Guys, here we have a confusion going in our mind. Between 6×9 and 6.5” speakers most of us will recommend a 6.9” speaker simply because they have more cone area that allows them to go to lower frequencies. Extra cone area is supposed to deliver better bass or mid bass. In contrast, 6.5” speakers are roundish and have less cone area, so they deliver little less volume. This is the basic idea of the speakers. Yet, it’s not always about the high volume and more bass, the quality of the bass and sound matters here. In this sense, 6×9 offers a cheaper way to provide more bass and they often get distorted.
So, 6×9 vs 6.5 speakers, what would you choose? Well, that’s what we are going to discuss here and let you have a clear idea about which one you should prefer.
Contents
Round or Oval?
6.5” speakers are round ones so the cone is more rigid in overall surface area that eliminates possible distortion. Yeah definitely 6.5” speakers have less cone surface yet round speakers theoretically are supposed to have good SQ.
Let’s come to the oval shape of 6×9 speakers. From a technical point of view, 6×9 speaker’s cones are stiffer on the short side and looser on the long side. So it may create more distortion.
So no doubt, 6×9 speakers with deep bass but 6.5” component speakers have accurate SQ and its off axis response is the same 460 degrees around.
So, the More Cone Area the Better Bass?
So far, our discussion led us to an idea that as 6×9 speakers have more cone area it is supposed to provide better sound. Well it’s not that simple, in fact, if you replace your 6.5” component speakers with 6×9 speakers, you will likely have the same bass you used to have before in the car. According to 6×9 vs. 6.5 speakers reddit, they both are quite the same size. The 6×9 inch speakers are oval shaped and a little bigger so that doesn’t create any problem installing it on the 6.5 inch speaker’s spot.
So what’s the issue? It’s not always the better speaker that gives you the better bass, it has to get the power it needs and there comes the importance of amplifiers. That’s why people tried 6×9 speakers replacing the 6.5 in their car, now frowning about the myth of better bass that was promised to them. They are having the same experience almost like before with 6.5” speakers and to make things worse the oval speakers are likely to generate more distortion.
Theoretically, you should get better bass from 6×9 speakers, but you don’t get it for several reasons :-
- It’s a cheap way to upgrade the bass in 6×9 speakers, so most unknown and less known brands do it for profit.
- Any new 6×9 speaker is not likely to provide the best performance with the car’s built- in head unit. They require amps to have their best output, EQ setting, High Pass, Low Pass filter setting and if possible a brand aftermarket head unit.
If you can manage all these things besides 6×9 speakers, then it will provide a level of mid-bass quality that will be unreachable for 6.5” speakers. Anyway, don’t install larger speakers just search in Google ways to make car speakers louder without an amplifier.
What Should You Get between 6×9 and 6.5” Speakers?
We recommend you to get 6×9 speakers if you have a good head unit, amplifier. But if you don’t have them, just stick to the 6.5” speakers, you can replace them with the top 6.5 speakers without amps available in the market like JBL GTO629, Pioneer TS-F1634R, BOSS Audio System etc.
In contrast, if you want to upgrade your whole sound system, then get a 6×9 speaker matching the power rating with your amp. Beware; it is important to have a brand of 6×9 speakers, because they maintain the quality. You can go through popular brands like Kenwood KFC-6996PS, JBL stage 3, Pioneer TS-G6930F.
FAQ
1. Does a 6.5 speaker sound better than 6×9 speakers?
– 6.5” speakers keep their balance in sound and provide better sound from both low and high frequency spectrum. In contrast, 6×9 speakers are more into deep bass and provide clearer mid bass and sound from low frequency spectrum.
2. Why are 6×9 speakers more likely to create distortion?
– It is more likely to create distortion because they make it cheaply. The larger cone surface will provide more bass anyway, that’s why unknown brands used to make these speakers cheaply. But any brand 6×9 speakers don’t create distortion.
Conclusion
If you want more bass, then go for the 6×9 speakers, but ensure you have amp or enough power to run the speaker. Just don’t replace speakers just because people are replacing their car too. Everyone has their own choice to listen to music, so try to focus on what you want and then go for it.
