The 4-inch car speaker. With the expansion of car models and sizes and intricate stereo systems with 6×9’s and subwoofers, the little 4 is a speaker that could have been left out in the cold. Could have been relegated to garage shelves, yard sales, and old models of cars with out-of-date plates.
The beauty in any sound stereo system, though, is that it features the right tool for the right job from the ground up.
Insert the little speaker that could, the 4 inch.
If you’re looking for a small speaker for your car’s dash or door panels, looking for clean, clear highs and mids, looking to create that perfect soundstage, or just looking to get the best bang for your buck, look no further.
These midrange speakers do it all. With excellent power handling capabilities and a high-quality top to bottom build that can handle what you throw at it at the highest of volumes, these speakers should be the first and will be the last replacement 4-inch speakers you buy.
See On AmazonLooking for a 4-inch speaker at a reasonable price that will provide that remarkable midrange sound your system is missing? The DS18 Pro-X4M Loudspeakers are the component speakers for you.
With a whopping 100w RMS at 4 Ohms and a high-quality 1.5″ temperature-resistant voice coil, these speakers should take all the power you throw at them and reproduce crystal clear sounds until the cows come home. Speaking of crystal clear sounds, thanks to a “bullet” designed dust cover that acts as a tweeter, you’ll get additional high tones without the additional power consumption.
You should also dig the construction durability of these speakers because with that bullet-designed dust cover/tweeter, that high-quality voice coil should steer clear of your car’s elements and last as long as you need it.
Keep in mind when purchasing this speaker that it’s sold individually and also has an oversized coil. That means you’ll want to double up your order and measure the space if you’re replacing a factory set. Also, with a sensitivity of 85.7 dB, you’ll want to consider pairing it with a quality amp for the best sound possible.
Focal is passionate about sound, and it shows in these premium speakers. Handmade in France (for real) and designed to deliver as much depth, realism, and dynamic sound as a 4 inch can provide, these speakers are for the audiophile who wants the best and is willing to pay for it.
See On AmazonIf Tony Stark decided to throw 4-inch speakers into his Iron Man helmet (see also best bluetooth helmet speakers) and blast his temples, these would be the ones. Handmade in France with a ground-up premium design featuring tuned mass dampers, a composite W sandwich cone, and a frequency response from 110 to 22,000 Hz, these things have it all and literally everything else.
The build quality of these speakers is superb and functional with every inch thoughtfully designed to provide a purposeful, clean, clear, and dynamic midrange sound.
Because of that build quality, they’ll sound amazing and look fantastic, as a rubber surround gives way to a kevlar woofer with a gold-painted cone.
Of course, Kevlar and rubber mean these things were also built to last, and with a 1-year warranty, if you run into any problems, you’ll know Focal will have your back.
When you purchase pricey noise pounders, keep in mind that the tweeters are “drop in.” You should be able to fit these in your factory setup, but hiding the crossovers may be a bit tricky.
Infinity designed the reference speakers to provide Infinity's signature sound and smooth, clear highs in an affordable package. With oversized woofers and an excellent speaker response, these little speakers will literally offer some of the best bang for your buck.
See On AmazonInfinity Reference speakers were built for the audiophile who understands that a higher price doesn’t always mean a higher value.
With oversized woofers giving you more surface area to move air and a high speaker sensitivity of 92dB, you’ll get a surprising bass from these mid-ranged 4’s.
If you’re looking to replace your factory speakers, these should be an easy to work with. Thanks to the newly engineered speaker basket and slim design, they should fit into most factory 4-inch speaker locations. Just keep in mind that these speakers only come with the pair themselves and foam mounting tape. You’ll need to use your preexisting factory screws and wires or pick some up.
The BOSS CH4230's are a durable, crisp sounding, seriously affordable set of 4-inch speakers. With a smooth response, durability, a clean sound, and premium affordability, there's no question these speakers hit the marks.
See On AmazonThese speakers are affordable! And with a cone made from polyurethane, a rubber surround, and a high-temperature voice coil, that little bit of scratch should go a long way. The BOSS CH4230 speakers were even made to take a beating beyond the woofer with a piezoelectric tweeter built to withstand overloads and capable of being run without a crossover.
