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High Quality Sound for about $400 or Less
As we like to say, speakers are pretty much the best single upgrade you can make for your audio system. So it's tempting to spend big money to build out your car’s front stage. But as some of you saw in our Top 10 Speakers list, you don't have to spend a small fortune for great sound. Of course, a lot of those products did retail at very exorbitant prices.
That's why we spoke with top installers from around the country to get their favorite speaker sets for about $400 or less. We understand that a speaker set may not seem a great bargain at the price limit we set, but we have other recommended selections retailing at under half that. Whatever the choice, all these sets give you great bang for your buck!
Coming in at half of our maximum price tag is JL Audio’s TR650-CSi. Peter Riker of The Specialists in Tucson, Ariz., calls it “an amazing-sounding OEM upgrade kit,” adding that the “easy-to-mount soft-dome tweeter sounds great and the midrange is top notch at this price point.” Dave Evans of Adrenaline Autosound in Clayton, North Carolina, also thinks the $200 set is an “exceptional value” and delivers a great “bang for the buck.” He concludes: “If you’re looking for an inexpensive component speaker system that doesn't sound like an inexpensive component speaker system, you should definitely check these out!”
Alpine SPX-13REF
Veteran audio specialist Gary Bell gives a nod to Alpine’s SPX-13REF component set, which goes a little over our limit at $450, retail. “This speaker set is very installer friendly with lots of options for tweeter mounting including a unique mount to hang the tweeter over the mid.” Bell says. The speaker components feature a lot of exotic materials to get great sound without breaking the bank. “The midranges use neodymium magnets and are shallow enough to make it easy to get on-axis in almost any kick panel with minimal work,” the installer continues. “This speaker set is the outcome of the F#1 status project in an affordable version.”
Focal 165 A1
“For under $400, the Focal 165 A1 is nice,” recommends Derek Kenney of Sound in Motion in Boston, Mass. Parish Tanner, of Ocala Car Audio in Ocala, Florida, agrees citing pronounced mid bass and highs that just come alive with this set. “For 349.99 these are one tough act to follow,” he exclaims. The two-way kit features a 6.5-inch driver and a TN44 tweeter with separate crossover.
JL Audio C3-650
Dave Evans from above also pointed us to the $399.99 C3-650 from JL Audio. “These speakers sound absolutely amazing, especially for the money,” he enthuses. The convertible system goes from components to coaxials in seconds and they also work well in factory locations. “The C3-650 sounds great off-axis, which is especially helpful considering the fact that typically in this price range there is not room in the installation budget for custom mounting,” Evans continues. “Last but not least, the passive crossover networks feature a nice amount of adjustment that allows for the installation technician to compensate for different mounting variables.”
CDT Audio CL-E61
For $299.99, this 6.5-inch 2-way component set is a cinch for this list, according to Jesse Sprister of Drive Customs in San Luis Obispo, Calif. “This component set has a ton of very realistic mid-bass with amazing clarity,” he states. “They are tonally accurate and very warm sounding.” In addition to the speakers’ excellent sound characteristics, the crossovers have an additional set of outputs if you want to add “imaging tweeters” later down the line. “The CDT CL-E61's are my ‘go-to’ set of components for someone looking for good sound on a budget.” Jesse concludes. We couldn't find the specs on the CDT site, so here's a quick rundown: the speakers have a cast-frame basket, carbon treated paper cone, power handling is 120 watts RMS and the frequency response 65-20kHz with a sensitivity of 91.0 dB.
Kar Design KD6.5C
Vince Miranda of Audio Xperts in Vacaville, California, gives small manufacturer Kar Design (in Elk Grove, California) a nod and their KD6.5C component set. The 6.5-inch set includes a 1-inch silk dome tweeter and a 24dB per octave passive crossover. “The midrange detail is accurate and the cone design allows for incredibly accurate mid bass output as well,” Miranda explains. “The KD6.5C uses no phase plug and the inverted dust cap extends to the edge of the surround. Tonally, they compare to speakers twice the price.” The components retail for $299.99.
Hertz ESK 165 & ESK 165L
Hertz was another brand with several models that fit our price range and installers’ tastes. Micah Williams of Sonus Car Audio in Clarksville, Tenn., recommends the $249.95 Hertz ESK165 with its 165mm midrange driver and 20mm tweeter. “This setup offers excellent dynamic range, better than expected clarity at high volumes, and stays accurate through a wide variety of power arrangements,” Williams explains. “We use the Energy Series as an option for factory replacement speakers, but they also give the client the option of adding an amplifier and really getting a high performance component set, at an entry level price."
Ryan Pepsin of SRQ Custom Autosound in Sarasota, Florida, goes in a similar direction with the ESK 165L set which retails for $280. Compared to the 165’s, the 165L’s have a broader frequency response, dipping down to 50Hz compared to 65 with the 165 model.
Hertz ESK 163L
If you have room for a 3-way set, Pepsin also likes the ESK 163L. In his opinion: “With an amp or not, these speakers (like everything from Hertz) outperform the other brands so much on the display boards that now it’s the only brand we sell.” He also appreciates the easy to mount tweeter that “is small enough to fit in any OEM location, but very detailed.” The 4-inch mid, he says, “is so thin that it can fit almost any stock location, or be customized into place with little if any modification to the structure of the car.”
Hybrid Audio I61-2
Jon Kowanetz of Handcrafted Car Audio in Mesa, Arizona, taps Hybrid Audio’s I61-2 set. Retailing at $220, the convertible set can be used as a coaxial or component. In terms of installation, another plus is “they don’t come with a big outboard crossover to find a home for,” Kowanetz quips. The 6.5-inch woofer features a waterproof paper cone.
Rockford Fosgate T152-S
“In the $400 range my favorite speakers would be the Rockford Fosgate T series components,” states Bjorn Gunnlaugsson of Custom Autosound in Oakland Park, Florida. The 5.25-inch component set, for example, retails at $399.99 and includes a separate tweeter, separate midrange and dedicated 2-way crossover. “They sound great, don't need a ton of power and like other Rockford products, they are built like a tank,” Bjorn exclaims. “When you have a customer you know is going to be rough on the equipment, these are my choice.”
Arc Audio KS 600.6
Retailing at $179, this 6.5-inch component set meets the bargain criteria for sure. “When installed properly,” Gunnlaugsson states, “they will blow your mind.” The set features a silk dome tweeter that can be flush or surface mounted and high-quality crossover components. “These are very natural sounding speakers with killer mid bass for a speaker in this price range,” Gunnlaugsson concludes. The frequency response ranges from 60Hz to 20KHz.
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