Welcome to our guide to the best car speakers, below you will find our comprehensive list outlining the top seven car speakers for 2018. The list was compiled with the help of lots of car enthusiasts, speakers experts and audio fanatics. This blend of people came together and compiled this list which should serve anyone planning on buying a car speaker today.
Our picks for the best car speakers:
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BEST 6.5″ COMPONENT : The Hertz HSK 165 XL
There are a lot of car speakers on today’s market, and when it comes to 6.5″ component car speakers it was a difficult choice to come out with a single top option. Ultimately, we selected the Hertz HSK 165 XL, for that combination of price and performance which sets it thoroughly out of reach of its closest contender. We’ve all come to expect the best from Hertz Car Audio; here is what the HSK 165 XL delivers.
When it comes to design perfection, materials science, and audio performance, the HSK 165 XL model is a truly extraordinary car speaker system for its price range, despite its not being the most affordable option to begin with. The expense is worth it in 2018, however, for a two-way system comprising the HT 28 tweeter and HV 165 XL woofer. It presents a 2dB output increase through its entire frequency range. Additional options allow for its filter to be fine-tuned, based on user preference and the location where it’s been installed. This configuration setup is highly intuitive, making the process of applying changes to suit personal tastes quick — and entirely painless.
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The HSK 165 XL features peak power handling of 300 watts, with continuous handling of about 150 watts, and 4 ohms of impedance. It’s a two-way system, with a LO/HI-pass crossover type, cutting off at 2.5 kHz at 12/12 dB per octave. This makes for a flexible, wide-ranging audio system, providing high quality realistic sound reproduction with remarkably flat deviation.
We all know the Hertz brand name, and we know what it stands for. Established in 1998 by the Italian consumer audio manufacturing firm Elettromedia, the Hertz Car Audio brand has been strongly associated with high quality audio equipment and accessories for almost twenty years as of this writing in 2018. The Hertz HSK 165 XL absolutely carries on this well-established tradition of excellence in parts, materials, performance, and design; it represents truly unrivaled value for your money, without sacrificing sound quality.
MOST ADVANCED HI-TECH 6.5” COMPONENT: Focal Performance PS 165
There are a variety of different factors to take into account when it comes to evaluating the quality of a car audio system, most of which relate directly to speaker performance. Materials, design, and power all contribute to the overall finished quality of a product in a huge way, by ensuring consistently high quality sound with realistic reproduction across a broad range.
The Focal Performance PS 165 illustrates another factor: high-tech features and innovation. It’s a part of the design process, but one that’s too often taken for granted in car audio equipment. An oversized 6.5″ speaker system, the 6.75″ PS 165 combines the latest cutting-edge audio technology into one ultra-cool set of speakers. Its advanced polyglass cone is both lightweight and rigid, creating a uniformly rich and smooth sound across the fullness of its range. Its sturdy, well-designed frame reduces distortion and prevents reverberation, for added clarity and high performance.
This two-way speaker system is highly sensitive across a wide range, with adjustability levels and options that other brands simply do not offer. Both tweeters in the Performance PS 165 feature high quality, aircraft-grade aluminum, and allow for installation with one of three different mounting configurations, whichever is best suited to the individual user’s tastes. Car audio enthusiasts are also offered three different crossover cutoff options for high frequency filtration; with these high-performance speakers, your music will sound the way you want it to sound.
The quality of the Focal Performance PS 165 provides a virtual showcase of Focal’s best, most advanced technical innovations and adaptations of the past several years in research and development. It is a worthy successor to previous offerings by this French audio manufacturing brand, which boasts a tradition of high quality and excellence that’s more than thirty-five years old.
BEST DESIGN IN 6.5” COMPONENT : The JL Audio Evolution ZR650-CSi
One of the most important concepts in car stereo design is the quality of their engineering, and the Evolution ZR650-CSi speakers from JL Audio are a model of classic German efficiency. This two-way component car speaker system’s 6.5″ woofers and tweeters are each housed in die-cast alloy baskets for improved rigidity, support, and durability.
Their Kurt Müller cones and high-tech suspension contribute to a level of quality, in terms of accurate and realistic sound reproduction, which few other systems can match. Precision-machined parts make for uniformly high quality throughout each piece. The ZR650-CSi component car speakers maintain minimal deviation from flat sound, and have a long lifespan, thanks to their excellence in design and engineering.
