The added install “accessories” REALLY set these Components apart from similar tier components. Really incredible ! Kicker has such an established reputation, these seem like a “can’t lose” choice. You are the Reason that I’m such a HUGE Fan of the “KEY” product ! Wish that they had more (choices) of that ingenious amp/DSP.
Keep a eye on the point where the wire passes thru the circuit board on the crossovers. The wires break very easy at these points. I Bought 2 sets, 3 of the crossovers wires broke.
Let me just preface by saying that I have never installed component speakers before. I've replace speakers in several cars for both myself and some friends, but never gotten into anything too crazy, just replaced blown speakers and called it a day. Recently though the stock speakers started to blow in my 03 Pontiac Aztek after replacing the radio. Its nothing fancy, just a cheap Kenwood. I have been looking for something like this, because I have the Tweeters in the top corner of my doors and want to replace all the speakers at once. I came across these Kickers on Amazon and before investing the money into them, I wanted to find out more about them. I came to UA-cam and searched for them to see what they were actually like, and I clicked on a few and it was all videos of people playing music in their cars. I was about to give up and came across this video. You answered all my questions and more without any extra BS. I'm not hugely into Car Stereo modifications, but you have your self a new subscriber. Thank you for being straight forward and to the point! Great Video!
The tweeter mounting accessories are f'ing genius, especially the swivel A pillar pod. I've been looking for a similar pod that would hold a 2" wideband driver and the market is almost non-existent, aside from a handful of indie sellers with 3D printers.
I have a 19 Kona SE. Basic factory radio. Installed a set of the Kicker KS components in front. 2 way in the rear. Bought them last year from Crutchfield. They sound great! Next week I am having a Sony GS4 installed. The only downside, the crossover modules on my set are Huge
I have the KS component 6x9s just like the ones you have. Kicker is out of their coaxials but can’t I use the components as coaxials? Just don’t add the tweeters?
The new ks kickers you showed in this video and installed and said thay are way louder ok that's a plus for me but my question is do thay have tweeter protection at all
The rotatable tweeter option caught my eye. In my Xterra, the tweeter is flush mounted on the dash so this feature might improve the sound if I can direct it at me. Turning the combo into a 2-way coaxial speaker would be useful in the back door, also, which is a two-way coaxial speaker.
I would've liked to have seen how you installed the crossovers - especially if the woofer and tweeter are in parallel with each other (like in my Xterra).
I see in another video that says these speakers just don’t sound very good. I will say I beg to differ!! My kicker 6.5 coaxial set sounds awesome in my vehicle. Some people don’t realize that a free air test doesn’t give you the “true” sounds out of many speakers. They require a good sealed space, and sound dampening as well. I have since bought the 6.5” component set but haven’t installed them yet. I’m sure they will sound good and should sound better due to the crossover and added DB settings for the tweets. I’m happy with my purchase. At any rate, please please watch more than one video before you decide what you buy. Some say you are paying for marketing and such, but I don’t think kicker would still be in business if they made crap products. They gotta be doing something right as they have been around for a long time!!
I know who your talking about (I think). Says that 'if they don't sound good out of a box, they wont sound good in a box'. Ya, no.. Not how that works.
Dean, or anyone else that owns these, are the tweeters really smooth or are the more on the bright almost screechy side, the kind of bright screechy that antnuation on the crossover doesn't fix? I had the older ks and the tweeter wasn't what I like in a silk soft dome which to me should really be very subtle from about 4kz till about 8 or 10kz then liven up for that nice high hat drum with brushes sort of sound lol sorry if that's a silly explanation but that's what I really like in a tweeter, the older versions weren't that smooth and pretty screechy when driving them medium to hard both woofer and tweeter. Love all the accessories that little pod mount is fantastic. Any input would be great guys thanks. Oh right now I'm running the top of the line kicker qs series 6.5 and the sound is very flat and definitely some serious sound quality but they are crying for mercy when they get a good beating they won't survive much longer and at almost 700 a set here in Australia they are too expensive to destroy.
