6×8 Car Speakers – The Ultimate Upgrade

6×8 Car Speakers – The Ultimate Upgrade

Looking for the best 6×8 speakers to upgrade your factory ones? It’s never a straightforward decision, and making sure you get the right set of speakers for your taste takes a bit of knowledge.

6×8 speakers are compact and lightweight, which makes them easy to fit in small spaces. They also deliver a crisp and powerful sound to help enhance your listening experience.

As always, getting the best speakers is a tricky decision as there are many great pieces of equipment on the market. Companies are known to manipulate specs to entice the buyer, so choosing the best product can be confusing.

Do you want the best speakers for bass, or overall sound quality? How about coaxial or component speakers? What are the best speakers to get without having to get an amplifier? Or even speakers for doors?

There’s no set of speakers that beats every other at everything, so knowing what you want them for is important. Whatever your reason, it is important to choose a good car speaker that will fit your needs and budget, and in this article, I’ll review some of the best 6×8 speakers available on the market today.

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The Best 6×8 Car Speakers

Rockford Fosgate P1683 Punch – Range Speakers Without an Amp

If you’re looking for an easy factory replacement without having to worry about installation worries and getting an external amplifier, you should definitely consider these Rockford Fosgate P1683 Punch 6×8 speakers.

Rockford Fosgate speakers are very popular, and for good reason. These coaxial 3-way speakers can handle an impressive 65W RMS, and with a built in crossover, the blend of frequencies is seamless.

The P1683 4-Ohm, 6×8 car speakers come as a pair, and the injection molded mineral filled polypropylene cone with butyl rubber surround that provides high output and accurate frequency reproduction.

Rockford Fosgate has also used this new design by joining the surround to the cone, which has increased the cone space by nearly 25%, which ultimately provides a stronger performance and a fuller sound.

The speaker also boasts a PEI dome tweeter, which takes the role of the highs very eloquently even at higher volumes, leaving the mid-range and woofer to offer a full spectrum of melodies, not usual in a coaxial speaker.

If you’re looking for easy installation, these Rockford Fosgate speakers are perfect. Thanks to the Flex Fit basket, these drivers are compatible with odd shaped factory speaker locations, and allows for a slight adjustment of the speaker when mounted for a better fit.

As well as driving frequencies to the right component, the Integrated Concealed Crossover (ICC) hides the crossover inside the basket, which makes for even easier installation, while offering protection for the speakers.

Verdict

These speakers are a great coaxial with an immaculate full-range. They perform very well just with a decent head unit, but of course that will be enhanced tenfold with an aftermarket amplifier.  If you want a set of speakers that sound fantastic, and are easy to install, you should consider these Rockford speakers.

JL Audio C2-570x – 5×7 Car Audio Speakers

JL Audio is a brand known for producing high quality car audio speakers, and these 5×7 speakers offer top quality sound and the durability you expect from JL speakers. That’s right, these are classed as 5×7 speakers, but they’re the same, just with different mounting holes.

The JL Audio speaker can handle 60W RMS and the Frequency Response is a respectable 53 Hz – 22k Hz. The woofers with mineral-filled polypropylene cones with butyl rubber surround, giving these drivers impressively long excursion capabilities.

The speakers are fixed in stamped steel frames which not only helps with the JL speaker’s durability is enhanced, but also helps with the exquisite precision of the mids.

The 5×7 speakers also boast a built-in crossover, which distributes the frequencies nicely, and with the 3/4″ silk dome tweeter you can expect a smooth transitions between highs and mids – made even more pronounced with a 90 dB Sensitivity.

The 0.75″ silk dome tweeters are coaxially mounted and crisp texture delivers a high, smooth and extended response. The silk offers excellent damping properties, which reduces ringing and resonances in a tweeter, leading to a smooth, pleasing high-frequency even at high volumes.

Verdict

These JL Audio speakers maintain the brand’s image. They’re durable, with excellent mids and even better highs. Whether you listen to jazz, blues, rock, or hip-hop, these 2-way speakers will provide nice quality, crisp sounds, comparable with high-performance component speakers.

Alpine R-Series R-S68 – 6×8 Car Speakers

Alpine is a classic audio choice because of their attention to detail and focus on quality, and these are the best 6×8 speakers for power and clarity.

These sturdy 2-way coaxial speakers can handle a highly impressive 100W RMS, ensuring the loudpseakers are loud for long periods without distorting.

The hybrid fiber (CFRP) woofer is a lightweight yet rigid material, which beats standard cone material, especially for 6×8 oval shaped cones. This is due to the CFRP manipulated at the molding process, which allows the cone material to be more directional and ultimately strenghten the cone where other 6x8s might be weak.

