While it comes to selecting the best car speakers, then there’s a fair amount for considering first. You should have a crystal clear idea of the amplifier situation. For making things simpler, we’ve described some essential points to see before buying your car speakers in this buyers guide.
Table of Contents
Types of Car Speakers
Buying the best car speakers might be a bit tricky, particularly if you could not tell a difference between car speakers’ types. Following are 2 most common forms of car speakers: full range or coaxial speakers and component speakers. Hence, you need to familiarize yourself first with these to find the best pair of speakers for the car.
Component Car Speakers
Drivers of the component speaker do not usually come together. These might be separated & put in several places of the vehicle. There is a possible arrangement that is a subwoofer is fitted in the trunk, the mid-range speakers or woofers are on the doors’ sides, and tweeters are near the dashboard.
Coaxial (Full Range) Car Speakers
The coaxial speakers are very famous in the car audio systems as compared to the component speakers. This usually contains one woofer and one tweeter. A woofer is typically responsible for the mid-to-low frequency sounds whilst the tweeter does produce high-to-mid frequency sounds. Plus, the drivers of the full range car speakers are generally at a similar place (a tweeter is put over a woofer) hence every sound would originate from there.
Kinds of Car Audio Speakers (by Size)
Subwoofers
A subwoofer produces the deepest and lowest sound frequencies. For the consumer products, the normal frequency range for the subwoofer is between 20 to 200 Hz, below 100 Hz for the live professional sound, and in the THX-approved systems, it’s less than 80 Hz. The subwoofer typically needs one power amplifier & one enclosure. It’s the very first upgrade which could be easily made. The sizes are from 8-inches to 15-inches.
Midbass
These handle low-to-mid tones that include bass drums, low octave vocals, and give deep sounds. The Midbass might be used in different functions in the full-range and component systems. They’re typically 6.5-inch to 8-inch in size. Also, you can think of the midbass speaker like a bass speaker along with another speaker (the subwoofer, for instance) creating the low frequencies. Several midbass speakers could be used in the high power applications while the high powered subwoofer might not fulfill speed requirements of the midbass sounds.
Tweeter
These are utilized for the high frequencies like cymbals and top hats. They are responsible for the clarity and detail of voices. They are also used for musical tools. The tweeters are small-sized in the system. They put at a high place rather than woofers in the component system. And, in the full coaxial system, the tweeters are usually hung in the center of a woofer. The drivers generally range from 0.5-inch – 1.5-inch in size. The tweeters aren’t small in size as compared to woofers, but they’re specialized in the audio frequency above what the woofers could reproduce. Often, such sounds you can sense, but the ears might not hear. Since the higher frequency sounds are directional highly, the tweeters are usually there to divide these sounds so that you’ll listen to them.
Midrange
The midrange speakers usually deal with the frequencies which come in the center of an audio spectrum properly & in detail which the tweeters and midbass could not compare. Midranges are typically measured 3.5-inch to 6.5-inch in size. The mid-range is basically responsible for the audio spectrum that is a very fundamental produced by the musical instruments as well as the human voice. The midrange manages sounds which are quite recognizable by the ears & where the discrepancies are very easily detectable. Since this is a big responsibility, it’s important that the midrange is of high-quality to make sure the low-distortion reproduction.
What Size Speakers Are In My Car?
Read more: What Speaker Fit My Car
The size is the most crucial thing in the best car speakers that you must know before buying. But, it isn’t as simple as you may think. You might wonder why you cannot merely use the measurement of the manufacturers on the car speakers as a sign to make your decision. The main thing is that the numbers are diagonal measurements of the hole as well as frame alignment.
The real size of the best car speakers usually relies on its design. So, it is very crucial to take the actual measurement of the car speaker for making sure that it fits your car. Unluckily, there is not any standardized mean for doing this job. Hence you might need to take this issue into your hands and learn the skills. But do not worry; now you have the technique.
Be familiarized with the following terms:
Diameter
The diameter of a speaker cone isn’t the main criteria for measuring its exact size. Its size is measured relying on the diagonal length of your speaker frame. For measuring the size of the four-hole car speaker frame, begin at 1hole & end at that hole which is at the opposite end. Along with other car speakers, you can measure the diameter of a frame.
Mounting Depth
The measurement is a range between a mounting flange of the speaker and base of a magnet. It would help you in determining how deep a car speaker goes where you can put this in. In case, the car speaker that you’ve got an eye on contains some excessive mounting depth then it could get damaged through being bumped on the surfaces beneath this.
