6x9 car speakers

6x9 car speakers are an excellent choice for drop in factory replacements, or custom systems. Having such a large woofer cone surface area, the base response rivals even small subwoofers, when installed correctly. Having integrated tweeters, and sometimes mid speakers as well, a 6x9 car speaker can reproduce a full spectrum of audio, rivaled by no other single size.

Being a rather odd shape, and somewhat large, they will not fit in many automobiles as a factory replacement speaker. Bottom line is, if your car had 6x9 car speakers originally installed, then aftermarket replacements should fit without difficulty. If you are unsure, check your car; speakers of this size will likely be located only in the back dash (accessed through the trunk) or installed in the rear shock towers which are over the wheel wells. Two door coupes or hatches also will often have the rear speakers located on either side of the rear seat, just above the armrests and behind the panel. Usually an access grill, held in by clips or screws can be removed. In some cases, the entire plastic paneling will have to be removed. Generally front door speakers will be either 5 1/4” to a maximum of 6 1/2”; 6x9 car speakers are just too big to practically fit in the front doors or dash of most modern automobiles. It’s not uncommon though, for larger vehicles and trucks to have door speakers this size. If you are replacing the factory door speaker, it’s of paramount importance to check the depth available, as many quality aftermarket speakers have larger magnets that may interfere with the window rolling down.

If you aren’t technically savey, or are still unsure of your car’s speaker sizes, call a local car audio shop, or even a Best Buy store, and they should be able to help you. Or do a google search, typing the year make and name of your car along with “speaker sizes” and you’re bound to find an answer. Note that 5 ¼” and 6 1/2” speakers sizes are interchangeable. The woofer cone sizes differ, but the basket sizes are the same. Remember, the depth dimension becomes the issue for clearance in tight locations such as doors (ie. Room for the window to roll down). You may find that the speaker mounting baffle in the door is an enclosed “basket,” which is designed to protect the speaker from the elements, and it won’t allow a deeper speaker to fit. In that case a new baffle may be required or the original baffle basket can be cut.

Regardless of the factory speaker sizes, many choose to custom install 6x9 car speaker into the back dash. If there weren’t 6x9’s installed from the factory in this location, cutting will need to be done, and holes drilled for screwing the speakers down. They are usually installed from the top side of the dash, speaker facing up, with the supplied grill pressed on overtop. Likely the most important thing in this install is to make sure the speaker is SEALED from front to back to maximize the bass response. This is considered a free-air setup, using your trunk as the enclosure.

Often, 6x9 car speakers will be used in sealed enclosures, such as wooden boxes (pictured below). This is the best case scenario for maximizing the base response of the speaker and positioning. One small enclosure per speaker on each side of the rear dash is common, and each speaker can be aimed appropriately for best imaging. Be certain these enclosures are anchored down properly!! Keep in mind, additional wiring will have to be run for these custom installs.

I will not get into speaker construction and materials in this article, as it will vary widely; price and quality also varies widely. In my experience, the usual rule of thumb applies… “you get what you pay for” ..this is especially true for car audio, as advertised specifications do “lie”. It doesn’t matter how many watts they advertise, or the specified frequency response, or whether the speaker is 2 way, 3 way, or 5 way. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, and sound, and construction quality is what you are paying for. That said, it’s certainly possible to find cheaper prices on better speakers, but personally, I’d avoid cheaper makes, and stick with known quality brands such as Pioneer, Sony, Kenwood, Clarion, Infinity, etc. Do your research.. $200 will buy top notch pair of 6x9 car speakers, $50 will buy a cheap pair.

To me, online shopping is much easier, the selection is greater and the deals are usually better. Also, not having the pressure of a salesman in your hair is a bonus for me. For some though, having a professional on hand, to ask questions is important. Also of importance, you will be able to listen to and compare the speaker choices in store, before you buy. Keep in mind, the speakers will sound differently in your car than in the showroom. The acoustics are vastly different, and as well, the sound source is likely different. Great online sources are sites like crutchfield.com, best buy, amazon and nextag.