Car Tweeters for that Ultimate Upgrade

Upgrade Your Car’s Sound System with Tweeters

As with everything else in car audio world, there’s no definitive best car tweeters. It’s all down to personal preference and knowing exactly what you like.

These mini-speakers might have a dinky name, but tweeters really add that finishing touch to a full car audio stereo set up, and getting the right ones is imperative.

The difference with an upgrade to some aftermarket car tweeters is incredible, and the tone and clarity of the vocals and instruments will be pronounced so much.

Tweeters are designed to reproduce the high-frequency elements of your music, and upgrading them you will clearly begin to hear instruments you wouldn’t have heard before in your factory set up

They’re usually the last piece of the car stereo jigsaw, but getting the best tweeters for your set up will make a major impact.

Below we have compiled a list of 10 of the best car tweeters around. There are many more not on the list, but we have tried to be as diverse as possible, and have looked at what we believe to be the best in their price ranges.

So, if you’re looking for the best car tweeters, keep scrolling and see if we at SoundRating can help. And if you do decide to buy from our recommendation, please share your experience in the comments section, to help other perspective buyers.

Best Car Tweeters Review

Rockford Fosgate P1T-S Punch 1″ Tweeters

Kicking off the best car tweeters list is one of the most durable and crisp sounding tweeters on the market.

The Punch P1T-S form Rockford Fosgate is a 1″ PEI dome tweeter kit that lets you easily add on extra highs with true sound reproduction with even more control.

This is in part thanks to the dome tweeter, which boosts sound reproduction because high-frequency sound waves are very directional, and a wider separation of the sound waves give you more options for getting the sound you desire.

The car tweeters come as a pair, and they have a power handling of 60 Watts RMS which is impressive and ensures clarity and crisp highs.

The Rockford Fosgate tweeters deliver a high-frequency response that is both clear and concise, and thanks to the 4-Ohm impedance, they can handle plenty of power without distorting.

In addition, the tweeters come with outboard adjustable crossovers, so you’ll have more control of the frequencies and really tailor the sound output. Although they are a little bulky – something to be aware of before installation.

Anyone looking for installation options, the recessed tweeter mount uses a standard hole saw and can be installed in different ways: flush, surface, or angled. And the tweeters aren’t so bulky so you’ll have plenty of options for where to put them.

Verdict

A great sound and with a 1” dome tweeter, you have plenty of sound dispersion, making them ideal for anyone new to car audio. These are not the cheapest, but Rockford Fosgate is a leader in the car audio industry and these drivers are arguably the best tweeters for the money.

Pioneer TS-A300TW  ¾” Tweeters

If you’re looking for a great set of component tweeters that can give your car audio system a big boost in sound quality, the Pioneer TS-A300TW tweeters do this in copious amounts. And best of all you don’t have to break the bank.

Featuring a 20mm (3/4 inch) hard dome design, the Pioneer tweeters offer extreme sound clarity and accuracy. The tweeter’s aluminum dome design also helps to deliver sound reproduction that you won’t get in other drivers in this price range.

With this design, you’ll be able to enjoy high-frequency responses 1.4 kHz – 69k Hz that are both clear and concise. They have a fantastic soundstage and with 100W RMS there’s plenty of volume, as well as wonderful detail, even if the sensitivity 88 dB is pretty standard.

Inline crossovers (approximately ½” diameter x ¾” long) are integrated into the included speaker wire. The slope is 6 dB/octave and the crossover point is 3.8 kHz.

The system includes flush mount rings and angled surface mounts, which house the tweeters approximately at a 45° angle. Bendable brackets are also included for mounting the tweeters in factory locations.

Verdict

Pioneer are well known for their quality products, and these ¾” tweeters are up there with the best budget tweeters. You can get cheaper, but you can also spend a lot more, but for this price range, you won’t get a better treble sound.

Skar Audio TWS-01 1-Inch Tweeters

When it comes to upgrading your car audio, the tweeters are a component that should not be overlooked. And if you’re looking for the best budget tweeters on the market, and we really do mean ON A BUDGET, take a closer look at these Skar Audio TWS-01 1-Inch 240 Watt Max Power Neodymium Silk Dome Tweeters.

