Component Speakers Vs Coaxial Speakers for Car Audio

Stuck between choosing component (or) coaxial speakers for your car audio system? Don’t worry. In this article, we will take a closer look at these two types of speakers and help you choose the perfect one for your car’s audio needs. 

A car audio system is incomplete without the right set of speakers. They play a major role in enhancing the overall sound quality of your audio system. Therefore, choosing the right set of speakers can make a difference in how your music sounds. 

Basically, the two most prevalent types of speakers are component and coaxial. Hence, they come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. 

Comparison Between Component And Coaxial Speakers For Car Audio

Criteria	Component speakers	Coaxial speakers
Sound quality	Excellent	Good
Price	Expensive	Affordable
Installation	Complex	Simple
Frequency response	Accurate	Limited
Power handling	High	Moderate
Customization	Easy	Limited
Crossover	Separate	In-built
Placement	Flexible	Fixed

Coaxial Speakers For Car Audio

Coaxial speakers are full-range speakers designed to produce more range of sound from a single device. They contain a woofer with a tweeter suspended over it. the woofer handles low to mid-frequencies, whereas the tweeter handles high-frequency sounds. Overall these speakers reproduce all of the audible spectrum frequencies, often ranging from 20 Hz to 20 KHz. 

Coaxial speakers are a popular choice among automobile owners and are commonly seen in car audio systems as they are simple to install and deliver good sound quality. Moreover, these speakers are easy to balance, because all the sound comes from one place. 

Types of Coaxial Speakers

Coaxial speakers are broadly classified into four types.

Coaxial speakers	Components
2-way coaxial speakers	Woofer and a tweeter
3-way coaxial speakers	Woofer, tweeter, and a midrange driver
4-way coaxial speakers	Woofer, tweeter, and two midrange driver
Coaxial speakers with in-built crossovers	Crossovers, a woofer, and a tweeter   [Crossover to divide the frequencies between woofer and tweeter for optimal sound quality]

Advantages of Coaxial Speakers

1. Coaxial speakers can fix the poor frequency responses immediately.
2. They are very popular and it’s really easy to find them in the market.
3. There is no need to purchase extra crossovers because coaxial speakers have them.
4. They are affordable and offer the best sound quality.
5. Its installation is pretty simple.

Disadvantages of Coaxial Speakers

1. Coaxial speakers’ sound quality is limited compared to component speakers.
2. These speakers can’t handle high power levels.
3. The placement of the tweeter may not be ideal for optimal soundstage and imaging. 

Component Speakers For Car Audio

Component speakers are designed to deliver the best sound quality for car audio systems. They contain woofers, subwoofers, tweeters, and advanced crossovers as individual units. Each of these units works on its own, but they all work together to deliver optimal sound quality. The multiple drivers in component speakers are used for different frequency ranges, such as woofers for bass, tweeters for high frequencies, and at times midrange drivers for intermediate frequencies. 

Component speakers produce better sound than coaxial speakers. Their drivers are tuned for certain frequency ranges. Separate drivers also allow for more flexibility in speaker placement, which can contribute to better soundstage and imaging. Installing component speakers in your car gives you a concert-like audio quality. 

Types of Component Speakers

Component speakers are categorized into four types.

Component speakers	Components
2-way component speakers	Separate woofers and tweeters with separate crossover to divide the frequencies
3-way component speakers	Separate woofers, tweeter, and midrange drivers with separate crossover to divide the frequencies
4-way component speakers	Separate woofers, tweeters, midrange drivers, and super tweeters with separate crossover to divide the frequencies
Coaxial component speakers	Separate woofers and tweeters mounted on the same axis with separate crossovers to divide the frequencies

Advantages of Component Speakers

1. Component speakers’ sound quality is excellent compared to coaxial speakers.
2. These speakers can handle high power levels.
3. The separate drivers produce better soundstage and imaging.

Disadvantages of Component Speakers

1. Component speakers are very expensive.
2. Its installation is complex.
3. These speakers require separate crossovers for better sound quality.

Which Speakers Are Better In Cars: Component (or) Coaxial?

It is tough to choose between component and coaxial speakers for your automobile audio system since each type has their own advantages and downsides. Consider the factors like sound quality, price, ease of use, flexibility, customization, frequency range, and power handling while buying a speaker.  In the end, choosing car audio speakers is entirely dependent on your needs and priorities. 

Component speakers have individual components including multiple drivers, woofers, subwoofers, tweeters, and crossovers to offer better sound quality. All these units are mounted separately but work together for producing clearer sound. The installation process is pretty complex because of its separate parts which consume extra space in your car. Moreover, they are expensive compared to coaxial speakers.  

On the other hand, coaxial speakers have a woofer and tweeter mounted on the same axis to offer a good balance between convenience and sound quality. Its installation is quite easy as all the parts are mounted internally on the same axis reducing the space in your car. These speakers are more affordable than component speakers with better sound quality. 

Facts On Coaxial Vs Component Speakers

Component speakers	Coaxial speakers
Enhanced sound quality	Does not produce high-sound quality
Better frequency response	Low-frequency response
Advanced crossover component quality	In-built crossovers
Better imaging and material quality	Not better imaging
Higher RMS power rating	Lower RMS power rating
More control and flexibility on your sound	Not much control and flexibility on your sound
Complex installation	Easy installation
Higher pricing	More affordable

Factors to Consider While Choosing Between Component And Coaxial Speakers

There are several factors that need to be considered when choosing between component and coaxial speakers.

1. Sound Quality

Component speakers offer the best sound quality compared to coaxial speakers. Of course, the quality difference between high-end coaxial speakers and high-end component speakers is very small but it is often noticeable.  

Component speakers are quite expensive and cannot be purchased by everyone, whereas coaxial speakers are affordable. However, if you want to experience high-quality music, go for component speakers, while coaxial speakers are fine with limited sound quality within your budget. 

2. Cost

Balancing cost and quality is important for any purchase, especially one as long-term as car speakers. As discussed, component speakers are more expensive than coaxial speakers. Coaxial speakers offer less sound quality than component speakers but still, they offer much better sound than your car’s usual internal speakers. As a buyer, if you don’t have any budget constraints prefer component speakers else choose coaxial speakers. 

3. Ease of Use

You need to handle many additional equipments in component speakers whereas everything is in-built into coaxial speakers. Hence, coaxial speakers are easy to operate than component speakers.

4. Power Handling

Always choose your speakers based on the volume range you require. Component speakers are the best option if you want to listen to music at high levels. They are designed to provide clear sound even at high levels without causing disturbances. 

5. Installation

Coaxial speakers are easy to install compared to component speakers. Component speakers come with additional equipment to deliver superior sound quality and occupy more space in your car.  

Conclusion

It is ultimately up to you to decide whether to use component (or) coaxial speakers. If sound quality is your top priority and you have no financial constraints, go for component speakers. Otherwise, choose coaxial speakers, which are more affordable and provide superior sound quality.  

Component Speakers Vs Coaxial Speakers : FAQs