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Capacitors are used in most electronic products, and it’s common to see many of them populating a circuit board. These cylindrical devices store power the way a reservoir stores water. So when a circuit needs a bit of juice, the cap releases it. A capacitor is able to deliver power more rapidly than the car’s charging system because the power capacitor has a lower internal resistance, which allows it to quickly discharge.

In the early 1990s, car audio sound-off competitors started adding large capacitors to their sound systems to provide instantaneous power when peaks in a musical passage demanded it. Before long, car audio-specific capacitors became available to the masses, and now they are a common sight in most high-end systems Capacitors are rated in Farads, which is a measure of how much power they can store. The rule of thumb is to use 1 Farad of capacitance for every 1,000watts of power. So if you have a 500-watt system, you would need a 0.5-Farad capacitor.

Capacitors are available in Farad ratings ranging from 0.5 up to 40 for extremely high-powered systems, and vary in price from $75 for a 0.5-Farad cap to more than $500 for a large-Farad version. Besides Farad rating and shape, capacitors also differ in features, with some sporting built-in digital voltage meters and power-distribution blocks. You can buy a capacitor from most car audio retailers, and they’re available online from e-retailers such as Crutchfield (www.crutchfield.com).

You probably don’t need a capacitor if you have a modest system without a subwoofer, but you could probably use one if your system includes at least one subwoofer. If you have several amplifiers and multiple subwoofers, adding a cap or two can definitely improve your system’s performance. Whether you need a capacitor also depends on how much current your amplifiers draw from the vehicle’s charging system as well as the type of music you listen to. If you primarily listen to bass-heavy rap music and your headlights dim every time your system hits a bass note because of the strain on your car’s charging system, a capacitor could help. (You should also have your car’s electrical system checked to make sure it’s up to snuff, however.) Or if you think the total current draw of all of the amplifiers in your system starts to exceed the capacity of your car’s alternator, you’ll probably want to add a cap.

I’m in a good mood today, so i want to share info and experienced to set up a decent ICE for a car. I’m not the ICE freak, join the competition or IASCA ...just a person that only read a lot and not worry to try. Give me a comments and teach if I’m wrong..huuhuhu. Actually, set up an ICE is my hobby since I have a car (05). This hobby make interest and the interest courage me to post this article.



Before i proceed, take note that, there is no actuall measurement for the best ICE system. Music is subjective and just the owner can decide either good or not. Here I’m just explain the guidelines in how to achieve good audio experience, whereas applied by professional.

The Theory

ICE
has2 categories,SQ (Sound Quality) is a category that emphasize the quality of sound while SPL (Sound Pressure Level) is a category that focusing on the strength (loudness). SPL is easy to explain, the system is LOUD !And also easy to achieve besides the cost is cheap. The car with SPL usually can hear the sound even when we are a mile from them, kikikikiki (chuckle).(people always make a wrong prediction, they thought loud is best quality,Woow, awesome or tremendous)

The one who focusing on SQ is the one who take very serious in quality of the sound, all the frequencies vocal and instrument produce well balance, clarity, projection, not loud, more expensive and complicated system.

Which one do you?

4 important factors that need to focus in term of designing your ICE.

1. Staging



Staging is the process to create a stage in your car. The simple example is when you are in a concert, stage will construct in front of the crowd. No concert in this world will build up the stage behind the crowd, unless there are crazy kikikikiki. In a car, stage is placed somewhere on your dashboard. Vocal come out from the middle and the musicians will set on the right and left upon your dashboard.

2. Imaging

After staging, vocal and all the musicians, we need to set up a project which the sound is sharp came from the instrument. As the example, in a concert, the drum sound is came from the drummer which placed in the middle of the stage. No drum sound from the back or the other side of stage.


3. Direction

Sound has frequency. The high frequency is easy to know from whre it’s came rather than the low frequency. To produce a good staging, we need to tune the frequency to make it came from front. Tweeter which produced high frequency, is very important component to produce a good staging. Basically, tweeter is placed on the dashboard and will direct into the middle of car to produce the effect of vocal which is in front and in the middle of the car.

The low frequency (i.e subwoofer) will place behind the car cos it hard to detect from where it came.

4. Equipment

Enough for mumbling section. Lets look what kind of stuff we need to build an ICE. Take a note, The more simple system the more easy to gain a good quality of ICE.

I suggest that you do a road map planning such below. So, you buy the stuff systematically follow the list below to ensure you’re not out of the budget.

1. Headunit !This is very IMPORTANT stuff. If you’re using the best unit, the best you got (changing the car to a bistro :p). This is the heart of your ICE. . I suggest that buy a branded head unit. Facts need to focus when buying head unit (HU)

a. How many RCA output ? Higher is very goods. The cheap HU usually has 1, mid range has 2 and the high grade has 3. This for easier when you fix into your amp

b. Built in equalizer. Some has built in electronic crossover

c. Security. removal face plate. Avoid attraction to theft

Trust me, without changing the speaker you can gain way better sound quality in just change the HU.



2. Component speakers

speakers component is a set of speaker that has 1 set of midbase, 1 set of passive crossover dan 1 set of tweeter.It fixed on the front door and dashboard of the car. My suggestion choose the branded one to gain the best sound clarity . Component set is a starter kit to build up the good staging and imaging. Basically,set of component is enough to produce the good staging and imaging.

There are many size of component set from 5 1/4" to 6 3/4". Mostly people choose 6 1/2", same goes to me. Cos it’s not to big and to small. Also can give the satisfy of a sound.

I can guarantee you, after fix the speaker component, your sound system car would be different, get better than previous. It’s clear and quality cos we’ve built the stage on your car.

3. Amplifier



We always heard, if we feed 200W amp into 50W speaker will damage the speaker. It’s ultimately not right. From my experienced in set up the Ice, for functio0n up a



speaker in the best sound; it’s need an enough power to move the speaker coil. When the coil is move up with the sufficient power, the distortion will gone. Let the power more feed into your speaker as long as it’s not more than PMPO speaker.

IMPORTANT : Measure amp/speakers/HU in RMS not in PMPO. RMS is a nominal power that produce by amp or HU. This power is needed for speaker.

Amp has variety types., 2 or 4 channel and monoblog. For the initial, I suggest 4 channel amp. Ensure that it’s has an active crossover.The good amp usually take cost more than myr800 (about USD 250)

4. Subwoofer

For the 1st timer, use 10” or 12”. Find single coil sub and 4 Ohm. Ensure that it’s can produce sound between 20Hz to 1kHz. Subwoofer box is crucial important. Ensure that you go to the specialize on making of this box. They known the best specs of subwoofer box. Don't ever you buy the ready made that always sell at the accessories shop.
Design

The simplest design, Amp will connect to input of subwoofer and front speaker...prefer RCA.

From the front Amp output, connect to component speakers which placed on the front door and dashboard. Set the amp to high pass for component speaker.

From Amp subwoofer output, connect on subwoofer which placed at the bonnet. And set to low pass.

Tuning

Prepare you ears, ensure that it has been clean from any particles (kikikikikiki)... Press the built in equalizer to give imaging to your stage and coding to your ears. Play with fader to get staging in front of your car. If you have the back speaker, ignore it and play with the slow volume without disturbing your stage.
For a subwoofer, try to overlap the subwoofer frequency with midbase component. This is to gain the effect of bass clearly that come from front.

Hard to tune the sound system, as a guideline try to use imaging, staging and direction concept set

Good Luck Dude!!!