The result is a rigid cone that delivers accurate and efficient mids like nothing you’ll hear in other coaxials at this price point.

R-Series Alpine speakers are made with emphasis on a full range of frequencies, and with the 1″ silk dome swivel tweeter they deliver a naturally bright and active sound.

What’s more, the swivel mounting allows you to manipulate the highs to a degree only found in component speakers, ensuring a fuller sound no matter what genre you’re playing.

The Frequency response is a bit limited at 63 Hz – 29,000 Hz, but these Alpine speakers aren’t about the lows. It’s all about the power and clarity of the mids and highs and with a 90 dB Sensitivity, you get a crisp and distortion-free soundscape, no matter how high you crank up the volume.

Verdict

These car audio speakers are loud and clear, and with an easy installation and durable construction, the drivers are up there with the best 6×8 car speakers. You’ll be hard-pressed to find coaxial speakers that can deliver such powerful clear mids and highs.

Infinity Reference 8632CFX – Budget 6×8 Speakers with impressive Bass

The next 6×8 speakers in my review come from Infinity. Their Reference range speakers produce a great sound and are a good choice for car door speakers, producing a well balanced sound, with impressive bass and best of all at a good price.

Infinity speakers are well-known in the car audio industry for good quality budget speakers, and these 3-ohm drivers offer a respectable 60W RMS continuous power handling. And with Sensitivity of 93 dB these work great with a stock head unit.

The oversized Plus One woofers offer more surface area than other speakers in its class, and produce a higher bass output and enhanced midrange performance.

The audiophile-grade, edge-driven textile adjustable tweeters deliver smooth, non-fatiguing sound even at high output levels. The adjustable tweeter also gives you more control to manipulate your desired soundscape.

If you’re after 6×8 coaxial speakers that’s easy to install, these Infinitys are perfect for you. The outer metal flange has every possible mounting holes and tabs you’ll need, making them a perfect out-in replacement for your factory speakers.

Verdict

These Infinity speakers are great. With an oversized woofer and adjustable tweeter offering depth and punch to your music, the difference from your factory speakers will be huge. If you are looking for a well priced, quality speaker, then this is a good option.

Pioneer TS-D68F D Series – Bassy 6×8 Car Speakers

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

Capable of handling 80 Watts RMS, these 6×8 speakers produce a wide sound stage, and amazing fidelity for the listener.

Constructed aramid fiber interlaced injection molded propylene (IMPP), the cone is ultra-thin and low mass makes it as rigid as any woofer surface, making the Pioneer speakers as durable as they come.

The low mass and high damping of the cone produces good sensitivity (87 dB) and low distortion, resulting in a natural, detailed sound with a deep and powerful bass that you don’t usually associate with 6×8 speakers.

Contoured from lightweight, resin-impregnated fibers, the 1″ polyester soft dome tweeter are resistant to high temperatures, humidity and vibration. This provides a perfect platform for a broad and balanced frequency response, low distortion levels and a smooth, natural highs.

Verdict

The speakers offer a balanced and loud sound stage, and bass that you don’t get from 6×8 loudspeakers. At this price entry, you’re getting a great pair of coaxial speakers that will work well and make a big difference to any full car audio stereo set up.

Kicker CS Series 46CSS684 – 6×8 Component Speakers

The best 6×8 component speakers on my review come from leading car audio brand Kicker. Known for durable, crisp and loud sound stage, Kicker speakers are up there with the very best and these CS series 46CSS684 component speakers maintain that image.

The Kicker car speakers are designed to fit in any vehicle without compromising on sound, and produce exceptionally low frequencies, which is hard to find in other speakers of the same size.

The component speaker set includes titanium tweeters, woofers, and crossovers, which give you more freedom for sculpting a spectrum of frequencies, and with 75 Watts RMS you can play them at high volumes.

The woofer boasts EVC (Extended Voice Coil) tech which helps the component speakers with precise linear excursion, and with a large woofer magnet in a heavy-duty motor the bass response is remarkable for 6×8 speakers.

The ribbed, polypropylene cones and UV-treaded surround make the driver as durable as they come, while phase plugs in the woofer cones helps eliminate any distortion, allowing you to crank up the volume.

The PEI-tweeter construction provides superb clarity, revealing subtle details to your highs, while the neodymium tweeter magnets allows for increased volume in high frequencies without giving into any clarity.

Verdict

These Kicker component car speakers offer a well rounded, full spectrum of sounds. The ultra-clean bass is incredible for 6×8 speakers and the mids and highs introduce tones you won’t hear in other speakers. Component speakers aren’t for the inexperienced, but these are definitely audiophile-grade drivers.

