Everyone wants their car equipped with amazing speakers. Whether for day-to-day driving, or going on a road trip, many people listen to their favorite music, radio station, or podcasts every day. If you don’t have a car equipped with high-end state of the art speakers, you are missing out on some important sound qualities. On many older cars, their speakers are slowly going out and it may be time for a replacement.
The good news is there are many great quality speakers that are extremely affordable, and you will be shocked at the amount of money you can save when buying them. I have put together a list of the best car speakers on the market today so you can look at and see which ones would complement your car the most.
For all these, I recommend double checking to see which ones will work/fit in your car, as this will immensely narrow down your search. Without further ado let’s get to the list and get closer to buying a new set of car speakers.
Table of Contents
Car Speakers Comparison
| Model | Dimensions | Speaker Size | Power (per speaker) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infinity Kappa 693.11I 220W 6 x 9 Inches 3-Way Kappa Series Coaxial Speakers | 16.3 x 6.5 x 11.3 inches | 6 x 9 Inches | 220 watts | |
| JVC CS-J620 300W 6.5″ CS Series 2-Way Coaxial Car Speakers | 13.4 x 7.6 x 3.6 inches | 6.5 Inches | 300 watts | |
| Infinity Kappa 62.11I 150W 6.5-Inch 2-Way Kappa Series Coaxial Speakers | 16.2 x 5.4 x 8 inches | 6.75 Inches | 450 watts | |
| Pioneer TS-F1634R 6.5″ 200W 2-Way Speakers Editor's Best Features Choice | 4.9 x 6.2 x 5.6 inches | 6.5 Inches | 200 watts | |
| Alpine SPS-610C 6-1/2″ Component 2-Way Type-S Speaker System | 4 x 6 x 3 inches | 6.5 Inches | 80 watts | |
| JBL GTO638 6.5-Inch 3-Way Speakers | 10 x 9 x 8 inches | 6.5 Inches | 180 watts | |
| Kicker 40CS654 6.5 inch 2-Way Speakers | 13.5 x 6.5 x 3 inches | 6.5 Inches | 300 watts | |
| Polk Audio DB651 6.5″/6.75″ 2-Way Marine Certified dB Series Car Speakers | 8 x 14.5 x 4.8 inches | 6.5 Inches | 60 watts | |
| Kenwood KFC-1665S 300-Watt 6.5-Inch 2-Way Sport Series Flush Mount Coaxial Speakers Editor's Budget Choice | 13.2 x 3.5 x 7.5 inches | 6.5 Inches | 30 watts | |
| Rockford Fosgate R165X3 Prime 6.5-Inch Full-Range 3-Way Coaxial Speaker Editor's Overall Choice | 8.3 x 16 x 4 inches | 6.5 Inches | 45 watts |
The Top 10 Best Car Speakers Reviews 2018
Infinity Kappa 693.11l 220W 6 x 9 Inches 3-Way Kappa Series Coaxial Speakers with Edge-Driven UTF Tweeters – Best Coaxial Speakers
The Infinity Kappa is on this list because of the name brand. Infinity Kappa is both reliable and makes affordable high-quality products that you can trust. I look for a car speaker that creates great sound but also does not cost a fortune at the end of the day. This is one of my main reasons I have included this set on the list.
Features
- Measures 6” by 9”
- 3-way speakers
- Power handling is 660 watts (per pair)
- RMS is 220 watts (per pair)
- Cone built of carbon-injected glass fiber
- Has a 1” soft dome edge
The biggest drawback of this otherwise amazing product is that it does not fit all the vehicles.
- Great sounding speakers
- High-quality components
- Clear at high volumes
- Affordable
- No distortion
- The carbon is not the strongest material, can be flimsy
The Infinity Kappa 693.11l is one of the best car speakers available on the market today. The best part about it is its affordability; it does not cost a fortune and delivers high-quality sound with zero distortion. Just be careful handling the speakers as the carbon they are made of tends to break easily if not handled with care. I highly recommend this product.