Mounting Height
It’s measured from a mounting flange to a car speaker’s high point. If the measurement of the mounting height is small, then it would look flatter. This is crucial that it is perfect to avoid any damage to your car speakers from bumping to grills or panel.
Cutout Diameter
It’s a diameter of the car speaker’s back. The number would determine if the car speaker isn’t too small or too large to fit the flush into the speaker slot of your car.
The car stereo enthusiasts also note that ensuring the car speaker fitting flush into exact place isn’t enough; there’re several other vital things to see to make sure that it perfectly works. The very first thing to consider is the wattage. Head unit/amplifier’s and speaker’s wattage must match for a high-quality performance. And, check the response of the frequency. In case, you’ve little space but want to have fuller sound then the integrated speakers are best for you.
Buying the car speakers to fit precisely where you need them to is a ticket to get aftermarket sounds, whether you want to install the system or want an upgrade.
How To Seek The Most Appropriate Car Speakers?
The following are a few features of the car speakers to look at to buy the best speakers:
Full Range Speakers vs. Component Speakers
As I’ve stated earlier that the coaxial car speakers or the full range car speakers contain all parts in only one package. Hence, you do not need to worry at all regarding where to put the tweeter or woofer. These’re also simple to set up, you need to remove your old system & fix the latest one in & you’re ready to go.
But, when the ultimate audio experience is actually what you after then the full range car speakers cannot be an excellent choice. So, you would require those component speakers that have separated parts; hence you could easily arrange them where you have to produce high-quality sounds.
The component car speakers are perfect for those people having high demand and great taste for the nice music if this sounds same like you then you need to go for the set of component speakers, & otherwise, the full range speakers would be a good choice.
Car Speakers Durability
Nobody wants low-quality car speakers, mainly while they’ve already gone through the hassle of choosing, buying, and setting them up. Following are few things to look at to increase the time you’ve with car speakers:
To have the best car speakers, all parts of them should be durable as well. However, the main thing is that a woofer is quite different from a tweeter and its surrounding material too. Hence, we would need to take all of those into account:
Surround Materials
Rubber is an excellent choice for the surroundings. It could bear the heat & is flexible to move freely.
Woofer Materials
A woofer must be lightweight and made out of sturdy material. Many manufacturers these days use synthetic films that include polypropylene for woofer cones.
Tweeters
You must have known well how vital a tweeter is in the car speakers system. If you go for the coaxial speaker or the component speaker, make sure a tweeter must be of good quality.
Tweeter Materials
Good quality material for a tweeter relies on the liking of sounds. In case, you like mellow and refined tones then go for the soft materials such as textile blends, poly or silk. When you prefer snappy and bright sounds then hard materials are suitable such as metal, ceramics or graphite.
Swiveling or Pivoting Tweeters
When you want to put your speakers low in car’s door, then the coaxial speaker along with pivoting tweeters might be a superb choice. The tweeters manage high-frequency directional sounds hence you & other passengers might turn this to the direction where they want.
Size
Most people complain that car speakers are very small or very big for their cars, leaving those with no option but to give back to the merchandise & wait for the new one.
External Crossovers
The external crossover might be there in the expensive coaxial speakers. It’s there to make a clear separation between different frequencies for the car woofers as well as those for the car tweeters. In case, your external crossover does the job best then there would not be any redundant distortions or sounds which could affect the listening experience.
Compatibility with a Car
For making sure that the car speaker is compatible then you need to check the following two things:
Power Handling
Knowing the RMS of your speakers is obvious. So you need to make it sure that your car speakers are compatible with their amplifier which utilizes the RMS power.
Sensitivity
It does mean how much power your speaker wants to meet a specific volume level hence find how much power the head unit or external amp could give.
How To Install Car Speakers?
The popular recommended method is to take your automobile to the mechanic simply; however, seeing as though the audio car speakers do normally not affect the car’s mechanics then you could just fit them by yourself when you are quite confident in your capabilities.
Match Your Audio Car Speakers and its System
There’re 2 most important specifications which you should look for while buying the excellent car speakers are sensitivity and power handling:
Power Handling
As you know that the measuring unit is wattage. It would make you able to find the capacity of the car speaker. Here’s a catch, in case, you know about the output of the car speaker then you would be able to learn whether these can work with the system or cannot.
