Let’s face it — the factory speakers in your car are far from ideal. The bass extension is lackluster, everything sounds like a distorted mess at high volumes, and that full sound everyone yearns for is nowhere to be found.

Then there’s the possibility that your speakers gave up within a year or two (it’s not just you). In that case, a replacement is mandatory.

Fortunately, third-party speakers have become much more accessible and affordable over the years. Among the brands that hit a sweet spot without breaking the bank, Harmony is a name that often comes up.

And it’s understandable why — not everyone wants to spend a considerable amount on audiophile-grade gear. Brands like these can provide impressive sound without leaving a dent in the wallet.

This article will discuss Harmony speakers’ pros and cons and whether they’re a worthy choice or not. Let’s get started.

Should You Replace Your Car Speakers?

I don’t blame you if the price tag on quality speakers makes you wonder if it’s worth it. That can especially happen if your car’s original speakers are still… functional (that’s the best I can call them).

So, what good does replacing the speakers do you? In two words — better sound. Let me explain how.

First off, replacement speakers almost always reach a higher level of sound without any kind of distortion. That means everything doesn’t sound jumbled even when you crank it up.
Depending on what you choose, the bass reproduction receives either a little boost or a huge one. It extends much lower, sounds cleaner, and gives that deep thump.
The mid and high frequencies also receive better treatment. Directional audio is even more enjoyable and transparent, and the highs sound pleasant without any harshness. If you use a three or four-way setup, the immersion is even more noticeable.

As you can see, replacing a car’s speakers can be rather fruitful. Let’s now take a peek at the types of products and their properties before getting into the review.

Car Speaker Components and Types

There are various components and speaker types in the market — some produce the whole audible frequency range, some only produce bass, and so on.

Tweeters

Tweeters are the smallest components you’ll find in a speaker. They are responsible for reproducing the upper portion of the audible frequency range. It’s possible to buy super tweeters separately or within a full-range speaker (more on this later).

Regarding materials, there are various options. Silk, fabric, ceramic, and aluminum are some of the most popular ones. Each material has a different sound signature — some provide better clarity, some have a smoother sound, and so on.

We’ll discuss this in detail while talking about the products.

Mid-Range Drivers

These parts do what their name suggests — reproduce the mid-range. That usually includes a range starting from the lower mids to the highs. Not all setups have separate drivers for this range.

Like tweeters, these components also have various materials ranging from paper to polymers. As the mid-range has most instruments and vocals, they play a crucial role in ensuring a clear and pleasant output.

Woofers and Subwoofers

Now we can move down to the lower frequencies. Woofers typically reproduce a large portion of the lower frequencies, with many of them extending up to 3000 Hz or more. This depends on the woofer and the speaker setup.

Subwoofers, on the other hand, are assigned with a more specific task — the lowest of lows. Those deep thumps that you hear around or below 40 Hz are reproduced by a subwoofer.

However, car speakers typically don’t extend this low, as it necessitates a larger speaker setup and higher price tags. Therefore, it’s better to keep your expectations in check when buying something on a low budget.

Full-Range Speakers

The name is once again self-explanatory. These products combine all of the drivers in one place. That means the lows, mids, and highs — everything comes from the same body.

Of course, how well a product does that depends on the materials, size, and overall quality. Many of the cheap speakers struggle with the bass and produce a muffled sound.

These are essentially the core types of speakers and drivers that you’ll come across when shopping. Let’s now take a look at how Harmony performs, shall we?

Harmony Speakers — An Overview and Review

It’s time for the real deal. There are typically three categories of speakers you can find in Harmony’s car speaker collection. Full-range speakers, subwoofers, and woofers in enclosures. I’ll go through each one and discuss the benefits and drawbacks.

Full-Range Speakers

As I said earlier, a full-range speaker produces all of the frequencies in the human audible range. That means you don’t have to buy separate drivers or subwoofers to create a complete setup.

Depending on the speaker size you need, there are various options. Harmony has options for most of the popular sizes – 3 ½”, 4″, 5 ¼”, 6 ½”, and 4×6″.

These options make it easy to replace the factory speakers without having to change anything in the car. Let’s take a look at a few of the full-range speakers.

Harmony Carbon Series Full-Range Speakers

One of the essential parts of a speaker is the cone, which moves air back and forth quickly. Its quality can make a significant difference in the sound, and so can its materials. Harmony’s Carbon series’ name is derived from the carbon fiber cones in the speakers.

Carbon Fiber Cones

Among the popular materials for the speaker cone, there are paper, fabric, carbon fiber, and even metal. So, how does this series compare to the other materials?

A typical option like paper may be lightweight, but it isn’t very rigid. It can also absorb a lot of moisture and become dense. Then there are issues with tearing, as it’s much more fragile.

