If you are looking for budget car speakers that also boast good quality and performance, you have landed at the right place.
In this post, we will review 7 speaker series from different manufacturers and brands. These series include coaxial, component, and dual-cone speakers. The price points of most of the options in those series are under $50 and $100.
Table of Contents
Budget Car Speakers Compared
| Image | Speaker Series | Coaxial options | Component options |
 | Our Pick Check Price | 6.5-inch 6 x 9-inch 4-inch 5.25-inch 6 x 8-inch 6.75-inch | 5.25-inch 6.5-inch 6-inch 6.75-inch |
 | Also Great Check Price | 3.5-inch 4-inch 4x6 5x7/6x8-inch 5.25-inch 6x9-inch 6.5-inch | 5-1/4-inch 6x9-inch 6.5-inch |
 | Also Great Check Price | 3-1/2-inch 6-1/2-inch 5-1/4-inch 6x8-inch 4x 6-inch 6x 9-inch | 5-1/4-inch 6.5-inch |
Rockford Fosgate Prime Series
Rockford Fosgate has been making car speakers and other audio components for over 40 years. Its Prime series strikes a perfect balance between an affordable price and good quality. Any Rockford Fosgate Prime option would be an upgrade to your stock speakers.
You can find all sorts of speaker types in this Rockford Fosgate budget line within the price range of $40 to $80. There are 2-way and 3-way coaxials as well as component systems available in Prime Series. You can also find various sizes between 4” and 8”.
Let’s take a look at the coaxial and component speakers in this budget series.
Coaxial options
- Rockford Fosgate R165X3 6.5
- Rockford Fosgate R169X3 6 x 9
- Rockford Fosgate R14X2 4
- Rockford Fosgate R1525X2 5.25
- Rockford Fosgate R168X2 6 x 8
- Rockford Fosgate R1675X2 6.75
If you are mindful of midranges in tracks, the Prime 3-way speaker can fulfill your requirement. The coaxial option features top-quality Piezo midrange and tweeter with a silk dome combined together with the woofer in a stamped steel basket and rubber surround.
Component options
- Rockford Fosgate R152-S 5.25-Inch
- Rockford Fosgate R165-S 6.5
- Rockford Fosgate R16-S 6
- Rockford Fosgate R1675-S 6.75
Component system enthusiasts can consider Rockford Fosgate options great for their auditory escapades. These component systems by Rockford Fosgate include two woofers with grilles, two tweeters along with integrated crossovers and mounting hardware. You can order woofers in four different sizes (5.25”, 6”, 6.5”, and 6.75”) with 13mm Mylar-balanced dome tweeters.
A Rockford Fosgate component system also features a stamped steel basket, foam woofer surround, and MICA-injected polypropylene cones. In short, you get first-rate component-type car speakers featuring quality material all around without breaking your bank.
Common series features
- Polypropylene cone
- Rubber woofer surround
- Stamped steel basket
- 1-year warranty
Skar Audio TX Speaker Series
The Skar Audio TX series contain both coaxial speakers and component systems. You can find TX car speakers in 3 ½“ to 9” sizes. We also like how Skar offers TX speakers at a wide range of prices— all of them pretty affordable in their respective categories.
For instance, you can get a pair of 3 ½” coaxial car speakers for under $40. On the other hand, the full-fledged 6 ½“component system with 2 midrange speakers, 2 Silk dome tweeters, and 2 crossovers is available for under $100.
Coaxial options
- Skar Audio TX35 3.5
- Skar Audio TX46 4
- Skar Audio TX65 6.5
- Skar Audio TX69 6
- Skar Audio TX4 4-inch
- Skar Audio TX525 5.25
Component options
Let’s look at some of the recurring features of the TX speaker series that you will find in both component and coaxial options of all sizes.
- Copper Voice Coil: The copper voice calls of the TX series boasts more dense wire turns that ensure your car speakers can operate at higher power within their maximum excursion rating. In other words, you can enjoy equally good sound quality for all sorts of outputs.
- Elite Fiberglass Cone: Lightweight yet durable speaker cones that ensure uncompromised sound quality at all highs and lows.
