The Top 10 Car Audio Brands [2021 Comparison]

Listening to music in your car can be quite relaxing, especially on road trips. In fact, for many people, the car music listening experience is of critical importance for making the daily commute to work and sitting in traffic. Seeing as the car audio experience is so crucial, its important to have a great sound system in your vehicle.

The problem is, there are hundreds of car audio manufacturers out there, and they all claim to be the best. So, it can be somewhat difficult to know which one to choose.

While all the car audio brands on this list are high-quality, Pioneer really stands out from the crowd. Pioneer speakers have a very high quality sound and an excellent build quality. The highs produced by Pioneer speakers are reliably clean and crisp, but not harsh like models from some other brands. Also, the mids are very clean and feature a generous amount of bass.

Top 10 Car Audio Brands 

1.Pioneer

Image Credit: [Pioneer]

Pioneer Corporation, more popularly known as Pioneer, is among the most reliable car audio brands that provide the best overall value. Pioneer makes a vast array of audio and video systems for cars. Also, the company licenses some of its technologies to other brands. They are that good.

A Little More About Pioneer

Pioneer was started in Tokyo, Japan in 1938 by Nozomu Matsumoto. At it’s start, Pioneer was an electronics repair shop. It specialized in repairing speakers, radios,. and other audio equipment. Now, the company specializes in manufacturing A/V equipment, a small branch of which is car audio systems.

Pioneer significantly contributed to the development of the first car CD player. They also pioneered the first head unit with a detachable face. Today Pioneer is still at the bleeding edge, providing some of the most innovative car audio systems you can get.

Products For More Than Just Cars And Trucks

Best Pioneer Product Recommendation

2.JBL

Image Credit: [JBL]

JBL is world-famous for its high-end sound equipment, especially its speakers and headphones. The company has been in business for several decades, so it’s a brand you can definitely trust. JBL is always one of the top brands to choose from when shopping for car speakers.

A Little More About JBL

The company is located in Los Angeles, California. The company is composed of two independent divisions including JBL Professional and JBL Consumer, serving the commercial and residential markets, respectively. JBL Professional is known for producing high-end studio equipment and tour sound systems, as well as DJ and production sound systems. They even produce cinema-level gear. While JBL Professional makes pro-gear, JBL Consumer produces sound equipment for vehicles and home entertainment systems.

The Best JBL Products

JBL makes all kinds of gear for audio applications including amplifiers, speakers, subwoofers, sound processors, headphones, and wireless speaker systems. JBL car audio systems are currently in use in millions of Toyota car models around the world.

Best JBL Product Recommendation

The JBL GTO629 Premium 6.5-Inch Co-Axial Speaker quite possibly the best car audio product from JBL. This system comes with a pair of coaxial speakers. These are excellent speakers deliver a rich sound. They have pivoted tweeter for extra-crispy highs. Speaking of which, the bass and highs can be adjusted independently. This gives the user far more control over their sound than the average system.

Are JBL Car Speakers Good?

JBL car audio speakers have a low price but offer a high quality. They are a great option for car audio for this reason. JBL car speakers are known to have outstanding sound quality and performance. They generally have an excellent balance and pitch, and provide a thumping bass. The best thing about JBL speakers is that this quality is consistent over any style of music.

JBL 6×8 Coaxial Car Speaker 180 WTS Peak, 60 WTS RMS 2 Way (NO Grills) Pair

For about $170, you can get a set of four of these JBL speakers. They are inexpensive and very high quality. If you are experienced with other high quality speakers such as Sony Xplodes, Pioneers, Kickers and Kenwoods, you will find these these JBL speakers are on par with those. In fact, in some ways these are even better. This is because these 180W JBL speakers provide a crisp treble and a really hard hitting base.

It’s got built in tweeters that really highlight the sound frequencies that are typically drowned out by other speakers. Most of all, the mounting plates and vibration-deadening gaskets that are provided with these speakers enables these speakers to deliver all that sound without a single rattle. These speakers are refined and very affordable, definitely a great buy.

3.Kenwood

Image Credit: [Kenwood]

Kenwood has been known to set standards and trends in the car audio industry. Every year, the company introduces new and innovative audio equipment. They manufacture complete audio systems as well as individual audio components. Their product lineup is vast. So, you can pretty much kit your entire vehicle out with Kenwood audio products as they radios, speakers, and everything in between.