At just over $20 these are a great entry for anyone who isn’t sure about splashing out on tweeters for their car audio system. The sound is bright and clear, although a bit distorted at peak volumes.

With 4 ohm impedance you have plenty of options and with an impressive 80W RMS the power is clearly there. And with a Frequency Response: 2 kHz – 20 kHz and Sensitivity of 92 dB you have plenty of options and can really run these into the ground.

The premium silk dome design allows for extreme sound clarity and accuracy, delivering a high-frequency response that is both clear and concise. And thanks to the neodymium magnet structure, they also provide plenty of power and detail for car tweeters so cheap.

These tweeters offer a good level of sound quality and clarity, making them perfect for anyone not wanting to spend too much but is looking to take their music listening experience to the next level.

So if you’re in the market for a set of budget tweeters that can handle plenty of power and deliver crystal clear sound albeit not too high volumes, the Skar Audio TWS-01 1-Inch 240 Watt Max Power Neodymium Silk Dome Tweeters should definitely be considered.

Verdict

These Skar Audio tweeters are an absolute steal. Neo magnets and silk cones don’t usually come at this price range. The sound quality is good and full of detail although you will get a bit of distortion near peak volume. But seriously, for just over $20 it’s a great place to start your car stereo upgrade.

Kicker 46KST2504 1″ Dome Tweeters

When it comes to car audio, Kicker is a name that’s always at the top of the list, and their 46KST2504 1″ Dome Tweeters are no exception.

These tweeters offer an extremely high level of sound quality and clarity, making them perfect for anyone looking to take their car stereo sound system to the next level.

Added to a full set up, these partner effortlessly with your subwoofer, and the warm sound fills the higher range of the spectrum without shredding the eardrums.

These tweeters feature a neodymium magnet structure, which offers a higher sensitivity and substantial sound output more effectively than its competitors. This means you get plenty of power and detail without using too much power.

Coming with inline crossovers (3.5k Hz), installation is easy and you’ll soon be able to sculpt the sound you desire. And with the dome design the sound dispersion is wide and of course loud and crisp.

This is in part thanks to the 75W RMS, which is a lot of power for such small speakers! The frequency range is impressive: 3.5k Hz – 21k Hz, while the 94 dB Sensitivity ensures your high frequencies remain clean.

Verdict

These Kicker car tweeters are great sounding and very durable drivers. They produce extreme sound clarity and accuracy, and deliver a high-frequency response that is both clear and concise. If you’re happy to spend a little extra, these should be considered.

HERTZ Cento C 26 Tweeters

Hertz continually produce SPL competition level car audio components and the extremely precise highs these Cento C 26 tweeters produce at peak volumes keep that reputation going.

They are expensive, but the tweeters offer an extremely high level of sound quality and clarity, making it perfect for anyone looking to take their music listening experience to the next level.

The 1 inch tetolon dome is different to every other tweeter in this car tweeters review, and offer a number of benefits over traditional tweeter dome material.

The benefits of tetolon include a much wider range of sound, and they’re more durable and will withstand extreme conditions. What’s more, its lightweight material (the tweeter is 0.8lbs) makes them perfect for car audio installation.

These Hertz tweeters aren’t all about the tetolon dome, however. Featuring a neodymium magnet structure, you get plenty of power and detail, and believe me the sound is extremly clear and more precise than many others

The 4-ohm impedance offers plenty of options, and at 1.8k Hz – 22.5k Hz the frequency range is perfect. And with 92 dB sensitivity and 60W RMS each tweeter can really deliver crisp and precise highs without distortion.

They come with an inline crossover, making them an easy install. Not forgetting the cool design and versatile installation options of the speakers, these easy to install and precise sounding tweeters will offer you sounds you haven’t heard before.

Verdict

If you’re looking to give your music that extra bit of sparkle, these HERTZ Cento C 26 tweeters will add that and more. They’re expensive, but the durability and sound precision is second-to-none. If you want to buy the best tweeters for sound quality, take a closer look at these.