The audio detail produced by the ZR650-CSi series is really extraordinary, even at the extremes of its range. Its one inch aluminum dome tweeters are mounted with a rubber-roll suspension system that dampens excessive ringing and unwanted sound, a proprietary JL Audio innovation that improves high-end audio quality and overall performance. And, while it’s not particularly instrumental to car speaker performance, it’s still worth noting that the electro-formed flush-mounting fixture adds a tough of sophistication to the overall appearance of the design.
There’s nothing wrong with having something look good, particularly when it’s also delivering on the level of performance that JL Audio’s Evolution line reliably provides. The system includes aesthetically pleasing woofer grills; each grill includes a grill tray, and steel mesh grill with an electroformed “ZR” logo. All woofer grill components are a deep, stylish black color.
Premium components also went into the engineering and design of the bi-amp capable ZR crossovers. American-made Mills™ resistors are mounted on an extruded aluminum heat sink for more efficient cooling and better overall performance. Polypropylene capacitors and segmented air-core inductors add to the excellence in engineering that has given the ZR650-CSi series from JL Audio their unmatched performance in accurately reproduced sound quality.
Further augmenting the performance of this model are its five different levels of tweeter attenuation, as well as four distinct levels of mid-range presence. An intuitive and easy-to-use adjustability feature allows this highly advanced audio system’s sound to be customized to any one out of twenty different voice settings, with no more effort than what you’ll require to change your radio station.
MOST POWERFUL 6.5” COMPONENT : Rockford Fosgate T2652-S
Rockford Fosgate is a name known for the power of its speakers, and with the T2625-S they’ve pulled out all the stops. Compared to their previous T1 model, one of the major improvements in their latest iteration is the addition of a Billet aluminum phase plug, which enhances the speed and capacity of the built-in cooling system. A better heat sink makes for quicker and more efficient cooling, which translates to a greater power capacity. That means louder, sharper, more visceral sound, without sacrificing flatness or realism. The use of Billet aluminum casing ensures sturdy containment and a lack of echo or distortion.
Rockford Fosgate built their speakers with injection-molded polypropylene cones, enhanced with a carbon fiber weave. This innovative and revolutionary proprietary design allows for much stronger cones, which are much more resistant to deformity (and the resulting sound distortion) than ordinary polypropylene cones, without paying the price in weight. Lightweight components, plus high durability and a resistance to distortion, makes for purer, richer, fuller sound, reminiscent of much more expensive speaker systems. With the T2652-S, Rockford Fosgate delivers premium power and performance, without a premium price.
This latest model of component car speakers features 1″ aluminum dome tweeters, made of the same high-tech materials as the other aluminum components. Which is not that common in car speakers in 2018. Add to that the up to 25% expanded surface area of Rockford Fosgate’s unique woofer design, and what you have is full, intense surround sound capacity with absolute minimal distortion. Few car speaker systems with this kind of power express such accurate and realistic sound detail across so wide a range of frequencies.
Multiple installation options are made possible courtesy three different mounting adjustments. An innovative Flex Fit Basket allows for easy mounting, regardless of the desired installation options. External crossovers allow for Bi-Amp capacity across all the components, for even more power and higher performance from the tweeter and the woofer. Everything is designed to make the enthusiast’s chosen installation options as smooth and painless as possible, while allowing as much power as they could possibly want out of a car speaker. The T2652-S simply has no equal when it comes to performance.
BEST PERFORMANCE SPEAKER: Image Dynamics XS-65
Image Dynamics hand-crafts all of their premium car audio equipment in the United States; their component car speakers represent some of the finest research and development available in the car audio industry. The XS series component systems represent years of engineering expertise in the development process. The goal? To produce accurate, fundamentally correct sound performance without compromising in terms of power, flexibility, or price. Incredibly detailed audio reproduction provides a rich and dynamic sound across a wide range of voices and musical styles. The accuracy of the XS-series speakers is virtually complete, despite the challenging atmosphere of car audio acoustics.
It is widely maintained that more car audio enthusiasts worldwide choose Image Dynamics for its faithful, flatline (lack of) sound deviation than any other brand name. The XS-65 continues that well-established tradition of quality, power, and overall performance excellence. It is a 6.5″ component speaker system, with an impedence rating of 4 ohms and RMS power rating of 125 watts. The speakers have a 93dB sensitivity, a frequency response range of 45-25,000 hertz, and a depth of 3.6″. Its overall sensitivity adds to its performance capacity, elevating it to premium levels of smooth, rich sound, while its dimensions add to the flexibility of its installation options.
