Speakers

FAQs

• What is the difference between 6.5 and 6x9 speakers?

  The primary difference between 6.5-inch and 6x9-inch car speakers lies in their surface area and resulting sound characteristics. A 6x9 speaker features an oval design with significantly more cone surface area than a circular 6.5-inch driver, allowing it to move more air and produce much deeper, more impactful bass response. While 6.5-inch speakers are often preferred for their superior mid-range clarity and easier fitment in standard door locations, 6x9s are typically used in rear decks or larger enclosures where their increased low-end output can act as a bridge between the front stage and a dedicated subwoofer.

• What is the difference between a coaxial speaker and a component speaker?

  Coaxial speakers, often called "all-in-one" drivers, feature the tweeter mounted directly in the center of the woofer, making them affordable, easy to install in factory locations, and ideal for simple upgrades. In contrast, component speaker systems separate the woofer and tweeter into distinct pieces and include a dedicated external crossover to direct specific frequencies to each driver. This separation allows you to mount the tweeters higher up on the dash or A-pillars for a more realistic "soundstage" and superior imaging, providing a significantly higher level of audio detail and customization.

• What are the benefits of a midrange speaker?

  Midrange car speakers are essential for achieving high-fidelity sound because they handle the "heart" of the acoustic spectrum, specifically the frequencies between 250 Hz and 5 kHz where most musical information and human vocals reside. By dedicating a driver specifically to these frequencies, you relieve the woofer from trying to play high notes and the tweeter from trying to play low ones, which significantly reduces distortion and improves overall clarity. This specialization allows for much more accurate imaging and a realistic soundstage, ensuring that voices and instruments sound natural and prominent.

• What kind of speakers should I put in my front and rear car doors?

  For the best audio experience, you should prioritize a component speaker system for your front doors and coaxial speakers for your rear doors. Since the front seats are the primary listening position, the separate woofers and tweeters of a component set allow you to mount the high-frequency drivers at ear level for a realistic soundstage and superior imaging. In the rear doors, coaxial speakers are the ideal choice because their "all-in-one" design is easier to install and provides a balanced "rear fill" for passengers without drawing the listener's attention away from the more detailed front stage.

• What makes tweeters special?

  Car tweeters are specialized drivers designed to handle the highest frequencies of the audio spectrum, typically ranging from 2 kHz to 20 kHz and beyond. Because high-frequency sound waves are highly directional, a dedicated tweeter allows for precise placement—often high on the dashboard or A-pillars—to lift the "soundstage" to ear level, creating a sense of height and width that makes the music feel like it is being performed right in front of you. By reproducing delicate details like the shimmer of a cymbal or the crispness of a vocal breath, tweeters provide the essential "air" and clarity that prevent a sound system from feeling muffled or muddy.

• What's the difference between dome & bullet tweeters?

  The fundamental difference between dome and bullet tweeters lies in their dispersion patterns and intended volume levels. Dome tweeters, typically made of silk or aluminum, feature a convex shape that radiates sound in a wide, smooth pattern, providing a natural and "airy" response that is ideal for high-fidelity internal listening where sound quality and imaging are the priorities. Bullet tweeters, on the other hand, utilize a high-efficiency horn-loading design with a prominent "bullet" shaped phase plug in the center to focus and project sound waves over much greater distances. While bullet tweeters are significantly louder and can cut through extreme road noise or the massive bass of a competition-level system, they have a much narrower "sweet spot" and can sound harsh or piercing if not properly tuned, whereas dome tweeters offer a more refined, musical experience for the average daily driver.