Alpine S-S10TW, S Series 1″ Dome Tweeters

The next set of tweeters in our review comes from car audio big boys Alpine. Their S range S-S10TW, 1″ Component Dome Tweeter offers incredible sound and value and will improve your car stereo’s soundstage no end.

This little guy is a powerhouse! The Alpine tweeter’s silk dome tweeter can handle 80W RMS, making it the perfect addition to any car audio system.

The sound from these is crisp and clear and they make for a perfect companion in a full car stereo set up.

The Alpine S-S10TW tweeters boast a 6-ohm impedance and 88 dB sensitivity, so they’ll work great with any amplifier. The wide frequency response is 1k Hz – 22k Hz, which is more than enough, and the inline crossovers make for an easy installation.

Speaking of installation, the shallow mount tweeter also features a 3/4″ mounting depth and 2″ cutout diameter, making the sleek look tweeters easy to install in any vehicle.

Verdict

This Alpine S-series tweeter offers an extremely high level of sound quality and clarity, and at a reasonable price. They’re loud and durable and perfect for anyone wanting to make an impact in their car sound system.

JBL CLUB 750T 3/4″ Dome Tweeter

When it comes to car audio, JBL is always a name that you can trust, and their CLUB 750T 3/4″ 270W Club Series Edge Driven Balanced Dome Tweeter is no exception.

The tweeters utilize JBL’s balanced drive technology, ensuring they’re designed to enhance sound dispersion and deliver natural-sounding highs. This results in the tweeter producing an extremely high level of sound quality and clarity.

Boasting an aluminum dome design, the JBL tweeters also offer extreme sound clarity and accuracy, and will introduce you to instruments you won’t hear from your OEM system.

The tweeters benefit from a neodymium magnet structure, which provides plenty of power, and with 92 dB sensitivity the clarity of sound from these is comparable with anything in this price entry.

Their 3-Ohm impedance means that you can safely draw just enough power from your radio or amp while still producing fantastic clarity with no distortion.

The RMS is “only” 45W, but this is more than enough for tweeters. Besides their efficiency will ensure there isn’t too much wasted energy, and the crisp and clear highs produced at high volumes with no distortion will make a major impact on your sound system.

Verdict

These JBL speakers offer excellent treble and mid-range, they’re very efficient with high sensitivity to get good volume out of your watts. And with 3 ohm impedance, you can run these with your head unit if you prefer.

Infinity Reference 375TX- 3/4” Tweeter

The next on this Best Car Tweeters review is the Infinity Reference 375TX 3/4” tweeters – a surface mount design that offers a warmer treble detail than many of its competitors.

These edge-driven textile tweeters provide an adjustable tweeter output level, making it easy to find the perfect sound for your vehicle.

The Plus One woofer cone architecture means these tweeters can handle more power and deliver smoother sound than many other tweeters on the market.

Although the 45W RMS is lower than most others in this review, it’s enough for your tweeters, and really the warm treble and stereo imaging is impressive.

The frequency range is 2.5k Hz – 21k Hz, and with 93 dB sensitivity, these 3-ohm tweeters allow for running with either stock head unit or an aftermarket amplifier. Either set up will make a major improvement to your fidelity.

Installation-wise, these are as easy as any others. Included are surface or flush mount so you have many options for the Infinity Reference 375TX in any car, and with inline crossovers the installation is made even easier.

Verdict

If you like warm and smooth highs, the edge-driven textile tweeters from Infinity Reference are a great option. At a mid-price entry, you can make a major impact in your sound system without breaking the bank.

Pioneer TS-B350 PRO 3-1/2″ Tweeters

This is the second set of Pioneers in this Best Car Tweeters review, and these TS-B350 PRO 3-1/2″ beasts are big, powerful and loud!

Inspired by Pioneer’s history of record-breaking SPL competition, the new PRO series line of speakers is constructed with the street enthusiast in mind, and boy do they make an impact.

The 3.5” Pioneer tweeters offer extremely high sensitivity and with the horn speaker structure the TS-B350PRO deliver high sound pressure levels that will turn heads.

