There is a near-endless amount of content you can listen to using a good set of car speakers. It appears every celebrity now runs a podcast, radio stations are (mostly) excellent, and the emergence of streaming means almost any song you want can be played whenever you want. In short, there’s never been a better time for in-car entertainment.
If you’re familiar with Audis, a rather pricey option is the Bang and Olufsen sound system. You’re able to tell by the cylinder-like units that rise up from the top of the dashboard and the fact they emulate a literal in-car orchestra. As a result, premium sound systems are an elite option on many cars, such as Burmester systems in Mercedes Benzes and Bose in Porsches. It’s clear that sound is of great importance to the consumer.
It’s a shame, however, that most cars only offer a basic audio experience along with the factory stereo system. The natural design of a cockpit lends itself to surround sound, which means some aftermarket car speakers can transform how your favourite song sounds.
The best car speakers at a glance:
Editor’s pick: Pioneer TS-A1675R – Buy from Amazon
Best budget car speakers: Sony XSFB1020 – Buy from Amazon
Best mid-range speakers: Pioneer TS-R1750S – Buy from Amazon
An upgrade to your car’s speaker system will improve sound quality but the whole process can be hard to get your head around. There are a load of different speakers out there at different price points, which to most people, look no different to one another. You may even need a good sound system to get the most out of your Bluetooth device. We’ve created a list of our favourites ranging in styles and budgets for everyone.
The best car speakers
Editor's pick
With 300W (max) of power and 6.5 inches wide, it's capable and powerful enough to suit most in-car applications and even comes with a set of earphones as a small bonus.
Pros
- Top-grade sound quality
- Should fit in most cases
- Bonus headphones are a nice touch
Cons
- Wired earphones are a bit old-school nowadays
Best budget car speakers
Peak power isn't as great as the Pioneer speakers and others at just 210W but there is a healthy frequency range of 70Hz to 24kHz, which makes the Sony speakers pretty capable for the price point.
Pros
- Great sound quality
- Good value for money
- Nice frequency range
Cons
- Not the most powerful option for bass-heavy music
- Peak power not as great as the other options
Best mid-range car speakers
Pros
- Healthy frequency range
- Easy to install
- Great sound quality overall
Cons
- Bass is weak
- Max Watt input a bit short on others at this price point
Best car speaker setup for beginners
They measure in at 6.5 inches each, which should make them compatible for a lot of different cars.
Pros
- Easy to install
- Great sound quality
- Engineered to be efficient in its sound delivery
Cons
- Won't fit every car
Best advanced car speakers
They each measure 6.5 inches wide (16.5cm), and unlike most car-mounted speakers, which have an impendence rating of three ohms, the GTO's is four ohms. The higher the ohms, the more resistant the speaker is to incoming signals or sounds.
Pros
- Slightly higher ohm rating than average
- Can take a lot of power
- Good quality speakers
Cons
- Max frequency response not as impressive as others
Best easy to install speakers
Reportedly, the quality isn't brilliant on initial impressions, but the sound quality itself makes up for it. They make for a nice upgrade to a car if the sound system in your current car isn't as great as it could be.
Pros
- Easy to install
- Good value for money
- Can take a lot of power
Cons
- Build quality is reportedly quite compromised
What you need to know about car speakers
Coaxial or component?
Coaxial speakers will include a woofer and a tweeter in one speaker unit. These are the most popular speaker setup for cars because they are more compact and cheaper to produce. They’re certainly a lot simpler than portable campervan speakers that you might use on your holiday. Component speakers have separate speakers for the tweeter and woofer. The key difference between the two is that component speakers do have a boost in sound quality. They are available for cars but do take up more space and are more costly to buy and install.
What are tweeters and woofers?
Put simply, a tweeter produces high-frequency sounds, a woofer makes your lower frequencies. Coaxial speakers will have both included, component ones are sometimes sold separately.
What about Ohms?
Ohms is the measurement of electrical resistance. Specifically, they’re the rating of how resistant a speaker is to the power of the amplifier. Lots of the speakers on this list have 4 ohms, which is about average. Some speakers (away from a car) have up to 8 ohms which will be crisper and of better sound quality due to the higher resistance to the amp.
How do I install new speakers?
If you’re replacing your old car’s speakers, then changing them out should be quite simple. Measure the size of the old speakers and buy some new ones that match that size. Wiring them up is a simple affair and will come with clear instructions from your manufacturer. It’s a bit more complex than fitting an add-on DAB radio adaptor and involves more hardwiring, so remember to disconnect your battery before you begin working.
What about Watts?
Wattage in speakers and amplifiers is about how much power a speaker can handle and how much power an amplifier is putting out. Amplifier spec sheets will often reference Continuous Power (occasionally referenced as Continuous Power Output or Continuous RMS power) and Dynamic (or Peak) Power.
The whole process is much more complex than a simple USB-to-USB-C adaptor setup. But put simply, continuous power indicates how powerful an amplifier is in normal operation. However, Dynamic or Peak Power could push 100 watts into 8 ohms and 150 watts into 4 ohms. That’s because Dynamic Power is designed to ensure that the wide dynamics demanded by modern digital music and movie formats are properly powered at the moment. However, this power is only utilised for milliseconds, making it an unreliable indicator for general amplifier power.
In regards to speakers, many manufacturers have their own way of displaying recommended amplification (wattage) levels. Manufacturers may provide you with Minimum Recommended Power, Maximum Continuous Power, and Maximum Short-Term Peak Power ratings for your speakers.
Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tools Editor for Parkers, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. A veteran car cleaner; if it details, waxes or washes he’ll be on hand to make sure it’s worth your money.
Sign up to the Parkers Newsletter to keep up to date with more of the latest reviews, news, and recommendations from the Parkers team.
Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections – read why you should trust us.