Hertz ECX-570.5 – 2-Way Coaxial Speakers

Hertz is another brand that’s well-known in the audio industry for producing high quality stereo equipment. These Energy.5 ECX 570.5 coaxial 2-way 5×7 speakers maintain that image, by offering a powerful and wide sound stage for any sized vehicle.

These Hertz car speakers can handle 140W RMS combined, and with a Sensitivity of 94 dB these coaxials drive some power and clarity to the mids and highs.

The woofer is protected by a water-repellent treated paper cone, butyl rubber surround. And with a pure copper voice coil wound on aluminium former, the mids are constant and clear.

The power these 5×7 component speakers produce is impressive and the low carbon content plates help with high heat dissipation, both protects the the driver and helps produce a distortion free soundscape.

The tweeter benefits from Rotary High Frequency Contour (RHFC), which allows the listener to adjust the response and drive some perfect high frequencies that can be easily manipulated to a personal taste.

Verdict

For a 5×7 coaxials, these Hertz car speakers push an accurate sound, and the power emitting from them will make a big difference to any vehicle sound stage. And with water repellent cones, the drivers are compatible with motorcycles and other vehicles where they might be exposed to nature’s elements.

Polk Audio DB572 DB+ Series – Marine Standard Speakers

Polk is well known brand for superior sound quality and these marine certified speakers offer all of that at an affordable price. Designed using laser-imaging, these speakers provide smooth, reliable sound with minimal to no distortion.

The power handling of these 4-ohm, 5×7 coaxial speakers is 75 Watts RMS, while the Sensitivity is 92 dB, which drives some quality power and clarity.

The polypropylene and UV tolerant cone with waterproof inner and outer surrounds, drives resounding mids, while the built in crossover ensures the frequencies flow seamlessly to the right driver.

The Polk speakers are marine grade water- and dirt-repellent, and have been tested against salt-fog, humidity, and UV, making these as durable as any speakers and ideal marine speakers, motorcycles, ATVs.

The 0.75″ shallow tweeter design drives clear highs, although they can get a bit bright at higher volumes. The speakers boast a decent Frequency Response of 35 Hz – 22k Hz, and with Polk’s Dynamic Balance technology delivering the brand’s signature quality all round sound, the speakers perform admirably for the price entry.

Verdict

There are better speakers on my list, but at this price, they’re definitely worth considering. If you’re looking for quality speakers without breaking the bank, these are a good buy. Reliable, durable and affordable, these Polk car speakers deliver quality sound and they produce solid playback.

Cerwin Vega V468 – 6×8 Coaxial Speakers for Midbass

Cerwin Vega is a legacy brand well-known for producing some of the best and most durable car audio equipment over the decades, and these 6×8 speakers are just that.

The Cerwin Vega V468 is a coaxial 2-way car speaker produces some vibrant, clear, and powerful sounds, and at this price entry it’s great value for money.

Each speaker has an RMS power output of 75 watts, and with a sensitivity of 94 dB, they can run perfectly well just with a decent head unit.

The curvilinear mica-filled poly woofer cone drives some crisp midbass, and the off-axis design promotes a surround sound no matter how big your car is.

Cerwin Vega’s robust design woofer and aesthetically pleasing famous red rubber surround is as durable a driver as you’ll get at this price range, and they are really made to last.

The built in crossover drives the frequencies to the right place, ensuring the speaker’s efficacy is unrivalled at this price entry.

The aluminum dome tweeter boasts a mica-filled poly cone that lacks a bit in transparency, but again for the money, it’s to be expected.

Verdict

These 6×8 car speakers stand out, not just for the sexy red surround, but the midbass is exquisite, and matches any other in my review. The highs are lacking a bit, but you’re getting a very reliable speaker for a reasonable price.

Kicker CS Series CSC68 – Coaxial 6×8 Speakers for Under $100

The last 6×8 drivers on my list are my second choice from leading car audio manufacturer Kicker. I wanted to share some Kicker coaxial speakers, because with the Kicker CS series you get great value for money, and the highs on these are exquisite.

The speaker can handle 75W of continuous power and with 90 dB Sensitivity, you don’t have to push too much power to get higher volumes.

The Kicker car speakers boast a heavy-duty motor/magnet structure with EVC (Extended Voice Coil) technology, which protects the UV-treated polyester woofer against heat resistance, and ultimately enhances its performance.

The polypropylene cone and ribbed, UV-treated surrounds work together. And with a stamped-steel framework and the phase plugs helping eliminate distortion, the clarity and accuracy of the midbass results in some precise and impressive acoustics.

The half-inch zero-protrusion PEI tweeter offers rich sound detail thanks to the neodymium tweeter magnets, which ensures the highs don’t get distorted even at higher volumes.