JVC CS-J620 300W 6.5″ CS Series 2-Way Coaxial Car Speakers, Set of 2 – Best Shallow Mount Speakers
The reason I included this product from JVC on this list is because some people are looking for the cheapest speaker they can find for their car. The JVC CS-J620 is incredibly inexpensive, however, does that affect the quality of what you are going to get? You are about to find out below as I get into more detail.
Features
- Measures 6.5”
- Power handling peaks at 300 watts
- RMS is 30 watts
- Surrounded by rubber and cloth
- Sensitivity is 92dB
- Black color
The sound of these speakers needs a booster (subwoofer) for bigger vehicles.
- Inexpensive to buy
- Work very well for the price
- Lots of mounting hole options
- Easy to install
- Not as powerful as others on the market
- Because of the price point, don’t expect incredible things
The JVC CS-J620 300W Coaxial Car Speakers are by no doubt a great bargain for the price. They do indeed work, are easy to install, and are a good replacement for car speakers in case of an emergency. But are they the best car speakers? Absolutely not. The reason for this is because you get what you pay for; you can’t expect a cheap set of speakers to compete with the more high-end brands.
However, this is the best car speakers at this price, and if you are on a tight budget, I would guide you towards buying a set. Just know what you are paying for, and what you are getting.
Infinity Kappa 62.11I 150W 6.5-Inch 2-Way Kappa Series Coaxial Speakers – Best for Easy Installation
This is the second set of Infinity Kappa speakers on the best car speakers’ list and there is a reason: Infinity Kappa is a fantastic maker of speakers. The reason this set is included is because it is affordable without losing any power or quality of sound. Do they hold up against others in this price point? And how do they fair when compared to other Infinity Kappa speakers?
Features
- Measure 6-1/2”
- 2-way speakers
- Power handling is 450 watts per pair,
- RMS is 150 watts per pair
- Built out of carbon-injected glass fiber
- More cone area on this product than other speakers
- No visible mounting screws
- Modern look
Some of the customers have complained about durability issues. Some of them received blown speakers, but this could be an isolated case.
- Affordable
- Clear sound
- No distortion at high volume
- Easy to install
- Built by a fantastic brand
- Great look
- Won’t get much bass with these
- Will need to buy wires for setup
You can’t go wrong with products from Infinity Kappa, and the Infinity Kappa 62.11l 2-Way Coaxial Speakers are no exception. They sound great, have a great look, and most importantly, do not distort when played at high volume.
With any speaker of this size, however, you won’t be getting as much bass as you may want; I mean, the bass is there and still has a dominant sound, but for those lovers of that lower end, you need to find a larger speaker of over 10 inches at least.
I still think the Infinity Kappa 62.11 2-Way Coaxial Speakers belongs on the best car speakers list and would recommend it to anyone looking for an affordable set of great-sounding car speakers.
Pioneer TS-F1634R 6.5″ 200W 2-Way Speakers – Best for Crystal Clear Sound
The main reason the Pioneer TS-F1634R 2-Way Speakers are on the best car speaker list is that they are one of the best-made speakers at an incredibly cheap price point. There are a lot of people who are not looking for the best speakers, but just want to find ones that are cheap and simply get the job done. The Pioneer TS-F1634R 2-Way Speakers are cheap, but does that sacrifice the quality of the overall sound? Will they last?
Features
- Full range speaker system
- Works on 200 watts if max power
- 25-watts RMS
- Measures 6.5”
- Sensitivity of 88dB
- Shallow basket
- Frequency response of 31 HZ to 16000 HZ
These speakers lack high-quality sound and music levels.
- An inexpensive buy
- Decent for the money
- Gets the job done
- Good levels of bass for the price
- Work loud even under bad weather conditions
- You do get what you pay for
- Not the best sound in the world
- Sensitivity of dB is lower than most on the list
With any set of speakers that are this cheap, you always need to know what you are paying for. The Pioneer TS-F1634R 2-Way Speakers are great for their price point, but they do suffer a bit when compared to the other best car speakers on this list. They are sensitive and have the potential to distort at high volumes.
However, if you are looking for speakers that simply get the job done, play music, and the radio, and are cheap, these are the right ones for you. They are made of durable material and they will last a while, just without the best quality of sound.
