Are You Searching For The Best 4×10 Speakers For Your Car
Buying the best 4×10 speakers is trickier than you’d imagine. Firstly, most of the models in the market are plagued with a ridiculously low lifespan. At best, they last 6 months or so which is poor even for an inexpensive purchase.
And if you are looking at the middle of the price range or so, then chances are high that you’d end up with one that sounds distorted at higher volumes or doesn’t produce enough mid-bass. Like we said earlier, it’s one of the trickiest purchases to make.
Do you intend to hook them up to the stock stereo or are you using an aftermarket stereo? Are you looking for high volume performance or are you more inclined towards mid-bass? Do you have brand preferences or are you looking for an inexpensive purchase?
There are a lot of questions that need to be answered before you get one of these.
To make your job easier, we have picked some of the best 4×10 speakers right here. These are models that have a flawless reputation among car owners who have used these in the recent past. Also, we have taken into consideration a bunch of factors that we will cover towards the end of this blog post.
For now, sit back and enjoy our picks of the best 4×10 speakers, right here.
#1 – Pioneer TS-A4103 4 x 10 2-way Car Speakers
**[Editor’s Choice]**
Most people are thrown-off by the under $70 price tag on the Pioneer TS-A4103. But make no mistake, this is an incredibly clear and powerful 4×10 car speaker that boasts of Pioneer’s Injection Molded Polypropylene tweeter wafer cone.
The result is an immensely powerful sound with zero distortion even at high volumes.
Easy Installation
The Pioneer TS-A4103 is designed for easy installation in the rear headliner and is compatible with the factory grilles on most car models. It comes with 13 inches of speaker wires (two of them), that have quick slides on one side and an open wire on the other. The ample room allows easy connections without requiring additional wiring or making unnecessary modifications to the existing set up in your car. Also thrown in to the package are 8 self-tapping screws which give you multiple choices for the installation.
In the rare event that it is not compatible with the factory grille, you can always buy a separate grille which is a cheap purchase on Amazon or other online retail portals.
Excellent sound quality
There’s a reason why Pioneer is labeled as one of the best companies in automobile sound accessories. The pioneer 4 x 10 speakers , despite being one of their entry level models outperforms most stock speakers by a considerable margin.
The most notable difference in the sound quality is bought about by the Composite IMPP Cone that contains blended carbon fibers. For the uninitiated, carbon fibers were once used in studio audio set ups and cost in excess of $500 for an entry level model. These are characterized by their amazing bass and midbass response which is unparalleled.
Pioneer was one of the first manufacturers to include this in their A-Series range of speakers. At the price point, a carbon fiber cone offers unbeatable value. To top it off, the speakers are surrounded by high-energy strontium magnets which keep it light weight.
A 1-5/8-Inch paper tweeter keeps the sound crystal clear and sharp even when you are looking to up the volume to blaring levels.
Best features
- Budget priced 4×10 speaker from Pioneer
- A-series range of speakers
- IMPP Cone with carbon fiber
- Excellent bass and mid-bass response
- High energy strontium magnets
- 1-5/8 Inch paper tweeter
Verdict
Most automobile experts would suggest that Pioneer is one of the best brands in automobile audio systems and the TS-A4103 is one of their cheapest offerings. If you are looking for a reliable 4×10 speaker without spending too much, this is your best bet.
#2 – Planet Audio TRQ413 Torque 4″ x 10″
**[Best Value]**
Talk about budget priced 4x10s and here you have the best of them all. This is the TRQ413 from Planet Audio. It is cheap, loud and delivers a sucker punch to all those hyped and overpriced speakers that are touted to be inexpensive. For those who are unaware, this is priced under $40 and for the price, it delivers a sound as good as any.
It is manufactured by Planet Audio USA who are known for their entry-level budget priced speakers. This one will be the perfect replacement for your stock speakers if you are shopping on a shoestring budget.
Stylish and sleek design
Most people don’t attribute too much to the way a car speaker looks. But if you are mounting these on the ceiling or on the side panels, then a poor design can stand out like a sore thumb. The TRQ413 has a very sleek design. It is an elliptical speaker and has a reasonably shallow mounting depth that makes it compatible with most OEM setups.
Incredible sound quality
Without sounding clichéd, it can be said that the TRQ413 produces a clear, loud and distortion-free sound. It features a poly injection foam cone which is more flexible than fiberglass and the added flexibility brings a marked improvement to the sound quality over paper cone speakers. To top it off, the cones are surrounded by Butyl Rubber which happens to be one of the most durable types of surrounds for speakers.
Further, the TRQ413 has excellent resistance to temperature fluctuations thanks to the aluminum voice coils.
Each speaker in the set has mylar dome tweeters which reduce distortion at high volumes. Clubbed with a peak power handling of 400W, you have a very versatile speaker that can handle almost any type of music without sounding distorted.