The XS-65 from Image Dynamics is quick and easy to install, however you want to install it. Its multi-layer ceramic fiber and proprietary Rohacell composite cones are mounted within parabolic rubber surrounds. This not only provides excellent containment and housing, reducing distortion still further, but it also allows for an extremely lightweight design, particularly when coupled with the speakers’ fiberglass composite non-resonating frame.
Their Hybrid design allows the XS Series to be able to not only provide a truly extraordinary sonic experience, sure to delight enthusiasts of every musical style; they also provide excellent mid-range quality with a rich and expansive presence. Their detail is provided without coloration, while allowing for multiple installation options for tweeter mounting; the convertible mounting system used by Image Dynamics with all of its XS series models is one more feature that sets their product apart from the rest. Mount your tweeters on top of the cone like a coaxial speaker system, or separately, like a traditional speaker component. This provides the operator with a clear and precise in-car sound experience like no other, tailored to their specific preferences.
MOST WELL-BALANCED SYSTEM: JL Audio C5-650
The smooth and transparent performance quality of the C5-650 component car speaker system from JL Audio comes from its high-end silk dome tweeter, combined with a top-shelf component woofer. What results is a car speaker system with loudspeaker quality sound and smooth, balanced performance, with strong mid-range emphasis.
There’s no perceptible loss of signal at either end of its frequency range. This exceptionally refined system features a 6.5″ woofer and a 0.75″ tweeter for a full, dynamic sound range and exceptional reproduction quality; the silk dome, in particular, reduces distortion across the C5-650’s frequency range to virtually nothing. The component system for the JL Audio C5-650 features die-cast alloy baskets for its woofers, and Kurt Müller cones and suspensions. The overall quality of the system is dramatically enhanced, not only by the advanced materials and highly efficient design, but also by JL Audio’s significant experience in innovative woofer research and development, as well as in modeling systems. The die-cast alloy mounting with rolled rubber encasement translates into a solid, durable piece of hardware, guaranteed to endure years of regular use with no echo or distortion, as part of a premium car audio system.
The silk dome tweeters in the C5-650 are built with 0.75-inch diaphragms that deliver smooth, extended coaxial responses across a frequency range that’s unusually broad for speakers of this size. Flush and surface mounting fixtures are included, allowing the JL Audio C5-650 to fit a wide variety of installation preferences and vehicle accommodations. Intuitively, the installation process will allow you to adapt the system to best suit your needs, with minimal time and effort invested. The flush-mount fixtures feature JL Audio’s ratcheting swivel rotation mechanism, which allows precise and modifiable post-installation tweeter positioning: don’t like how they’re aimed? Change their direction. The mechanism is simple and easy to intsall and to use.
Mylar® capacitors and segmented air-core inductors are just two of the premium components that go into the crossover networks for the entire line of C5 speakers. These component speakers feature four levels of tweeter attenuation, along with three levels of mid-range presence adjustment. These precision-designed settings allow for a total of twelve adjustable voicing combinations, ensuring that you get the precise sound you’re looking for, regardless of your musical or car audio enthusiast preferences.
A black steel mesh woofer grill with the electroformed “JL” logo is included with the component car speaker system, as is a black woofer grill tray. These, coupled with the elegant and stylish mounting system, make the speakers a tasteful and attractive addition to your vehicle, as well as a highly functional one.
BEST VALUE IN 6.5″ : Polk Audio db6501
“Affordable” and “value” are often not the terms that a brand would willingly associate with its component car speakers. Car audio enthusiasts often place these considerations second to the overall quality of the product they’re getting. When a 6.5″ component car speaker system offers both value and performance, however, there’s no shame in sharing. Such a system is the db6501 component car speakers from Polk Audio, offering both sophisticated style and superior sound at an affordable price. A pole plate heat sink promotes better head distribution via a broader surface area, resulting in superior power management and reduced audio distortion.
Polk Audio built its db6501 model speaker component with a polymer/mica composite material, a mineral-filled cone with high-durability butyl rubber surrounds. This adds to the smooth and stylish appearance of the installed speakers, but it also ensures high quality performance from a car audio system with high-powered component amplifiers. The db6501 is an excellent choice for aftermarket head unit installs, with its lightweight construction and big, highly responsive sound, very receptive to listener-defined settings.
