Kicker and MTX are two renowned and well-respected brands in the car audio industry that produces high quality speakers, soundbars, and subwoofers.
This article will cover a general overview of both brands, looking specifically at sound quality, durability, price and so on. Of course, each brand has different devices at different price points, however we will compare them as closely as we can.
Kicker products are known for their powerful sound and high-quality construction, while MTX products are known for their powerful sound and high-quality construction.
Pros and Cons of Kicker:
- Pros: Known for producing high-quality car audio products, including speakers, amplifiers, and subwoofers. Many of their products are well-regarded for their sound quality and value for money.
- Cons: Kicker is cheaper than the more premium brands and so offers lower quality specs.
Pros and Cons of MTX:
- Pros: Another well-known brand in the car audio industry, known for producing high-quality amplifiers, subwoofers, and speakers.
- Cons: Is not well-known for home audio products.
Quick History
Kicker Quick History
Kicker, an American audio company, headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma, was founded in 1973. Many companies have tried to copy their square solo-baric L5 & L7 subwoofer over time but in vain. The Kicker is well known for making some of the most reliable and powerful amplifiers in the car audio industry.
The company boasts an excellent quality line of the full range and component speakers. Besides, they recently developed other home audio products such as Zune Dock and headphones.
Kicker traces its origin back to 1973. The company started as a two-person operation focusing on hand-building professional sound and musical instrument speaker systems. The company majorly manufactured products for churches, entertainment and auditoriums.
In 1980, Kicker Performance Audio built the high-performance stereo enclosure market. This was when Steve Irby – the founder and president of the company, developed the Original KICKER – the Original KICKER being the first full-range speaker box constructed mainly for automotive use.
Kicker introduced its first Kicker Solo-Baric subwoofer in 1992 and the first Kicker Solo-Baric L7 square subwoofer in 2000 It continues to release more audio products with increased innovation and training and skills development.
MTX Quick History
MTX Audio manufactures car, home and marine audio and live sound products. Previously called Matrecs, it was founded in 1979 when Loyd Ivey, then owner of American Acoustic Labs, bought Matrecs and changed it to MTX under his parent company Mitek.
Today, they are best known for their excellent car audio products and subwoofers or subwoofer amplifiers.
Sound Quality
Kicker Sound Quality
Kicker produces excellent sound quality, though at a little higher cost. If you compare some of the best subwoofers from other brands with Kicker products in the same category, Kicker outsmarts many. The company continues to produce concert-like audio quality across a wide range with accurate sound and renowned bass.
Take Kicker 12” 800 Wall Comp VR, for instance. This is a cheaper product, easy to install, and delivers plenty of punch. With an RMS power of 400 Watts and peak power of 800 Watts, this subwoofer from Kicker can handle any music.
It has a higher sensitivity, good power handling capacity, and superior audio quality. It is, however, not quite as nuanced as a high-end subwoofer.
Therefore, although you might notice some sound distortion on some kicker speakers, it is generally a result of some external interference. Kicker speakers produce typically good quality sound, and the bass is ultra-clean.
MTX Sound Quality
MTX devices are highly praised for their excellent sound output. The devices generally produce deep and powerful bass, translucent and crisp mids, and clear highs with an expansive soundstage and clear stereo imaging.
Their special drivers and powerful amplifiers ensure that the sound output is distinct and intelligible even at high volumes.
Features
Kicker Features
Kicker speakers feature suitable power handling devices that make them more likable. The car speakers especially come with average superior audio quality with superior low-end accuracy.
Whether you choose to listen to Kicker at its high volume frequencies or mid-level settings, the sound quality delivery and performance are always on top of its performance.
Let’s look at the Kicker CSC65 CS Series 6.5-inch performance features.
- 200 Watts RMS Power per 2 pairs
- 300 Watts Max per speaker
- 5-inch 4-ohm 2-way car coaxial audio speakers
- Polypropylene cone to protect against heat and sunlight
- EVC technology for improved woofer performance
- 5 inch PEI dome tweeters
MTX Features
MTX devices have a lot of unique features incorporated into them. Some of them are highlighted below:
- Infra-red remote control
- Several connectivity options
- Direct playback from microSD
- Several audio formats are supported, including Flac and MP3Power bank reverse charging on the portable devices
- Bluetooth syncing for connecting multiple devices simultaneously
Build Quality
Kicker Build Quality
Kicker speakers boast very good design and build quality.
For instance, the Kicker CompQ subwoofer has a more solid build with a sleek appearance that reflects its outstanding build quality.
MTX Build Quality
MTX devices have robust builds to withstand the rumble of moving vehicles or plain household bustle.
They feature aluminum frames, neodymium magnet drivers, as well as durable plastic parts.
Their headphones have ultra-soft ear cushions and an extremely flexible aluminum headband which makes them hard to break but easy to transport.
Ease of Use
Kicker Ease Of Use
Kicker engineers put more effort into researching and developing skills to ensure their audio products are manufactured with the highest precision.
