In September, I purchased three models of motorcycle speakers from parts-express.com. I chose this site at the recommendation of one of our consultants both because of their low prices and also their generous return policy. The three we purchased were:

1) Pyle PLMCA10: comes with an amp, each speaker is rated at 50W 2) Pyle PLMCA30: comes with an amp, each speaker is rated at 200W  3) Pyle PLMCA60: comes with an amp, each speaker is rated at 300W

Each of these speaker pairs comes with a dedicated amplifier that runs off a 12V battery (must be standard for motorcycles?). It was very revealing to both test these for sound quality as well as power consumption. The 50W speakers sounded the best, partially, I think, due to their larger size (the lower frequencies were clearest on these). The 200W were the next best, and the 300W the worst by far (interesting, since these are the most expensive). Using an amp meter, the 50W and 200W speakers both peaked around .3 amps, the volume at full and a range of frequencies. The 300W pair peaked over .5 amps, with spikes as the frequencies dropped. At around $50 – $60 a pair, the PLMCA 10’s are the ones we’ll use. I quickly ordered several more sets, as the price was right and they were in stock. With items such as these, you never know how long something will stay on the market.

With the audio component chosen, the first big piece of the circuit has been decided. Next up–what will generate the audio itself?