- Premium TPE Woofer Surround: TPE woofer surround is equally good as rubber surrounds, if not more. The use of TPE doesn’t just ensure effective vibration dampening but also keeps the overall weight of the speaker light.
Moreover, all Skar TX speakers feature high-grade ferrite magnets that are enclosed in a rugged steel basket. These construction features also ensure minimal distortion and long-lasting use of these best cheap car speakers.
Skar is a small Florida-based audio company founded by audiophiles, catering to fellow audiophiles with top-quality products at reasonable prices. Its TX speaker series is particularly designed for people looking to replace their stock car speakers with something better but without spending too much money.
Pioneer G-Series
The Pioneer has improved its car speakers quite a lot in the last couple of decades. Its G-series is a testament to that improvement. These are the coaxial options lying at reasonable price points. All Pioneer G-series speakers are in the range of $50-60.
You can get G-series car speakers in a host of sizes, starting from 4” to 9”. Moreover, both 2 and 3-way options are available in these speakers. We should mention that there are no component options in this particular series.
Coaxial options
- Pioneer TS-G1020S 4-inch
- Pioneer TS-G6930F 6
- Pioneer TS-G1620F 6-1/2
- Pioneer TS-G4620s 4
- Pioneer TS-G6820S 6x8
Since all Pioneer G-series car speakers are of the same type, there are not standout options to highlight. Instead, we’ll quickly review the common features of these speakers.
- Woofers are made of extremely strong and lightweight injected molded polypropylene with MICA to ensure reduced distortion with better sensitivity
- Rubber coated cloth woofer surround
- Tweeter made of PET (a variant of general-purpose thermoplastic)
- 1-year warranty
Pioneer G-Series’ USP: PFSS Spider
Car speakers have to fight against not just the sound vibration but the movement of the vehicle as well. Pioneer has introduced a patented technology in its G-series car speakers to deal with those vibrational woes. The Progressive Flex Suspension System (PFSS) used in G-series speakers facilitates the voice coil by dampening the vibrations coming from the large cone and improving the linearity of the sound reproduction.
Its soft component ensures smooth sound movement, resulting in the reproduction of clearer audio. On the other hand, its hard component comes into play where there is excessive input resulting in excessive vibration. The hard PFSS component dampens the vibration to rule out movement errors.
Kicker DS Series
If you are primarily looking for vehicle door speakers, then the Kicker DS series is an option you must consider. These are quality coaxial budget speakers you can use to create an immersive sound experience within your vehicle’s cabin.
These coaxial speakers are available in sizes starting from 3 ½” to up to 9”. Moreover, the price points of the Kicker DS series are spread from $39.95 to $79.95. There is only a coaxial option in this series.
Coaxial options
- KICKER 43DSC3504 3-1/2-Inch
- Kicker 43DSC44 4-Inch
- Kicker 43DSC6704 6.75
- Kicker 43DSC650 6.5
- Kicker 43DSC69304 6x9
Here, we will sum up these budget car speakers by highlighting some of their USPs and recurring features and characteristics.
USPs of Kicker DS Series
- Drop-in Installation: You don’t have to drill holes in your vehicle’s door to install DS series speakers. The manufacturer has designed them in a way that you can install them on any vehicle type right out of the box.
- State-of-the-Art Tweeter: DS series feature a zero-protrusion tweeter dome made of top-quality polyetherimide (PEI). The combination of this design and material ensures there is no contact of the tweeter with window motors and speaker grilles. In short, you get to hear a cleaner and crisper sound.
- High-Sensitivity Motor: DS series speakers feature a high-sensitivity motor that ensures you can get similar sound quality at increased volumes as well
Moreover, every DS speaker features top-grade polypropylene cones and ribbed foam woofer surrounds with UV treatment.
JBL Club Series
JBL is a subsidiary of Harman International Industries, dealing in audio equipment (speakers and headphones) for around 75 years. Its Club series is an ideal option for people looking to make a rare combo of low-price and high-quality. You can find a JBL Club series car speaker at as low as $37. Meanwhile, some of its variants are also available north of $100.
All the JBL Club speakers are either 2 or 3-way coaxials available in 4” to up to 9” size. You can also find three component systems with a 5.25″, 6 ½” and 6″x9″ woofer size.
