When shopping for car speakers, you’ll come across several brands in the market. However, not all brands make the best car speakers. Kenwood and Kicker are known to be among the best manufacturers of car speakers. Actually, you can be lost for choice when choosing between these two brands. So which manufacturer makes the best speakers between Kicker and Kenwood? In this article, we’ll do a detailed comparison of Kenwood vs Kicker speakers to help you in choosing between these two premium brands.
Kenwood Car Speakers
Brief History
Kenwood Corporation is a Japanese company that specializes in manufacturing audio equipment. The company was founded in 1964. The company became a leading producer of audio equipment within a few years after its foundation due to making high-tech and innovative products. Kenwood’s range of products includes home audio, amateur radios, professional two-way radios, and car audio systems.
Types of Speakers from Kenwood
Kenwood has a wide range of car speakers including:
- 2-way speakers
- 3-way speakers
- 4-way speakers
- 5-way speakers
- Component speakers
- Component tweeters
- Component subwoofers
- Powered subwoofers
You can find both dash speakers and door speakers from Kenwood. If you’re looking for compact speakers to fit into tight mounting locations, you can find Kenwood speakers that feature a slim-fit design for shallow mounting. You can also choose from larger Kenwood speakers where space allows.
Performance
Kenwood speakers are generally high-powered. The exact power rating ranges from different speaker models. However, the most powerful models from Kenwood can handle up to 600 watts RMS. Also, the speakers have different frequency response ratings. They feature advanced technology for enhanced sound quality within their frequency range.
Construction
Kenwood manufactures its speakers with premium quality components and superior workmanship. Most of their speakers are made of mica-injected polypropylene cone. Other technologies included in the construction of most of their speakers are acoustic sound harmonizer and sound field enhancer. All these advanced construction techniques add to the superb performance and longevity of Kenwood speakers.
Also, most speakers from Kenwood are made of a single-piece steel basket. That way, there’re fewer parts making up the speaker for reduced chances of rattling. Also, steel is a durable material.
Usability
Fortunately, Kenwood car speakers are compatible with most car audio systems. You can connect them to any car amplifier that’s powerful enough to power the specific Kenwood speaker. Also, you can easily find a size that can fit in most cars.
Shortcomings of Kenwood Speakers
While Kenwood speakers come with numerous positive features and great performance, they have a few shortcomings. For instance, the tweeters on some of their high-performance speakers are a little too bright. Thus, you may have to turn the volume down. Also, some of their 2-way speakers have inadequate midrange.
Kicker Car Speakers
Brief History
Kicker is yet another leading manufacturer of audio products. The company was founded in 1973 and is based in the USA. The company started with manufacturing speaker systems for entertainers, churches, and auditoriums. Today, Kicker manufactures high-performance marine audio, home audio, car audio, and personal audio systems.
Types of Car Speakers from Kenwood
Kicker manufactures a wide range of car speakers including:
- Component speakers
- 2-way speakers
- 3-way speakers
- Tweeters
- Powered subwoofers
- Component subwoofers
Their most notable car speakers are the Kicker CS Series, Kicker DS Series, and Kicker QS Series.
Performance
The Kicker CS Series speakers offer great value for money. They’re designed to deliver great sound quality without breaking the bank. They offer better mid-bass and highs than most factory speakers.
The Kicker DS Series car speakers are entry-level speakers. They’re available as both coaxial and component speakers. They offer great bass output.
On the other hand, the Kicker QS Series is the manufacturer’s flagship speakers. They’re specially designed for enhanced clarity within their frequency range. Most notable are their accurate midrange and clean highs.
Construction
Coaxial Kicker CS Series speakers feature a PEI balanced dome tweeter to deliver detailed and crisp highs. Component Kicker CS Series speakers come with a titanium dome tweeter for accurate highs. The woofers driver in this speaker series is made of a polypropylene cone for punchy mid-bass.
The Kicker DS Series speakers feature EVC technology that allows them to reproduce superb lows due to the increased voice coil dimensions. They also feature a UV-treated surround for enhanced durability. Also, the surround is ribbed for enhanced cone movement, thereby allowing for balanced sound output regardless of the music genre. They’re also made of a polypropylene cone.
The QS Series speakers from Kicker are made with premium materials for high-performance and durability. Components speakers under the QS series feature a cone made using patented Kicker Tri-Tech technology. On the other hand, coaxial speakers under this series feature a Kevlar-polypropylene composite cone and Tetoron dome tweeters.
Usability
The Kicker CS Series speakers are designed as a superb replacement for factory speakers. They’re compatible with most external amplifiers as long as the amp can handle their power needs. The speakers under this series are shallow for easier installation in tight mounting locations.
On the other hand, the Kicker DS Series speakers are great for covering a wide frequency range, making them deliver superb-full range sound. They complement any car stereo system and are available in both component and coaxial options.
The Kicker QS Series speakers work with most amplifiers. Also, they’re available in a wide range of sizes for easier installation in most cars.
Shortcomings of Kicker Speakers
Although Kicker speakers output great highs and mid-bass, they don’t produce the deepest lows that a bass enthusiast would want.
Kicker vs Kenwood speakers- Which Brand is better?
The durability, usability, and premium quality of Kenwood and Kicker speakers make them some of the best brands. Whether you’re searching for car speakers, marine speakers, or home audio systems, these two brands have got you covered. Besides, the innovativeness behind their speakers makes them among the most sought brands.
However, Kenwood manufactures a wider range of speakers than Kicker. For instance, Kenwood manufactures unique 4-way and 5-way coaxial speakers, which Kicker doesn’t manufacture.
Final Thoughts
Considering the superiority of Kicker and Kenwood speakers, both deliver excellent sound output. The brand to choose between the two will ultimately depend on the kind of sound output you want. Kenwood speakers deliver better bass while Kicker speakers deliver better highs and mid-bass. Regardless of the brand you choose, either will deliver great sound output.
Michael Evanchuk is a San Francisco-based sound engineer with 20 years’ experience installing, troubleshooting, and repairing commercial, automotive, and household sound equipment. Evanchuk owns an auto stereo center, where he offers highly competitive car audio installation and repair services. He has written dozens of articles on different sound engineering topics, all of which have been published in leading journals, blogs, and websites.