For example, when you have the low-power car stereo system, you will not need the high-end speakers. And, the stereo system along with the power amps would require high-end car speakers for good quality output. You also need to look for the power handling that is RMS and not the peak power. The RMS would provide you an output of the audio speakers.
The RMS is on a permanent basis & not for a short period. In case, the system has the 2-50W RMS rating; then you would use this for your low-end car stereo system. While on the other side, the 10-80W RMS is appropriate for the high-end systems.
Sensitivity
Sensitivity does measure the sound which the speaker could yield with the power. With the low-end system of the 15W RMS or even less, the sensitivity above 90dB would be ideal.
When the stereo system is above 16W RMS, then it would go well along with the speaker having low sensitivity. While you connect these properly and correctly power them, the car speakers would perform extraordinarily.
Top 12 Best Car Speakers 2021 Reviews
| Product | Best Feature | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rockford Fosgate R165X3 Prime | Best Full-range Speakers | 4.4 |
| 2. BOSS Audio CH6530 | Best Power handling | 4.1 |
| 3. Kicker KS | Best Series Options | 4.2 |
| 4. Infinity Reference X / REF-9623ix | Best Value | 4.6 |
| 5. Pioneer PRO TS-6900PRO | Best Volume Potential | 4.7 |
| 6. Polk MM692 | Best Midrange Performance | 3.8 |
| 7. KFC-1695PS by Kenwood | Best Coaxial Stereo Speakers | 4.3 |
| 8. NX654 by Boss Audio – 4 Way | Best Power-handling | 4.2 |
| 9. JBL GTO609C Premium | Best sound quality and bass | 4.5 |
| 10. Kicker DS693 | Best Three-Way | 4.4 |
| 11. Infinity Kappa 60.11CS | Best Component System | 4.4 |
| 12. Alpine Type-S / SPS-619 | Best Overall Speakers | 4.7 |
1. Rockford Fosgate R165X3 Prime – Best Full-range Speakers
The R165X3 speakers from the Rockford Fosgate are a pair. The 3-way coaxial unit is also full-range along with the size of 6.5”. Their cone is made of the vacuumed polypropylene whilst the tweeter and the midrange come mounted along with one pole of the silk dome.
The nominal diameter of midrange is 6.5” whilst speakers’ mounting depth is 2.15”. The tweeter’s nominal size is 0.5”. The car speakers are equipped with the crossover integrated tweeter.
These car speakers have the 45W RMS power handling, and you might use your speakers as the replacement for the factory-fitted units.
Pros
- The three-way coaxial unit comes with a 5” standard size
- The mounting depth of these car speakers is 2.15” that makes them easier to fit in all spaces
- These car speakers have overall 45W RMS power-handling
- The silk dome & polypropylene cones of the speakers make sure clarity in lows and highs
Cons
- The car speakers aren’t as durable as most speakers of this price range
- Their sound quality declines after some time
2. BOSS Audio CH6530 – Best Power handling
When it comes to power handling and an appealing appearance, Boss Audio CH6530 makes a real deal. With the desire for good speakers with noble features at a fair cost, this product offers a friendly budget. It features a polymer-based cone, which is an affordable material and durable at the same time. The product is equipped with aluminum voice coil to ensure optimal performance during high temperature or moments of fatigue.
This means that the performance of the speaker will not be halted when subjected to heavy duty play. Its piezoelectric tweeters ensure that the high frequencies drivers are not damaged by overloads. Boss Audio CH6530 has a rubber surrounds that which makes it impermeable to air and other substances. This rubber surrounds also help to protect it against wear out as a result of exposure. Features include:
Pros
- Affordable
- High quality performance
- Easy installation
- It is a heavy duty speaker
- High power handling
Cons
- quality of sound may not be up to standard
- Tends to grapple at high frequencies
3. Kicker KS – Multiple Speaker Sizes – Best Series Options
The midrange and high-frequency performance of Kicker KS car speaker are about what you would expect from such an affordable speaker. Its power handling specifications are average. But, the bass performance is outstanding, particularly at this cost.
There’s a lot more in the bass rather than with many car speakers. It’s how they are made to perform. The Kicker is the best choice when your car contains multiple car speaker sizes.
On its mid-level power setting, the speaker reaches 83.9 dB. The KS car speaker requires more power as compared to other car speakers to meet higher volumes.