I know this question doesn’t have anything to do with your video. What subwoofer would you recommend to replace the factory woofer that I have in my 07 Tahoe without adding an amp? I know the woofer size in there right now is an odd size but just curious what you guys would recommend. Thank you. By
So if i put these in my doors it will sound alot clearer? Or do i need an amp with them. Because if i put my stock speakers above 30 volume it sounds like a monster under a dam bridge snarling at me
But how long will they last running like 90 watts RMS for a couple of years listening to heavy metal, bass heavy rap with a 50htz crossover point. I say this cause I have the CS series from three years ago I bought at Walmart and I ran those without an amp and one of the magnets literally separated from itself.
The KS run fine on up to about 140w RMS of clean power, but 50hz? These should be crossed over at 80@18db/octave or 100@12db/octave. Let your subwoofer play up to that 80hz range, these aren't meant to do that. They are simply CAPABLE for people running say, stock head unit and they don't have a subwoofer.
witch speaker has the best sq and bass and can get loud the kicker ks or alpine type r looking 2 upgrade my girls stock speakers in her suv and also the kicker key or the alpine mini amp power pack
I had the type r before . Sensitivity is much lower at 87db @100rms which this I think are 91db @125rms . Type r only last me 2 years plus you get more bass at kicker . The Lowest frequency is 35 on kicker and 65 on alpine . Which I knew this before .
@@UrUnforgettable Sensitivity is 90db for the Kicker. The Type R efficiency is much lower at 87. You would need to push 100-125rms to the Type R. You can get great sound out of the Kicker at 50rms and up. I am running about 90rms to my Kicker KS. It is a Sony Amp. I can give you the model number. I am a Morel guy l, but wanted something different. Not a Alpine fan to be honest. The type R are overpriced at 350 dollars for a set.
Personally, I thought the old CS sounded better than the old KS. I thought the old KS tweeter was too quiet and not bright enough. The way you described your observation of the new KS gives me the impression they addressed this. I have a pair of the new CS 6X9 coaxials installed in the back of our vehicle and think they sound great. They definitely punch higher than their price point IMO. I haven't been able to A-B the new CS with the new KS side by side.
I’m running these in my front And rear doors with the tweeters in the dash on a 2022 ram 1500 and they sound terrible without an amp. Will an amp make all the difference in the world? I’d hate to spend more money for no reason
I've had the CS comps for about a yr and just today swapped them out for the KS comps. The tweeters are def louder but the midbass doesn't seem as stout. It's literally been 3 hrs but just first impressions. The tweeters were worth the upgrade. The cs had titanium or some kind of metal where the KS is a soft dome. Different sounding for sure
I didn't write this but something I learned, pretty interesting and makes sense!...... As the light warms up, its resistance increases which cuts power to the tweeter and keeps it from 1) blowing and 2) getting shrill from getting a lot of power.
It's amazing that car audio still hasn't adopted AMT for tweeters, though I suppose they have to be considerate of the wide versatility and often poor stock mounting locations.
I just put these in my Honda Accord and replaced the factory speakers. Quite frankly, the factory front seat midrange speaker in the door had much more depth than the Kicker. I am very disappointed in the purchase. Has anyone else noticed the lack of range in the 6.5" driver from the KS Kicker line?
I’m not surprised this happened. A lot of the times when replacing oem speakers with aftermarket ones the original seals on the oems around the speaker get damaged. You need to reseal the top part or get amp to push more power.
@@midniteoyl8913 Kicker Key is a good budget option, but it would sound much better with a true 4 channel, and speaker wire ran. You just can’t get the full potential off of a power pack. These speakers can handle power, and rated at 125rms. I am running about 90 rms to mine, and they could still take more.
@@Calebflying2025 Little more power would be nice, but running 2 6x9's, 2 6.75's and 2 3/4" KS tweeters off of a Kicker Key in a F150 and they sound just fine. I did add the sub amp as well. However, was more of a tongue in cheek remark on my part originally.. You know, because 'Kicker'.
