I've been meaning to replace the door speakers in my base 2013. I have no idea when it comes to picking out the right speakers.

I keep looking at speakers and there are many options.... 2 way, 3 way and all sorts of brands and sizes.

I've been looking at kicker ks68's. I know kicker is a decent brand but some say they are not ideal.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Everybody has different tastes and different ears.

Best thing to do is find one you like to listen to. I tend to like speakers with crystal clear highs. The more expensive speakers can have better materials that are more exotic if you will and are capable of producing the music better. However remember a car is the worst environment for listening to music you can't effectively get rid of the engine, exhaust, road and even AC noise.

Everyone is going to have different opinions. I've tried many a speaker over the years. I couldn't name one alone I would recommend to anyone without hesitation.

 

Thanks for the reply, I feel like I would Probly be happy with just about any aftermarket speaker as I'm not too picky.

Just want to ensure I'm not making a mistake.

 

I would agree, you HAVE to listen to them. It is completely subjective. Some tips though:

1. For coaxials/components, there are basically three ways to go
a. Deep/boomy -- these are almost always bigger speakers (6.5" or 8" components) and focus on the midrange & midbass. They are rare, but if you tend to listen to bass-heavy music, or like a lot of low-end punch and faster bass (like metal), these are probably for you.
b. Bright/tinny -- these tend to focus on accentuating the high notes. They are popular with people who like a lot of pop/electric music. They are usually easily identified by using metal for the tweeter domes (aluminum usually).
c. Clear/natural -- these focus on producing music the way it was recorded, without accentuating the highs or lows. Usually involve silk dome tweeters, but some treated paper dome tweeters can do it, too. These are usually the high-end components, it is hard to find a budget set that will do it very well. Most music lovers go for these.

Examples of the three:

1. Deep/boomy -- I have heard some Rockford Fosgate and Morel (8") components that sound like this, as well as many of the high-powered coaxials. I once had some 300W 6x9" coaxials that hit almost as hard as 10" subwoofers. Hard to find, but if they have oversized magnets & handle lots of power, my money is on them focusing on midbass.

2. Bright/tinny -- MB Quarts are very bright, also a lot of components that tend to be popular with the SPL crowd (their music tends to have more accentuated highs and lows). Look for metallic dome tweeters as a general rule of thumb.

3. Clear/natural -- pick your high-end brand. Focal, DLS, Hertz, Morel, etc. I have a set of Alpine Type X components that are very natural, but the compromise here is that they lack midbass, even at 6.5" size. So if I want midbass, which I do, I either have to go with some midbass subs (usually 8" or 6" subs) or some 10" subs that will handle midbass well. So there are always compromises.

I would say it boils down to what kind of music you listen to. Rap/Hip-Hop/Pop/Electric, go with bright components. Vocal/instrument-driven music, go with natural components. Also, general rule of thumb, components will almost always be higher quality than coaxials. This goes to signal processing, which is key in how your speakers will sound.

 

zbrewha listed a good selection of speakers depending upon your taste. I went with the Focal due to the clear and natural sounds they produce. Picked them up at Crutchfield, and could not be happier. But there are lots of good brands out there, depending upon how you like the sound qualities of your speakers.

 

Very good information, thanks for the posts. Ill have to do more research before settling on something.

 

Many others have covered brands. I'll just drop an opinion on 2 things you ca also look at. Sensitivity of the speaker is listed under specs. It is measured in db and with one watt at one meter in distance. Every 10 db is twice as loud. You can do the math for how much louder each speaker is yourself. I am lousy at math.

This is important to look at if you intend to use the stock amplification. I would look for something with a high (over 90 db) sensitivity rating.

Also, in general, speaker shape and crossover are important. Usually, 5 1/4 speaker will have a purer mid range but sacrifice impact or bass. The 5 by 7 will usually have more impact but lack the smoothness of a 5 1/4.

I would never buy a three way speaker in a car unless I was spending 400 a pair. Good 3 way crosses are extremely expensive to make.

Good Luck Shopping!