Car speakers without punchy bass can leave a lot to be desired. You can always purchase subwoofers to increase the bass response in your car audio system, but depending on your vehicle, it may be difficult to find sufficient space to properly mount the best subwoofers. The best car speakers for bass can provide everything you need for an enhanced listening experience on the road.
We formulated our list of recommendations for the best car speakers for bass by researching and reviewing the highest-rated speakers on the market.
In this article:
- 5 Best Car Speakers For Bass
- #1 Best Overall: Kicker CSC65
- #2 Best Component Speakers: Infinity Reference 5030CX
- #3 Best Three-Way Speakers: Rockford Fosgate R165X3
- #4 JBL GTO939
- #5 Boss Audio Systems CH6530
- Car Speakers For Bass Buyers Guide
- Our Review Standards
- Frequently Asked Questions
5 Best Car Speakers For Bass
#1 Best Overall: Kicker CSC65
Kicking off our roundup of best car speakers for bass, the Kicker CSC65 is our review team’s choice for the Best Overall car speaker for bass on the market in 2022. This coaxial speaker features polypropylene cones and a ribbed UV-treated polyester woofer surround that resists high temperatures. In terms of power handling, the car audio speaker can produce 300.0 watts max and 100.0 watts RMS power. Additionally, the two-way car speaker has a sensitivity of 90.0 decibels and a frequency range of 40.0 to 20,000.0 hertz.
The 6.5-inch speaker features Extended Voice Coil (EVC) technology for improved woofer performance, deeper lows, and a smooth mid-range. For rich sound detail and to produce high volume at high frequencies, this coaxial car speaker has a 0.5-inch PEI dome tweeter and large neodymium tweeter magnets. A 6.0-dB/octave inline crossover ensures only the proper frequencies are sent to the drivers in this 4.0-ohm impedance speaker system.
Our Rating: 4.9 out of 5
Key Features
- Ribbed UV-treated polyester woofer surround
- Features EVC technology
- 6.0-dB/octave inline crossover
What’s In The Box?
When you purchase the Kicker CSC65, you can expect to receive a host of accessories along with the two two-way car speakers. Included in the box are two grilles, two 12.0-inch lengths of speaker wire, four red plastic wire caps, eight 1⅛-inch screws, eight speed clips, and an owner’s manual.
What Customers Are Saying
Over 1,700 customers have left reviews for the Kicker CSC65 on Amazon. A total of 75 percent of reviews rate this car speaker for bass a faultless 5 out of 5 stars. On the other hand, only 2 percent of reviewers rate this product 1 star. Most customers had little to no issue with these speakers, as 92 percent of reviewers rate them 4 stars or higher.
#2 Best Component Speakers: Infinity Reference 5030CX
Our review team’s pick for the Best Component Speakers on the market is the Infinity Reference 5030CX. This car speaker for bass has a frequency response between 67.0 Hz to 21.0 kilohertz, a sensitivity of 93.0 dB, and power handling of 65.0 watts RMS with 195.0-watt peak power handling. The speaker system has patented Plus One woofer cone architecture which results in high sensitivity, increased low-frequency output, and clear sound.
This two-way speaker system features edge-driven textile tweeters to produce smooth and high-quality sound. Additionally, an adjustable tweeter output level control allows listeners the freedom of high-frequency optimization. Newly engineered baskets are optimized to fit in most factory speaker locations which makes it easy to enhance your listening experience by replacing your old speakers with new speakers.
Our Rating: 4.7 out of 5
Key Features
- Plus One woofer cone architecture
- Edge-driven textile tweeters
- Adjustable tweeter output level control
What’s In The Box?
Customers who purchase the Infinity Reference 5030CX can expect to receive quite a few accessories, most of which logically come in pairs. Two woofers, two tweeters, two crossovers, two tweeter flush-mount housings, two threaded flush-mount adapters, two plastic locking nuts, two tweeter surface-mount housings, two starfish tweeter mounts, two washers, two nuts, two adhesive-backed foam gaskets, and two infinity logos are included in the box.
You will also receive eight 1⅜-inch screws, eight 1⅛-inch screws, eight speed clips, six ⅝-inch flat head screws, and an instruction manual.
What Customers Are Saying
The Infinity Reference 5030CX has less than 20 customer reviews on Amazon at the time of publication. While there isn’t much data to go off, the information available points to a positive reception from customers. Every customer that has left a review for this product rates it a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.
#3 Best Three-Way Speakers: Rockford Fosgate R165X3
The Rockford Fosgate R165X3 has power ratings of 45.0 watts RMS and 90.0 watts max. This speaker system features polypropylene woofer cones and a silk dome Piezo tweeter, easily making it one of the best car speakers for bass on the market. Additionally, a rubber surround ensures your speakers have a long lifespan.
In terms of replacing your factory speakers and fitting these quality speakers in your vehicle, the midrange has a nominal diameter of 6.5 inches and a mounting depth of 2.15 inches. The full-range speaker has a nominal impedance of 4.0 ohms and a frequency response of 52.0 Hz to 20.0 kHz. It should also be noted that an integrated tweeter high-pass (HP) crossover is featured on this speaker.
Our Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Key Features
- Integrated tweeter HP crossover
- Silk dome piezo tweeter
- Polypropylene woofer cones
What’s In The Box?
An operation manual is included in the box with instructions in English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian. Additionally, two three-way speakers, two grilles, two 15.0-inch lengths of speaker wire, eight 1¼-inch self-tapping screws, and eight speed clips are included.
