How to improve car audio
The doors of a vehicle operate as resonance boxes for the loudspeakers. Without a well-functioning resonance box a loudspeaker cannot reproduce sound in the way it should. This applies both to loudspeakers that are part of your HiFi set at home as well as to the loudspeakers in your car. On this tips page we explain how to transform your doors into acoustically well-functioning loudspeaker boxes, in order for you to be able to enjoy your music more whilst driving.
Improve standard car audio
Regular acoustic treatment with Vibraflex Normal works great in cars with loudspeakers that were installed at the factory. With car doors that underwent a simple acoustic treatment in the factory music will sound a bit more dynamic, but it's most of the time not perfect. Cheap products and not enough of it still make driving noise audible. If the car doors are untreated all together and you want to achieve a certain level of acoustics you should use VIbraflex Normal sound deadening or anti-drumming.
More radical car door adjustments are mainly meant for the heavier type of loudspeakers that are driven by (extra) amplifiers. The Vibraflex Extreme will ensure an optimal reproduction of (extremely) low frequencies. The output in terms of volume in decibels inside the vehicle will also be higher after applying these heavier types of sound deadener. As for extreme acoustic treatment to improve car audio, you should make use of the Vibraflex Extreme.
![](https://www.acousticshop.co.uk/media/.renditions/wysiwyg/Vibraflex_Anti-drumming_Sound_Deadener.jpg)
Applying Vibraflex bitumen anti-drumming
This step-by-step plan can be used for every type of car door and Vibraflex type, there is no difference in how you should apply the products.
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Step 1: Stripping
First of all, you need to strip the whole car door, in order to ensure access to the entire inside. Both the inside of the external sheet as well as the frame to which the covering panel was attached have to be accessible. -
Step 2: Cleaning
It is very important that the entire door is clean, in order to ensure a good adhesion of the products (which are all self-adhesive). For this purpose, you can use break cleaner or a detergent that doesn't contain fat or oil. Make sure not to leave any residue, which could potentially affect the self-adhesive layer of the product you are using. -
Step 3: Cutting the products to size
Bitumen anti-drumming sheets can be cut to size with a hobby knife. Make a template from carton or paper for the more complex shapes. Most of the products are ideally cut at low temperatures, which ensures your knife or scissors stays clean (you should apply the sheets after warming them up!) -
Step 4: Applying the anti-drumming products
The anti-drumming sheets should be applied to the inside of the external plate and the frame to which the cladding panel is mounted. The wholes of this frame can also be masked, as such, the door is completely closed. Warm up the mats till well above room temperature in order for them to be flexible and adjust to the shape of the substrate.
Preheating works best with a hair dryer or a painter's blowtorch. Heat up the product to a level that still allows you to touch it. Prevent air bubbles underneath the mat while applying the product and try to cover as much door space as possible. Our Pressure Roller is a handy tool for this job. And, it goes without saying, you should leave the round loudspeaker's hole open. -
Step 5: Optional, applying a sound absorber
There are situations in which a somewhat hollow reverberation can be perceived, caused by sound reflections inside the car door. Like in the case of HiFi loudspeakers, the car door can be filled with some 'speaker filler'. If there is enough space between the window and the external plate, you can apply Akotherm by making use of a spray bottle of contact adhesive. Apply this material to the anti-drumming panels. Akotherm Basic with a thickness of 25 mm is suitable for this purpose. The only condition is that there is enough space to reach the external plate.
Questions?
Do you have any questions concerning this topic? Please feel free to contact us, we will be happy to answer your questions as soon as possible.