This is my review of the best 6×9 components speakers in 2023.
A lot of people find that their factory installed audio system isn’t all that good. If that’s the case, you might want to check out if your car has room for 6×9 speakers, because they’re an easy way to get significantly better sound quality.
That being said, even if you can install them, you might find it difficult to find a pair that’s a good pick.
Best 6×9 Component Speakers 2023 Review
There are just so many options out there, so to make things easier, here are the best 6×9 component speakers you’ll come across.
All of them are a good buy, but some are better than others, so let’s take a look at the options. And if prefer round-shaped speakers, you can check our 6.5-inch component speakers roundup instead.
1. JBL Club 9600C
If you’re on the hunt for a budget pick, JBL’s Club 9600C is a pretty solid pick that’s going to surprise you with the overall performance.
Now, make no mistake, this is still a setup that’s budget oriented, but even so, it’s a pretty good pick and a solid upgrade to your factory setup.
To begin with, there’s a subtle, understated design about the Club 9600C. The woofers and crossovers are all-black, and there’s a subtle copper color on the tweeters, but the overall design is great.
We like the grilles that add plastic sections to modernize things a bit, and we’re pretty sure these speakers won’t look out of place in any car.
Let’s talk sound. The 6×9” Plus One woofer cone is pretty large, and the structure is made to extend the cone’s surface area.
This gives you a significantly better bass experience than many of the competitors at this price, and it’s something you can instantly feel when you’re listening to music – the punch is more than noticeable.
The tweeters are ¾” edge-drive PEI tweeters, and you’re looking at some pretty clean and accurate highs. It’s a positive surprise, but the Club 9600C does a great job throughout the entire range, from the lows to the highs and everything in between.
Now, these are two-way speakers, so there’s a limit to the quality in the midrange, but it’s still better than you’d expect.
Now, these aren’t too powerful at only 90 watts RMS and 270 watts peak, but they have an 89.5dB sensitivity, so you’ll be able to run them from your car’s amp with little to no issues.
And yes, they do get loud, but that’s not something you’ll want to do because there is a noticeable distortion at higher volumes.
They’re overall a great choice for users on a budget, so if you don’t want to spend too much, by all means go for them.
Pros:
- Very affordable
- Subtle, all-black design
- Good sound quality
Cons:
- Not too powerful
- Noticeable distortion at high volumes
2. Infinity REF9620CX: Best Budget 6×9 Component Speakers
Even though far from cheap, Infinity’s Reference series car speakers tend to provide an entry into midrange sound quality at an affordable price.
The REF9620CX are no exception, coming with a simple, yet beautiful design and sound quality that blows most of the competition out of the water.
On the outside, it’s easy to see this is an Infinity product. The all-black design extends from the woofer, to the tweeter and crossover, and there are subtle copper accents as well as the Infinity logo – enough for you to know what you’re looking at.
We like the crossover design, because it’s very modern and looks pretty premium. The overall design makes these appear like they cost a lot more than they actually do, which is always a good thing.
Moving on to the sound, Infinity have designed these to have a rather neutral sound, so nothing is overpowering. The Plus One+ polypropylene woofer gets you a powerful bass that you’ll instantly feel, while the ¾” edge-driven tweeter covers the highs very well.
And while usually, with two-way speakers like this, the midrange is lacking, that is somehow not the case with the REF9620CX. They sound pretty full, and you won’t notice anything lacking, which is great.
You do get two crossovers that will handle frequency separation pretty well, and you’re more than covered in terms of high quality sound. But you can also check out other 3rd-party 2-way crossovers if you want to.
The build quality is great, too, and installation is going to be a breeze.
Not only do you get Infinity’s Starfish mounting brackets that let you install the tweeters in the factory locations, but you also get a host of mounting hardware. You’ll be able to fit these in pretty much any car that has room for a 6×9 setup, with relative ease.
Overall, if you want midrange quality without paying midrange prices, the Infinity REF9620CX is a great choice, especially since Infinity made sure these are compatible with pretty much every factory or aftermarket stereo.
Pros:
- Stunning design and build quality
- Excellent sound throughout the range
- Easy to install and offer great compatibility
Cons:
- Bass could be a bit mushy
3. Kicker 46CSS694
Even though the model designation is pretty tricky to remember, Kicker’s 46CSS694 is a set of component speakers that will blow you out of the water.
Pricewise, they move towards the higher end of the spectrum, but the design, build quality and overall sound makes them a more-than-good pick.
On the outside, saying that these have an understated design would be, well, an understatement. They’re all black, save for the small white ring on the tweeters and the very small logo.
And that’s why they’re brilliant, because there’s no way you’ll be able to predict just how good they sound. They’re built really well, though, with high quality materials all around, and pretty fool-proof installation.
On to what’s important – the sound. The Kicker 46CSS694 comes with a polypropylene woofer that has a polyester foam surround, so it’s able to move big amounts of air, and pretty quickly.
The overall bass response is very accurate and precise, almost critical. Whether you like this or not is up to you, because even though you’ll hear the music like the artist intended, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
There is also a ¾” titanium dome tweeter, which thanks to the titanium’s stiffness, is brilliant when it comes to reproduction of high tones.