@@midniteoyl8913 Of course, They will sound fine with a power pack. They will sound good. However, I will always recommend running a true 4 channel amp, and better power. I use to recommend power packs, until I realized, How limited they are. You are retaining factory speaker wire, and getting 45-50 watts rms at best. The tuning, fidelity, is also limited. Power packs are also expensive for what they are. I had a power pack myself before.
@@Calebflying2025I have a kicker key and am considering upgrading for more power. While a power pack is limited, the key has built in tuning. If I want to go with a bigger 4 channel amp with DSP, it would be so expensive. Thoughts on just switching to a bigger amp and using the head unit to tune?
I personally never understood tweeter attenuation buttons. the +4.5 or +9db.... why? I had a nice set of polks in my subaru sti, and sure enough I left the tweeter at 0db.... going to the two other settings, made the highs so harsh and ear blisteringly painful. I don't know why ANYONE would want THAT much treble.... Also, you could should look into songs you can play on youtube without copyright strike. so you can test systems for people and we can actually listen.
Yeah the shop I go to in Dallas that’s “one of the best” they just blew my ks6x9 components. Then decided not to replace my blown speakers with new ones and used 10 year old alpine type s. Without telling me.
The mounting accessories are awesome but something is def fishy with the crossovers. The old ones look like 18db high and 6db low, but the new one looks like it is 12high and no lowpass?? Wtf? Also why lie and put +2, +4 etc on the attenuation switch? Are people really dumb enough to think that a crossover is going to give them a "treble boost" or something like that? Not impressed, kicker!
The KS is the third level for Kicker so why are they still using a cheap flimsy stamped steel frame and the same cone? The cone may look different but it is the same. They have been using almost the same exact frame for 15 years. The upgrades to the tweeter and crossover are nice but its just blah, blah to me. They just don't keep up with the 3rd level of other brands. I'd rather pay a little more for the other brands and get innovation in all the components not just one or two. They could have done better.
You have not been around car audio then respectfully. Flea market can sell focals, I don’t see your point at all. Something cheap, would be Boss, DB drive, something like that.
That tweeter adjusting tool thingy has to be the most thoughtful item ever included with a component set.
Yes, I love it cuz I have a 95 taurus which doesn't have a spot for tweeters
Bro am watching this video after I installed it... Scratched it a lil... I should read the instructions
I love the versatility of these component speakers. The excess supplies make this a dream for installers drop & play.
I like to say "see you later next time" at the end when Dean says it lol!
Loving the grille designs and that adjustable tweeter pod is brilliant.
You should do all the unboxing for all car audio. You do a amazing job. Thank you 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
This is a really nice kit. If this was out 6 months ago i would have bought it for my older car.
The added install “accessories” REALLY set these Components apart from similar tier components. Really incredible ! Kicker has such an established reputation, these seem like a “can’t lose” choice.
You are the Reason that I’m such a HUGE Fan of the “KEY” product ! Wish that they had more (choices) of that ingenious amp/DSP.
Keep a eye on the point where the wire passes thru the circuit board on the crossovers. The wires break very easy at these points. I Bought 2 sets, 3 of the crossovers wires broke.
Let me just preface by saying that I have never installed component speakers before. I've replace speakers in several cars for both myself and some friends, but never gotten into anything too crazy, just replaced blown speakers and called it a day. Recently though the stock speakers started to blow in my 03 Pontiac Aztek after replacing the radio. Its nothing fancy, just a cheap Kenwood. I have been looking for something like this, because I have the Tweeters in the top corner of my doors and want to replace all the speakers at once.
I came across these Kickers on Amazon and before investing the money into them, I wanted to find out more about them. I came to UA-cam and searched for them to see what they were actually like, and I clicked on a few and it was all videos of people playing music in their cars. I was about to give up and came across this video. You answered all my questions and more without any extra BS. I'm not hugely into Car Stereo modifications, but you have your self a new subscriber. Thank you for being straight forward and to the point! Great Video!
The fact that they come with a "big boy" grille, makes them just that much more appealing to me.
Big Boy grille, LMAO!
The tweeter mounting accessories are f'ing genius, especially the swivel A pillar pod. I've been looking for a similar pod that would hold a 2" wideband driver and the market is almost non-existent, aside from a handful of indie sellers with 3D printers.
