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Head Unit
The stereo/unit that is actually producing the sound e.g.
the CD player/tape player/radio unit.
Amplifier/Amp
A device that takes a signal from the head unit (usually
from the pre-amp outputs) and amplifies it. Amplifiers are
connected to speakers of all types, including sub woofers.
They are sometimes used to increase the sound quality over
that produced by the internal amp from within the head unit,
or they are used to provide a higher output to drive bigger
speakers in order to product more volume, or a combination
of the two. Amplifiers inside head units typically product
a maximum of approximately 50 watts per channel, whereas
external amps can produce hundreds, sometimes thousands of
watts.
Cable
A piece of wire that carries an electrical signal, which is
sometimes an audio signal (speaker cable) or sometimes just
power (a power cable).
AWG/Wire Gauge
A measurement of wire thickness. The lower the number, the
thicker the wire. This is particularly relevant to power
cables, as the correct AWG needs to be chosen to prevent
wiring from causing vehicle fires, which can occur if too
much current is flowing through a given wire gauge. After
0, additional zeros are used to denote a larger thickness of
wire. For example, 00 gauge is thicker than 0 gauge, and
000 is thicker than 00 guage.
Watt/Watts
A measure of power. In the context of head units and
amplifiers, watts usually refers to how many watts are
produced in the speaker output. In the context of speakers,
watts usually refers to how much power a speaker can handle
at its maximum output.
Sub Woofer/Subwoofer
A speaker designed to produce low frequency sound (base).
Usually requires an enclosure, which is sold separately.
Enclosure
A box, usually made from MDF, used to house a sub woofer.
There are two common types; Sealed and Ported. Sealed
enclosures are airtight on the inside. They are
particularly useful for producing a tight and accurate
sound. Ported enclosures have a hole with a tube recessing
into the box. This allows the sound produced by the back of
the woofer to escape, resulting in a louder output.
Speakers
A device that takes an electrical signal from an amplifier
or head unit, and produces sound. This electrical signal is
sent down a positive and a negative cable.
Component Speakers
(Components)
Speaker sets that contain more than one actual speaker.
They split the sound signal based on frequency. The high
frequency sounds are sent to a small speaker, known as a
tweeter. The rest go to the main speaker driver. These
come with a crossover to separate the sound signal, and all
necessary wiring.
Crossovers
A device that splits a sound signal so that it can be fed to
two different speakers based on the frequency of the sound.
See components.
Coaxial Speakers
A speaker that handles the full audible frequency range in
one unit, instead of splitting it like component speakers.
Channel
The path for an audio signal. For example, a stereo system
would require two channels. A subwoofer would require just one.
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