Overall, they sound really good, but due to the fact that they’re two-way speakers, they do lack a bit of midrange.
The frequency response is pretty good, but nothing to write home about, at 30 to 21,000Hz. You do get a sensitivity of 90dB, which means that you’ll be able to run them from your car with pretty much any amplifier, and they will get loud without much problem.
Of course, push them too hard, and you’ll notice distortion coming in.
At the end of the day, while they won’t win any awards for looks, the sound is pretty good considering the setup, and they can get loud if you want them to.
Pros:
- Understated design
- Good bass and highs reproduction
- Easy to drive
Cons:
- Distortion at high volumes is easily noticeable
- Slightly lacking in the midrange department
4. Kenwood Excelon KFC-XP6903C
If you’re the owner of a Chrysler or a Toyota, and you think that your speakers could use an upgrade, Kenwood’s Excelon KFC-XP6903C is a great way to get better sound.
Note that compatibility with other vehicles is very limited, as these were designed for Toyota and Chrysler, so everything we say will just assume that you own one of those two.
The design and build quality are good, the speakers come with an all-black design, but there are no grilles so you’re left with a rather open speaker.
This means you’ll have to clean them pretty often because leaving dust in too long might cause damage. The build quality is decent, but we aren’t huge fans of the plastic mounting brackets, especially not at this price.
The sound, on the other hand, is pretty great. We aren’t sure whether that’s because Kenwood did a great job, or because the factory audio setups aren’t anything impressive, but it’s a pretty noticeable improvement in every possible way.
The low end is well covered, powerful and has a noticeable thump, while the high end is clear and smooth. Instead of just a tweeter, you actually get two-way speakers to go alongside the woofers, so you get a fuller sound with nothing lacking.
The Excelon KFC-XP6903C is also a pretty powerful set of speakers, coming in at 100 watts RMS and 300 watts peak power.
And while they’re made to work with the factory amplifier in your car, you’ll definitely get more out of them if you add an aftermarket amp.
At the end of the day, we find it hard to recommend these, even for users that have compatible vehicles and can install them pretty trouble-free. The reason is the subpar build quality, which means these may not last that long, as well as the fact that you need an amp to make the most of them. Oh, and did we mention how expensive these are?
Pros:
- Very good sound quality
- Woofer and coaxial speaker combination for a fuller sound
Cons:
- Expensive
- Very limited compatibility
- Poor build quality
5. JBL Stadium GTO960C: Best High-End 6×9 Components Speakers
When you want to get excellent sound quality out of your car’s audio system, you should be prepared to spend a hefty amount of money.
But if you do have a hefty amount of money to spend, one of the best ways to do so is JBL’s Stadium GTO960C. This is a component speaker system that does wonders in a variety of situations, and is an absolutely brilliant high-end choice.
On the outside, you’ve got a subtle design that does a great job at hiding just how capable these speakers are. Nothing about them attracts attention, but everything feels premium in a way, from the grilles to the small tweeters with nothing but the JBL logo on them.
This allows them to work with every vehicle interior out there, without looking out of place.
The sound quality is just phenomenal. The edge-driven PEI polymer dome tweeters do a wonderful job at highs reproduction, and everything sounds smooth and accurate.
And on the opposite end, the Plus One+ glass-fiber woofer cone pushes a lot of air to give you a powerful bass sound that will make you jump out of your seat.
To further sweeten the pot, at a 94dB sensitivity, these can get very loud, very easy. And we love the fact that you won’t have any noticeable distortion unless you really push them to the extremes.
There are included crossovers as well, so frequency separation is not a problem here.
Another thing that’s just really terrific is the overall build quality. The materials of choice are all high quality and made to last you a good while, which makes this a great choice for people who don’t want to upgrade every couple of years.
JBL also gets you plenty of mounting hardware and installation is rather easy if your car has room for such speakers. And if you can afford the price, this is one of the best audio upgrades you can make in your car.
Pros:
- Brilliant sound quality with a full and rich sound
- Stunning design with a premium, yet understated look
- Built like a tank
Cons:
- Very expensive
2-way or 3-way Component Speakers
This is a question that’s oftentimes asked among enthusiasts who want to make the most out of their car audio system:
Should I go for a 2-way or a 3-way speaker system?
With a two-way system, you’re looking at just a woofer and a tweeter, which means you’re covered with the high end and the bass. And while those two extremes of the spectrum will usually sound pretty good, everything in the middle is oftentimes lacking.
On the other hand, a 3-way component speaker adds a midrange speaker to the mix, so the entire range is covered.
Of course, this brings you a significant improvement in the sound quality. The thing is, do you have the proper amp to drive 3-way speakers?
And does your car have room for you to install them? To add to this, the price premium isn’t always worth it.
At the end of the day, a two-way component speaker will usually be good enough for everyone but the most nitpicky people out there.
Add to this the fact that they’re cheaper, easier to drive, and easier to install than three-way speakers, and for many people they’re the better choice.
But if you’re sure your car can handle them, and you can afford and install them, you will definitely get better quality from three-way speakers.