What Customers Are Saying
Over 11,000 customers have left reviews for the Rockford Fosgate R165X3 on Amazon. The general feedback from customers is positive, as 88 percent of reviewers rate this speaker system 4 stars or higher.
#4 JBL GTO939
Featuring an adjustable mylar-titanium tweeter and super tweeter with level control, the JBL GTO939 compensates for low and off-axis mounting positions and road noise. JBL’s UniPivot™ design gives you the freedom to aim the tweeter’s sound directly at your ears. It should be noted that although the manufacturer claims that the speaker has a 2.0-ohm impedance in the product description on Amazon, it actually has low impedance 3.0-ohm voice coils according to JBL’s website.
These car speakers feature vented magnet assemblies to keep the voice coil cool, which in turn increases reliability from greater power handling and eliminates power compression. A large frequency response range that extends beyond 20.0 kHz is responsible for the quality sound this speaker produces. The high sensitivity of the speaker, 94.0 dB at 2.83 volts to be exact, means the speaker can produce a good volume and musicality with as little as 5.0 watts RMS.
Our Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Key Features
- JBL’s UniPivot design
- Adjustable mylar-titanium tweeter
- Vented magnet assemblies
What’s In The Box?
Customers who purchase the JBL GTO939 from JBL’s GTO series can expect two three-way speakers, two grilles, and two JBL logo badges. In terms of accessories that help you install the sound system, two bottom mount adapters, two adhesive-backed foam gasket strips, eight 1⅜-inch self-tapping Allen head screws, a 3.0-mm Allen head bit, eight speed clips, and an instruction manual are all included in the box.
What Customers Are Saying
Over 1,700 customers have left reviews on Amazon for the JBL GTO939. A whopping 89 percent of reviewers rate this car speaker for bass 4 or more stars.
#5 Boss Audio Systems CH6530
The Boss Audio Systems CH6530 has an impedance of 4.0 ohms, a frequency range of 100.0 Hz to 18.0 kHz, and a sensitivity of 90.0 dB. In terms of power handling, this speaker is rated at 300.0 watts max and 150.0 watts RMS. The woofer cone is injected with polyurethane, which is classified as a polymer, due to the fact that the material is resilient, flexible, and durable. A rubber surround is also featured on the speaker, as it’s impermeable to air and is exceptionally durable.
For capabilities at elevated temperatures and efficiency of heavy-duty play time, the three-way speaker features a hi-temp voice coil. Furthermore, a piezo tweeter that’s featured in this speaker system allows the speaker to be used without a crossover and to resist overloads. Additionally, a stamped basket provides a strong and rigid platform to produce clear sound.
Our Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Key Features
- Polyurethane injected woofer cone
- Hi-temp voice coil
- Stamped basket design
What’s In The Box?
There’s not much in the Boss Audio Systems CH6530 box besides the speaker itself. Only grilles, a user’s manual, and the two speakers are included.
What Customers Are Saying
The Boss Audio Systems CH6530 has more than 13,000 customer reviews on Amazon. Out of these reviews, 80 percent rate this car speaker for bass 4 stars or higher. Customers agree this is one of the best car speakers for bass.
Car Speakers For Bass Buyers Guide
Speaker systems in general, especially car speakers for bass, can be overwhelming to differentiate between each other. Our team members believe that knowing the difference between coaxial and component speakers, as well as the difference between two-way or three-way speakers can help customers reach a more informed purchasing decision.
Coaxial Vs. Component Speakers
There are two types of speakers that you will encounter when looking at car speakers for bass: coaxial speakers and component speakers. Below is a brief explanation of each type of speaker and how they differ from each other.
- Coaxial speakers: A two-way speaker design that features a tweeter, woofer, and simple crossover. Typically the most popular type of speakers as they offer an upgrade to the factory setup in your car, they’re usually quite affordable and are easy to install.
- Component speakers: A more advanced setup than coaxial speakers, component speakers are made up of a separately mounted woofer, tweeter, and crossover. Though they usually produce better sound quality than coaxials do, this type of speaker is more expensive and more complicated to install.
Two-Way Vs. Three-Way Speakers
It’s human instinct to believe three speakers are better than two, but this isn’t always the case. It depends on the quality of components and the crossover setup to determine which speaker is best.
- Two-way speakers: A two-way loudspeaker that has two separate speakers in it. Each speaker is meant to provide separate frequency selections which are typically highs and lows. This type of speaker performs best for music with less bass.
- Three-way speakers: A three-way loudspeaker consisting of three speakers within it. Each loudspeaker offers separate frequencies, notably high, mid-range, and low. This type of speaker allows for more customization and personalization options than two-way speakers.
Our Review Standards
To select the five car speakers for bass in this review, our team searched Amazon and Advance Auto Parts for top products, looking at factors like customer ratings, prices, superlatives, and Prime shipping eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which speaker is best for bass in a car?
The car speaker that we found to be best for bass response is the Kicker CSC65. This deep bass speaker will produce better sound than your low-end factory stereo system while also producing powerful bass, even for mid-bass.
How do I increase the bass in my car?
The best way to increase the bass in your car is by purchasing a subwoofer. Car speakers are not big enough nor are car stereo amps powerful enough to deliver a deep distortion-free bass like a subwoofer would be able to.
How can I increase the bass in my car without a subwoofer?
Unfortunately, there aren’t many other options to increase the bass in your car without a subwoofer. You can try purchasing a new amplifier, installing a new audio system, or adjusting the levels on the equalizer, but nothing will replace a subwoofer in your car's audio system.
*Data accurate at time of publication.
