When you’re out shopping for speakers for your car audio system, the options can be quite overwhelming.
That’s why earlier this year, we did some massive research and comparison between the best car audio speakers on the market. You can read it here.
But for now, let’s talk about 6 inch speakers:
Best 6 Inch Speakers
6” speakers are popular options for audio systems because their size allows for easy installation, no matter the space available.
For the space of the car, you need speakers that are efficient but powerful enough to create a room-filling sound. The 6-inch (or 6.5-inch) speakers are generally the go-to solution.
Unfortunately, you simply can’t pick the first item you see because a proper car audio system requires quality in every aspect.
Additionally, you have to know why you’re getting a speaker in the first place.
Are you upgrading or fixing?
More than just being the best possible sound system within the confines of a car, your speakers should be able to perform across time.
The best 6” speakers are designed to withstand shock from both the movement of the car and the speaker unit itself.
If you’re fixing a busted speaker, this means the previously installed ones probably couldn’t handle enough shock.
If you’re upgrading, it is best to look into power efficiency to ensure that the newly upgraded speakers will last longer.
Shock-proofing is key
The great thing about shock-proofing is that vibrations during driving and when the system is turned on can quickly damage a speaker if it doesn’t have proper insulation.
Protective layers make a speaker durable so you can enjoy the same level of sound for a long time.
The speaker must be able to handle power
Whether you power it via an amplifier or its own head unit, it shouldn’t distort or blow when you increase the volume.
With car speakers, power-saving is essential, especially since a car’s factory radio should not have consumed a lot of power.
Thus, checking the amperage rating can help ensure that whatever speaker you decide to install will last longer.
The list below mentions some of the best 6” speakers currently on the market. You may notice that each of them is a two-way loudspeaker.
You can read more about 2 way vs 3 way speakers here.
Though there’s invariably one that stands out above the rest, you may take a liking to one based on unique shapes, styles or features.
Enjoy browsing through these reviews so you can find the ideal option for your vehicle.
6 Inch Car Speakers Reviews
Comparison Chart
1. Morel Integra Ovation XO
Morel incorporates a long list of excellent components in these speakers.
You can purchase them in a pack of two.
This is usually perfect for use in vehicles so you can get balanced sound throughout the car.
Without a center speaker, you can still create a unified sound from excellent dual speakers.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity: 90dB
- RMS: 100 watts
- Peak Power: 400 watts
- Frequency Response: 45-25,000 Hz
- 2way/3way/4way: 2-Way
If you’re installing a huge sound system, you may be concerned about the weight it adds to your vehicle.
However, with these speakers you’re guaranteed lightweight items.
Thanks to the light neodymium magnets, the speakers are remarkably light. This is proof of decades of speaker design that continues to innovate.
This also makes for easy installation, since you don’t have to struggle with handling heavy units in small spaces.
The mounting depth is only 2.4”, which means you don’t need a lot of space to create a desirable sound system.
Any car can now have a quality system, since most cars do have this amount of space available in door compartments or head units.
When it comes to producing quality sound, Morel didn’t leave anything up to chance.
These speakers showcase many of the features you’re probably looking for, amidst being a two-way loudspeaker.
It has a 54-mm woofer voice coil that is made from aluminum. Its 28-mm tweeter voice coil is made from copper.
The woofer’s surround is made from butyl rubber. These are all beneficial to creating excellent low sounds and protecting the unit.
It presents a good frequency range that boosts bass while also reproducing high-frequency sounds.
All in all, it makes for a fantastic speaker for music lovers and also those who like to listen to podcasts and other talk audio media.
A 54-mm woofer voice coil made from aluminum
A 28-mm tweeter voice coil made from copper
The woofer’s surround is made from butyl rubber. This is both beneficial to creating excellent low sounds and protecting the unit
Pros
- Sleek and modern black design suits most people’s tastes
- Amazing sound capabilities
- Durable components that will last a long time
Cons
- Expensive units to purchase
2. Morel Tempo 6C
With these speakers, Morel offers you quite a few extraordinary features for much less than the Integra Ovation XO.
