Let’s face it — the factory speakers in your car are far from ideal. The bass extension is lackluster, everything sounds like a distorted mess at high volumes, and that full sound everyone yearns for is nowhere to be found.
Then there’s the possibility that your speakers gave up within a year or two (it’s not just you). In that case, a replacement is mandatory.
Fortunately, third-party speakers have become much more accessible and affordable over the years. Among the brands that hit a sweet spot without breaking the bank, Harmony is a name that often comes up.
And it’s understandable why — not everyone wants to spend a considerable amount on audiophile-grade gear. Brands like these can provide impressive sound without leaving a dent in the wallet.
This article will discuss Harmony speakers’ pros and cons and whether they’re a worthy choice or not. Let’s get started.
Should You Replace Your Car Speakers?
I don’t blame you if the price tag on quality speakers makes you wonder if it’s worth it. That can especially happen if your car’s original speakers are still… functional (that’s the best I can call them).
So, what good does replacing the speakers do you? In two words — better sound. Let me explain how.
- First off, replacement speakers almost always reach a higher level of sound without any kind of distortion. That means everything doesn’t sound jumbled even when you crank it up.
- Depending on what you choose, the bass reproduction receives either a little boost or a huge one. It extends much lower, sounds cleaner, and gives that deep thump.
- The mid and high frequencies also receive better treatment. Directional audio is even more enjoyable and transparent, and the highs sound pleasant without any harshness. If you use a three or four-way setup, the immersion is even more noticeable.
As you can see, replacing a car’s speakers can be rather fruitful. Let’s now take a peek at the types of products and their properties before getting into the review.
Car Speaker Components and Types
There are various components and speaker types in the market — some produce the whole audible frequency range, some only produce bass, and so on.
Tweeters
Tweeters are the smallest components you’ll find in a speaker. They are responsible for reproducing the upper portion of the audible frequency range. It’s possible to buy super tweeters separately or within a full-range speaker (more on this later).
Regarding materials, there are various options. Silk, fabric, ceramic, and aluminum are some of the most popular ones. Each material has a different sound signature — some provide better clarity, some have a smoother sound, and so on.
We’ll discuss this in detail while talking about the products.
Mid-Range Drivers
These parts do what their name suggests — reproduce the mid-range. That usually includes a range starting from the lower mids to the highs. Not all setups have separate drivers for this range.
Like tweeters, these components also have various materials ranging from paper to polymers. As the mid-range has most instruments and vocals, they play a crucial role in ensuring a clear and pleasant output.
Woofers and Subwoofers
Now we can move down to the lower frequencies. Woofers typically reproduce a large portion of the lower frequencies, with many of them extending up to 3000 Hz or more. This depends on the woofer and the speaker setup.
Subwoofers, on the other hand, are assigned with a more specific task — the lowest of lows. Those deep thumps that you hear around or below 40 Hz are reproduced by a subwoofer.
However, car speakers typically don’t extend this low, as it necessitates a larger speaker setup and higher price tags. Therefore, it’s better to keep your expectations in check when buying something on a low budget.
Full-Range Speakers
The name is once again self-explanatory. These products combine all of the drivers in one place. That means the lows, mids, and highs — everything comes from the same body.
Of course, how well a product does that depends on the materials, size, and overall quality. Many of the cheap speakers struggle with the bass and produce a muffled sound.
These are essentially the core types of speakers and drivers that you’ll come across when shopping. Let’s now take a look at how Harmony performs, shall we?
Harmony Speakers — An Overview and Review
It’s time for the real deal. There are typically three categories of speakers you can find in Harmony’s car speaker collection. Full-range speakers, subwoofers, and woofers in enclosures. I’ll go through each one and discuss the benefits and drawbacks.
Full-Range Speakers
As I said earlier, a full-range speaker produces all of the frequencies in the human audible range. That means you don’t have to buy separate drivers or subwoofers to create a complete setup.
Depending on the speaker size you need, there are various options. Harmony has options for most of the popular sizes – 3 ½”, 4″, 5 ¼”, 6 ½”, and 4×6″.
These options make it easy to replace the factory speakers without having to change anything in the car. Let’s take a look at a few of the full-range speakers.
Harmony Carbon Series Full-Range Speakers
One of the essential parts of a speaker is the cone, which moves air back and forth quickly. Its quality can make a significant difference in the sound, and so can its materials. Harmony’s Carbon series’ name is derived from the carbon fiber cones in the speakers.
Carbon Fiber Cones
Among the popular materials for the speaker cone, there are paper, fabric, carbon fiber, and even metal. So, how does this series compare to the other materials?
A typical option like paper may be lightweight, but it isn’t very rigid. It can also absorb a lot of moisture and become dense. Then there are issues with tearing, as it’s much more fragile.
Plastic is another option, which works better than paper. It can provide excellent sound and does not absorb any moisture. However, these cones can make some noise when flexed, which is a drawback.
Carbon fiber is one of the most popular materials for speaker cones. It’s durable and lightweight, ensuring remarkable sound reproduction. Many woofers also use it for the low end and utilize its strength.
Overall, carbon fiber may be hard to work with, but it provides superb sound quality with minimal distortion and accurate reproduction. Let’s look at another highlight of this series — the tweeters.
Silk Dome Tweeters
