Factory speakers are the bane of every music lover's existence. They're just not built to withstand the conditions inside your car over time. Fortunately, we carry all kinds of aftermarket speakers that are built to survive - and thrive - in these harsh conditions.

Factory speakers usually sound fine when they're new, but they deteriorate over time. We compared speakers of different ages to see how badly they fare.

Component speaker systems are the audiophile's choice for superior mobile sound. But what are component speaker systems? We'll take a look at what they consist of.

When you're shopping for speakers, don't forget the tweeter. It's shape and the material it's made from have a direct impact on how your music sounds. Tweeters reproduce the upper frequencies in your music — they're what makes your highs sparkle and come to life, and they're vital for proper soundstaging and stereo separation.

Brand-name speakers will make a big difference in your car's sound, there's no doubt about it. But with some simple, relatively inexpensive extra steps, you can make them sound even better.

Installing tweeters in your factory tweeter locations, or custom-mounting them on the upper part of your doors, will give you better stereo imaging and raise the soundstage to your ears. You'll hear better placement of instruments in recordings, and you'll enjoy more depth of sound. And they might not be as difficult to install as you may think.

Factory speakers are not built to last, so over time they'll deteriorate to the point where they sound truly awful. We set up a blind listening test in our Labs and invited some of our most critical listeners to drop by and see if they could tell a difference in the sound.

Achieving great imaging is a matter of understanding your components, and how they interact with your vehicle and the people sitting in it. Properly tweaked, your car or truck can be a dynamic "listening capsule" - a fantastic place to listen to music. But in order to get your vehicle to provide that type of environment, you need to compensate for some of its natural limitations.

Even the best component system can sound better with a few tweaks. Here are some keys to help ensure you get the best possible sound out of your new investment.

A 5-minute video that shows the basics of installing a component speaker system in a car.

Adding brand-name component speakers is a great way to improve the sound of your vehicle, but installation can involve a few more steps than 2- or 3-way speakers. We'll take a look at the most common mounting options chosen for component speaker systems.

In keeping with our goal of achieving high-fidelity sound without springing for the “high end” (JL Audio ZR series, Polk Audio Signature...

Installing component speakers in your vehicle can make a big difference in the sound, but there's a bit more involved than in installing regular full-range speakers.

What kind of a difference do new speakers really make? How difficult will my new speakers be to install? Will my factory radio power aftermarket speakers? Plus other common questions about adding new speakers to your car.

Getting the right speakers to fit your car doesn't have to be confusing, thanks to Crutchfield's extensive research and database.

Learn about the features and technical specifications you'll find included in car speakers.

Sound Ordnance car speakers are your best option for replacing your factory speakers on a tight budget. Watch this quick video to learn more about them.

Focal offers some of the best speakers on the market. This brief video discusses some of the benefits of Focal Access speakers.

This brief Crutchfield video takes a quick look at Focal Polyglass series speakers.

Harold Jones, winner of  Virginia's IASCA Sound Quality Challenge, was kind enough to drop by Headquarters to show off his impressive ride. The centerpiece of Harold's system is...