A Little More About Kenwood

Like Pioneer, Kenwood is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company was started by William Kasuga in 1946, just after World War 2. When it first started, the company was known as Kasuga Radio Co. Ltd. Then, it was later renamed to Trio Corporation. Finally, the people within the company settled on the name ‘Kenwood’ and it’s been that way ever since. The name Kenwood is a portmantua of ‘Kenmore Appliances’ and ‘Wood’.

Kenwood is one of the oldest makers of audio receiversTop 10 Car Audio Brands -, home theatre systems, and communication radio equipment. Remember, the company was started in 1947, that’s before the transistor, folks. The company started making car audio components in 2001. It stops making home theatre units and home audio receivers in 2007.

Today, Kenwoods main focus is home audio systems and car audio systems. Its car audio systems are available as aftermarket systems, but they are also distributed to OEMs to put in their products. This includes car speakers, car amplifiers, receivers, navigation systems, and accessories.

Best Kenwood Product Overall

The Kenwood Excelon XR600-6DSP6-channel car amplifier is, by far, its best product. It’s a 4-channel system that can handle 75 watts RMS per channel. It has factory radio inputs, so it’s easy to set up. It also features a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) to help ensure an excellent music experience.

Are Kenwood Car Speakers Good?

Yes. Kenwood car speaker offers an excellent sound experience. You would be amazing by the difference between the cheapest Kenwood speaker and a standard speaker found in a car. Also, even under harsh conditions, Kenwood car speakers are known to outrank other low-cost car speakers in terms of performance and reliability.

Kenwood KFC-1666S 300 Watts 6.5″ 2-Way Car Coaxial Speakers with Sound Field Enhancer – Pair

This speaker provides some of the most crisp highs that I have ever heard from a pair in this price range. So, if your car speakers sound a little muddy, but you aren’t wanting to spend a lot of money, then these speakers are a great pick for you. They don’t have the most base in the world, but there is plenty of kick in these drivers.. much, much more than factory radio speakers.

4.Bose

Image Credit: [Bose]

Bose is known for its expensive as-seen-on-tv home audio systems. So lets just stop right here for a minute.

We have all seen ads for product like that on TV real late at night. Usually its a bunch of snake-oil salesman preying on little old ladies with credit cards up all night watching TV. So, that is what I expected from Bose’s home sound system they were selling in the early 2000s. That is until I heard it.

I was extremely impressed with the audio that came out of one of the systems that I heard at a store in the mall. They really do know what they are doing with acoustics. and that has translated over to car audio products very, very well. Bose is known for top-of-the-line car audio systems. They didn’t make it higher on this list because Bose products are known to be very expensive. Bose systems and speakers are worth the price. This is one of those times that you really do get what you paid for.

A Little More About Bose

Bose Corporation, more commonly known as Bose, is an American audio gear manufacturer that is located in Massachusetts. Bose was started by Amar Bose in 1964. For those of you that are keeping track, that was after the invention of the transistor. Since Bose started out, it has been known to protect its brand name, trademarks, and patents by viciously perusing trademark infringement claims.

Most people don’t know this, but the company’s first product was a speaker known as the Bose 2201. It was a speaker sold back in 1966. It was made up of 22 individual speakers built into one cabinet all facing in different directions. The idea behind the design was to use the walls as sound reflectors. That is the same concept that was put into the home audio product I mentioned earlier.

Bose used to have a lot of stores but as of today, most of the stores in Australia, Europe, Japan, and the U.S are closed. This was not due to lack of business but rather so the company can better focus on selling its products on online platforms. This includes website such as Amazon, Best Buy, and more.

Best Bose Products

Bose is well-known for its home sound systems, and headphones as well as its professional sound systems, speakers, and car audio platforms. Car audio systems from Bose are a popular alternative for OEM to provide as an upgrade to a car’s standard audio systems. Bose systems are used by car manufactures such as Renault, Chevrolet, Nissan, Audi, Hyundai, Fiat, Porsche, Mazda, GMC, Infiniti, and Cadillac.

Other than car audio systems, Bose also makes home A/C systems and computer speakers. They also make TVs, home theatres receivers, and of course portable speakers. The company also has a relatively large market share in the consumer and aviation headphones and headset market. Bose also has military contracts to manufacture headsets.

Best Product Overall

The best product from Bose is its Performance Series sound system. It’s an OEM sound system that is designed for luxury cars like the Corvette Stingray, Infiniti Q50, and Infiniti Q60.

We would absolutely love to recommend a set of Bose car speakers for you to buy. Why?