There are items that can be improved upon, but this will influence the affordable price attached to it.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity: 90 db
- RMS: 110 watts
- Peak Power: 200 watts
- Frequency Response: 40-20,000 Hz
- 2way/3way/4way: 2-Way
Starting with the different speaker parts, you’ll love the fact that neodymium magnets in the tweeters mean the speaker is much lighter than others of its kind.
However, the woofers still contain heavier ferrite magnets.
Moving to the voice coil wires, you may want to keep on searching for speakers that offer aluminum rather than copper coils.
Its downsides come in terms of quality and durability. Aluminum is known to be a better option, but, unfortunately, it is not used in this product.
The low mounting depth does help vehicle owners to easily find a place to install them.
As most cars are manufactured with speakers of this shape, you may be able to simply swap them out.
Pros
- Affordable price
- Low mounting depth
Cons
- Heavy magnets
- Low-quality coils
3. Alpine SPJ-161C2
Alpine is a well-known name in the audio world, and for a good reason.
There are many reasons why this item is included on my list of best 6” speakers.
The best aspect of all is that these quality speakers, made by a reputable company, are sold at a very reasonable price.
This enables all music lovers to improve their auditory experience in their vehicles, creating an elevated music listening experience for much less.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity: 90 dB
- RMS: 50 watts
- Peak Power: 250 watts
- Frequency Response: 30-30,000 Hz
- 2way/3way/4way: 2-Way
These speakers offer quality sound on most frequency levels, so you’ll enjoy both high notes and bass riffs.
I don’t know of many other speakers that can handle frequencies as high as 30kHz.
Made to stream music, you can easily enjoy blasting your favorite playlist while driving.
I don’t know of many other speakers that can handle frequencies as high as 30kHz.
This feature allows you to clearly hear exact sounds of vocals, electric guitar solos, and other high-frequencies.
At the same time, it allows you to feel lower frequencies, such as the beat of the bass.
These are some of the most powerful speakers on this list, as each speaker can pump up to 250W.
This is remarkable for speakers of this size, so you can play music at loud volumes, even though you only have space for this sized speaker.
The small size means the mounting depth is only 2.95”; you’ll easily fit these into your doors or boot.
The wires used in the voice coils are mostly made from copper.
Some people prefer aluminum for its durability, but this may be a personal preference.
Pros
- Low price
- Quality components
- Amazing bass sounds and high frequencies are accommodated
Cons
- Copper coils
4. JL Audio C2-600
JL Audio supporters rave about the quality of sound these speakers produce.
This isn’t only about volume, but clarity and quality too, making it a fantastic speaker choice.
This concerns both high sound frequencies and low notes, so you know you can enjoy any type of music through these units. If you want to push the volume, these clear notes will continue without distortion.
The quality and balance of sound is further enhanced by built-in crossovers.
With crossovers already in place, you also don’t have to build black boxes for them, which helps those who don’t want to modify their vehicles too much.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity: 90.5 dB
- RMS: 100 watts
- Peak Power: 225 watts
- Frequency Response: 59-22,000 Hz
- 2way/3way/4way: 2-Way
As with most of the items on this list, you can purchase them as a set of two.
I love the unique design of some of the components. Their covers are made from see through plastic, so your car audio unit will sound great and have aesthetic value.
For those who prefer the classic black and grey look, you may have to keep searching.
JL Audio knows what customers look for and that’s why their products land on my list. They cater to every imaginable occurrence.
With this product, grilles are included in your purchase. If you attempt a DIY project when improving your car’s sound system, you can make sure it looks neat by simply installing these grilles over your speaker units.
JL Audio even gives you the following items to help with the installation process:
Paper template
Screws
Crimpable slides to connect to your existing wires
Pros
- Affordable price
- Excellent sound quality and clarity
- Grilles included for easy installation
- Has an aesthetic design to match its great sound quality
- DIY-friendly due to the grilles
Cons
- Low frequencies only start from 59 Hz
5. Rockford Fosgate P16 Punch
The classic name of this manufacturer hints at the classic style of the speakers.
Their classic round shape and dimensions mean they should easily replace any vehicle’s standard speakers.