The bullet dome feature aluminum die-cast chassis with titanium diaphragms, which helps dissipate heat, ensuring these are efficient for something so big.

What’s more, the design also increases power handling, resulting in greater clarity and definition, as well as improved soundstage imaging.

Backed by aggressive magnets, the 100W RMS, 4-ohm speakers, and incredible 101 dB sensitivity produce a wide range of crisp, loud, and clear frequencies that make earth shaking highs.

Verdict

These tweeters should really be part of a full aftermarket car audio set up. And at this size they aren’t for everyone, but if you want some big, loud and clear tweeters, Pioneer has you covered.

DS18 PRO-ST 1.9″ Bullet Compression Tweeters

If you’re looking for a factory replacement and drive a Subaru or Toyota, the DS18 PRO-ST 1.9″ will make a major improvement to your in car soundstage.

These are dash-mounted speakers that fit on most Subaru and Toyota vehicles, replacing the 3.5 inch dummy speaker in the dashboard, and offer a major upgrade compared to your factory speakers.

At 1.9 inch these tweeter beasts will make a dramatic boost in sound quality, thanks in part to the bullet style design.

The bullet style tweeters produce louder output, making them an ideal partner for a car stereo set up with a subwoofer. Although you won’t get a wider dispersion of higher sound frequencies, the brightness of these is impressive for anyone wanting loud and crisp sounds.

The DS18 PRO-ST tweeters come with built-in crossovers, and with a Frequency Response 1KHz- 20KHz, you have plenty of options for power and detail.

The 4 ohm drivers offer plenty of options, and with a power handling of 50W RMS you get more than enough power from your tweeters. And for anyone who really likes crisp and high volume the Sensitivity of these beasts in a very impressive 98dB.

In addition, the tweeters come with all the necessary hardware for easy installation in most Toyota and Subaru vehicles, making them perfect for anyone looking to upgrade their car audio system on a budget.

Verdict

These DS18 bullet tweeters are basically a drop in replacement for stock speakers on most Subaru and Toyota vehicles, and installation should take no more than 30 minutes. They are built to last and continuously produce extremely loud and crisp tunes.

Buyer’s Guide for Getting The Best Car Tweeters

As with everything in the car audio industry, there’s no best tweeters for a car. There are many great products out there each delivering something unique, and you have to decide what sound you’re after, and of course your budget.

But what things should you know before buying some tweeters? This buyer’s guide will give you all the extra information you need so you know exactly which shape, which material and which size best suits your needs.

Understand The Power of Your Car Stereo System

Before you start looking for the best car tweeters you need to understand the power your car stereo system can handle. After all, it’s pointless getting some really expensive powerful tweeters, when your system can’t handle any extra power.

As with all other loudspeakers, tweeters are rated according to their power handling. Ignore the max power and always look for the continuous power (RMS).

If you’re running your system from the head unit only, you won’t have much room to play with. But if you have an aftermarket amplifier, this will give you a lot more power, and you should be able to get some nice, powerful tweeters.

What Tweeter Designs To Get?

There are different tweeter designs, such as the shape of the cone and the material, and these play a big role in the sound production. Here are the most common types of tweeters and what to expect from them.

Dome Tweeters

Dome tweeters are arguably the best shape for producing the best sounds, but surprisingly not the most common. As the name suggests the cone is a protruding dome shaped diaphragm.

The dome shape boosts sound reproduction because high-frequency sound waves are very directional. Therefore, the dome shape ensures a wider dispersion of the sound waves, resulting in better options for sculpting the sound you desire.

Semi Dome Tweeters

Semi Dome Tweeters are similar to Dome Tweeters but instead of a dome cone, there’s a small dome that’s fit into a shallow cone. This design is typical in lower-cost speakers, and these are usually used with softer materials.

None of the speakers in our Best Car Tweeters review above do not use semi dome structure, because this design is used in coaxial speakers.

Bullet Tweeters

Bullet tweeters have a bullet shaped dome at the center of the cone that’s really pronounced. This design ensures bullet tweeters can produce louder output than other types of car tweeters.

