Speaker Size Guide: What are 6×9″ Car Speakers?

6×9″ speakers are a good choice if you want powerful sound without distortion. A speaker of this size can produce a level of mid-bass quality that is impossible from smaller models. If you’re a fan of low-frequency vibrations, you can get them from 6×9″ speakers without lugging along a bulky subwoofer.

To help you choose the best speakers for your car stereo, we’ll go over the basics of 6×9″ speakers, including their history, construction, and the various types and designs available.

6×9″ Car Speakers: Design & Function

6×9″ car speakers were used to make the most out of the limited spaces inside older cars. These speakers are typically on the deck behind the back seat (sometimes called a parcel shelf). During that time, there wasn’t a universal standard for car audio speaker sizes like today. So your options for finding speakers that would fit your vehicle were limited.

As early as the 1960s, oval-shaped 6×9″ car speakers were used in various vehicles and other vehicles, producing excellent sound. The longer width (side to side) rather than the shorter height (front to back) was achieved. In the late 1970s, good audio and better factory speakers were considered standard equipment in cars.

Although they don’t take up much more room front to back than 6″ or 6.5″ speakers, 6×9″ speakers have a lot larger cone for moving air, hence significantly improving sound quality over typical round speakers.

6×9″ Full-Range Car Speakers

Regarding sound quality and versatility, 6×9″ car speakers are hard to beat. They are a staple in many high-end audio systems because of how well they reproduce the midrange, giving your setup a solid foundation. Moreover, they can produce a surprising number of low-frequency bass notes and extend into the higher range. That’s why they’re such a well-rounded option as an all-around car speaker package.

6×9″ coaxial car speakers come in different designs. Depending on what configuration you need, each offers versatility and premium bass, mid-range, and treble quality:

• Full-range & Mid-range
• 2-way Coaxial
• 3-way Coaxial
• 4-way Coaxial
• 5-way Coaxial

6×9″ Component Car Speakers

A 6×9″ component speaker set produces excellent sound using individual tweeters and woofers and a speaker crossover. Before sound can reach the tweeter, the speaker crossover filters out the midrange and bass. Similarly, the woofer only picks up midrange and bottom frequencies. The result is an immaculate and engaging musical output with little distortion.

Component speakers employ individual tweeters and woofers in addition to a speaker crossover to deliver a higher level of sound quality, less distortion, and better musical precision. They resemble 2-way coaxial 6×9″ speakers but don’t require the trade-offs necessary for their production.

Midrange or bass sound causes tweeters to distort. The same is true for woofer performance when driven by higher-frequency noises. The speaker crossover divides the incoming musical signal by preventing them from traveling to the speakers for which they are inappropriate. The outcome features excellent sound quality. In comparison to coaxial 6x9s, there are a few benefits but also a few drawbacks.

Invest in a reliable set of 6×9″ car speakers for richer, higher-quality audio. Browse Sonic Electronix‘s online collection of 6×9″ coaxial and component speakers from renowned brands like NVX, JBL, Kicker, Alpine, Rockford-Fosgate, JL Audio, Infinity, Cerwin-Vega, and more.