Best 6×8 Car Speakers

Looking for some new 6x8 speakers to upgrade your factory ones?

Whatever your reason, it is important to choose a speaker that will fit your needs and budget. This can be tricky with all the different options but in this article, I’ll review some of the best 6x8 speakers available.

What are the best 6x8 car speakers?

• Best Sounding Car Speakers
• Best Speakers for Bass
• Best Component Speakers
• Best Speakers without Amp
• Best Door Speakers

1. Rockford Fosgate P1683 Punch – Best 3-Way Speakers without Amp

If you’re looking to replace factory speakers with something inexpensive, these Rockford Fosgate speakers are deserved consideration. These 3-way full-range speakers are able of handling 65 Watts RMS and will improve your mid and high ranges.

The speakers each have a butyl rubber surround and a polypropylene cone made to handle long lengths of high volume music. Rockford Fosgate has also used a new design by joining the surround to the cone, increasing the cone space by nearly 25%, and providing a stronger performance and a fuller sound.

These speakers are designed to offer great sound without any amplification, but running them off an amplifier will get more out of them.

Easy to install these speakers have a Flex Fit basket construction. You may have to make some minor modifications to fit it into your existing speaker space and use wire adapters if you’re going to do the installation yourself.

If you’re wanting to replace stock speakers with something that has better sound quality but won’t break the bank, then these are a good option.

2. JL Audio C2-570x – Best Sounding Car Speakers

These speakers offer the top quality sound and durability you expect from JL as a brand. Whether you listen to blues, jazz, rock, or metal, these 2-way speakers will provide nice quality sounds.

These 5x7 speakers will easily fit into a 6x8 space. They can handle 60 Watts RMS and produce precision music without any additional amplification.

Overall, despite being small, these speakers provide crisp, clear sounds. If you’d like to replace your stock speakers with something that offers versatility then these are the speakers to choose.

3. Alpine R-Series R-S68 – Best Speakers with Amp

Alpine is a classic speaker choice because of their attention to detail and focus on quality. These sturdy 2-way speakers can easily handle 100 Watts RMS, and its surround provides constant and increased cone movement for a powerful sound.

Even with high volume output, these speakers do not distort. You’ll clearly hear high and mids and the sounds of every instrument with the speaker’s silk tweeters, as well as a strong bass response from the multi-layer hybrid fiber woofer cone.

The design also gives the speakers a longer lifespan and quality bass without using a subwoofer. But if you really want to unleash their true potential, then you can add a subwoofer or amplifier to your sound system.

Installing these speakers is quick and simple thanks to the lightweight magnets that come with the speakers.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find speakers that can deliver such powerful sound. Alpine is a very reputable brand and these speakers are built to last.

4. Infinity Reference 8632CFX – Best Speakers without Amp

Infinity’s Reference speakers produce great sound and are a good choice for car speakers. They produce well balanced sound and are reasonably priced.

Its oversized woofer cone allows the speaker to move more air than other speakers the same size. This produces dynamic sound and adds punch to your music despite only drawing 60 Watts RMS.

Its edge-driven dome tweeters produce sharp, crisp highs and mids, and adding an external amplifier will take these speakers to the next level.

These 3-ohm speakers will give a little bit more power than your 4-ohm factory speakers. If you are looking for a well priced, quality speaker, then this is a good option.

5. Pioneer TS-D68F D Series – Speakers for Bass

Designed to produce smooth, open sound, you can expect constant long-term performance from these 2-way Pioneer speakers.

Capable of handling up to 80 Watts RMS, these speakers have a polypropylene woofer cone that is infused with durable aramid fibers for the best bass experience possible. You may have to turn the volume up quite a bit to feel the bass.

Adding a subwoofer will enhance the bass and using an extra amplifier will enhance the already crisp, clear high-frequency sounds from the textile dome tweeter. The speakers offer a balanced sound that can easily be heard over road noises when driving.

This is a long-term purchase and you’ll be getting value for your money. While you won’t get the best bass, these speakers produce top quality sound that will suit most people’s needs.

6. Kicker 46CSS684 – Component Speakers

As the name implies, these speakers really pack a kick. Designed with technology that is not used for stock speakers, they offer ultra-clean bass by using a heavy-duty magnet structure with an extended voice coil.

These speakers are 6x8 component speakers, which means they have individual titanium tweeters, woofers, and crossovers that are not built into the speaker itself. This means that you can adjust your speakers to your exact needs and specifications.

Designed to fit in any vehicle without compromising on sound, these speakers produce exceptionally low frequencies. You won’t easily find this in other speakers of the same size.

Even when you crank up the volume these speakers won’t easily distort because of their durable, ribbed, polypropylene cones and UV-treaded surround. Instead, you can expect clarity when listening to those highs.

Capable of handling 75 Watts RMS, these speakers are reliable and built to last in your car.

If you really want enhanced bass, you are going to need to buy a subwoofer. These speakers provide the best bass possible without the additional expense.

7. Hertz ECX-570.5 – Wide Frequency Range Speakers

Suitable for use in a variety of vehicle types, these 2-way speakers from Hertz are capable of a wide range of frequencies without any additional support. Hertz has designed these speakers with very good mechanical and thermal capacity.

With a pressed-paper cone, neodymium tweeters, and build-in crossovers, these speakers produce accurate sound and enhance the timbre quality of your music. Able to handle 105 Watts RMS, which is the highest on this list, you can really crank these up and still hear clear, crisp sound.