Loved this and used it
I have a 19 Kona SE. Basic factory radio. Installed a set of the Kicker KS components in front. 2 way in the rear. Bought them last year from Crutchfield. They sound great! Next week I am having a Sony GS4 installed. The only downside, the crossover modules on my set are Huge
I have the older kicker ks speaker 6x8 they sound great to me along with 10” sub
I have the KS component 6x9s just like the ones you have. Kicker is out of their coaxials but can’t I use the components as coaxials? Just don’t add the tweeters?
Kicker KS are an excellent option,
These are super loud I just installed a set in mine 😊
The new ks kickers you showed in this video and installed and said thay are way louder ok that's a plus for me but my question is do thay have tweeter protection at all
The rotatable tweeter option caught my eye. In my Xterra, the tweeter is flush mounted on the dash so this feature might improve the sound if I can direct it at me. Turning the combo into a 2-way coaxial speaker would be useful in the back door, also, which is a two-way coaxial speaker.
What is the black ‘goop’ around the tweeter, when you showed the backside of the mounting ? Silicone, butyl, abs cement, … ?
Holy accessories Batman!
Can I order just the tweeter to replace the tweeter from the kicker CS component set?
But how's the bass
I cant wait until the ks pods come out.
I was told the KS line doesn't reproduce midbass very well. Is that accurate?
I would've liked to have seen how you installed the crossovers - especially if the woofer and tweeter are in parallel with each other (like in my Xterra).
So basically you can put the Twitter in the middle and it can become a coaxial?
I see in another video that says these speakers just don’t sound very good. I will say I beg to differ!! My kicker 6.5 coaxial set sounds awesome in my vehicle. Some people don’t realize that a free air test doesn’t give you the “true” sounds out of many speakers. They require a good sealed space, and sound dampening as well. I have since bought the 6.5” component set but haven’t installed them yet. I’m sure they will sound good and should sound better due to the crossover and added DB settings for the tweets. I’m happy with my purchase. At any rate, please please watch more than one video before you decide what you buy. Some say you are paying for marketing and such, but I don’t think kicker would still be in business if they made crap products. They gotta be doing something right as they have been around for a long time!!
I know who your talking about (I think). Says that 'if they don't sound good out of a box, they wont sound good in a box'. Ya, no.. Not how that works.
Any updates on how the mid range is? Does it have more bass???
I got the same but 6x9s... where do I put the crossover things at? Lol
What can you do to a Cadillac ATS that makes a good improvement for the money?
Which Kit is better, Kicker 47KSS6504 or 44KSS6504?
Dean, or anyone else that owns these, are the tweeters really smooth or are the more on the bright almost screechy side, the kind of bright screechy that antnuation on the crossover doesn't fix? I had the older ks and the tweeter wasn't what I like in a silk soft dome which to me should really be very subtle from about 4kz till about 8 or 10kz then liven up for that nice high hat drum with brushes sort of sound lol sorry if that's a silly explanation but that's what I really like in a tweeter, the older versions weren't that smooth and pretty screechy when driving them medium to hard both woofer and tweeter. Love all the accessories that little pod mount is fantastic. Any input would be great guys thanks. Oh right now I'm running the top of the line kicker qs series 6.5 and the sound is very flat and definitely some serious sound quality but they are crying for mercy when they get a good beating they won't survive much longer and at almost 700 a set here in Australia they are too expensive to destroy.
The Jazz hands of tweeters!
I know this question doesn’t have anything to do with your video. What subwoofer would you recommend to replace the factory woofer that I have in my 07 Tahoe without adding an amp? I know the woofer size in there right now is an odd size but just curious what you guys would recommend. Thank you. By
So if i put these in my doors it will sound alot clearer? Or do i need an amp with them. Because if i put my stock speakers above 30 volume it sounds like a monster under a dam bridge snarling at me
How do these compare to Polk Audio DB 6502?
