All about wiring your audio system

A car-stereo system consists of audio components and the wiring that connects them from head unit to power amplifier and speakers. Not too many people pay attention to wires, cables and fuses but they are a vital part of the system.

Speaker wires and interconnect cables

Car-audio systems require lengthy cables and wires. The longer the wiring, the lower the sound quality is. Low quality cables and wires are a bottleneck for the audio signal as it restricts electron flow. If you want to optimise your audio system, never skimp on high quality interconnect cables and speaker wires which are equipped with high quality conductors and insulators.

Electrical wires/ grounding

Electrical wires are the links from the battery to every piece of audio equipment. The installer must understand how much ampere and AC voltage the system needs so that he knows what size of wires to be used. Improper size of the electrical wire could lead to short circuits and breakdown of your audio system. While setting up the system, the installer needs to ensure that the grounding cord of the system is properly connected to the GND terminal.

RCA jacks

RCA jacks are the connectors for interconnect cables. "Unbalance" jacks are the most common type of RCA jacks. It should be firmly tightened at the input and output terminals. Some types of RCA jacks can be curved at 90 degree or "L" shaped for a limited space.

Fuses

Fuses protect electrical circuits from overloading and short

circuits. Never install a fuse of a higher rating than the one installed. Doing so could result in damage to the electrical system.

Even though the final element is your budget, a word of advice is not to always go after a cheaper system. Also, skilled installers are a must when it comes to installation of the audio system. Of course, they are pricey but still worth the money in the long run.