Alpine SPS-610C 6-1/2″ Component 2-Way Type-S Speaker System – Best Distortion Free Speakers
The Alpine SPS-610C 6-1/2″ 2-Way Speaker System has been included on this list because it is a premium product at an affordable price, that is a great upgrade from the normal speakers in your current car. Alpine is a fantastic company, with great customer service.
Features
- Measures 6-1/2”
- Type S series
- Tweeter has silk dome and measures 1” (wide range)
- Tweeter is mounted with a swivel
- 480 watts peak
- 160-watts RMS
- Aramid fiber spider—deep base
- HD polymer frame
- OEM mounting adapters
Tweeters do not support loud volume. Customer service is also not helpful when it comes to issues you might encounter.
- Easy to install and mount
- Excellent sound quality
- Does not distort at high volume
- Smooth sound
- Very clear sound
- Tweeters hit high notes great
- Bass is simply okay, needs a bit more gusto
- Under loud volume, tweeters began to crackle a bit
I stated earlier in the article that any smaller speakers aren’t going to have the greatest bass quality of sound. This is very true with the Alpine SPS-610C 6-1/2″ 2-Way Speaker System. While it does produce an all-around excellent sound quality, if you care about having a dominant bass, you are going to have to buy an extra speaker or subwoofer to go with this set.
These speakers are affordable, look great, and are easy to install. I wouldn’t play them at max volume, just because the tweeters can begin to crackle, and I have heard that others have popped at this level.
JBL GTO638 6.5-Inch 3-Way Speakers (Pair) – Best Tweeters
This is the first product on this list developed from the minds at Harman Kardon. This very affordable pair of speakers is built intended for your car, your place of work, or even around the house in a home speaker system. The reason they are on this list is because they are very easy to install and I think they produce a great sound quality.
Features
- Come with the Plus One woofer cone
- Tweeter plays like a home theater system
- Built-crossover network
- Measures 6-1/2 inches
- Three-way speaker
- Tweeter is made out of Mylar-titanium
- Supertweeter can be adjusted
- Power handling is at 180 watts
- 2-ohm impedance
- Can be mounted at a depth of two inches
- Can play at temperatures between -35°F and 90°F
- Comes with easy-to-install mounting system
- JBL sound quality
Speakers lose clarity when the sound is loud. There is also no bass response.
- Fantastic sound
- Super clear
- Easy to install
- Affordable
- Reliable company
- Can be used in a variety of weather conditions
- Not a ton of bass, but that is expected
Products made at JBL have been tested for over 500 hours in various environments. They really take their products serious which is definitely why the JBL GTO638 6.5-Inch 3-Way Speakers are on this list. You can tell they are made of durable materials, and they produce a fantastic sound.
The bass is just ok, but these speakers can easily link with a larger bass product if you want to enhance that low-end sound. At the end of the day, the JBL GTO638 6.5-Inch 3-Way Speakers are a great buy because of their easy installation process and their excellent quality of sound for such a small speaker.
Kicker 40CS654 6.5 inch 2-Way Speakers – Best Depth Baskets for All Cars
The Kicker 40CS654 6.5 inch 2-Way Speakers was developed by the Kicker brand, the very first on this list from that company. But for such a small speaker, can they produce a high-quality sound? Furthermore, can they produce a crystal-clear sound without any problems? This is what I am going to dive into today, just to see what they are like and whether you should buy them.
Features
- Runs on 600 watts of max power per pair
- RMS totals 200 watts per pair
- Coaxial sounds remarkable, easy to drop in
- Depth baskets have been reduced for easy installation in any vehicle
- Designed with an easy installation in mind
The sound starts to crack and distort at high pitches. Not suitable for loud music.
- Affordable
- One of the easiest to install
- Built for a wide variety of cars because of their less depth basket
- Great sound quality for size
- Good bass for size
- Began to crackle at certain times depending on volume
The Kicker 40CS654 6.5 inch 2-Way Speakers is one of the easiest speakers on this list to install, which is why they are one of the best car speakers on the market today. Buying a set of speakers that are difficult to install can be quite the challenge, but this set was a breeze.