Best Features
- Priced under $40
- Cheapest 4×10 speakers in the market
- Sleek design allows easy installation anywhere
- Poly Injection foam cone
- Butyl rubber surrounds
- Mylar dome tweeters
- Peak Power handling of 400W
Verdict
With the kind of performance, customer ratings and the unbeatable price tag, the TRQ413 can be the best 4×10 speakers in the market for anyone looking for reliable sound quality on a budget. It’s not a JBL or a Pioneer. But unless you are a brand fanatic, these speakers work as well as any other.
#3 – Kicker 41KSC4104 4×10″ 2-Way Coaxial Speaker
There’s a general notion among audiophiles that a round speaker sounds way better than an oval or an elliptical one. Wait till you listen to the sound that the Kicker 41KSC4104 produces. This is a coaxial speaker that produces crisp and clear audio. Coming from Kicker as the successor to the immensely popular RS series, the 41KSC 4X10 has a bunch of revamped features including upgraded tweeters.
The upgrades have certainly brought about a marked improvement in sound quality.
Sleeker and shallow mounting depth
One of the first things that you’d notice is how sleek the speakers look. Unlike the earlier RS models which had a deep mounting depth, something that can be problematic when you mount these on ceilings or doors, the 41KSC 4X10 has a shallow mounting depth allowing easy installation in just about any OEM mounting slot in the car.
The package does not include grilles though. So, if you have an older model that does not include speakers on the rear, you’d want to check out how you are going to install this.
Kicker’s Ode to live music
You’ve got to hand it over to Kicker for addressing one of the commonest problems that car owners face with the 4x10s. These speakers with their heavy-duty polypropylene cones that are covered by Santoprene rubber surrounds deliver an exceptionally smooth performance at midranges. Rig it up with an external amplifier and it really shines even when you up the volume to extreme levels.
This is also partly due to the 1/2″ balanced dome tweeter that has been added to each individual speaker and really improves the high-frequency performance of the speaker. None of the details are left out, there is no distortion and the sound is crystal clear.
If you are not using an external amp, then you may find the bass lacking the punch that you’d usually expect. But that’s strictly for audiophiles. If all that you desire is loud and clear sound, then the slight thump that the Kicker 41KSC 4X10 provides will more than suffice for you.
Best features
- Sleek and stylish oval speakers
- Shallow mounting depth for easy installation
- Heavy-duty polypropylene cones
- Santoprene rubber surrounds
- ½ inch balanced dome tweeter
- Excellent performance at high volume
- Zero distortion
Verdict
For a coaxial speaker at this price point, the Kicker 41KSC 4X10 provides an excellent performance. It delivers exceptional sonic quality, is loud, clear and even packs in a decent amount of bass.
#4 – Powerbass S-4102 4 X 10 Inches Coaxial OEM Speakers
Last but not the least; we have the PowerBass S-4102 coaxial speakers which are from the extremely popular S-Series of speakers from PowerBass. These are one of the only speakers in this list that have remained unchanged in the past decade or so. But as PowerBass advertises, ‘Why fix it if it works’?
The S-4102 has a bunch of excellent features that provides crystal clear and distortion-free audio when used as a standalone replacement for stock speakers or when clubbed with an external amplifier.
Wide Sound dispersion
Each speaker in the set comes with a 3/4″ Tweeter made of Pure Silk Dome. Like Polyethylene, these domes are renowned for their excellent power output at both low and high end ranges. There is reduced ringing unlike metallic domes and these are also cheaper.
The S-4102 also has Neodymium Magnets which are typically used by brands like JBL, ensure that the accuracy at high frequencies is not compromised. But unlike other brands that use a lot of metallic components along with the Neodymium which increases its weight, the drivers from PowerBass are light and easy to install.
Unlike most of the models in this list of the best 4×10 speakers, the PowerBass S-4102 features a 2-layer paper cone. That’s the only minor letdown in this package. However, it’s not a conventional paper cone that’s packed into your stock speaker. Instead, it’s a DDC (Dynamic Damping Coating) cone that reduces distortion at high volumes or in high bass audio.
But the most notable feature is the UV Treated Foam Surround that creates a wide-surround sound effect.
Drop-in OEM Replacement
The S-series of speakers from PowerBass are specially designed for easy OEM drop in replacement in a variety of sizes. So, if you have factory fitted 4 x10s, these will fit right in without the need to drill holes or make alterations.
If you do not have a 4×10 size, then you can always pick from their range of speakers which include 2.75, 5.25, 6.75 and 6x8s. Among other changes that have been done to their range this year, new tweeters have been added to the 4x6s to reduce the protruding design that was hampering the compatibility of these speakers with a wide range of vehicles.
Best features
- Powerful coaxial speakers from PowerBass’ S-series
- Pure Silk domes
- Neodymium magnets
- 2-layer DDC Paper cone
- UV-treated foam surround
- OEM drop in replacement design for easy installation
- Wide range of speaker sizes to choose from
Why I like it
Because it’s cheap and it sounds great! That’s what everyone looks for but it’s a very rare combination to find. PowerBass has managed to pull it off like none other. If you are looking for an inexpensive speaker to pair with your amps, then here it is.