Because they are fantastic speakers; practically the best you can get. The problem is, Bose does not sell its car speakers directly to the public. They only provide them to OEMs like BMW, Mercedes Benz, etc.

So, the only way you are going to get a Bose sound system installed in a car as an after-market kit, is to make one yourself. This can be done with a little bit of research and some phone calls to local junk yards. There is a site called car-parts.com, and they are an internet database of local junk yards. You can find out what cars came with those speakers, and then search for the part on that website.

The best thing about car-parts.com is that it has an automatic interchangeability database. So, you can search for a part for a specific car, and it will return every single car that happens to use that same part, often at a much lower price.

5.Alpine

A Little More About Alpine

Alpine Electronics, more commonly known as Alpine, is a manufacturer of consumer electronics based in Japan. The company was started back in 1967 with the original name of ‘Alps Motorola.’ It was started as a partnership business between Motorola and Alps Electric. Later, the company was bought out by Alps in 1978, which is when it became Alpine Electronics.

The company’s headquarters is located in Tokyo, Japan. The company is known for being the first-ever manufacturer of automotive navigation systems. Back when GPS was very new, Alpine was way ahead of its time. In fact, Alpine’s first navigation system was created in 1981 for Honda. Then, in 1982, Alpine made the first computerized car equalizer. Alpine has also significantly contributed to other major innovations such as car CD changers, radio head-units, and in-dash receivers among others.

Best Alpine Products

Alpine makes several audio and video systems including but not limited to car multimedia systems, amplifiers, digital signal processors, subwoofers, and speakers. Alpine also makes audio systems for marine vessels.

Alpine also manufactures BioLite displays. A BioLite display allows for a wide viewing angle and much better visibility in sunlight. Alpine is also a provider for OEM and aftermarket automotive navigation systems.

Alpine’s OEM audio systems are used in Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Land Rover, BMW, Chrysler, Fiat, Jeep, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Lincoln, Audi, Honda, and Jaguar cars, among others.

Best Alpine Product Overall

The CDE-172BT Bluetooth Receiver is the best Alpine product. It’s a single DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung) head unit that is packed to the brim with features. It’s compatible with Android and iOS devices, in both wireless and via USB configurations, and it also features a detachable faceplate and even a CD slot.

These speakers will provide a huge upgrade to any factory setup. Alpine is world-renown for their focus on sound quality in their products, and the S-Series is no exception. In the mid-level speaker market, it would be very difficult to find anything much better than these. They provide superb clarity and great tonal balance.

6.Rockford Fosgate

Image Credit: [Rockford Fosgate]

7. Kicker

Image Credit: [Kicker]

8.Infinity

Image Credit: [Infinity]

That would have to be the Infinity Reference REF6522IX coaxial car speakers. This speakers are sold as a pair. Each speaker is built around a 2-way design and has a power rating of 60 watts RMS and 180 watts peak. The frequency response range of these speakers are from 53 Hz to 21 kHz. The human ear can hear from 20hz to 20khz, so these cover nearly the entire human audible spectrum.

Are Infinity Speakers Good?

Yes. In fact, Infinity makes some of the best speakers out there. If you look at the reviews, there is almost nothing but positive feedback for these speakers. While they may not cover the entire frequency range, they sound great and are extremely powerful. These speakers emit clear sounds in the range they’re designed to. They’re an excellent option for budget-minded consumers.

 

Infinity Kappa 62IX 6.5″ Coaxial Speakers

These speakers work excellent and deliver nice highs and provide a massive step up from mediocre aftermarket speakers. These drivers will sound great with a stock head-unit, and the best part is that they don’t need much power to produce great sound.

9. JL Audio

Image Credit: [JL Audio]

10. Polk Audio

Image Credit: [Polk Audio]

The Polk Audio DB651 2-way car speakers are, in our opinion, its best product. The speaker set includes 2 6.5″ inch by 6.75 inch speakers. They each have a power rating of 120 watts RMS and 360 watts peak output.

Are Polk Audio Speakers Good?

Of course! The brand is known for providing excellent in-wall and in-ceiling speakers at a great price. For the money, it’s hard to find speakers that deliver a better quality sound. They are great for high frequencies and generally do a pretty good job with the lows as well.

Polk Audio 90-RT 3-Way In-Ceiling Speaker

If you are looking for a quality option that can handle a high-powered amp, these will do the job well. These speakers can easily be added a surround sound speaker setup and they will delivered time and time again. If you have the right amp these things will absolutely scream.