Many of us spend hours in our cars. Traveling on the road to somewhere special, or just cruising. And while we do it, listening to music makes the road just that little bit shorter and a whole lot more entertaining. Our cars can almost be a little theater since the sound can be great inside the enclosed space. But not all cars come with the best sound systems. Upgrading your speakers can really make your music pop. But which speakers to choose?
If you buying local is important to you, we will have you covered with this list. We are going to check out some of the best American-made car speakers. What should you consider before you buy speakers for your car? We will share it all next.
Things To Consider
I love going on road trips. When I was young, my parents would push down the back seats, then on one side they would set up a mattress, leaving the other seat up, so I could sit or lie down whenever I wanted. Driving for hours, going on adventures, whether that be among the mountains, along the ocean, or through the desert. One thing always remained true, there was always music along the way.
We listened to such a wide variety of music, everything from hip hop, country, musical theater soundtracks, and everything in between. It was a pretty great childhood. But in the end, none of that would have been possible without a decent car radio and speakers.
If your speakers aren’t powerful enough to suit your tastes, or if the quality isn’t great, it is possible to replace them. In most new cars the speakers can easily be replaced since they can just be directly changed without a lot of rewiring or complications. And America has a few companies that make really great speakers. There are just a few things that you should keep in mind before choosing new speakers.
The Size of The Existing Speakers
One of the biggest things to consider is the size of the speakers that you currently have in your car. The new speakers will need to fit into the current space, or you will have to modify your car completely and that can not only cause damage but also become very complicated and expensive.
Making sure that the speakers can seamlessly fit into the current spots is much easier and makes way more sense.
The Power
If you are only replacing your car speakers, then you need to make sure that the new ones can handle the power from your original car stereo. If you are using the original stereo then 50 to 200 watts of power on the new speakers will generally be what you will need to go with.
Depending on your current car stereo, you could still push this up to 300 to make listening even easier. Just ensure that your current stereo is compatible with your new speakers.
Budget
One of the most important things to consider is the budget. There is a massive price range for car speakers. Buy the best product you can without breaking the bank. When you go through all the trouble of buying a new set of speakers, you obviously want them to be of high quality.
One of the things to consider when looking at the quality of your speakers is the sensitivity rating. A sensitivity rating of over 90 dB is a high rating and generally equals an excellent speaker. But they do cost more. You can also get a really good speaker that has a sensitivity rating of around 87 dB.
Look at your budget and then at what is in your price range. Then consider if it makes sense to replace the speakers that are currently in your vehicle.
After going through these considerations, it is then time to look at this list and all of the great American-made car speakers that we will show you.
1. Pyle PL463BL Three Way Sound Speaker System
- What I love: Great value for money
- What I dislike: Not a lot of bass
Pyle has a great reputation as a company that provides car audio equipment at really reasonable prices, and with these speakers, they live up to that name. There are many people that believe Pyle is one of the best American-made brands when it comes to car speakers. It makes sense that they will be added to this list.
Their three-way speakers sound great and they are really affordable. The one downside is that they lack a bit of power in the bass department but besides that small factor these speakers give a clear sound that you will love listening to.
They also give you a lot of options to choose from which is great. They have this system available in many different sizes. So, it won’t be difficult for you to find the speaker that fits perfectly into the spots that you need them to.
It has a Triaxial speaker system and the woofer has a blue poly injection cone that is not only beautiful, but it also adds plenty of stiffness without having any unnecessary weight added to the speakers.
Added to that the speaker also has a rubber surround that will ensure that it keeps on looking great for a long time and will keep sounding good too.
The speaker features a midrange tweeter that gives you a smooth and detailed sound to whatever you are listening to. The low impedance makes good use of all of the watts that your stereo can provide.
Not only can you choose between a wide range of sizes for this speaker but you can also choose between a range of power outputs. Making it easy to find speakers that will be compatible with your current stereo.
And the budget is one of the best parts. Pyle creates great products at really affordable prices. Getting good speakers that are cheap is always great. If you want a strong speaker that will sound really good and won’t break the bank then these good be your perfect fit.
2. JBL GTO629 Premium 6.5-Inch Co-Axial Speaker
- What I love: three-ohm voice coils allow added resistance to thin factory wires
- What I dislike: Some have been confused with sizing
If you love sound and audio, then chances are you are no stranger to the brand JBL. This American brand is named for its founder James Bullough Lansing and they have been making great quality speakers for many years.