On top of that, they produce a great quality sound, and I was actually surprised at the low end (bass) and how good it really was. However, I noticed that the speaker does crack every now and then, especially at a really high volume. I am still looking into the reason why, but it may simply be because of its price point (cheap) and overall build of the product.
Polk Audio DB651 6.5″/6.75″ 2-Way Marine Certified dB Series Car Speakers with Liquid Cooled Silk Tweeters – Best Durable Speakers
This set of speakers has been included on the best car speakers list for a variety of reasons that I will get into below. Polk audio has been known to produce great, quality speakers at affordable prices. They use state-of-the-art technology to produce speakers that are durable, produce great sound, and that can be purchased by someone on a budget.
Features
- Measures 6 ½”
- 2-way coaxial speakers
- 360 watts of power handling per pair
- RMS is 120 watts per pair
- Made out of lightweight polymer/mica mineral
- The silk/polymer composite for the tweeter has been liquid-cooled
- Filters are both high and low pass
- 25mm Kapton voice coil
- Comes with 2 grills
- 8 screws
- 8-speed clips
- 2 foam rubber gaskets
- Tweeter is swivel mounted
- Shallow magnet design can fit in almost any car on the road
- Marine certified. can both perform on both water and land
- Can still perform under intense cold or heat, and in direct sunlight for long periods of time
The speakers produce unnatural highs and come with tiny tweeters.
- Great installation process
- Can fit in any car
- Durable make
- Produces great sound
- Marine certified is an added bonus
- Great price
- Crisp sound
- No distortion
- Wiring is not included, need to buy your own
At the end of the day, the Polk Audio DB651 2-Way Marine Certified Series Car Speakers are a great buy. I think they are one of the most durable products on this list and are well made. Their new easy installation technology is superb because it fits in almost any car on the road with no problems.
This is the first product I have seen that is in fact “marine certified,” and can still perform great under any extreme weather circumstances. Just be aware that the Polk Audio DB651 2-Way Marine Certified Series Car Speakers does not come with any wiring, and you will have to provide your own, which is an annoyance.
Kenwood KFC-1665S 300-Watt 6.5-Inch 2-Way Sport Series Flush Mount Coaxial Speakers with Paper Tweeters, Set of 2 – Best Value for your Money
Like a few others on the best car speakers list, this product is at the cheaper end. Whenever I see a speaker at this price, I am always wary that they will sacrifice quality just to save you money. So, I tried the Kenwood KFC-1665S 300-Watt 2-Way Sport Series Coaxial Speakers to see how they hold up under a variety of circumstances, and when compared to others on this list.
Features
- Flush mount
- Peaks at 300 watts for power handling
- The RMS is 30 watts
- Cone is made of polypropylene
- Dome tweeter is balanced
- Impendence is 4 ohms
- Sharp looking grill for custom installing
The only drawback of these speakers is that the bass is not too great.
- Extremely affordable
- Great sound for the price
- Improved the sound
- Easy to install
- Great tweeters for higher end of sound
- You do get what you pay for
- Virtually no bass
- Nothing special
As I’ve stated with the other low-pricedspeakers—you have to understand that you get what you pay for. The Kenwood KFC-1665S 300-Watt 2-Way Sport Series Coaxial Speakers have a great look and produces good sound, but with hardly any bass to go along with it.
This is just an okay speaker system, but it is really affordable, so I thought I would include it for someone who is not too interested in the highest quality of sound, and just wants a product that is cheap to buy.
Rockford Fosgate R165X3 Prime 6.5-Inch Full-Range 3-Way Coaxial Speaker (Pair) – Best Overall Car Speakers
This is the last on the best car speaker list. As with all of the speakers on this list, the Rockford Fosgate R165X3 3-Way Coaxial Speaker is affordable, yet does not really offer anything new that we haven’t seen before.
Features
- Cone has been produced out of vacuum polypropylene
- Surrounded by rubber
- Tweeter has silk dome
- Comes with both the hardware to mount and grilles
- 3-way full-range speakers
- 4 ohm
- Responds to frequencies at 52Hz to 20kHz
- Power handling is 45 RMS
- 90 watts max
- Sensitive at 91dB
These speakers produce very flat sound. Not suitable for loud music.
