Kenwood KFC Sport Series 6.5" Speakers Review: 8.3/10
A verified buyer on Amazon noted: “these speakers sound great… soundstage is noticeably improved.” That kind of jump-from-stock story shows up across platforms for the Kenwood KFC Sport Series 6.5" Coaxial Car Speakers—but so do warnings about bass expectations and fit quirks. Verdict: a strong budget factory-replacement play with a few installation and output caveats. Score: 8.3/10.
Quick Verdict
For the Kenwood KFC Sport Series 6.5" Coaxial Car Speakers, the consensus is conditional: yes if you want a clear, affordable upgrade from tired factory speakers on head-unit power; no if you’re chasing heavy bass or zero-mod installs.
| Call | Evidence from users | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Yes (most) | Best Buy reviewers call sound “very good,” “crisp and clean,” and “excellent replacement for factory speakers.” | Daily drivers, commuters, budget upgrades |
| Conditional on bass | Best Buy: “If you're looking for speakers with overwhelming bass… these are not the speakers for you.” Amazon: “clear sound, not a lot of bass.” | People pairing with a sub or modest bass needs |
| Conditional on install | Amazon: “I did have to drill 4 holes.” Best Buy: “one bad connector… had to solder.” | DIY installers comfortable with minor mods |
| No (some) | Amazon: “barely perform better than the original… can not increase the bass to an acceptable level.” Revain: “woofer sucks tinny.” | Bass-first listeners, picky audiophiles |
| Great value | SonicElectronix: “clarity is wonderful and you can't beat the price.” AutoZone: “great sound and value.” | Shoppers optimizing $/improvement |
Claims vs Reality
The marketing story for the Kenwood KFC Sport Series 6.5" Coaxial Car Speakers leans hard on big power numbers and easy fit. Amazon’s listing highlights “300W max (60W RMS per pair)” and Kenwood’s own specs call out “rated input power 30W” and “mounting depth 1-11/16.” On paper, it reads like a universal, high-output swap.
Digging deeper into user reports, “power” often translates into “good volume and clarity on stock power,” not chest-thumping slam. A Best Buy reviewer frames the boundary clearly: “If your looking for speakers with overwhelming bass that rattles the car… these are not the speakers for you.” Another verified Amazon reviewer echoes the same reality from a stock-style setup: “clear sound, not a lot of bass, but sound good.” In other words, the claim of “powerful sound” lands more in the highs-and-mids improvement category than in subwoofer replacement.
Fit is the other place where the promise gets complicated. While the size class is “6.5,” several buyers describe needing adjustments. A verified buyer on Amazon said, “I only wish they made the holes around the speaker rim align with the existing screw holes… I did have to drill 4 holes to hold each speaker in place.” On Revain, one reviewer goes further, arguing the speakers “aren't real 6 1/2"… smaller than usual,” and describes measuring concerns. Meanwhile, a Best Buy reviewer praises flexibility: “the mounting ring is drilled with many different patterns,” and they found holes that matched a “weird 3 screw pattern.” Same product category, different vehicles—so “fits” can be true and still require improvisation.
Finally, “easy install” is frequently true—but not always plug-and-play. A SonicElectronix reviewer said the speakers “were easy to install,” and Best Buy’s summary includes “great sound easy to install great price would buy again.” But multiple platforms include soldering or connector issues: Best Buy’s KFC-1665S page includes “one bad connector… i had to solder,” and a Best Buy KFC-651 reviewer mentions a connecting tab “breaking off… was able to solder [it] back.” The gap isn’t that installs are impossible; it’s that the “easy” label often assumes basic DIY skills and the right adapters.
Cross-Platform Consensus
A recurring pattern emerged around what these Kenwood KFC Sport Series 6.5" Coaxial Car Speakers do best: revive dull factory systems. People who come from blown, rotted, or “lifeless” OEM speakers repeatedly describe the upgrade in human terms—suddenly the car is enjoyable again. On SonicElectronix, one buyer summed it up simply: “speakers sound amazing and we’re easy to install.” On Best Buy, a reviewer called them “excellent replacement for factory speakers,” and another said the highs were “crisp and clean.”