JBL first became known for their home audio systems but they have proven that they have what it takes to create awesome car speakers too.
They are a great option to replace your factory speakers with a little something more impressive, but they are higher on the budget than the previous option.
In the GTO629 Premium 6.5-Inch Co-Axial Speaker system you will find a carbon-injected cone material that has the JBL patented Plus One woofer-cone technology. This gives the speaker a lot more output without adding any power. Your stereo will sound a lot more powerful without it being more powerful.
The voice coil will remain cool because the speakers have vented magnet assemblies on the woofers. Your speaker sound is more reliable and allows for greater power handling. Ensuring that you won’t encounter power compression or any other issues that can start to distort your sound.
One of the best things about this speaker system is the fact that it has three-ohm voice coils that compensate and gives added resistance. You need this in a speaker that will replace factory speakers since the wire that is used lately is normally really thin. Since JBL speakers are made as replacements for factory speakers they keep this in mind and make sure to create an improvement on your entire system.
The one downside is that while users have said that installation is relatively simple, there have been a few that felt the sizing was slightly wrong or the speakers ended up being slightly too deep for their car doors. Still, careful measurement should eliminate this problem.
3. Polk DB652 UltraMarine
- What I love: Built tough and the surround is waterproof
- What I dislike: Surround is big and might stand out
Polk is an American company that has been creating speakers for more than 50 years. Their products are great, but some of the best car speakers they have created are the DB652 UltraMarine. What makes these speakers unique is how tough they have been made.
You might not think that car speakers need to be able to stand up against abuse, but then you probably don’t drive a pickup and push it to the limit. Speakers that are in the lower door panel of a pickup or other adventure vehicle can easily get damaged by water and extreme conditions.
But you will not have to worry about that with these speakers. They are marine-grade and dirt and water-resistant. They also have a non-corrosive plastic grille that won’t let you down just because you took it on an adventure. The UV-tolerant cone will remain in top condition and the waterproof inner and outer surrounds will ensure that when you drive through some deep water, your speakers won’t get damaged. The speakers even come with stainless steel mounting hardware to ensure that all the components can withstand anything you throw at it.
These can withstand the elements and that is why many motorcycle enthusiasts also add these to their bikes. But these speakers aren’t just built to last, they also give you pretty great quality sound too. They have a crystal clear sound that is loud enough to be heard over any noises from outside.
However, the surround is large. Most factory speakers will be smaller and the surround might have to stand out instead of fitting perfectly.
4. Cerwin Vega XED693
- What I love: Great bass for small speakers
- What I dislike: Will not work with systems that are too high powered
Cerwin Vega was founded in 1954 by Gene Czerwinski who was a brilliant young aerospace engineer. He loved music and he wanted to create sound systems that would give its user a live musical experience without actually attending a musical event.
He also wanted to create products that had a lot of value for money but were efficient and durable. And ever since then that is what this American company has strived to do. The XED693 speakers certainly live up to that dream.
They are really affordable but they will give you a lot of bang for your buck. The bass on these speakers is sure to surprise you. Even small speakers can give a great sound. They also give a distortion-free noise that will ensure you get the live musical experience Cerwin Vega’s founder imagined all those years ago.
They can be paired with a sub to give them even more punch but these speakers will provide plenty of power on their own. It gives you a lot of great features, including a balanced metal dome, a curvilinear poly cone, a 2.5-inch midrange, and more all inside a black coat-stamped metal basket.
They will look great inside your car and also give you incredible sound. The only word of caution is that reports show they don’t work well with systems that have too much power. So, keep that in mind before you buy them.
But overall, they will give you a great sound and they are relatively affordable at the same time.
Buying The Best American-Made Car Speakers
America has some really great car audio manufacturers. We have only touched on a few today, you could also consider looking into others, like Bose Corporation, Klipsch Audio Technologies, Jensen, and Boss Audio among others. These are great companies that have proven that they know what it takes to create powerful speakers inside the car and out.
Take your time and consider your options carefully. You don’t want to replace your car speakers too often. So, make sure that you know what your priories are. Do you need a lot of bass? Do you want pretty speakers? Speakers that are tough?
Whatever your priorities, there is sure to be an American speaker company that has exactly what you need.