Talk about user friendly 👍🏻
I got 6.5" -6" fastrings can I use them with my focal ps 130F 5" speakers
Yes just the smaller of the two rings. That's what I did with my Kicker 5 1/4" speakers in the rear doors
Just got some Kickers for my van could’ve use them 😩
Kicker ks ftw
You said the mid bass is about the same but is the mid bass still good on these? I've been thinking about getting the 6x8 version of these
Did you bi-amp these with the Key?
But how long will they last running like 90 watts RMS for a couple of years listening to heavy metal, bass heavy rap with a 50htz crossover point.
I say this cause I have the CS series from three years ago I bought at Walmart and I ran those without an amp and one of the magnets literally separated from itself.
The KS run fine on up to about 140w RMS of clean power, but 50hz? These should be crossed over at 80@18db/octave or 100@12db/octave. Let your subwoofer play up to that 80hz range, these aren't meant to do that. They are simply CAPABLE for people running say, stock head unit and they don't have a subwoofer.
Would these fit on a 2001 Tahoe ?
witch speaker has the best sq and bass and can get loud the kicker ks or alpine type r looking 2 upgrade my girls stock speakers in her suv and also the kicker key or the alpine mini amp power pack
I had the type r before . Sensitivity is much lower at 87db @100rms which this I think are 91db @125rms . Type r only last me 2 years plus you get more bass at kicker . The Lowest frequency is 35 on kicker and 65 on alpine . Which I knew this before .
@@UrUnforgettable Sensitivity is 90db for the Kicker. The Type R efficiency is much lower at 87. You would need to push 100-125rms to the Type R. You can get great sound out of the Kicker at 50rms and up. I am running about 90rms to my Kicker KS. It is a Sony Amp. I can give you the model number. I am a Morel guy l, but wanted something different. Not a Alpine fan to be honest. The type R are overpriced at 350 dollars for a set.
Interesting...wondering how they got sq with it being so shallow..
Real engineers work for Kicker and design the speakers. Not just ordered from a catalog from China. Dean has explained this many times before.
Yeah it is loud and nice...
Personally, I thought the old CS sounded better than the old KS. I thought the old KS tweeter was too quiet and not bright enough. The way you described your observation of the new KS gives me the impression they addressed this.
I have a pair of the new CS 6X9 coaxials installed in the back of our vehicle and think they sound great. They definitely punch higher than their price point IMO. I haven't been able to A-B the new CS with the new KS side by side.
Can u run 3 6x9's and connect them together
@ Don Ali There's no reason why you couldn't. I would just advise you be mindful of final impedance, ensuring compatibility with your amp.
Is the New x-over 6db slope and the old one 12db?
Manual says hpf =12db 4kHz. No low pass though.
I’m running these in my front And rear doors with the tweeters in the dash on a 2022 ram 1500 and they sound terrible without an amp. Will an amp make all the difference in the world? I’d hate to spend more money for no reason
Of course they would. I hope you did by now lol. And buy oxygen free copper (ofc) wiring for the amp.
I've had the CS comps for about a yr and just today swapped them out for the KS comps. The tweeters are def louder but the midbass doesn't seem as stout. It's literally been 3 hrs but just first impressions. The tweeters were worth the upgrade. The cs had titanium or some kind of metal where the KS is a soft dome. Different sounding for sure
Holy crap I did not know crossover had fuses in them🤯
I didn't write this but something I learned, pretty interesting and makes sense!......
As the light warms up, its resistance increases which cuts power to the tweeter and keeps it from 1) blowing and 2) getting shrill from getting a lot of power.
It's amazing that car audio still hasn't adopted AMT for tweeters, though I suppose they have to be considerate of the wide versatility and often poor stock mounting locations.
6.25 is now 6.75??
I just put these in my Honda Accord and replaced the factory speakers. Quite frankly, the factory front seat midrange speaker in the door had much more depth than the Kicker. I am very disappointed in the purchase. Has anyone else noticed the lack of range in the 6.5" driver from the KS Kicker line?
Are you running an aftermarket 4 channel amp ? I highly recommend it . I experience this in my 2010 Honda Accord .
