Worst and Best Car Audio Brands

[Njk570]

HU = Head Units
A = Amps
SW = Subs
Sp = Mids/Highs
M = Multimedia
All = Entire Line

Stay Away

American Pro (All)
Audiobank (All)
Blackmore Mobile Electronics (All)
Blitz (All)
DHD (All)
Diesel Audio (All)
Kenford (All)
Kole Audio (All)
Legacy (All)
Majestic (All)
Performance Teknique (All)
Phase Linear (All)
Pyle (All)
Pyramid (All)
Rockwood (All)
Sherwood (All)
SPL (all)
Solid Audio (All)
Sound Storm (All)
Street Edge (All)
Ultra Linear (All)
XFile Audio (All)


Entry Level

Alphasonik (All)
Alto Mobile USA (All)
Alumapro (All)
Ample Audio (All)
Audiobahn (All)
Audiopipe (All)
Audiovox (All)
Autotek "SS Series" (All)
Bazooka (All)
Blaupunkt (All)
Boss (All)
Bostwick (All)
Cadence ("All" tough decision just shy of high quality)
Cerwin Vega ("All" except Strokers which go in Comp')
Clarion (A, SW, Sp)
Clif Designs (All)
Concept (All)
Coustic (All)
Crossfire "P Series" (SW)
Crunch (All)
Cutting Edge Audio (All)
DB Drive (All)
Diablo Audio (All)
Digital Audio (All)
Dual (All)
Dub Mag Audio (All)
Elevation Audio ("All" except EX Series (SW) which go in Comp)
Emerson (All)
Harrison Labs (All)
Hifonics "Zues Series and lower" (All)
Hollywood Sound Intl. Corp (All)
Infinity (All)
Interfire (All)
JBL ("All" except ??? Series which go in Comp')
Jensen (All)
JVC (All)
Kenwood ("All" except Excelon series which go in HQ)
Kicker "Comp/Comp VR" (SW) "RS Series and under" (Sp)
Kove Audio (All)
Lanzar ("All' except Opti Drive series which go in HQ)
Lightning Audio (All)
MA Audio ("All" except larger/upper model HK Series amps which go in HQ)
Matrxx Audio (All)
MB Quart (SW)
Memphis "PR Series" (All)
MTX ("All" except 9500 Series (SW) which go in HQ)
Niche Audio (All)
Phoenix Gold (SW)
Pioneer (SW,Sp,A)
Planet Audio (All)
Polk Audio (All)
Power Acoustik (All)
Powerbase (All)
Profile (All)
Rockford Fosgate ("All" except Power Series which go in HQ)
Sanyo (All)
Scosche (All)
Sony (All)
SoundStream (All)
Swiss Audio (All)
US Acoustics (All)
Visonik (All)
Xsite (All)


High Quality

A/D/S/ (All)
Adire Audio (All)
Alpine (All)
American Bass (All)
Ascendant Audio (All)
AudioControl (All)
Audison (All)
Avionixx (All)
Boston Acoustics (All)
Brax (All)
CDT Audio (All)
Clarion (HU, M)
Critical Mass (All)
Crossfire "W Series" (SW) "VR Series" (A)
Crystal (All)
Diamond Audio (All)
Directed (All)
DLS (All)
Dynaudio (All)
Earthquake (All)
Elemental Designs (All)
Eclipse (All)
Focal (All)
Fusion (All)
Genesis (All)
Helix (All)
Hifonics "Brutus Series" (All)
Image Dynamics (All)
Incriminator Audio (All)
JL Audio ("All" except lower W series (SW) which go in Entry)
Kenwood "Excelon series" (All)
Kicker "KX/SX Series" (A) "L5/L7" (SW) "SS Series" (Sp)
Lanzar "Opti Drive" (A)
MA Audio "HK2000/HK4000" (A)
Massive Audio (All)
MB Quart (Sp)
McIntosh (All)
Memphis (MC Series) (All)
Milbert (All)
Morel (All)
MTX "9500 Series" (SW)
Nakamichi (All)
Orion (A,SW,Sp)
OZ Audio (All)
PHD Audiophile Sound System (All)
Phase Evolution (All)
Phoenix Gold (A)
Pioneer (HU,M)
Powerbass USA (All)
Precision Power (All)
QAS (All)
RE Audio ("All" except MT Series (SW) which go in Comp)
Rockford Fosgate "Power Series" (SW,A)
Seas Lotus (All)
Sinfoni (All)
Treo Engineering (All)
TRU Technology (All)
Tube Driver Blue (All)
US Amps (All)
Xtant (All)
Zapco (All)

Competition

Alpine F1 (All)
Atomic (SW,A)
Autotek "MM Series" (All)
Cerwin Vega "Stroker" (SW)
Digital Designs (All)
Elevation Audio EX Series (SW)
Hifonics "XX Series" (All)
JBL "JBL/Crown Series" (A) "G TI Series" (SW)
Kicker "Solo X" (SW)
MMats Professional Audio (All)
MTX RFL (SW)
Pioneer TS-W5000SPL (SW)
Rainbow (All)
RE Audio "MT Series" (SW)
Team RF (SW)


I will not take credit for making this list. This is just a list i found on a forum awhile back. Thought it'd help people for when are planning on buying car audio equipment.

[Sponsor]

[SkyPilot]

Thats a Solid list, thanks for posting

[Njk570]

Your welcome

[02fordsvt]

Originally Posted by SkyPilot

Thats a Solid list, thanks for posting

I second this.

I've only ever run Pioneer and Dual, but they are about right in the list. I may not have been as nice to Dual but they are a decent product for how much they cost. You just have to remember that you do get what you pay for with Dual, though.

[Njk570]

Originally Posted by 02fordsvt

I second this.

I've only ever run Pioneer and Dual, but they are about right in the list. I may not have been as nice to Dual but they are a decent product for how much they cost. You just have to remember that you do get what you pay for with Dual, though.

All in all though, some people cant afford the higher end stuff, but it all comes down to what you make it. You can make a Pyle Subwoofer sound better than a JL subwoofer if you know what your doing.

[freemind]

You've never used any of the old Clairion decks have you.

It is a pretty solid list but, there be holes there.

Welcome to the site.

[Njk570]

Originally Posted by freemind

You've never used any of the old Clairion decks have you.

It is a pretty solid list but, there be holes there.

Welcome to the site.

Clarion (HU) is under High Quality. This list is just for the most common brands purchased by consumers. And Appreciate the welcome.

[02fordsvt]

Originally Posted by Njk570

All in all though, some people cant afford the higher end stuff, but it all comes down to what you make it. You can make a Pyle Subwoofer sound better than a JL subwoofer if you know what your doing.

A good number of high end companies make some very good entry level product, however, that are very close in price to the lower brand. That said, you are still right.

[alaskanzx5]

rockford should just about be in each of those list. prime is its lowest series but decent entry level for some of it. punch is dependant on what punch line. p1 and p2 is more entry level but the p3 done right is a great choice. not completly hq but can be there if done right. power series amps should be in the comp level list for sure and i have had great results using the power subs in comps to. about 4 years running rockford power series subs in spl comps and i have yet to place in anything under 2nd place.

there are other thing in the hq list i would put in the comp list but all in all this is a great list.

[02Zetechse]

this list is a old list theres alot of brands not currently around any more plus the comp brands are far from complete