Kicker vs Rockford Fosgate – Which Brand Is Better?

Last Updated on June 21, 2023 by Norvan Martin

Kicker and Rockford Fosgate are two renowned and well respected brands in the car audio industry that produces high quality speakers,  soundbars, and subwoofers. Kikcer specializes in car audio products. 

In this article, we 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 Rockford Fosgate 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 Rockford Fosgate:

• Pros: Known for producing high-quality car audio products, including amplifiers, subwoofers, and speakers. Strong reputation in the car audio industry.
• Cons: May not be as 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.

Rockford Fosgate Quick History

Jim Fosgate founded Rockford Fosgate in 1973 in his garage in Arizona, USA. The PR-7000 amplifier was introduced the same year. Rockford Fosgate sold its electronics under the Punch and Punch POWER brand name.

Camelback Capital Corporation purchased the company in 1980 and renamed it Rockford Corporation. Robert Pothier of Camelback Capital became president of the company in 1982. Rockford Fosgate is currently well known for pioneering car audio devices – car amplifiers and car speakers.

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.

Rockford Fosgate Sound Quality

Rockford Fosgate car audio devices are high quality and are normally of average price. The RF is louder, clearer, and has good bass. They are widely renowned as one of the best car audio brands on the market, providing drivers that produce high-quality sound.

Rockford Fosgate is a popular choice for persons who want to upgrade their sound systems. If you get a Rockford Fosgate amplifier, be aware that you will need to dish out more money for quality subwoofers and plan accordingly.

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

Rockford Fosgate Features

Here are the features of the various products:

Car speakers

• Polypropylene woofer cone with rubber surround
• Power range from 2 to 45 watts RMS
• Certified energy-auditor compliant
• Frequency response of 48 to 22 kHz

Amplifiers

• Punch EQ that adds a Bass Boost up to +18 dB at 45 Hz
• Compact
• Heat efficient

Tweeters

• Built-in phase plug
• Frequency response between 4 – 22 kHz

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.

Rockford Fosgate Build Quality

The bass speakers and woofers are built of die-cast, vented aluminum, or stamped steel frames. The cones are reinforced with Kevlar fibers to reduce cone distortion and piston flex.

 

The coax models or Prime Series car speakers are built in 5.25, 6.5, and 9-inch sizes using stamped steel frames and polypropylene cones.

The Punch Series is made of a rubber butyl surround that increases cone area and adds to the speaker’s efficiency.

The Punch Loaded enclosures are constructed of medium-density fiberboards and covered in industrial-grade carpet and offer the flexibility of vertical and horizontal mounting options.

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

Rockford Fosgate Ease Of Use

Rockford Fosgate makes car audio equipment that are relatively easy to use. Besides, they come with user manuals for ease of setup. The amps also come with remote control systems to help you navigate easily and enjoy music even from the backseat.

Cost

Kicker Cost

The average costs for Kicker products are listed below: 

Speakers: $10 – $1000

Amplifiers: $40 – $1000

Subwoofers: $40 – $1000

Rockford Fosgate Cost

Rockford Fosgate products are generally average priced:

Tweeters: $20 – $50

Speakers: $50 – $100

Amplifiers: $200 – $1000

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.

Rockford Fosgate Space Requirements

Tweeters and speakers are built in small sizes that easily fit in car spaces, with speaker sizes ranging between 10 to 15 inches.

The Fosgate tweeters are 0.75 inches, making them easily mountable on dashboards, pillars, or kick panels. The amplifiers, on the other hand, are equally built on smaller chassis and can be easily installed underneath car seats.

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.

Rockford Fosgate Remote Controls

Rockford Fosgate car amplifiers come with easy-to-use remote controls to help you easily navigate between features. This makes the amps much easier to use.

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

Rockford Fosgate Connectivity Options

The products support various connectivity options including:

• RCA
• Speaker level inputs
• Bluetooth

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

Rockford Fosgate Power Range

Rockford Fosgate manufactured a wide range of speakers with a wide power range. You will get speakers with as low as 20 watts RMS and as high as 350 watts RMS.

 

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.

Rockford Fosgate Frequency Response

Rockford Fosgate tweeters have a frequency response range of 4 to 22 kHz. The speakers respond well within a frequency range of 48 hertz to 22 kilohertz.

Component bass speakers deliver between 20 to 100 hertz, while mid-bass models deliver between 100 to 250 hertz.

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. Rockford Fosgate is generally high-quality and average-priced. Besides, the amps are very powerful. You may need to pay more to get a matching subwoofer! They are therefore a good pick for upgrading your audio system.

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