Plastic is another option, which works better than paper. It can provide excellent sound and does not absorb any moisture. However, these cones can make some noise when flexed, which is a drawback.

Carbon fiber is one of the most popular materials for speaker cones. It’s durable and lightweight, ensuring remarkable sound reproduction. Many woofers also use it for the low end and utilize its strength.

Overall, carbon fiber may be hard to work with, but it provides superb sound quality with minimal distortion and accurate reproduction. Let’s look at another highlight of this series — the tweeters.

Silk Dome Tweeters

The Carbon series also comes with silk dome tweeters. This might not mean anything to you, so let me explain.

You probably remember that tweeters are responsible for reproducing the higher frequencies (generally from 2.5kHz and above). The materials used in them can affect the sonic characteristics. There are various options out there — aluminum, silk, even titanium.

Personally, I prefer silk dome tweeters unless the speakers are high-end. That’s because metal tweeters can sound rather harsh in the budget segment. A softer material like silk has a much smoother and pleasant sound in comparison.

That’s why I think this series does an impressive job with the tweeters and the high frequencies.

Now that we’ve looked at the highlights, here are some of the full-range speakers from the Carbon series.

Harmony Audio HA-C46 Carbon Series 4×6″ Speakers

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This is a 4×6″ pair of speakers, which is a typical size for many cars. Here are some tidbits:

It has a sensitivity of 89dB, which is typical for speakers. This provides an idea of how loud the speakers can get.
The frequency response is 60Hz – 21 kHz, which is decent for compact speakers
Butyl rubber surround and 1″ silk dome tweeters.
4 Ohm, 70W RMS, and 150W Peak.
Mounting depth of 2-1/4″ and a cutout diameter of 3-7/16″ x 5-9/16″.

Given the cost, these speakers perform pretty well. The bass isn’t as powerful, but that’s entirely normal for this price range and size. They’re pretty good at handling the mid and higher range, and nothing sounded too harsh or shouty.

Harmony Audio HA-C68 Carbon Series 5×7″ 6×8″ Speakers

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This pair is slightly more powerful and bigger if your car can handle it. Here are its properties:

5×7″ 6×8″ dimensions.
Sensitivity of 91dB, which is impressive.
A frequency range of 50Hz – 21kHz.
The mounting depth is 2-1/4″, and the cutout diameter is 4-15/16″ x 7-1/16″.
Single 4 Ohm, 125W RMS, and 275W peak.
1″ silk dome tweeter and passive tweeter crossover.

As you can imagine, these speakers are the slightly better versions of the previous pair. The size is a crucial factor, as you can’t use speakers larger than what the car supports without modifying things.

But if these are compatible with your car, the experience is pretty impressive. The bass extends much lower and provides a fuller sound. Moreover, the silk dome tweeters provide a creamy high end without any harshness.

Harmony Audio HA-C69 6×9″ Speakers

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You should be able to see a trend here by now. The higher we go in size, the more capable a speaker becomes. If your car can incorporate this size, then these are an excellent pair.

Sensitivity of 93dB.
A frequency response range of 35Hz – 21kHz.
The mounting depth is 3-3/8,” and the cutout diameter is 6-1/8″ x 8-11/16″.
Peak power 500W and RMS 200W.
Single 4 Ohm, 1″ silk dome tweeters.

These are the largest speakers you can find in the Carbon series. As expected, these should be the best in terms of sound quality, and they are. The sub-bass goes down to 35Hz here, providing that powerful thump.

The C69 also has a higher sensitivity of 93dB. That means they can get louder and provide a fuller sound. The carbon fiber cones do their job just as well, making these an excellent deal.

Harmony Rhythm Series Full-Range Speakers

The second series in Harmony’s full-range speaker lineup is Rhythm. These products should be the perfect ground if the user wants something even more budget-friendly.

Now, these don’t provide the same quality as the Carbon series, which is expected from this price bracket. That’s why we get driver cones made of polypropylene and tweeters made of PEI (polyetherimide). Let’s take a look at those first.

Polypropylene Cones

This material is essentially a type of plastic, and it works rather well for speaker cones. As I mentioned earlier, cones are one of the most crucial parts of speakers, and they need to be rigid but lightweight.

Plastic does an exceptional job at that, as it doesn’t absorb any moisture and lasts much longer than paper cones. While this material sounds a bit stiffer, it can provide an impressive mid-range output when done right.

Overall, the polypropylene cones in the Rhythm series perform reasonably well for the price.

PEI Dome Tweeters

PEI dome tweeters are also made with plastic material. In terms of brightness, you can imagine them somewhere in the middle between silk dome and metal dome tweeters.

