Why Are Rear Car Speakers Necessary? (Might Surprise You)

There is nothing better than taking a long drive with your loved one and experiencing the journey with the air filled with the melody of beautiful music.

Imagine you are stuck in traffic. All you want in that situation is a layer of air in the music surrounding you.

That’s why the soundstage system in a car plays a crucial role in our journey which needs strategic speaker placement all over the car.

But why are rear car speakers necessary when you have so many other speakers in the car?

Here’s Why Rear Car Speakers Are Necessary

The rear speakers in our cars are necessary for several aspects to deliver a quality experience, when rightly coupled with the front car speakers, side speakers, and subwoofer the soundstage becomes spectacular. The rear speaker can typically provide you with the “rear fill” effect for the front row, not to mention provide a better listening experience for rear-seat passengers.

Hyundai Tucson 2017 rear door speaker with door closed
Hyundai Tucson 2017 rear door speaker with door closed

Let us take a closer look at the fundamental aspects of rear car speakers, why they are important, how you can pick the best one for your car, whether it is truly worth the money, and much more.


Related:

What Are The Type of Rear Car Speakers?

Let’s first understand what types of rear car speakers are available in the market:

Rear door car speakers

Audi A6 2016 rear car speaker and tweeter
Audi A6 2016 rear car speaker and tweeter

Rear door speakers are usually installed on the rear door of the car.

They are typically full-range speakers and can be less powerful than front-door speakers.

Rear deck car speakers

Audi A6 2016 rear deck speaker
Audi A6 2016 rear deck speaker

Rear deck speakers are usually installed on the rear deck of the car.

They are typically full range and can be even bigger and more powerful than rear door speakers due to the large available space.

Sometimes you can also fit subwoofers on the rear deck.

Tailgate car speakers

Tailgate speakers come in two types:

Integrated tailgate car speakers

The integrated tailgate speakers are mainly relevant to cars with large boots and pickup trucks.

They are installed in the boot of a car or tailgate of a pickup truck and are used to enjoy music externally.

For a pick-up truck, the tailgate can be lowered so you can sit and access the speaker control, watch a football game, or rest for lunch at a job site with music playing in the background.

Free-standing tailgate car speakers

Free-standing tailgate speakers come in a variety of shapes and forms.

They typically have higher power output and are used externally and independently for campfires, parties, etc.

Are Rear Car Speakers Important & What’s Their Purpose? 

Rear car speakers become important depending on what you need them for and their use. They can become crucial in providing a unique and immersive surround soundstage experience no matter how long or short the road is.

The rear door and rear deck car speakers act as a “rear fill” for the front row.

“Rear fill” is basically when rear door speakers are played at a relatively lower power compared to front row speakers, which effectively provides a sense of spaciousness for the driver in a relatively enclosed car space.

Rear door and deck car speakers also become very important if you want to entertain rear passengers with the same level of immersive soundstage experience.

Rear deck car speakers due to the wide area can take larger speakers and also subwoofers for that matter, and so if subwoofers are installed then they take the role of providing deep dedicated bass to the entire car cabin.

The rear speakers create an awesome rear-fill balance between the bass of the soundtrack and the high tones, adjusting their high tones efficiently per the stereo effect in the vehicle’s front speakers.

Rear car speakers prove their worth in enhancing the experiences of your fellow rear-seat passengers in your car and provide a full surround sound experience for them as well.

However, with some adjustments (e.g fader control), the rear car speaker enhances your experience even if you drive your car alone. Without rear car speakers, the sound experience is mediocre.

Are Rear Speakers The Same As The Front Speakers?

Before investing in rear speakers, you as a car owner would certainly want to know if they are any different than the front speakers.

The first and foremost difference between the front and rear speakers is the purpose and need, but typically the front speakers are of higher quality than the rear speakers.

The front speakers are usually mid-range and supported with a separate tweeter on the door or pillar which can be easily installed – check out how to remove the A-Pillar clip.

Front speakers are the best investment when it comes to audio quality for the front-row passenger and driver. While we listen to instrumental music or music with melodic vocals, the front speakers are always controlling the soundstage. 

On the other hand, for rear speakers, the main purpose is to produce rear fill, low fills, or lose sounds that will fill the interior of the cars and improve the sound coming from the front speakers.

Another significant distinction relates to power efficiency. High-quality speakers typically use more power.

The front speakers have more power as compared to the rear speakers. But it is advised to match the speakers’ wattage to achieve the best tonal clarity.

The size of the front and rear speakers must be considered when designing a new setup for your car. Nowadays, you can choose from a wide range of speakers to provide any quality of sound in your car.

How To Select The Right Speakers?

One should think about making a careful selection of speakers for their car because most of the time while trying to meet the requirements for the sound quality of their vehicle, car owners randomly choose their speakers, which has the opposite effect and further reduces its quality. 

The easiest way to achieve this is to use all the speakers in the car the same way. It will help you ensure that the car has a perfectly balanced tone. It will also deliver a seamless audio transfer that fills in the gaps in the cabin.

In order to balance the low-frequency sound coming from the rear speakers, the front speakers should always be chosen to be larger than comparable rear speakers. Always go with the biggest front speaker you can fit and afford.

Limitations In Choosing The Right Speakers

The sizes of the speakers for any other vehicle may differ depending on the company, which presents a restriction when choosing speakers for your car.

Always use front and rear speakers from the same manufacturer for the best sound quality.

Although spacer rings or adapters can be used to change the size of the speakers, sadly, this is insufficient to provide the best experience.

It is preferred that both speakers meet standards that are close to the sensitivity level in order to balance the sound of the front and rear speakers in your car. 

Are Rear Speakers Really Worth Extra Money?

Car owners desire a system in their cars that offer a higher level of quality than what they typically find from companies.

Most of the time, speakers break down and need to be replaced, forcing owners to upgrade their current speakers to meet their audio quality standards.

If you have experienced a similar dilemma, let us help you through it.

There are numerous advantages to upgrading your expensive car speakers.

  • They enhance your car’s audio system’s midrange and frequency
  • They make the sound coming from the front speaker feel more enhanced
  • Gives more life to the music inside your car
  • Allows you to coordinate the sound between your vehicle’s front and rear car speakers
  • It provides a low-level fill to enhance the sound experience in your car
  • They help rear passengers enjoy the same immersive experience as the front passengers

Closing Thoughts

Certainly, the importance of a rear car speaker is unquestionable when it comes to the best sound experience for your journey.

In order to maintain a balance of sound throughout the car cabin, one has to carefully select the rear car speaker that gets adjusted with the sound from the front speaker and fills it efficiently without making any unnecessary disturbances. 

Sources

Do I Need Rear Speakers in Car Audio?

How to Match Speakers to a Car Stereo

All the Differences Between Front and Rear Car Speakers