The Frequency Range is 45 Hz – 20k Hz, but to be honest the bass is somewhat lacking, compared with some others on my list. Then again, you shouldn’t be getting 6×8 car speakers expecting thunderous bass.

The CS-Series Coaxial, 3-Way Speakers will fit in nearly every vehicle, and make for an easy installation.

Verdict

These Kicker car speakers are a great factory replacement. They’re not going to win any SPL competitions, but you’re getting a good quality speaker that produces clear mids and highs, even if  the bass is a bit wanting.

Buyer’s Guide

Getting the best 6×8 speakers isn’t a clear-cut answer. You have to match them with your existing car audio system, and get the right ones to suit your taste and experience.

Anyone who wants the maximum enjoyment from their speakers has to take in many considerations. Most people have a budget, there are different sound qualities to explore. How bassy do you want them to perform? Do you want more clarity on the mid to highs? Do you want more control over the components? Or, do you just want to plug and play?

The material used, construction, and type of speaker determines how they perform across these different ranges and how much you’ll enjoy the sound they produce. Below are a couple of things you should look for and take into consideration when looking for the best speakers for you.

RMS Power Rating on Car Speakers

RMS stands for Root Mean Square wattage. And when looking for car 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, you should always compare the RMS ratings with your car’s existing stereo system. Your car audio system has a certain number of watts RMS per channel, so getting the speakers to match is important.

If you have added an aftermarket car 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.

Of course, aftermarket speakers come with their sensitivity rating on them. An average speaker comes with a sensitivity of around 87 dB to 88 dB, whereas over 90 dB is considered excellent sensitivity and will play loud, clear music.

What’s more, good car speakers with over 90 dB sensitivity will perform as well as speakers even just 3 decibels less, using just 50% of the power, so don’t be fooled into thinking  there’s not much difference between 87 and 90 dB.

Match Your Speakers with an Amplifier

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

When choosing an external car amplifier, make sure to pick one with an RMS that is the same as your speakers. So if you have a speaker that’s 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.

Most car amps have speaker level input, which allows you to connect speaker wires directly. Once fit the amp will adjust the signal so it can then amplify the sound to your speakers.

However, this might not have the cleanest sound, so a good line output converter might also be needed. This is a special box designed to take the speaker wire and convert the signal to a level that your amplifier can work with.

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

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

3-way coaxial speakers, however, usually have a mid-woofer, tweeter, and a ‘super tweeter,’ which is designed to handle only extremely high frequencies.

3-way coaxial speakers offer a more varied sound, but that’s not to say you can’t get fantastic sounds from 2-way speakers because you certainly can.

In fact, many people believe anything above a 2-way speaker is just a marketing ploy, and using a 3-way coaxial speaker will not enhance your musical performance noticeably if there is any difference at all.

Are 5×7 Speakers The Same as 6×8 Speakers?

When it comes to 5×7 and 6×8 speakers there is no real big difference. Yes, there’s an inch difference, and some 6×8 speakers may have a slightly larger cone than some 5×7 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. In fact, manufacturers usually sell them as both 5×7 and 6×8 speakers, so there’s nothing to worry about.

Will a 6×9 Speaker fit in a 6×8?

A 6×8 speaker hole is smaller than a 6×9 speaker, so a 6×9 speaker won’t fit into a 6×8 hole unless you make some modifications to the hole by cutting it or building spacers.

You’ll have to check the depth closely, a 6×9 speaker will usually fit a 6×8 hole easy with a spacer ring but you might not have room for a large magnet speaker as far as depth to glass. Unless you really know what you’re doing it’s not recommended.

Do 6×8 Car Speakers Have Bass?

6×8 speakers are not specifically made to provide bass, instead you will need an additional subwoofer and/or an amplifier. This is because 6×8 speakers can’t provide a lot of bass at a volume that you can hear, while at the same time playing the other frequencies in the music.

Compared with 6.5 speakers, the 6×8 will produce more bass, but it won’t be as definite, due to the elliptical shape of the cone vs. round voice coil. Whereas, the 6.5 speaker will produce less bass, but it will be more crisp.

With that said, if you want to maximize the amount of bass your 6x8s 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. This will ensure you get decent bass from your new speakers.

Getting The Best 6×8 Speakers Can Seem Daunting

Purchasing the best 6×8 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.

Not known for their bass, 6×8 speakers aren’t as popular as 6×9 or 6.5 speakers, but don’t think you won’t get crystal clear, deep sounds with a good set of 6×8 car speakers.

The above mentioned speakers are good, and for most people the sound will be more than enough. And if bass is your thing and you have some 6x8s get yourself a good subwoofer and you won’t be disappointed with your speakers.