That means they’re not as smooth and laid-back as silk dome tweeters. They’re not going to sound as bright as metal options either, which can be a good thing depending on how well they’re made.

PEI dome tweeters have somewhat of a bright sound signature, yet they don’t usually sound harsh. Another benefit is that they don’t cost as much as the other materials. It’s easy to see why Harmony opted for this material for its Rhythm series.

Let’s look at a few of the options from this lineup.

Harmony Audio HA-R35 Rhythm Series 3 1/2″ Speakers

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These are typically some of the smallest speakers you’d install in a car. Given the size, it’s understandable that they won’t be breaking any barriers of expectation.

Sensitivity: 88dB.
The frequency response range is 85Hz – 20kHz.
PEI neodymium magnet dome tweeters (1/2″ in size).
Peak – 90 watts, RMS – 30 watts.
Mounting depth – 1 5/8″, mounting cutout diameter – 3 1/16″.
Polypropylene cone and passive tweeter crossover.

These speakers do what they’re supposed to — ensure a decent experience for an inexpensive price tag and small form factor. If you can go bigger, this series can provide you with better alternatives too.

Harmony Audio HA-R65 Rhythm Series 6 ½” Speakers

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These speakers are larger and provide a significant boost in sound quality. You do have to pay a little more for them, but it’s trivial compared to the improvement they receive.

The sensitivity rating is 90dB.
Frequency response: 40Hz – 20kHz.
The mounting depth is 2 3/8″, and the cutout diameter is 5 11/16″.
½” PEI magnet dome tweeter.
Single 4 Ohm, peak 300W, and RMS 100W.

For the affordable pricing, these speakers provide a significant improvement over the typical products. The bass extension is much better, and the tweeters offer a cleaner sound as well.

The polypropylene cones do a decent job and avoid sounding too harsh or muffled. Of course, no audiophile will be blown away by them, but we need to keep the expectations realistic.

Subwoofers

The speakers we looked at above were full-range ones. Now, both the Rhythm and the Carbon series have a lineup of subwoofers. In addition, there are more alternatives — namely the Alloy, Flatline, and Monolith series subwoofers.

Carbon Series Subwoofers

As expected, these subs use cones made of carbon fiber. The best thing about using this material is that it provides extra strength without adding any weight.

And since it doesn’t absorb moisture and stays relatively unaffected by temperature, the longevity is just as impressive. The bass is fast, retains details, and provides great power.

It’s also possible to utilize the dual terminals in these products to plug in multiple subs (although most people won’t require that). You can get these products in various sizes, including 10″, 12″, and 15″. Let’s take a look at one.

Harmony Audio HA-C122 Car Stereo Competition 12″ Dual 2 Ohm Subwoofer

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This here is a rather affordable sub that packs a punch. The lightweight carbon fiber cone plays a significant role in that.

6dB sensitivity.
40Hz – 300Hz frequency response range.
Peak power handling of 2200 watts and RMS 1100 watts.
Dual 2 Ohm, 2.5″ copper voice coil.

Rhythm Series Subwoofers

Following the rest of this lineup, these subwoofers come with speaker cones made with polypropylene. That means they’re somewhat of a step-down from carbon fiber, but that also makes them more affordable.

As expected, these subs come in multiple size options — 10″, 12″, and 15″. Harmony uses butyl rubber surroundings for most of its speakers, which is more durable than foam. Let’s take a look at a sub from the Rhythm series.

Harmony Audio HA-R124 Car Stereo Rhythm Series 12″ Sub

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The best thing about Harmony’s subs is that they pack a superb punch for the price. This 12″ sub, for example, can provide impressive bass extension.

Frequency response is 27Hz – 1.8kHz.
Peak power handling of 600 watts, RMS 300 watts.
2dB sensitivity.
Single 4 Ohm, metallic polypropylene cone, 1.5″ voice coil.

Alloy Series Subwoofers

The next lineup of subs belongs to Harmony’s Alloy series. These products rely on aluminum drives cones. So, how does this material compare to the rest?

For one, these cones have minimal distortion or coloration, allowing for detailed and accurate reproduction. Aluminum is quite stiff and rigid too, which plays a role in determining its sound signature.

There is one drawback, however. This material doesn’t have that good of a damping property. Overall, though, aluminum is an excellent choice for subwoofers for their accurate sound and affordability. There are multiple sizes available, going up to 15″.

Let’s take a look at an example.

Harmony Audio HA-A152 Car Stereo Alloy Series 15″ Sub

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The combination of a decent size and quality aluminum cones can do wonders even at a lower price range.

Peak power handling 1500W, RMS 750W.
4 sensitivity.
Frequency response 22Hz – 500Hz.
5″ copper voice coil, tinsel leads, and aluminum alloy cone.

