Although most modern vehicles now come with decent car audio equipment straight from the factory, audiophiles might still be yearning for more. Or maybe you own an older vehicle that is in dire need of some car audio upgrades? Whatever your reason may be to upgrade your car audio equipment, you’ve come to the right place. Our editors have taken a look at the best car stereos, speakers, amplifiers, and subwoofers currently available on the market, narrowing down their choices to the top 10 for each category. From there, we chose the best of the best and made it our Editor’s Pick, which we’ve gathered up to into one convenient article for 2019.
Below, you’ll see our Editor’s Picks of 2019 for the best car stereos, speakers, amplifiers, and subwoofers.
Table of contents
- Editor's Pick for Best Car Stereo: BOSS Audio Multimedia Car Stereo (616UAB)
- Editor's Pick for Best Head Unit for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: Sony XAV-AX100 6.4" Car Play/Android Auto Media Receiver with Bluetooth
- Editor's Pick for Best Car Speakers: JL Audio C2-650X Evolution Series
- Editor's Pick for Best Car Amplifier: Alpine 5-Channel Extreme Power Density Digital Amplifier (PDX-V9)
- Editor's Pick for Best Subwoofer: Rockford Fosgate P3 Punch
Editor's Pick for Best Car Stereo: BOSS Audio Multimedia Car Stereo (616UAB)
One of the most affordable car stereos on the list comes from BOSS Audio. It’s a basic single DIN unit, but offers Bluetooth, media playback, auxiliary input, USB, front and rear pre amp outputs, and 50 watts x 4 max power. Keep in mind this head unit doesn’t offer CD/DVD playback, so you’ll have to rely on your smartphone or MP3 player for tunes. It does however offer AM/FM radio stations.
There is also a preset built-in EQ, allowing you to customize how you want to hear your music. The Bluetooth compatibility features both hands-free and audio streaming, so you can make and receive calls or play and control music and apps such as Spotify and Pandora.
This car stereo unit from BOSS Audio also comes with a wireless remote control, giving easy access to key functions within the palm of your hand. The tuner is also switchable to receive radio broadcasts in either the U.S. or Europe.
Editor's Pick for Best Head Unit for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: Sony XAV-AX100 6.4" Car Play/Android Auto Media Receiver with Bluetooth
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto? Check. Smooth and fast performance? Check. Easy to navigate user interface? Check. Clean and powerful sound? Check. The Sony XAV-AX100 DIN2 head unit is really the jack of all trades when it comes to car infotainment systems and is easily our top pick of the bunch.
This head unit is equipped with a high-quality 6.4-inch touchscreen. It doesn’t come with built-in satellite navigation, but you don’t really need it because the Google Maps and Apple Maps on your phone will be superior. The software is easy to use while driving and is as fast as almost any modern smartphone. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also a breeze to use – you just need to connect your smartphone via USB cable. You can also connect over Bluetooth, but you’ll lose the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionalities. iPhone users can even use Siri Eyes Free to control various functions on the phone.
The built-in amplifier will provide powerful sound thanks to 4x55W outputs. You can even adjust the soundstage with Dynamic Stage Organizer that adds virtual speakers in the cabin for a better listening experience and while it’s not as good as real speakers, it really does improve on the sound quality. When it comes to sound, we have one (little) issue – the Sony head unit doesn’t support HD Radio and doesn’t have a CD player (although we could live without both).
On the other hand, an additional reason the Sony is at the top of this list is the volume knob. Almost every other head unit comes either with physical or capacitive buttons for adjusting the volume, which is annoying to use while driving. Even some car manufacturers, like Honda, admitted the mistake and returned to the volume knob after experimenting with capacitive buttons. This may sound like nitpicking, but adjusting the volume easily is important to a safe driving experience.
And while the Sony XAV-AX100 is certainly not cheap, for the features and performance it offers, we think it’s a steal.
Editor's Pick for Best Car Speakers: JL Audio C2-650X Evolution Series
You have likely heard of JL Audio if you have ever done any research on car audio. These are some of the most expensive speakers on our list, but if you want some of the best-sounding speakers they’re the way to go. The C2-650X Evolution Series are 6.5-inch two-way coaxial speakers, featuring a 6.5-inch subwoofer and a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter. Designed to deliver high-frequency detail, smooth mid-range, and powerful mid-bass, the woofers have mineral-filled polypropylene cones, long excursion capabilities, and stamped steel frames.
The tweeters are coaxially mounted and aim to provide smooth and extended response, on and off axis. These speakers are rated at 60 watts RMS or 225 watts peak with 4-ohm impedance and frequency response range of 59 Hz to 22 kHz.
Editor's Pick for Best Car Amplifier: Alpine 5-Channel Extreme Power Density Digital Amplifier (PDX-V9)
It’s one of the most expensive amplifiers on our list, but it’s also what you should look for if you’re a true, hardcore audio enthusiast. The PDX-V9 has max power of 1,600 watts and its RMS power ratings are 100-watts RMS x 4 channels + 500-watts RMS at 4 ohm, 100-watts RMS x 4 channels + 500-watts RMS at 2 ohm, or 200-watts RMS x 2 channels at bridged 4 ohm.
This amp isn’t your typical Class D amplifier, as it claims to be the first ever Class D amp to break tradition by offering extremely high resolution and detail. Typically, Class D amplifiers aren’t known for both low distortion and wide frequency response, but the PDX-V9 is different. Its frequency range is 5 Hz to 100 kHz for 4 channel, 5 Hz to 400 Hz for mono, and 3 Hz to 600 Hz for 5 channel.
The amp is also stable at low impedances and is capable of its rated power from 2 to 4 ohms. It also incorporates Alpine’s new Power Management circuit, which controls all aspects of amplifier performance, monitoring voltage, temperature, and output for non-stop listening. If the amp happens to get too hot, the Thermal Protection circuit will activate and decrease output power until the amp cools down. Once it does cool down, power output will automatically be increased back to its previous level.
The PDX-V9 is also compatible with Alpine’s RUX-KNOB, which gives you full control of bass adjustments from within your car. You can also control multiple amps with just one controller with telephone cord adapters.
Editor's Pick for Best Subwoofer: Rockford Fosgate P3 Punch
A popular brand in the car audio industry, Rockford Fosgate offers a wide selection of subwoofers. The Punch P3 is a popular option with the P3D2-12 being a 12-inch dual 2-ohm impedance subwoofer. It handles 600 watts RMS or 1200 watts max and has a 2.5-inch voice coil. These woofers feature anodized aluminum cones and dustcaps, along with unique spider venting that keeps the motor cooler. The P3 is also available as a P3D4-12 model with dual 4-ohm impedance.
The subwoofers have “VAST” technology to increase surface cone area up to 25 percent and a FlexFit basket for extreme installations. Helping provide strength while minimizing weight and resonance is a new hybrid stamp-cast basket.
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