Rockford vs Kicker

Im looking to upgrade my sound system in my 18 Pro with entune Premium but not full JBL.
I am considering going with either Rockford Fosgate or Kicker as back in high school these were the two better names imo. Any info on where the companies sit now in the audio world would be appreciated.

 

As of 2019 you can’t go wrong with either. They both have low end, mid, and high end lines so be sure to compare the correct models. I am personally not a fan of the Kicker CS series, or anything with titanium dome tweeters. Too harsh on my ears. Your results will depend on your ears and music taste. I run the Kicker KS line in my truck and love them.
Best Buy doesn’t sell Rockford anymore so I have limited experience with their sound, but they’re solid products for sure.

 

Rockford!! All the way

 

For speakers? Neither but Rockford if I had to choose between only those 2. For amps? Rockford all day long.

As for nowadays, both seem to have had their day but Rockford still makes decent stuff (amps seem to be the best thing that they do so little has changed there). Kicker has gone to flea market quality for the most part. They both used to be great brands but have slipped from their haydays. Kicker has slipped much further than Rockford.

 

I’d have to disagree but to each their own.

 

Why are you set on these 2 brands? Both had their place an made there name, both IMO have been past their prime for the past 15-20 years.. Find yourself a car audio shop, that specialized in car audio and ask for their opinion on what the current market has to offer. IMO Rockford and Kicker went the way of the box store (best buy/ circuit city) and sold out quality a long time ago.. Unless of course you just want some cheap replacements for stock and don't care that much.. I have been out of the game a long time so take all this with a huge grain of salt.. But JL Audio was always a quality brand IMO.. Best systems I have owned..

 

Sound system, you mean door speakers? or subwoofer? if it's door speakers, the kickers are what a lot of the Tacoma owners are upgrading to.

 

I have JL and they kickass

 

With what? Everything I wrote? I used Kicker and Rockford back in their better days. Their quality now isn't what it used to be. Then again the Kicker hq is basically an office and warehouse now where it used to house production. Rockford sources mostly from Chinese build houses as well but IMHO make a vastly superior product.

I didn't figure my comment would be well received as Kicker is extremely popular around these parts but having watched their evolution over a few decades, the decline to me is enough to stay away from recommending their stuff to anyone. Marketing is the best thing they do now.

 

While I can’t speak for their products in the past, I install tons of their stuff now and for the money, it’s pretty hard to beat. Dollar for dollar, I’d put it up against alpine, jbl, and plenty of other big names. Their amps push the power they claim and their speakers sound good and are built well. And that is more than I can say for a lot of other brands that people bring me.

Now is the Kicker CS series on par with hertz or focal? Or course not. But for a hundred bucks, I can’t find a better pair of off-the-shelf speakers than the KS.

 

JL

 

Another vote for JL. Just solid gear in pretty much everything they make. I struggle to think of an exception. And Manville Smith is still active on forums! Not only that, he actively engages discussion on new products. JL has it figured out.

 

ford!!!

 

Rockford > Kicker!

What it really comes down to is whats your budget(how much product are you looking for...just speakers or amp/speakers/subs)?

I suggest you go to a shop and get a demo.

Personally, I would never buy anything from Kicker.

 

I’d buy pioneer or alpine long before either of those! I went with morel maximos, and for the price, they sound great and (cleanly) get much louder than I care to push them!

 

Hertz/Audison > JL > Alpine > JBL > Fosgate > Kicker

I would try to cram Focal in there somewhere but I’ve never personally heard a set of Focals so I can’t say if they are worth what you’d pay for them. I’m currently evaluating Audison.

About everybody else (Pioneer, Infinity, Polk, Kenwood...) falls in the same category for me, OK for OEM replacement.

For the money/value pick I’d go with JBL, a long standing company that makes great professional gear. I’ve had mixed results with JBL consumer products but currently still use JBL subs. I’m really really considering getting some Sundown subs though.

I’m not a fan of low end offerings from higher end manufacturers. Always consider mid grade offerings from JL (C2/C3) or Alpine (R) and see if you can catch a sale. Instead of going for their high end stuff, consider a high end manufacturer instead, like a set of Mille or Voce speakers.

I tried Kicker in a daughter’s car once and was not happy with them. Definitely do not buy their budget stuff.

Try not to buy anything with less than 90dB sensitivity and always assume you will want to add an amplifier later so you want moderate power handling.

Destin is right about tweeters with metal diaphragms, soft dome is smoother, and 1”+ will have a broader spectrum for crossover flexibility.

Keep in mind the reality of diminishing returns. It is entirely possible to buy more speaker than the rest of your system is able to take advantage of (incredibly easy using a stock HU), and sometimes its better to add a DSP, or better quality head unit before spending big money on holy shit speakers.

 

anybody else remember when boston acoustics were the shizz? mtx blue thunders were the barely-known best bang for your buck subs? alpine had the cool ice cube buttons? eclipse had the touch sensitive head unit? fosgate punch were the “trendy” speakers? ppi amps were god-like? removable faceplates meant no more pull out decks??????

yeah, old school.

 

First time I have ever used a Kicker product but I did the Subaru drop in Tweeters....huge difference in highs. Then I did the 3 way DS series 6x9 in front and 2 way 6.5 in back door. Powered by stock head unit for now. It sounds soo much better in clarity and with all windows down on highway I can crank it at 45 on volume and actually still hear the music and it sounds decent.

I will be upgrading to aftermarket head unit and will most likely be doing the JL dual 8 inch microsub once I cut some of the plastic tray behind the seats in back.

 

Because thats what I remember the most from my HS days and trying to be all cool and such. Bear in mind that was circa '04

I should have specified better, I'm strictly looking at upgrading the current speakers. I will NEVER be putting any subs in to this truck. I just want better performance over whats there with out adding anything extra.

 

Fosgate was the shit back on my day as well. Powerful amp and those HX2's thumped