I’m not surprised this happened. A lot of the times when replacing oem speakers with aftermarket ones the original seals on the oems around the speaker get damaged. You need to reseal the top part or get amp to push more power.
Are you running a amp to these? This shill make a significant difference.
Just bought these for 22 accord are they any good ? I’m paring them with a 5 channel amp
Which amp should i use for these?
Kicker Key ;)
@@midniteoyl8913 Kicker Key is a good budget option, but it would sound much better with a true 4 channel, and speaker wire ran. You just can’t get the full potential off of a power pack. These speakers can handle power, and rated at 125rms. I am running about 90 rms to mine, and they could still take more.
@@Calebflying2025 Little more power would be nice, but running 2 6x9's, 2 6.75's and 2 3/4" KS tweeters off of a Kicker Key in a F150 and they sound just fine. I did add the sub amp as well.
However, was more of a tongue in cheek remark on my part originally.. You know, because 'Kicker'.
@@midniteoyl8913 Of course, They will sound fine with a power pack. They will sound good. However, I will always recommend running a true 4 channel amp, and better power. I use to recommend power packs, until I realized, How limited they are. You are retaining factory speaker wire, and getting 45-50 watts rms at best. The tuning, fidelity, is also limited. Power packs are also expensive for what they are. I had a power pack myself before.
@@Calebflying2025I have a kicker key and am considering upgrading for more power. While a power pack is limited, the key has built in tuning. If I want to go with a bigger 4 channel amp with DSP, it would be so expensive. Thoughts on just switching to a bigger amp and using the head unit to tune?
I thought there was a "fair use" law concerning the use of copyrighted stuff. Or have I lost track of what the law is?
Shut up
@@SkyeHack ?
@@genericdude6551 sorry I meant to say you don't know what you are talking about.
There is, but UA-cam doesn't care. As little as 3-4 sec of 'copyrighted' material can get your video tagged.
frequency response?
sensitivity?
I recommend this CD, for You .... trust me Dean :) "Dave Grusin - Migration" ...so try
I'm gonna need your intro song lol it got a nice early morning sound to it
The best
Nice intro
informative
Grownup grill , no doubt!
Kicker 👍.
I personally never understood tweeter attenuation buttons. the +4.5 or +9db.... why? I had a nice set of polks in my subaru sti, and sure enough I left the tweeter at 0db.... going to the two other settings, made the highs so harsh and ear blisteringly painful. I don't know why ANYONE would want THAT much treble....
Also, you could should look into songs you can play on youtube without copyright strike. so you can test systems for people and we can actually listen.
ive owned both sets and prefer the sound signature of the older
Yeah the shop I go to in Dallas that’s “one of the best” they just blew my ks6x9 components. Then decided not to replace my blown speakers with new ones and used 10 year old alpine type s. Without telling me.
Everyone asked why I switched from CS to KS “because they’re the same” to them. I don’t feel bad now because you changed even less.
The mounting accessories are awesome but something is def fishy with the crossovers. The old ones look like 18db high and 6db low, but the new one looks like it is 12high and no lowpass?? Wtf? Also why lie and put +2, +4 etc on the attenuation switch? Are people really dumb enough to think that a crossover is going to give them a "treble boost" or something like that? Not impressed, kicker!
The KS is the third level for Kicker so why are they still using a cheap flimsy stamped steel frame and the same cone? The cone may look different but it is the same. They have been using almost the same exact frame for 15 years. The upgrades to the tweeter and crossover are nice but its just blah, blah to me. They just don't keep up with the 3rd level of other brands. I'd rather pay a little more for the other brands and get innovation in all the components not just one or two. They could have done better.
just what i want ... to covert my $200 speakers back to $100 coaxes thanks kraper i mean kicker
This comment, does not make any sense.
Absolutely nothing exciting. Budget component sets all seem the same.
Sorry, it looks like $5 flea market crap.
The crossover leaves a lot to be desired...
Ditch the crossovers and use network mode duh
You have not been around car audio then respectfully. Flea market can sell focals, I don’t see your point at all. Something cheap, would be Boss, DB drive, something like that.