The speakers in your vehicle are a great way to show personality and enjoy the music you love. However, they come in tons of shapes, sizes, and performances, thus, the price range fluctuates significantly depending on the model. So, how much should you prepare to spend when buying new speakers? It depends.
A single car speaker can cost anywhere from $35 to $300, depending on the brand you are looking for, the type of car you drive, the sound quality you prefer, and so much more. For a higher sound quality with more power, you are going to pay a lot more per speaker than those content with a basic factory option.
For more information on the types of speakers, you should consider when adding or replacing them to your car, keep reading. This article will give you all the information you need to consider before buying a car speaker.
How Much Do Car Speakers Cost?
The amount of money car speakers cost depends on a large list of specific details. You have to factor in the type of vehicle you have, the brand of speakers you are considering purchasing, and the types of speakers you want. All of this information can be broken down into even smaller categories to give you a better idea of what to look for while shopping.
What Type of Car Do You Drive?
The type of vehicle you own plays a huge role in what kind of speakers you will want to buy. Each make and model will have its stereo system set up differently, requiring specific sizes and shapes of the device.
If you have an older model vehicle, your options will be much smaller than newer vehicles because you won’t have the same types of connectors, platforms, and parts.
Newer vehicles, especially luxury options, will also be a lot more complicated when switching out a sound system because they typically come with custom speakers already set up.
The Size of the Speakers and How Many You Want
Like for most things, the bigger the speakers you want, the more they will cost. For most vehicles, six to eight inches is the most common size speaker. However, you will find some people who really want to make their music heard and blasting ten to twelve-inch subwoofers.
The Types of Speakers You Want
The amount of money you will spend on speakers will also depend greatly on the type of speakers you want. The most common type is Coaxial speakers or “full-range”, these are stock speakers that are already in a car or truck when you first buy it if you don’t specifically ask for an upgraded package.
Coaxial speakers are going to be much cheaper and easier to find, but won’t give you the same clear-cut and loud bass that other options offer.
The second option you have are component speakers. These speakers are more complex and have a much higher sound quality than the basic full-range ones. While you are going to pay quite a bit more for this option, it is going to be worth it.
There are a few other options available, including:
- Subwoofers– When you hear music bass before you see a car coming, it is probably because the vehicle has subwoofers installed. The appeal of these speakers is that they only reproduce the low-frequency range of bass.
- Midbass– Midbass speakers reproduce mid-range base frequency, typically found in vocals and drums.
- Tweeters- Tweeters are used to reproduce high-pitched sounds like cymbals, as well as produce vocal clarity and detailed sounds for each instrument.
The Speakers Power
If you are okay with listening to a little music or your favorite podcasts on the radio on your way to work and don’t require super powerful speakers, you won’t have to look for anything fantastic and the price won’t be unbearable. However, if your goal is to raise eyebrows while you’re cruising down the street, your speakers are going to need some power.
To help better explain, let’s divide this up into three categories:
- Factory car systems– a speaker with a low RMS wattage
- After Market Stereo System (for power)- 75 watts RMS or less
- Aftermarket amp for power- Check your amp manual to match the system to the correct wattage required
Speaker Accessories (Yes, they have these)
Another thing to think about when purchasing a car speaker is the accessories you may want to add. You can literally accessorize anything these days, so why not up the ante on your car speakers. If you feel at all inclined, consider adding subwoofers, a fancy control panel, lights that follow along with the music, or extra amplifiers to your speakers.
Installation Charges (Are You Putting it in Yourself or Requesting the Help of Professionals)
Finally, you always want to factor in the cost of installation when purchasing car speakers. Although this isn’t a direct cost for the product, it is something that needs to be factored in. Even if you are fairly certain you can take on this task alone, something can go wrong, and you want to make sure you planned for it.
The installation for car speakers can range anywhere from $50 to $1000, depending on the types of speakers you are purchasing and the difficulty of getting them installed. If you are putting speakers all around your vehicle, more equipment and parts will be necessary for proper installation.
A basic standard speaker installation will cost around $70- $75 dollars, and a simple component installation will run you about $100-$150. The price will only go up from there as you start to add more speakers, increase the size, or require extra accessories.
When Should You Consider Buying New Speakers for Your Car?
The reason behind purchasing new speakers for a vehicle will differ based on the person, but, for the most part, people replace speakers on an “as-needed basis”. This means their speakers are getting older and no longer performing properly or even at all.
On the other hand, there are those who really enjoy listening to music when driving and want a good sound system set up that simply won’t work with the speakers originally installed. This is when you start to get into pricier parts and options because with luxury sound comes a luxury price tag.
Summing Things Up
It’s hard to put an exact price on a set of new speakers since there are so many different factors to consider. Take a look at the list of items to think about above before making any final decisions.