Pros
- Many speaker sizes in this series
Cons
- Not efficient
4. Infinity Reference X / REF-9623ix – Best Value
This Infinity Reference X has been among the perfect car speakers series. The 6 into 9” REF-9623ix car speaker got excellent grades for its audio performance & is best for the relative loudness. When you see the low price and power-handling specifications, the Infinity car speaker is an excellent choice for value.
For the frequency accuracy, the REF-9623ix speaker offers an A plus for high frequency, a B negative for low frequency, and an A for midrange frequency. Overall, the REF-9623ix got an A negative for the audio quality.
As far as other car speakers are concerned, it’s the best sound coaxial speaker available on the market. This speaker has a sensitivity rating of about 94 dB that’s the highest rating. But, high-sensitivity ratings do not mean good-quality volume.
Pros
- Perfect at converting its power to volume
- Best audio quality
- Quite affordable
Cons
- Its frequency response is the lowest that is 46 Hz
- Series does lack component speaker choices
- Its bass is not very good
5. Pioneer PRO TS-6900PRO – 600W MAX 2 Speaker – Best Volume Potential
The Pioneer PRO car speaker is the newest one available in the market. Its shotgun barrel tweeter and blade-like grille give this an aggressive look; however, it us the car speaker efficiency which adds teeth.
The TS-6900PRO, 6 x 9” speaker, is the loudest one – it projected at the high volumes than several other car speakers if set to the similar power output on a car stereo.
At half volume, this car speaker produces 93.8 dB that is almost six decibels higher as compared to the average. The TS-6900PRO receives a B for midrange frequency, an A for high frequency, & an A plus for low frequency. Overall, the audio quality is A that makes it the best and most accurate sounding speakers
Pros
- Contains peak power handling of six-hundred watts
- Receives an A for its audio quality
- Excellent at converting its power to volume
Cons
- Style can be quite aggressive for a few people
- No component car speaker options
- Series does lack installation sizes
6. Polk MM692 – Best Midrange Performance
This Polk MM692 car speaker is of high-quality. The low frequencies and high frequencies of this pair of car speakers are the most accurate.
However, midrange accuracy stands out. This gives an accurate performance in the midrange. It makes for the full and high-quality mixture worthy of the high cost tag.
Its power handling is just superb. It’s the highest sensitivity rating with 94 dB. It is also rated for handling 150 watts non-stop & at peak 450 watts. It is a very efficient pair of car speakers.
Pros
- Accurate midrange
Cons
- Pricey
7. KFC-1695PS by Kenwood – Best Coaxial Stereo Speakers
These KFC-1695PS speakers from Kenwood are in 2 pairs. These belong to the performance series of this brand. The sound harmonizing technology brings harmony between lows and highs.
These 6.5” car speakers come with grills, and they’ve the power-handling feature of about 640W RMS. Their three-way coaxial stereo gives the maximum power of almost 320W & RMS power of about 75W. Besides, they offer an impedance of four ohms.
These speakers offer a 6.5” paper cone woofer for delivering a top-quality sound which is clear.
Pros
- KFC-1695PS speakers have the RMS of 75W.
- Their Sound Harmonizing Technology keeps lows and high well balanced.
- These speakers offer a maximum power of about 320W.
- It comes with the paper cone woofer which is 6.5” in size.
Cons
- Quality of lows deteriorates day by day.
- Installation of the speakers is quite tough.
8. NX654 by Boss Audio – 4 Way – Best Power-handling
The NX654 Boss speakers are full-range and come in a pair. These 400W car speakers offer 200W RMS maximum power-handling. The frequency response of the speakers ranges from 20 KHz to 65 Hz, and the sensitivity is about 90dB.
Their woofer cone is of poly injection, and its surround is of rubber. There’re two tweeters in each car speaker with a 1.25” Mylar-Cone.
Pros
- Speakers’ butyl rubber also enhances longevity
- The frequency response is from 20 KHz to 65 Hz
- These car speakers offer 3-years warranty
- Polyurethane enhances flexibility & improves sound output
- The 400-watt units have maximum 200W RMS power handling
- Their sensitivity is about 90dB
Cons
- The speakers are suitable for the stock replacements
- Their sound quality does waver after a while
9. JBL GTO609C Premium – Best sound quality and bass
Looking for the best speaker that offers superior sound quality and bass, then we suggest that you go for JBL Premium 6.5inches component Speaker System. This speaker set is a 2-speaker system that possesses high quality. This product features a plus one carbon-injected cone. It is an outstanding feature because it is superior to others in the market. Also, it features a soft dome tweeter with oversized voice coils.