#5 – Kenwood KFC-415C
If you found the under $70 price tag on the Pioneer TS-A4103 surprising, then wait till you see the #2 pick in this list, the Kenwood KFC-415C. This is one of the cheapest 4×10 speakers in the market that comes from a brand as reputed as Kenwood. It is priced under $55.
And for that price, you get unbelievably good sound with these. A lot of customers who had installed these in their cars, got them as replacement for stock speakers that got deteriorated due to the condensation in paper cones. They were floored with the sound quality right out of the box.
Easy fit in the OEM plates
Since these 4×10 speakers go into the rear ceiling or the rear dash, compatibility with the OEM plates is crucial because otherwise, you’d have to do some modifications to get them to fit. Thankfully, the Kenwood KFC-415C is compatible out-of-the-box with most OEM fittings. Some of the cars where it has been installed successfully without any modification to the set up includes an fiero GT, Tahoe, GM Suburban, Buick Regal Turbo, S-10 Pick-ups and more. All that it takes is joining a couple of wires or soldering them if you have an old electrical connector and you are good to go.
160 Watt Peak wattage rating
For a speaker this size, the KFC-415C is extremely sensitive. Also, it is capable of handling a fair amount of juice continually. This is what makes them an ideal choice for stock-stereo replacements. But the standout feature is the 160 watts peak wattage rating that allows these speakers to withstand the frequency fluctuations in the sound to the T.
There is no distortion or clipping and it has a surprisingly good bass. A lot of people quip that the bass does not rattle the windows. But that’s not what a 4×10 speaker is intended to do. In fact, none of the 4x10s that you buy will offer that kind of bass unless you have a sub-woofer set up.
The KFC-415 offers a decent bass, clear mids and good highs.
Best features
- Budget priced offering from Kenwood
- 4×10″ poly woofer pair speakers
- 160 watts peak power rating
- Input power of 40W
- Clear and loud sound
- Easy replacement in OEM plates
Verdict
The Kenwood KFC-415 is exactly how the best 4×10 speakers ought to be. It produces decent quality sound, is easy to install and doesn’t cost a bomb.
How We Select The Best 4×10 Speakers – Buyer Guide
The most important thing factor while selecting the ‘best 4 x10 speakers’ is the general consensus among customers. We dug deep into online forums and spent some time talking to people as well as moderators about the best 4 x 10s. Like we’d imagined, we were able to weed out some very popular names from the list that were priced above $200.
Other than that, these are some of the factors that we considered.
Sensitivity
Sensitivity is a very underrated aspect of an audio system. However, it is one of the most important aspects that can effect sound quality. And it depends largely on what kind of stereo you are using to power the speakers. Most stock car stereos are low powered and hence, need a speaker system with high sensitivity. That’s at least 90dB or more.
Most of the customers that we spoke to were using 4×10 speakers as a replacement for their stock speakers and did not have an aftermarket stereo system. So, we have picked the best 4 x 10 speakers with high sensitivity ratings. However, to keep it diverse, we also have a couple with low sensitivity ratings.
Power Handling
Power handling determines the amount of power or raw power that the speaker can tackle. Once again, it depends a lot on what kind of system you have. A low powered system doesn’t need speakers with a high power rating and vice a versa. A lot of manufacturers mention the peak power rating in bold. But that’s actually misleading because your speaker can only handle that amount of power for a very short burst of time.
What’s more important is the RMS rating. This number determines the power that the speaker can handle continually. Our list has speakers with different RMS and Peak power handling. The #1 and #2 pick have the best ratings.
Full Range Systems
Most of the 4 x 10 speakers in the market are full range systems. This means that they contain all the different elements incorporated into an all-inclusive package. So, you will have a woofer and tweeter in the barebones models while the higher end ones will have additional components like super tweeters.
Installation
The idea of buying a 4 x 10 speaker system is to ensure that you can install them without greasing your elbows. To this end, we have selected the five best 4 x 10 speakers that are the easiest to install among them all. Most of these can be installed by removing the old speakers, connecting/soldering the new wires and mounting them into the OEM slots. Some of these do not include grilles in the package.
The Components
One of the most important materials of a speaker system is what is used to manufacture the cone. The most recommended choice is a material that is flexible but not hard, soft but not feeble. Polypropylene is one of the best options you have because of the excellent response to bass that it provides. It also has excellent temperature resistance. But Polypropylene cones also tend to be pricy. So, we have added at least one speaker to this list that has a paper cone, which is cheaper.
Tweeter
Last but not the least; we considered the tweeter material. Unlke the material of the cone, the tweeter is usually made of soft materials like woven silk or poly. This gives an equally good performance in both highs and lows. However, if you prefer the highs to be of slightly better quality, you can pick harder materials like graphite. They do have a higher price tag though.
Surround Materials
The surround is what enables the woofer to give you that thumping bass without getting distorted. Rubber surrounds are the best of them all and have excellent temperature and moisture resistance.
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