They understand that the speakers, for instance, are an excellent way to deliver sound quality for various uses by multiple users.
Therefore, the kicker speakers are built in a manner that makes them easy to use both at home and in the office. They produce excellent sound quality and will fit any form of use. Here are the benefits of using kicker speakers:
- Usable on a wide range of applications
- Excellent sound quality
- Easy to use
- Excellent customer service just in case you face any issue with any kicker products
MTX Ease Of Use
Setup and installation is quite easy on most MTX devices, but the amplifiers and car audio might require some technical knowledge.
The devices have intuitive and easily located controls. An example is the simple ergonomic controls on the headsets to control volume, music and phone calls.
Cost
Kicker Cost
The average costs for Kicker products are listed below:
Speakers: $10 – $1000
Amplifiers: $40 – $1000
Subwoofers: $40 – $1000
MTX Cost
MTX claims that they have an unbeatable price-performance ratio. That might not be too far from the truth, considering the following list:
- Speakers: $80 – $700
- Subwoofers: $60 – $14,000
- Amplifiers: $250 – $1200
- Headphones: from $80
Space Requirements
Kicker Space Requirements
Kicker has perfectly developed three new ultra-thin, down-firing enclosures known as TRTP-Series. You can purchase the enclosures both in-store and online.
They also come with a single 2-ohm terminal available in 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch models. The famous KICKER CompRT thin subwoofer alongside the reflex passive radiator permits bass upgrade without increasing the depth.
These kicker enclosures are barely five inches high and can fit anywhere from behind the pickup seat to behind the back cargo area of a hatchback. Also, the down-firing design makes it possible to include them in tight spaces and still be able to deliver peak performance.
Therefore, these and other kicker products are designed to fit in small spaces while still ensuring their performance is optimized for a better sound experience.
MTX Space Requirements
MTX devices range in size from featherweight earphones to portable speakers to bulky amplifiers.
The MTX iP3 portable speaker measures 240x80x80mm (WHD) and weighs just 1080g, while the RFL4001D measures 626x204x59mm (WHD).
Remote Controls
Kicker Remote Controls
Wireless remote control is a crucial feature of many audio products today. Kicker makes its products user-friendly by including remote control systems for hands-free management of your entertainment equipment.
Kicker KMLC remote control for Kicker LED marine speakers and subs is a special hands-free control system compatible with kicker TVs and allows quick toggling between programs without changing your sitting positions.
MTX Remote Controls
Many MTX devices come with their custom infrared remotes, but they can still be controlled with universal remotes. Another option is to use the MTX Audio app.
Connectivity Options
Kicker Connectivity Options
Kicker products are built with the changing technology in mind. They, therefore, accept a wide range of connectivity options.
Most Kicker speakers, for instance, will be able to connect to other Bluetooth speakers within their Bluetooth range. Below are some of the main connectivity options you can use with Kicker:
- Bluetooth
- USB
- Wi-Fi
- HDMI
- RCA
MTX Connectivity Options
MTX devices have a large selection of connection options. These include wireless choices like WiFi, Airplay and Bluetooth, digital wired options like USB, Apple Lightning dock, HDMI, as well as analog options like XLR and RCA. Some of their devices also support direct playback from microSD and AUX input.
Power Range
Kicker Power Range
Speakers: Up to 480 watts peak power
Subwoofer: Up to 1800 watts peak power
Amplifiers: Up to 5000 watts peak power
MTX Power Range
MTX devices are capable of very high wattages, especially their amplifiers. The XThunder 1500 is capable of 1.5KW power into 1 ohm loads, which means it can power multiple high-powered devices without issue.
The TX81000D is rated at 1KW RMS. Their devices range from as low as 15W on portable speakers to 4000W on amplifiers.
Frequency Response
Kicker Frequency Response
The frequency response of Kicker products is essentially wider. For instance, the Kicker 11 KB600W speaker works perfectly well within a frequency range of between 55 Hz to 21 kHz. However, some of the products have much narrower frequency ranges.
For instance, the Kicker 11HS8 Hideaway is built to operate within a frequency range of 25 – 150 Hz with a bass boost of 6+db at 40 Hz.
MTX Frequency Response
MTX manufactures a wide range of products, so there is a correspondingly wide range of frequency responses.
The iX3BT headphones have an expansive 10Hz to 25KHz frequency range while the RFL4001D subwoofer amplifier covers the 10Hz-150Hz range. The general frequency response of MTX devices starts from 10Hz to 30KHz.
Conclusion
Kicker excels in many ways from build quality to sound quality. For instance, the speakers deliver very clear highs. It is, therefore, a very good option if you are considering upgrading your sound system.
On the other hand, the price of most MTX devices is simply incredible. They always manage to fit their devices with excellent features while keeping them affordable. Moreover, they always have something to suit your needs, whether you’re at home or on the go.
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