Speak up! 5 signs your car needs new speakers

Whether they've blown out, degraded over time or you simply want to upgrade your system, changing your car speakers can be one of the quickest and most effective ways to improve your car audio. Here are five signs that it's time to change your speakers: 1. The sound quality isn't good enough to start with  Unless you have a new car with top of the range specs and premium sound, your factory speakers are unlikely to be of the highest quality. If you just want to sing along to the radio and they're good enough for you then that's fine but audiophiles and serious music lovers might want a better sound quality from the off. 2. The sound has degraded Even if the sound was fine to start with, it might have begun to degrade over time. If you find your sound is muddy or otherwise sounds worse than it once did, the speakers might be the culprit.   3. The speakers have blown Playing sound through your speakers, particularly at loud volume, puts pressure on the speaker cones which vibrate rapidly and can become damaged. If you get no sound at all or a ringing or hissing noise, you might have a blown speaker. Problems with wiring or power could also be to blame though so rule out other causes before buying new speakers.   4. The sound distorts at high volume A partially blown speaker might sound okay at low volume but crackly and distorted when you turn it up. Sometimes you will blow a bass speaker while the others remain intact. This will result in a tinny, treble-heavy sound. Similarly, you could blow a mid- or high-range speaker, leading to a thudding, bass-heavy sound. Try playing a CD or music file that has both high and low ranges to determine if only the low or high range is affected.   5. You're planning a stereo upgrade If you’re planning on upgrading your in-car stereo or amplifier you might also want to change the speakers at the same time to enjoy the full benefit. If you are going for a high-power system, for example, you might want to match it to low sensitivity, high power car speakers.