Besides the durability, we think you’ll love the precise sound they deliver. Keep in mind, though, that they are an inexpensive 4 inch. They’ll give you clear highs and dip into the mids, but you shouldn’t expect too much bass. Also, you can turn these up with a peak power handling of over 200w, but keep ’em up, and even their high heat handling coil and durable woofer will bounce some distortion.
If you do blow these, though, don’t fret. When you click the link and purchase them through Amazon, you’ll receive a 3-year warranty.
If you're looking for an amazing-sounding set of speakers for a low price, these Kicker CS Series CSC4 speakers are for you. The reviews are in, and people are taking notice; with a killer price, a durable build, crisp, clear mids and highs, and installation flexibility, these speakers are real winners.
See On AmazonKicker Performance Audio brings a low-frequency performing, phenomenal midrange sounding, system complementing set of 4-inch speakers to the table with the CSC4’s.
With neodymium magnet filled, titanium domed tweeters, and EVC woofer technology, you should be more than happy with the rich mids and highs you get from Kickers offering. And with those CS Series tweeters, you’ll get a 6 dB inline crossover and three mounting options, ensuring you get the exact sound and look you’re going for.
Thanks to a UV-treated polyester woofer surround, a rigid stamped steel basket, and a poly-injection cone, these things should not only sound great but also take a beating.
Keep in mind that these all-around best 4 inch coaxial speakers sound great but have the same drawbacks most 4 inch speakers do. That means they should compliment a full system perfectly but won’t provide stand-alone bass.
Quality meets a new high and premium pricing meets a new low with Focals 100 Access 4" coaxial speakers. Thanks to forward thinking looks and durability, a superior sound profile, and easy enough installation to replace your factory speakers, these will be the last 4" coaxial speakers you buy.
See On AmazonPremium has a new price in the Focal 100 Access. With their closer to affordable line of access speakers, Focal delivers a sturdy all-weather woven fiberglass woofer, a rugged aluminum inverted dome tweeter, a 20% fiberglass filler ABs chassis, and all the sound you’re looking for from a 4″ coaxial speaker.
Focal is known for their advanced innovation and technology, and these speakers bring it. You should expect effortless stability resistance to extreme power that brings you performance first sharp sounds with a bit of bass from a midrange speaker.
With the built-in crossover rotating tweeters and an abs basket with a built-in terminal and streamlined outer grill, you’ll get not only the crisp highs you’re looking for but also an easy as Sunday morning installation.
Keep in mind that because of the low sensitivity often found on more expensive speakers, these will reproduce much better sound when combined with an amplifier. You’ll also want to pay attention to the power coming from that amp when you do run these. WIth a peak power of 80w and an RMS of 40w, these things can take some power, but don’t overdo it too consistently.
It's all in the name with these ones. Pyle Marine 4 inch waterproof speakers are the choice for Jeep, truck, motorcycle, and 4x4 owners or anyone looking to cruise with the top down. With built-in lights, nearly 10ft of wiring, and a low-profile design, these are the go-to easy-to-install waterproof speakers for all your fun needs.
See On AmazonAll fun in the sun-seekers that have learned never to trust the weatherman, stop your search here. Pyle Marine 4 inch speakers are your go-to all-weather jammers. So if you’re looking for speakers for your bagger, your Jeep, 4X4 machine, or even your convertible, you can’t go wrong with the Pyle Marines.
These speakers aren’t just water-resistant but completely waterproof, and with a built-in molded grill and a poly-injection cone, they should hold up to more than just a little water.
Thanks to a 3′ mounting depth and nearly 10ft of accompanying wire, you should have no problem installing these anywhere you need them.
These Pyle Marine speakers also have the added benefit of built-in color-changing LED lights. So if you’re looking to get the party started and keep on going when others are getting rained out, these are for you.
Keep in mind that although these speakers can stand up to the elements, they can’t stand up to a ton of power. You should be happy with these bad boys at low to medium volumes but with a nominal power handling of only 40w; if you run these too high for too long, you may experience distortion, overheating, and eventually blowing.
If you do blow these, though, don’t worry. If you’ve had them less than a year, you should be able to capitalize on their 1-year warranty.
Although small in size, 4-inch car speakers come with a few features that stand large in the audio game.