- Looks great
- A fantastic replacement speaker
- Sounds good at such a low price
- Crisp sound
- Clear mids
- Great tweeters
- Again, the bass is just okay
- With a sub-woofer, this set would be one of the best
I recommend the Rockford Fosgate R165X3 3-Way Coaxial Speaker because it is one of the best car speakers at an affordable price on the market today. First and foremost, they can easily be installed into almost any car. They come with an installation kit, which a lot of speakers do not have. However, as with most smaller car speakers that we have seen on this list, the Rockford Fosgate R165X3 3-Way Coaxial Speaker does struggle with the lower end of the sound.
The bass does not have that much power. This is an easy fix because if you bought a sub-woofer to go with it, this would be one of the best entire speaker systems built for your car today. It is a clear sound that is also crisp, and I found playing music or the radio at mid-level can overpower any outdoor noises such as your car tires or any weather conditions.
Editor’s Choice
Editor’s Budget Choice – Kenwood KFC-1665S 300-Watt 6.5-Inch
If you’re on a tight budget, but you want car speakers that offer you great value, then have a look at the Kenwood KFC-1665S 300-Watt 6.5-Inch. A perfect combination of price and value.
Editor’s Overall Choice – Rockford Fosgate R165X3 Prime 6.5-Inch
Without a doubt, the Rockford Fosgate R165X3 Prime 6.5-Inch wins as the best overall car speaker. It offers you 45 watts per speaker but has a crystal clear crisp sound that won’t distort. Highly recommended!
Editor’s Best Features Choice – Pioneer TS-F1634R 6.5″ 200W 2-Way Speakers
If you want a full-range speaker system that provides crystal clear sound, I recommend that you take a look at the Pioneer TS-F1634R 6.5″ 200W 2-Way Speakers. These are incredibly affordable speakers that come with a lot of attractive features. I assure you that you cannot go wrong with them.
How to Choose the Best Speakers for Car – Buyer’s Guide
Quality
You might be asking yourself how I established the best car speakers list and what should you be looking for in a car speaker system. Obviously, the most important aspect of a car speaker system is the quality of sound. You do not want to buy a set of speakers that simply start crackling when they are really loud, or you can hardly hear the music at all. So, I would look for speakers that have a high dB level and also have a high power-handling system.
Easy Installation
Another important aspect to buying a car speaker system is purchasing a system that is easy to install and works with the make and model of your car. I have had nightmares of purchasing a system and then realizing the wiring is not even compatible with my car. As well, you want to purchase a system that comes with an installation system that is easy and does not require a lot of work.
Full Package
There are a lot of speakers, including some on the list above, that actually come with zero wiring and you have to provide it yourself. While that may be okay for some people, it might not be the best thing for you so I recommend that you at least look for speakers that come with everything included.
Due Diligence
There are lots of companies in the market nowadays that offer different kinds of speaker systems. There are literally so many brands and products that it can be quite a daunting task for anyone to choose the one speaker system that meets their every need. In order to help you in finding the best product, I did extensive research and this listing is the outcome of that. I have taken into account lots of factors that I mentioned above while preparing this list. However, I would highly encourage you to do your own research because eventually, it is up to you and your preferences.
Pros & Cons
All these products that are listed above are definitely worthy of your attention and I can promise you that once you start checking them out, you will be compelled to examine them thoroughly. You should also keep in mind that not all the speakers that are expensive and great speakers. At the same time, just like any other product in the market, these speakers come with their sets of advantages and disadvantages. It is entirely up to you to make a choice that works best for you.
Weatherproof
Lastly, you want to find speakers that work under any type of weather conditions. Depending on where you live, it may get very cold at some points of the year, and hot at other times, and you want a speaker system to work perfectly no matter what the weather. All the best car speakers have been built to withstand any form of weather, including sitting in the sun for hours. Don’t let the weather be a factor in your car speaker system.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, buying a speaker system is entirely up to you. There was a common theme with all the best car speakers listed above: Since they are built small, to fit in your car, they do lack in lower-end bass volume. This is an easy fix with buying a subwoofer, but if you do not mind not having it, then I think they all still produce great sound at affordable pricing.