Coaxial options
- JBL CLUB 3020 3.5
- JBL CLUB 4020 4
- JBL Club 6420 4x6
- JBL CLUB 8620 5x7/6x8
- JBL CLUB 5020 5.25
- JBL Club 9630 6x9
- JBL CLUB 6520 6.5
Component options
Here, we will sum up some of the noteworthy features you will find in all JBL Club series budget car speakers.
- Plus One Woofer Cone Architecture: It is a proprietary innovation introduced by JBL in the architecture of the speaker cone. Unlike other speakers of the same size, Club series speakers boast a larger cone area that ensures better low-frequency output.
- UV-Resistant Polypropylene Cone: The PP cones of Club series speakers are top-quality UV resistant items. They are also acoustically damped to ensure vibration/distortion-free sound. They can also endure the hot and humid conditions of a vehicle.
- Edge-Driven Silk Dome Tweeter: Unlike many cheap speakers that feature w-dome tweeters, Club series devices feature edge-driven silk dome tweeters. The use of silk fabric ensures a smoother high-frequency response irrespective of output level.
- Bigger Magnet: When you compare a JBL club speaker with any other car speaker lying at the same price point, you will find JBL’s magnet bigger. The benefit of having a bigger magnet is your car speaker can handle amps with higher power without any strain.
Infinity Reference Series
Like JBL, Infinity is also a subsidiary of Harman International Industries. Infinity’s Reference series was not as old as the JBL Cub series. It was only launched in 2014. Moreover, Reference series car speakers lie at higher price points compared to JBL Club speakers.
However, this price difference only makes them expensive in comparison with the Club series. If we look at the speakers from all manufacturers, the prices of Infinity Reference models still make them budget options.
Infinity Reference car speakers are also available in both coaxial and component configurations. You can get those competitively-priced speakers in different sizes ranging from 3 ½ to 6 ½“. Moreover, the Reference coaxial speakers are mostly priced under $100, but for the component options you’ll need to pour some extra cash.
Coaxial options
- Infinity REF-3032 CFX 3-1/2
- Infinity REF-6532 IX 6-1/2
- Infinity REF-5032 CFX 5-1/4
- Infinity REF-8632CFX Reference...
- Infinity REF-6432 CFX- 4” x 6
- Infinity REF-9632 IX - 6” x 9
Component options
Many features overlap in JBL and Infinity Reference car speaker series since both belong to the same company. For instance, you will find the patented Plus One Woofer Cone Architecture and Silk Dome Tweeter in the Reference series as well.
Similarly, you will find the following Infinity Reference series features in JBL Club car speakers as well.
- Adjustable Tweeter Output Level: You can optimize the system’s linearity based on your listening preference or the installation’s location through a controllable tweeter output level—courtesy of a large reference multi-element.
- Optimized Frame Size: The frame size of speakers is compactly designed in a way where they can fit any vehicle made by any manufacturer.
Kenwood Sport Series
We particularly like Kenwood’s Sport Series for two major reasons. First, they are one of the best budget car speakers on the block. Second, they boast a sportier look with their black and metallic gray finish that goes well with any vehicle.
The speakers are available in either coaxial or dual-cone configuration. The latter type is relatively new in the market. Dual-cone speakers, as the name suggests, feature two cones. This construction modification has been done to improve the reproduction of higher frequency sounds.
From 4” to 9 ½“, you can find Kenwood Sport Series speakers in different sizes. The prices of these quality and stylish car speakers are pretty reasonable. You can get different Kenwood Sport Series speakers from any vendor in the price range of $30-70.
Coaxial options
Dual-cone options
These are some of the outstanding features of Kenwood Sport Series speakers:
- Sound Field Enhancer: Patented Kenwood technology that promises better sound quality
- Enlarged Magnet Circuit: Ensures clear sound on all sorts of power and frequency outputs
- Ceramic Super Tweeter: The properly damped Ceramic Super Tweeter can produce a more detailed sound without making it harsh and without undergoing any warping.
Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / *Image Disclaimer: We use images/data from Amazon Product Advertising API solely on products that link to Amazon. On products with the "Price at Crutchfield" button, we use images/data from Crutchfield.com as per the partnership deal.
