality is far better than the non-brand audio of ordinary models, because there is power to support them.

Here I will focus on BOSE. Many brands of GM will be equipped with BOSE speakers, such as all Cadillac series, Buick's mid-to-high range and even domestically produced MG, etc., which are very common. BOSE has a characteristic: it pays attention to low frequency and ignores details. Even the 34-speaker BOSE on the top version CT6 that Dawei has experienced is the same. The low frequency is very high and it makes people feel greasy, which is more than many brands of audio. If you are a low-frequency controller, you will not regret choosing BOSE, but BOSE is general except for the low frequency. The resolution and details of the middle and high frequencies are general, the extension of the high frequencies is general, and the details of the low frequencies are general, far inferior to other brands of audio balanced.

Finally, let me talk about my buying suggestions.

I know that the price of the optional brand audio for different models is very different. Although the Lexus set of Markle Vinson has good sound quality, the optional price is more than 20,000 yuan. To be honest, I personally feel a bit painful (of course If you have to say that I am poor, I will not refute it). But if you choose a set of sound-quality Harman Kardon like BMW only costs seven or eight thousand yuan, I still strongly recommend that you choose it. A car has to follow us for at least five or six years. Most of the time in the car is the audio system. A good audio system makes people happy, and a poor audio system makes people not interested in listening. From this point of view, I personally think it is very worthwhile to install a good audio system for RMB 7,000 or 8,000.