The most consistent praise is clarity—especially in highs and mids—making them a strong match for commuters who don’t plan on adding an amp. A verified Amazon reviewer buying for a “commute beater” mindset said the “sound is crisper and the low end is tighter,” adding that “the drone of the old speakers is gone.” That’s not a lab measurement; it’s a quality-of-life fix for someone living with a tired cabin every day. On SonicElectronix, another user described the payoff after replacing factory speakers in a 2006 Colorado: “good clean clear sound, kenwood as always.”
Installation satisfaction also shows up when the buyer expects some work. A Revain reviewer who installed them in a Honda Element described careful drilling (“you only need a depth of about 0.5"”) and concluded the sound was “rich yet precise, with clear highs and a full mid-range.” Best Buy reviews include multiple “easy to install” takes, including: “great sound easy to install great price would buy again.” For DIYers, the “budget coaxial speakers” angle is often the point—good sound without a long build.
After the praise, the most common complaint is bass—and it’s usually framed as expectation management. One Best Buy reviewer draws a line between “great sound” and “overwhelming bass that rattles the car,” explicitly saying these “are not the speakers for you” if that’s the goal. On Amazon, a verified buyer called them “great for stock replacement,” but added: “clear sound, not a lot of bass.” Another verified Amazon reviewer was harsher, calling them a “mediocre speaker” and saying they “barely perform better than the original” with bass they “can not increase… to an acceptable level.” For bass-first listeners—especially without a sub—this complaint hits hardest.
Some complaints aren’t about sound at all, but about the realities of “vehicle fit.” A SonicElectronix reviewer liked the speakers but said the “mounts… did not fit my Prius as the site said they would,” so they “had to do some engineering.” An Amazon reviewer similarly wished the “holes around the speaker rim” aligned and ended up drilling. Meanwhile, other buyers report perfect or near-perfect fit—Best Buy: “perfect fit for my vehicle,” and another: “fit… perfectly” in a Ram. The divisive takeaway is that the speaker itself isn’t universally incompatible; the variation is vehicle mounting patterns and adapter needs.
Divisiveness shows up again at higher volumes. SonicElectronix includes a blunt counterpoint: “they get distorted at high volume.” A long Best Buy KFC-651 review (from “ben 2”) describes distortion creeping in at the top end on stock power, noting “distortion when you turn it up all the way,” and advising against “bass boost” or “loudness” settings. Yet other users report the opposite experience, like a Best Buy reviewer who described a “clean loud sound,” and another who said they “still sound amazing” even with a “bad head unit.” The split suggests that install quality, tuning, and source power matter as much as the speakers.
Trust & Reliability
Best Buy’s large review base for related Kenwood 6.5-inch models (like KFC-651) paints a reliability-leaning picture: “overwhelmingly positive reviews” and repeated mentions of “ease of installation” and “sound quality.” Individual stories reinforce that trust angle: user “grasonj” wrote that after stock JBLs blew, the Kenwoods were “a big upgrade… while still being affordable,” calling the install “very simple.”
But digging deeper into user reports surfaces small hardware and handling issues that can feel like “quality control” moments in the garage. Best Buy user “cp240” mentioned “one of the connecting tabs breaking off,” and fixed it by soldering. Another Best Buy review on the KFC-1665S page mentions “one bad connector” that required soldering. These aren’t widespread scam signals; they’re more like occasional irritations that matter to first-time installers or anyone expecting perfect included accessories.
Long-term “months later” durability posts are limited in the provided data, but some reviewers hint at sustained use. Best Buy’s “robertg” posted after “owned for 3 weeks,” calling them “high quality” in a truck, and Amazon’s verified buyer mentioned they’d only been in “a few weeks” so couldn’t speak to longevity. The durability narrative here is mostly inferred from repeat-purchase behavior—SonicElectronix buyers saying they’re “getting another set… for the back doors,” and Best Buy reviewers noting they “bought two sets.” That kind of repeat-buy is a soft trust signal, even when explicit 6–12 month updates are scarce.
Alternatives
Only a few direct alternatives appear in the dataset, and they usually come up when someone wanted a different performance profile than the Kenwood KFC Sport Series 6.5" Coaxial Car Speakers deliver.