With Rockford, you’re looking at heavy-duty speakers that will continue serving you for many years to come.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity: 88 dB
- RMS: 55 watts
- Peak Power: 110 watts
- Frequency Response: 65-22,000 Hz
- 2way/3way/4way: 2-Way
The manufacturer offers clear sound and a durable product, that can easily be installed, thanks to:
The durability of these speakers is thanks to the molded polypropylene cone which won’t easily crack.
The rubber surround absorbs shocks from vibrations and also the vibrations coming from the road you drive on.
The integrated crossovers make it unnecessary to build boxes during installation.
Unfortunately, this is not the most powerful speaker on the market in terms of sound quality.
If you’re looking for high volumes, this will not suffice.
It also doesn’t allow very low bass sounds to come through effectively, so you won’t feel the music as much as you’re hearing it.
Pros
- Adapter plate is included
- Tested and proven shock-proof against both sound vibrations and driving vibrations
Cons
- Sound lacks power, especially in terms of low frequencies
Why Should I Add New Car Speakers?
The main objective of adding new car speakers is, obviously, to improve the quality of your car’s sound system.
Keep in mind that most car manufacturers only use standard speakers for their vehicles.
These will deliver a decent sound quality, provided that you only play your music at regular volume levels.
This sound quality will significantly decrease if you play your music louder.
You can only expect premium speakers to come with your vehicle if it was manufactured by a high-end brand.
Fortunately, there are a lot of quality speakers you can install in your car, such as the ones we featured earlier.
Any of them can significantly increase the sound quality produced by your vehicle, especially when playing at louder volumes.
Is Higher Wattage Better When Choosing Car Speakers?
There are different factors to consider when choosing car speakers.
However, when it comes to determining the proper wattage, it really boils down to how you want your vehicle to play its audio.
Those who want to play their music at really high volume levels should opt for 300W and beyond. This can help achieve those vibrating, explosive bass beats.
That said, the main challenge with blasting volume levels is distortion. Hence, we recommend choosing a unit that comes with advanced distortion control features.
Meanwhile, those who favor quality over volume will find 100W to 200W speakers enough to serve their purpose.
This time around, you should look for a unit that comes with better audio quality control.
To answer the question, choosing a higher wattage is only better when you’re after high volume levels, not when you’re simply aiming for better-sounding music.
How Can You Make the Most of Your Car Speakers?
Here are more tips to keep in mind when installing new car speakers:
Determine your priorities
As mentioned, the ideal car speakers for you will boil down to your needs and preferences, so figure out what these are first before purchasing.
This way, you’d be able to get a unit that will give you what you want, whether that’s louder volumes or better audio quality.
Make sure you pick the right size
There’s nothing more frustrating than buying new speakers only to find that they don’t fit in your car.
It would be wise to double-check if your preferred unit meets your vehicle’s size requirements before buying six-inch speakers.
One way to do so is to check the speaker manufacturer’s product description. It should include a list of cars that their speaker will fit in.
Otherwise, another and safer option is to simply ask your trusted mechanic.
Seek professional help
More often than not, you will need to adjust the electronic components of your car during installation.
Therefore, we recommend seeking professional help to prevent messing up your car.
Consider DIY
While a mechanic can get the job done quickly and professionally, installation costs can also be quite costly.
Hence, those who are confident in their DIY skills, especially when dealing with wiring, can consider installing the speakers themselves.
Doing this will save you money and even put that extra budget towards getting better quality speakers.
Final Verdict
I found my ideal 6” speaker in the Morel Integra Ovation XO.
It not only delivers extraordinary sound through an impressive frequency response range, but it is also shock-proof enough for everyday driving.
This powerful and durable speaker will give you excellent sound for a long time before showing signs of distortion.
Though it is more expensive than the Tempo 6C, the value for money in terms of its quality is worth the investment.
Even in terms of weight, it only affords benefits, proving how Morel really went the extra mile to offer customers an excellent option.
Aside from being an excellent speaker, it is also very easy to install.
This is all worth the slightly elevated price; it’s worth every penny when you hear the improvement these units bring when comparing it to what you are currently listening to.
Whether a busted speaker gave you the push to get a new one, or you just feel the need to level up your sound system, you can trust that these units will not leave you disappointed.