An added bonus is that these speakers are water-repellent and are a great choice if you’re looking for speakers for your motorbike. They are well built with a strong design and are easy to install yourself.

If you’re looking for speakers that offer great sound without any add ons, these are the speakers I would recommend you buy.

8. Polk Audio DB572 DB+ Series – Best Door Speakers

Polk is well known for superior sound quality and these speakers offer all of that at an affordable price. Designed using laser-imagining, these speakers provide smooth, reliable sound with minimal to no distortion the individual components deliver precise highs, while maintaining decent lows.

A built-in crossover makes sure that the highs and lows flow to the proper drivers, while a polypropylene woofer cone with a sturdy rubber surround ensures solid playback and durability.

Marine grade water – and dirt-repellent, these have been tested against salt-fog, humidity, and UV to ensure that they offer an extended lifespan. You can use them in any vehicle, including car doors, motorcycles, ATVs, and boats.

They can handle a max of 75 Watts RMS and are 2-way speakers. Installing them is a simple drop-in procedure that you can do yourself.

If you’re looking for quality speakers and limited by your budget, these are a good buy. Reliable and affordable, these speakers deliver quality sound and come highly recommended.

Buyer’s Guide

When purchasing new speakers, it is important to match them correctly with your already existing sound system. Below are a couple of things you should look for and take into consideration when looking for speakers.

RMS power rating on car speakers

RMS stands for Root Mean Square wattage. When looking for speakers, this is something you should pay careful attention to.

RMS ratings are used to measure how much power a speaker is capable of maintaining for a long length of time without creating distortion or poorer sound quality. The higher the RMS rating, the more power the speaker can handle.

A speaker’s RMS rating is used to determine several things including, what speakers go with your car’s stereo system and what size amplifier or subwoofer you should add on.

In particular, RMS ratings are important to compare with your car’s stereo system. Your stereo system has a certain number of watts RMS per channel.

If you have added an aftermarket stereo or an amplifier, then your system will likely have 16 Watts RMS per channel or more, classifying it as a high-powered stereo. High powered stereos should be paired with speakers of a similar RMS rating, capable of handling that much power.

When speakers are properly powered, they yield quality sound. Overpowering or underpowering your speakers will cause them to distort, overheat, and eventually blow.

It is best to match the higher part of your speakers RMS rating with your system’s power output.

Sensitivity

A speaker’s sensitivity rating tells you how well it can transform power/watts into volume/decibels. The higher a speaker’s sensitivity rating, the louder it will play with a certain amount of power.

The usual process of measuring a speaker’s sensitivity rating is by powering a speaker with a single watt and standing a meter away and calculating how loud it plays in decibels. Another way is to power a speaker using 2.83 volts and measure its volume from a meter away.

Even a few decibels in a sensitivity rating can make a major difference. A 3 decibel difference can mean that a speaker only needs 50% as much power then it would have if its sensitivity rating was 3 decibels less.

Match speakers with amplifier

If you’re speakers have a lower RMS rating, then you can power them with your factory stereo or an aftermarket stereo. Speakers with a higher RMS rating will perform better with an added amplifier.

When choosing an external amplifier, make sure to pick an amplifier with an RMS that is the same as your speakers. So if you have a speaker that is capable of up to 40 watt RMS, it will be performing at its best as its power source (the amplifier) reaches its output of 40 watts.

What is the difference between a 2-way and a 3-way speaker?

The difference between 2-way speakers and 3-way speakers is their components.

A 2-way co-axial speaker has a mid-woofer and a tweeter. The mid-woofer covers the mids and the tweeter is responsible for the highs (usually 3khz-4khz and higher).

On the other hand, 3-way coaxial speakers usually have a mid-woofer, tweeter, and a ‘super tweeter’. The super tweeter is designed to handle only extremely high frequencies.

If you opted for a 5-way speaker, you’d get a midrange and a smaller midrange as well.

However, at the end of the day, anything above a 2-way speaker is just a marketing ploy. Using a 3-way co-axial speaker will not enhance your musical performance noticeably if there is any difference at all.

Are 5x7 speakers the same as 6x8?

When it comes to 5x7 and 6x8 speakers there is no real big difference. Some 6x8 speakers may have a slightly larger cone than some 5x7 speakers, but that won’t make a big difference when installing them.

The one small difference between the two sizes is that the mounting holes may be slightly different. They will, however, fit the same in most vehicles without you needing to modify anything.

Will a 6x9 fit in a 6x8?

A 6x8 speaker hole is smaller than a 6x9 speaker. So a 6x9 speaker won’t fit into a 6x8 hole unless you make some modifications to the hole by cutting it or building spacers.

Do 6x8 speakers have bass?

6x8 speakers are not specifically made to provide bass, for this you will need a subwoofer or an amplifier. The speakers are not able to provide a lot of bass at a volume that you can hear, while at the same time playing the other frequencies in the music.

With that said, if you want to maximize the amount of bass they produce, you can make sure that the speakers are installed well. Make sure that the speakers are fastened well to that door, that there are no holes close by (like factory installed access holes), and that they are flush up against the speaker grill and door panel.

Conclusion

Purchasing 6x8 speakers may seem daunting, but if you consider what you need from a speaker, how much you’re willing to spend, and know what technical specs to look for then you can’t go wrong.