One of the best benefits you’ll find in your 4 inch is, in fact, that size. 4 inch speakers are great in small cars where size is a commodity. There are even many aftermarket 4 inch speakers designed to stand alone in spaces you usually wouldn’t consider installing a speaker. And if you install a coaxial 4-inch speaker in a small car and you won’t only save space, but you’ll be delivered a rich, complex sound that fits the small space.
Another clear advantage of the small 4 is its price. A smaller-sized speaker means a less expensive development and production cycle. Your wallet will directly feel that. And with the extra cash you’ll be able to do something like soundproof your car, meaning you won’t need big expensive speakers anyways.
Finally, whether you’re running your speakers directly off of your head unit or pairing them with a much larger system on an amp, you can’t beat their power pull or lack there off. A 4-inch speaker pulls such low power that it won’t conflict with the rest of your setup.
Although you’ll find a ton of reasons to love your 4-inch speakers, they do come with a few drawbacks, the biggest being their small size.
See, the size of the speaker is the primary determiner of the amount of air it can move. A small speaker moves less air than a large speaker. Air, when it comes to speakers, means noise and bass.
The largest speakers in your system, the subwoofers, deliver whomping bass and sound because of their size and the amount of air they can move.
Comparatively, 4-inch speakers deliver very little bass and have much lower sound output. Because of this, you’ll find that if you turn a 4-inch speaker up too loud, you’ll encounter distortion.
You’re going to find two main types of speakers; the component and the coaxial.
Component 4 inch speakers contain a single driver that is capable of delivering a single frequency range. That means component 4 inch speakers are best when paired with a host of other car speakers to provide a full range of sound.
Coaxial speakers, conversely, house multiple drivers in one basket. You’ll find coaxial speakers in 2, 3, and 4-way designs. A 2-way coaxial speaker comes with the main woofer driver and also a tweeter. A 3-way speaker adds a midrange driver, and a 4-way coaxial speaker adds an even smaller tweeter to the tweeter, midrange driver, woofer setup.
To sum it all up, If your 4-inch speakers will be your main listening speakers or you’d like to get the best speakers money can buy, go with the highest coaxial range in your price range. On the other hand, if you’re filling out an already bumping stereo system, you should be looking for component speakers.
A solidly built speaker will stand up to the test of time and deliver high-quality sound day in and day out. If you want a speaker to last, you should look for one that incorporates premium durable materials in the right spots. That means you’ll want a high-end driver, rubber surround if it’s in your budget, and a high-grade magnet, or even a speaker with multiple magnets.
You’ll also want to consider how the materials affect the sound of the speaker.
If you prefer soft highs from your 4 inch, you’ll want your speaker material to be made of soft materials like poly or cloth. On the other hand, if you prefer bright highs, you’ll want your speaker material to be made of something like ceramic or Kevlar.
When purchasing 4-inch speakers as replacements, look for a set with multiple mounting holes and patterns, as the speaker holes won’t always line up with your car’s old speakers exactly.
A replacement speaker with a shallow depth will also increase the ease of installment.
Speakers are transducers that convert electrical energy into sound waves. When considering your speaker’s power handling, you’ll be looking at RMS and Peak Power. In both instances, basically, more is generally better.
This is because, really, unless your speaker is low impedance and drawing too much power from the amp, even a speaker with a high power handling ability can be paired with a low output amp. In the reverse, though, a low-power handling speaker with a high-powered amp may mean a blown speaker.
In all cases, the goal is to keep a reasonable flow of electrical power between the amplifier or head unit and speaker.
A speaker’s sensitivity, measured in dB, denotes the amount of sound the speaker can produce per the power or electrical energy delivered to it. If you’re running your speaker off of your low-powered head unit, you’ll want the highest sensitivity rating possible (shoot for over 90 dB). If you’ll be running your speaker off of an amp, you should be okay with a low sensitivity (under 90 dB) setup.
With every speaker in your system offering a precise sound reproduction, it’s no wonder the 4-inch speaker is here to stay.
A quality coaxial speaker will give your system the unmistakable, rich mids and highs you’ve been looking for, and a killer component speaker will completely fill out those robust mids your system is lacking.
Whatever system you have, whether you’re in your daily driver using a head unit or a complete audiophile with a premium amp, a great 4-inch speaker isn’t something to sleep on.
You might also be interested in this article we have about best party speakers.