Bullet tweeters don’t disperse the soundwaves as well as Dome Tweeters do, so using them in a home audio set up isn’t recommended. For an enclosed space such as a car, however, bullet tweeters, are perfect for anyone wanting crisp and clear highs.

Tweeter Materials

Dome tweeters can be either soft or hard, and each material influences the sound reproduction.

Hard Dome Tweeters are usually made of metals such as aluminum or titanium, or other hard materials such as ceramic. The resulting sound is louder and brighter treble, and these are thought to be better when paired with a subwoofer.

Soft Dome Tweeters are usually made of silk or other textiles blended with silk. The softer material allows for a warmer highs and not as precise outputs. These are mostly used with home theaters, but silk blends are common among car audio manufacturers, too.

Which Is Best Soft or Hard Materials?

There’s no best material for tweeters or any other speaker. Sure enough, titanium is better than aluminum because it’s lighter and less resonant, but they’re both metals of course. If you go for a good silk blend, the quality will likely be as good, but the sound reprodcution will be different.

The best thing to think before opting for either metal or silk is to consider the atmosphere in your car. Do you have a lot of road noise – as in do you like to keep the windows open while driving? If so, probably metal tweeters will be better because they’re louder and will cut out much of the road noise.

If external noise isn’t such a problem while you’re driving, you might be better going for a silk material tweeter, as this will give you a more natural sound.

Other Things To Consider

Crossovers

Crossovers in Tweeter components are a separate devices that filters out the low-frequency elements of the audio signal. This allows the tweeter to do what it does best: reproduce high-frequency sounds.

In the above review there are some tweeters with separate crossovers and some with inline crossovers.

Separate crossovers will be bulkier and harder to install, but they will give you more options for getting the sound you desire. Inline crossovers will give you a certain amount of control, but are easier to install as they’re smaller and built into the wiring.

Whichever type you get, as long as you get the right crossover settings right, they will do the job perfectly.

Power Handling

There are 2 types of power handling: Maximum power and continuous power. Many car audio manufacturers advertise their max power handling to make them look more powerful, but this feature should be ignored.

Instead look for the continuous power handling, which is labelled as RMS. This is basically how much power your speakers can handle at a continuous level over a continued period of time.

The higher the RMS the more powerful your speakers, but also the more energy they’ll likely use up. Also, make sure your car stereo system can handle the extra RMS before adding them to your stereo set up.

Impedance

Impedance measured in ohms (Ω), is the electrical impedance encountered by the audio signal at the input of the speaker. The higher the impedance, the more power the speakers need to produce the same level of volume.

Impedance affects a speaker’s load on an amplifier and is important when matching loudspeakers and amplifiers. One thing to keep in mind is that the ohms of the tweeter and the ohms of the amplifier need to match.

Many tweeters and amplifiers can be wired up to absorb different impedance levels, but before you buy what you think are the best car tweeters make sure your amplifier can handle them.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity is measured in decibels (dB) and it determines how efficient your speaker is at turning power into volume. Every 3 dB increase in sensitivity means your speakers need half as much wattage to generate the same volume.

As a general rule of thumb, a high sensitivity rating means more volume at a given wattage. 88 dB is about average, whereas anything above it is considered to be really good.

Getting The Best Tweeters for a Car Audio System

So, you now know the ideal shape and texture for getting the best car tweeters. Whether you like warmer blended highs, or sharp and crisp highs, getting it right is down to personal taste.

Tweeters might be small, but they make a dramatic impact on the fidelity of your sound system. A good quality set of car tweeters will introduce you to instruments and sounds you wouldn’t have heard before on your generic factory set up.

All of the above tweeters will add much more definition to your car stereo system and the effects will be unbelievable, especially if you’re upgrading from a factory system

Whichever set up you go for, make sure you do your research before. Ensure you have the system that can handle the extra power, and make sure you have the space, especially if you go for bigger tweeters.

And finally, make sure you get the shape and material that will reproduce the sounds you prefer.