When it comes to car stereos, two-way speakers are a popular choice for a wide range of reasons. But what exactly is a two-way speaker, and how does it work?
In this article, we are going to be looking more closely at the two-way speaker to see exactly how it works and why it is a good choice of speaker for use with a car stereo. Let’s get started.
What Is A Two Way Speaker?
A two-way speaker is pretty self-explanatory, in that it is a speaker that is made up of two speakers: a tweeter and a woofer.
Woofers handle mid to low-end sound frequencies whilst tweeters manage the higher sound frequencies, so combining the two together makes for a speaker that can handle all manner of frequencies as it distributes the sound with more clarity and ease.
The materials from which the speakers are constructed will influence both the nature of the sound and the quality, so keep that in mind if you find yourself shopping around.
Why Are Two Way Speakers Popular For Car Audio Systems?
Two-way speakers are widely used in car stereos, as they offer some of the best quality sound thanks to the aforementioned balance of both low and high frequencies. They are also relatively easy to install and maintain, making them a perfect choice for use in your car.
The Benefits Of A Two-Way Speaker

Let’s now look at some of the benefits of using a two-way speaker (see also ‘How To Tell If Speakers Are Blown‘) for your car’s audio system in a little bit more detail.
- Usually Cheaper: Two-way speakers are a great way to get top-quality audio for your vehicle without having to break the bank to do so, as they tend to be more affordable. You can find excellent quality two-way speakers for prices as low as $25, making them a perfect option if you are looking for speakers that offer great quality at a reasonable cost.
- Easy Installation: These are one of the most common kinds of speakers to be found in an automobile, and so their installation process is normally an easy one due to this common nature. They are also relatively small, which is another factor that makes them easy to install, as it means that the speakers can be installed into tight spaces without any issues.
- Ease of Use: Two-way speakers are a simple yet effective speaker choice when it comes to their ease of use, with basic controls that allow you to switch between sound frequencies with no hassle. This makes them a particularly appealing choice, as no matter what your technological expertise might be, you are sure to be able to use the speaker with no issues.
- Quality Components: These kinds of speakers might be an affordable choice, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t feature high-quality parts. As well as utilizing high-quality components, two-way speakers also feature a crossover. Crossovers are used within speakers to split the audible frequency range across different speakers. Crossovers also ensure that the sound output is accurate as well as smooth.
- Easy Calibration: There are various speaker systems that can be difficult to calibrate due to the different components that need to be placed within the vehicle. This isn’t a problem that you will have with two-way speakers as all the sound comes from the same place, making for easy and simple calibration.
Coaxial Speakers And Two-Way Speakers
Coaxial speakers are also a popular choice as a speaker in a car audio system, and they have various similarities to two-way speakers. Let’s have a look at the ways in which they are similar and different with a comparison.
Coaxial speakers utilize a dual method to create sound, wherein the tweeter is wrapped up within the woofer, much like a two-way speaker. The tweeter joins over the woofer in a button-shaped device, and it uses two-time authentication in order to create the best sound quality.
As we discussed, two-way speakers combine the woofer and the speaker in the same way, but they have a different range of sound frequencies.
The higher sound frequency range that you have with two-way speakers complements the frequency that you get with a coaxial speaker excellently, but let’s dive a little deeper into their exact differences.
- Cost: Both coaxial speakers and two-way speakers are affordable options, though two-way speakers tend to be a little more expensive.
- Frequency Range: Coaxial speakers have an average sound frequency range of between 80Hz to 20kHz, whilst two-way speakers average from 100Hz to 3 kHz.
- Installation: Both coaxial and two-way speakers are easy to install, with both of them being small and easy to slot into your vehicle.
- Number of Speakers: The amount of speakers that coaxial and two-way speakers have is also a similarity that they share, with both of them having two speakers made up of a woofer and a tweeter. Coaxial speakers can sometimes feature a subwoofer- a component of a speaker that is designed to reproduce the lowest bass frequencies- to increase the lower frequency sounds.
- Customization: If you are all about customization with your car stereo, you can get this with both kinds of speakers, though two-way speakers sometimes have more variety in terms of customization.
Final Thoughts
So there you have everything that you need to know about two-way speakers, including the features of this kind of speaker as well as the benefits of using them as a car stereo speaker and how they compare next to a coaxial speaker.
They are certainly one of the better choices when it comes to a speaker for your car audio system, so have a look around the two-way speaker market, and you are sure to find the speaker that suits you- and your car- the best!