One of the many features that makes Polk Audio’s component car speakers stand out is the sheer breadth of t heir usability. The entire db series of component speakers is water-resistant, and certified for marine operations. Polk Audio’s speakers are widely used in small boats, sailing yachts, and even on smaller recreational vehicles such as jet skis. Their wide-ranging application in this respect also makes them suitable to a broader range of land vehicles and activities, such as off-roading, that might prove to be a little rough for less durable speaker systems.
If you have any issues with your speakers visit this guide to identifying the problem with your car audio system.
When you purchase your speakers, you might want to install them yourself. If this is the case then you will want to check out the video below. It is a step by step guide on how to install them yourself. However you may want to consider using a mechanic to do this. A little bit more expensive but it will ensure system works smoothly. To see all our other reviews visit our homepage here.
Do not confuse your purchase with a car amplifier
Make sure you dont confuse yourself while shopping. If you are looking to buy car amplifiers we recommend you visit our reviews of the best car amplifiers here.
Things to consider before you buy car speakers:
Have you read all the reviews for speakers in 2018? Still looking at different brands trying to decide which the right level of car speakers is for you. The thing to know is there are a lot of reviews out there that have highly rated sellers but in reality, they are selling an audio system that just don’t include great deals. Like you i love my car, and want the best speakers for my car with no exceptions, that is why i am will to shop around and read all the car speaker reviews for 2018. Having read everything about car speakers, including 6×9 reviews, stereo reviews, car speaker reviews i realized their hundreds of different car types and no review will fit all, for that reason i decided to make the best car speakers review for 2018 with no exceptions. I have brought together all the top-rated sellers so that you can buy the right speakers for you. Want to know more about the basic parts? read our blog post.
The thing you should know is in terms of car speakers 2018 is a very competitive year, websites like cnet and amazon have really worked hard on selling car speakers and car stereos and provide a very professional review for every car speaker. However, look no further because we are committed to providing the best quality information on sellers for all you audiophiles out there. Car fanatics have been around since henry ford made his first car and this isn’t going to change any time soon and 2018 is no different. By now you have read through my buying guide for car speakers and you’re ready to shop around to ensure you get the best car speakers for you. So i urge you to continue reading reviews until you’re satisfied with the car speakers you have.
So here is where I invite any questions you might have about my car speakers reviews, i know you probably have some before you buy the right speakers for you, maybe it’s about the brands and how they’re rated, maybe it’s about different sellers and how they’re rated, maybe it’s about a certain review. Either way I invite you to ask me all questions related to my reviews on car speakers for 2018. Just contact me through my form.
If you have found any other car speakers that i have no reviews for then i would love to hear from you, especially if they’re from 2018. My aim is to ensure i have all the best car speakers from 2018 on this website regardless of sizes and prices you can always upgrade your speaker even if it was bought in 2016. Once you hit the open road in 2018 it is crucial that you buy car speakers that rated highly in the reviews so you can enjoy the trip.
One thing that still amazes me in 2018 is that all the cars made have low grade speakers installed, from brands and sellers that are just of bad caliber. It never includes a good bass and almost all of us car audiophiles have to wait on the shipping of car speakers that are of a good enough standard that they at least make my top ten reviews. This is the reason i have made this review of car speakers for 2018 because i know all the wrong barnds and sellers are being rated highly and this is causing car brands to shop and buy these low-grade car speakers. I think it is just ridiculous that this still happens in 2018 but at least we have these great reviews to rely on so we can buy the right standard of car speakers in 2018.
If you happen to buy any of the speakers after reading on of my reviews i would be delighted if you would come back and tell me the brands name and give me your personal review of the car speaker so we can get it rated so future readers can buy the right car speakers for them in 2018. This is also ensuring my reviews will be more comprehensive, i want to become an authority on car speakers every year. I started this in 2016 but i my audience has grown so much in 2018 and we have added so many assorted brands and sellers that car fanatics in 2018 have found their home, especially when it comes to reviews on speakers.
So as out community grows in 2018 we will be able to hold the best information on the web when it comes to car speakers. Going forward in 2018 it is my hope to add more car related reviews, maybe add more brands and stereos, maybe even add a shop. This buying guide for car speakers in 2018 will really help our community and the more we come together and share knowledge the better it is for us. We can identify the badly rated brands and sellers so that we can buy car speakers that are up to standard in 2018.