The soft dome tweeter is to ensure that heat does not affect the product. This actually means you can adjust the volume to your desire. It possesses a lot of other interesting features like a dual tweeter volume adjustment level and many other features that make this speaker the best recommendation.
Pros
- The product is highly durable due to its solid construction
- Simple and easy to install
- Available in various sizes
- It is highly portable because of its compact design.
- Possesses high quality brackets
Cons
- The sound can be too loud
- Can be too small for some folks.
10. Kicker DS693 – Best Three Way
Are you in search of a speaker with both good sound quality and low budget? There you have the Kicker DS693. This product offers 140 watts of RMS power per speaker and 280 watts for the pair. This quite impressive for the price range they fall into. It means that if you intend to use an amplifier, you might want to be careful to ensure that the amplifier is compatible with the speakers. Features include:
- 70 Watts RMS Power; 140 Watts Peak Power
- 4 Ohm Impedance; sensitivity: 92 dB;
- Mounting Hardware, Grilles, and Speaker Wire Included
Pros
- Highly durable and flexible even with extreme conditions
- Incredibly affordable
- Enables amp connection
- Installation is easier with the Installation manual available in different languages
Cons
- Relatively bulkier
- Sound quality can get better
11. Infinity Kappa 60.11CS Car 6.5 Speakers – Best Component System
Searching for a 6.5 inch sound quality with high bass car speaker? Look no further than Infinity Kappa 60.11CS 6.5 speakers. This product offers a good sound quality with its two way set up and large cone surface with a low budget. It features a 2-ohm impedance that allows for absolute compensation in the unreliable factory speakers. Compared to the factory installed speakers, its wiring system provides for a better output.
This product offers a frequency of 45 to 35000Hz and a sensitivity of 92db. It is a highly sensitive sound system. Its rubber surround sound system is not only durable but also presents a bold bass. Features include:
- 5 inch Car Audio 2-Way Component System
- Peak: 540 watts per pair (270 watts each) | RMS: 180 watts per pair (90 watts each)
- Frequency response: 45-35,000 Hz
- Impedance: 2-ohms
Pros
- Can be used as portable speaker
- High quality sound and low distortion
- It offers temperature control
Cons
- Average bass response
12. Alpine S-S69 S-Series 6×9-inch Coaxial 2-Way Speakers (pair) – Best Overall Speakers
This 6 x 9” coaxial car speaker offers excellent frequency accuracy and audio quality along with the perfect overall performance. Its relative loudness is just superb. While you consider its midrange affordable price & size selection along with other options to fit many installations, this is clear why it’s a fantastic car speaker.
The Alpine S-S69 car speaker receives an A plus for high frequency, an A negative for midrange frequency, & an A for low frequency. There’s nothing as the best speaker, but this speaker sounds great.
The S-S69 has the best speaker efficiency as compared to its 90 dB sensitivity rating recommends – this receives an A negative for the relative loudness. This Alpine speaker does not require much power for reaching high volumes as the most need that is crucial as its non-stop power handling characteristic is just below average, at 85 watts.
Pros
- Different sizes are available for the common installations
- Comparatively loud
- The highest grade for the audio quality
Cons
- No style
- Range of frequency is a bit narrow
- Specifications of power handling are just below average
Best Car Speakers 2021 FAQs
Following are a few questions that people ask about the car speakers:
Are Car Audio used in the home stereo?
Yeah. The speakers are typically passive device; hence you might surely use these at your home. But, you have to check in case the home stereo could handle the low impedance of the car speakers.
Could you wire your car speaker backward?
Yeah. You might do that, though this isn’t risky for an amplifier or a speaker, speaker response and power delivery would interfere.
Are you able to blow your car speaker?
The car speakers blow out due to thermal or mechanical failure. The latter happens when the cone moves further than it is supposed to that makes some other components to collide with one another or with a frame of the speaker in the car speakers. So, they might be torn, broken or suffered damage.
Is water damaging for car speakers?
Yeah. When water gets inside the speaker’s voice coil gap, then it would short your speaker out and burn the amp.
Conclusion
Updating the best car speakers is not a bad idea at all unless the car has been particularly designed with the audio system as a rare selling point then there are chances that your sound-system will not work precisely.
We’re confident about the above selection that we’ve examined in the article. It makes for an excellent upgrade to the most stock speakers, definitely, their performance is as good as an amplifier powering the drivers.
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