These subs have a decent amount of power. Unless you’ve got a rather large car, they should be more than enough.

Flatline Series Subwoofers

Many automobiles don’t have sufficient space for a large enough subwoofer. That’s where the Flatline series comes in. This is a lineup of compact, slim subs that can fit into smaller cab trucks, convertibles, or what have you.

These subs also use polypropylene injection molded cones, which are lightweight and provide that oomph to the bass. The bass extension may not be as prominent as some of the larger subs, but that’s expected.

Nevertheless, this lineup is pretty impressive when you consider the size and price. These products have 10″ and 12″ options to accommodate the shallow enclosures.

Harmony Audio HA-F124 Car Stereo Flatline Series 12″ Sub

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Here’s the larger option among the two with a maximum output power of 800W.

3dB sensitivity.
Frequency Response 25Hz – 1.2Hz.
Polypropylene cone, single 4 Ohm.
Aluminum cone cap, 2″ voice coil.

Monolith Series Subwoofers

If you need a chunky subwoofer for that beautiful, punchy bass, this is the way to go. This series even has 18″ subs, with the highest power consumption being 3500W. As you can imagine, these do require a significant amount of juice.

It’ll be difficult to run them without a powerful enough amplifier, so keep that in mind. But once it gets the necessary power, the bass will blow you away. Here’s one from the Monolith series.

Harmony Audio HA-ML181 Monolith 18″ Competition SPL Sub

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If you have the necessary power and space to accommodate these subs, there’s no looking back.

Peak power of 3500W, RMS 1750W.
4dB sensitivity.
Frequency response of 30Hz – 300Hz.
8 magnet layers and black aluminum voice coil bobbin.

The low end goes down to 30Hz, giving you that powerful sub-bass. Everything sounds decently tight without introducing any mud. Overall, the extra cost is most than worth it in this series.

Harmony Subwoofer Enclosures

The final category has prebuilt sub-enclosures. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of setting everything up, these can be a suitable choice. These enclosures offer multiple sizes (12″ or 15″) and single or dual subwoofers.

Hence, it’s possible to get a powerful sub (or two), hook it up to your system, and call it a day.

Harmony Audio HA-RS15 Car Stereo 900 Watt 15″ Sub Box

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This one is a single 15″ subwoofer box that you can buy prebuilt. Let’s look at the specs.

Peak power of 900W, RMS 450W.
6dB sensitivity.
Frequency response 22Hz – 300Hz.
5/8″ MDF wood, 2 Ohm terminal cup and vented port.

If your car can power these 2-Ohm subs, then things become even simpler. Otherwise, a subwoofer amp may be necessary. Regardless, these subs are essentially plug-and-play solutions with decent sound quality.

Harmony Accessories and Harnesses

If you need to, there are a bunch of accessories in Harmony’s catalog. For instance, you can get amplifier kits, RCA cables, speaker wires, and other connectors.

Harmony even has a new amplifier, which has had its fair share of success. You can also find complete kits (R65 and HA-A400.4 amp) that can help replace every bit of a car’s previous audio system.

Furthermore, you can save some time by getting the speaker harnesses from them.

But here’s the thing — there’s no reason you can’t get them from another third party. These products are decent in quality, but I won’t say you need to get them from this manufacturer. You could just match their speakers with other accessories just as easily.

Should You Buy Harmony Speakers?

It depends. If you ask me why Harmony speakers are good, I’d point to their price to performance ratio. Let’s look at a few scenarios.

This is a good option if you want to replace the default speakers with full-range speakers on a tight budget. I’d especially recommend the Carbon and Rhythm series, as they ensure decent sound quality without costing too much.
On a medium budget, Carbon series’ higher-end items can be a good solution. The carbon fiber cones, silk dome tweeters can provide satisfying results. Of course, remember to make sure you’ve got the sizing right, which makes the process easier.
If you’re shopping for a subwoofer, first look at the size, your amplifier’s capability, and the overall power consumption. There’s a possibility that you might have to buy an aftermarket amplifier, so keep that in mind. Moreover, look at the subwoofer lineups Harmony has and check out their properties. For instance, the Alloy series will sound different than the Carbon series. The Monolith series sounds the best to me, but the budget and power consumption can be an issue for many.

Overall, Harmony speakers are indeed a sweet choice to get your car’s audio to the next level without breaking the bank.

Final Thoughts

Now that we’ve discussed Harmony speakers pros and cons, it’s easy to see what a good deal they are. That especially applies if you want an improved sound without having to spend too much.

Of course, there are many factors to consider, including your personal preferences. Try to take everything into account, and enjoy your newfound aural heaven!