On Amazon reviews for Kenwood KFC-G1620, one reviewer explicitly points people toward “the kicker cs 65” for those who want something “not made out of paper” and that “performs well with low power,” saying they installed the Kicker model in a minivan and “it sounds great.” That’s the clearest competitor mention: if your goal is a more satisfying low-power response or different cone/material expectations, that user believed the Kicker CS 65 was the better pick.
There’s also the “just buy OEM” camp. A verified Amazon reviewer who replaced rear speakers said the “factory speakers were only $10 more and sounded twice as good,” concluding they “expected something a little better.” For owners whose OEM replacements are readily available and affordable, that’s a real-world alternative path: staying stock can outperform budget aftermarket in some cars, depending on factory tuning and speaker integration.
Price & Value
Price is where the Kenwood KFC Sport Series 6.5" Coaxial Car Speakers repeatedly win the argument. Amazon’s listing shows a common price point around $49.95 for the KFC-1666S listing, while Best Buy pages for similar Kenwood 6.5-inch coaxials show $39.99 (KFC-1665S) and even $20.99 clearance pricing (KFC-651). AutoZone lists the KFC-1666S category around $39.99. Across platforms, reviewers explicitly tie satisfaction to cost: AutoZone user “e46dude” said, “can’t expect anything crazy for under $40 bucks,” while still calling it “good bang for your buck.”
Resale and market pricing signals appear most clearly on eBay, where KFC-1666S pairs show heavy sales volume and pricing that hovers in the budget band (including listings around the high-$20s to $40s). That suggests a steady secondary market and an easy replacement path if you blow one or want to match front/rear later.
Community buying tips revolve around being realistic and planning the install. A Best Buy reviewer suggests skipping “splicing wires” by using “fast connection,” while another user story emphasizes drilling carefully because “there’s a window mechanism in there somewhere.” Amazon and SonicElectronix reviews repeatedly point to adapters, brackets, or drilling—so the true cost/value calculation includes any mounting brackets, harness adapters, and possibly sound-deadening rings that one Revain user mentioned adding.
FAQ
Q: Do the Kenwood KFC Sport Series 6.5" speakers have strong bass?
A: Not according to many buyers. A Best Buy reviewer warned, “If you're looking for speakers with overwhelming bass that rattles the car… these are not the speakers for you,” and a verified Amazon buyer described “clear sound, not a lot of bass.” Some users still call bass “great,” but expectations matter.
Q: Are they easy to install in most cars?
A: Often yes, but “easy” can still mean minor modifications. A SonicElectronix reviewer said they “were easy to install,” but a verified Amazon buyer reported drilling: “I did have to drill 4 holes.” Best Buy reviews also mention occasional connector issues that led to soldering.
Q: Will they sound good on factory head unit power without an amp?
A: Many people buy them specifically for that use-case. Best Buy reviewers describe “great sound” and “crisp and clean” highs, and a SonicElectronix buyer said they sounded “really good” off a Pioneer head unit. One Amazon reviewer still found them only a small improvement, so results vary by car and expectations.
Q: Do they really fit “6.5-inch” factory locations?
A: Fit is inconsistent across vehicles. Some Best Buy reviewers report “perfect fit,” but a Revain reviewer complained they “aren't real 6 1/2"… smaller than usual,” and others mention drilling new holes or using brackets. Vehicle-specific adapters and mounting patterns seem to drive most issues.
Q: Are they worth it as a factory speaker replacement?
A: Most feedback says yes for the price. AutoZone reviewers call them “great sound and value,” and Best Buy users say they’re an “excellent replacement for factory speakers.” A verified Amazon buyer framed them as “a good, solid speaker for general use,” especially for non-audiophile listening.
Final Verdict
Buy the Kenwood KFC Sport Series 6.5" Coaxial Car Speakers if you’re a budget-minded driver replacing blown or tired factory speakers and you care most about clearer highs, improved mids, and “better than stock” everyday listening. Avoid them if your priority is heavy bass without a sub, or if you want guaranteed drop-in fit with no drilling or adapters. Pro tip from the community: plan for install realities—one verified Amazon buyer said they had to “drill 4 holes,” and a Best Buy reviewer advised skipping “bass boost”/“loudness” when chasing clean volume.
