The Ford Ranger was one of the best selling small pickups in it’s category. Although great styling and excellent quality made this truck stand out from the rest the small cab size can produce challenges for people looking for great sound quality. To help these owners with their decisions we have compiled a short buyers guide and a selection of our three favourite speakers for Ford Rangers.
Speaker Buyers Guide
Replacing the speakers in your vehicle is one of the simplest ways to improve the sound quality in your vehicle. Due to the small cab size, proper selection is even more important with Ford Ranger owners. There are two major specifications when it comes to selecting the proper speaker for your vehicle. Sensitivity, this is a measure of the amount of sound a speaker produces when power is applied to it. If you have a factory installed stereo you are most likely looking for speakers with high sensitivity ratings, but if you have replaced your stereo with an aftermarket system with an amplifier you will need to consider lower sensitivity aftermarket speakers.
Power handling is the other specification, this is a rating measured in Watts that determines how much power a speaker can handle. Low watts= Low power, such as a factory stereo system. High Watts=High Power, such as an aftermarket system. Proper selection is just as important as choosing the right specifications. There are a variety of door speakers available from full-range speakers, to component speakers. Full-range speakers consist of all the speaker elements, the woofer and the tweeter that are mounted into one speaker basket. These speakers generally come in 6”x8” sizes or are commonly known as door speakers. Component speakers consist of individual speaker components like the tweeter and the subwoofer. They work together and generally produce better sound quality than a full range speaker. Think of a full range speaker as your TV and a set of components speakers as your Surround Sound. There are different speaker systems available such as the swiveling tweeter. This speaker has a tweeter that can be aimed at the listener to provide the highest sound quality.
These are some of the aspects you will need to look at when looking to purchase your new aftermarket speakers for you Ford Ranger. Take a look below at the three speakers that we have chosen to highlight.
Pyle PL684BL 6×8 Speaker
This Pyle speaker comes with some amazing features such as a woofer cone that is coated in Poly-Mica, and a 3/4” Piezo tweeter. These speakers are rated to handle 360 watts of power all while providing amazing sound to its listeners.
We really like the improved sound quality of these speakers over factory units. They provide a much more defined clear sound for listening to a a large range of music. These speakers perform great at low volumes, however do not turn them up too loud or you may experience some crackling. Some customers have even noted crackle at low volumes as well. We really like the low price of these units as well. If you are looking for an aftermarket speaker to replace your factory units and your not an audiophile these speakers will be a great fit for you.
Rockford Fosgate Punch 6×8 Speaker
Rockford Fosgate is one of the leading aftermarket speaker producers in the world with over 30 years of excellence. This speaker features a PEI dome tweeter and is rated for a maximum power handling of 130 watts. To make installation easier this speaker comes with a FlexFit speaker basket. This allows for the speaker to be mounted in different mounting positions, if this doesn’t work it also comes with OEM adapter plates that are also included. We really like the fact that these speakers are so competitively priced for a leading manufacturers product. The sound quality of these aftermarket
speakers is a level above the factory units that the Ford Ranger comes with. One common complaint is the installation of these speakers. Being a higher end speaker than factory speakers the magnet and size of the speaker is larger. This can cause some fitment issues which will need to be overcome with the possibility of trimming some metal from your speaker holes depending on the vehicle they are being installed on. Sometimes with aftermarket components this is a necessary evil. Despite those issues we really like these speakers for the price and the reputation of the speaker manufacturer.
Pioneer TS-A6886R 6×8 Speaker
The next generation TS-A speakers that Pioneer is producing offer many amazing features. The Lightweight Elastic Polymer Surround and Multilayer Mica Matrix cone combine to provide improved bass and higher power handling. These speakers are rated for a maximum power of 350 watts. These speakers are designed to replace your factory speakers while providing improved sound performance at a great price. We really like the fact that these speakers produce much better mids and highs than the factory speakers. However if bass is what you are looking for these speakers are not what you are looking for. Fitment issues can be an issue as well, but like discussed above can sometimes be expected when installing an aftermarket accessory.
As you can see, purchasing that perfect aftermarket speaker for your Ford Ranger can be difficult, but with a little research and the right speaker you will be enjoying the music quality in your vehicle mile after mile. If you like this guide, make sure to check out a similar guide but for the best atv speakers.
