Kenwood Excelon KFC-X694

I've driven all over – up, down, and coast to coast – and my best memories all have a soundtrack. Music is something I don't leave home without, and after enduring my fair share of crummy systems, I know that quality gear makes a long drive a joy. On those golden days, when the windows just have to go down, I need power and speakers that can handle it.

While I've clocked a lot of highway miles, I've also logged a lot of hours listening to car speakers from the best in the industry. And I've installed those speakers in a variety of vehicles, from sport coupes to minivans. Every listening environment is unique, every series of speakers has its own sonic stamp, and speakers perform differently depending how they're used. And while it's easy to get overwhelmed by specs, my best advice is to ask yourself. what's gonna put the biggest grin on your face when you just gotta turn it up?

More about Alexander

• Started at Crutchfield in 2014
• Producer/editor of "Crutchfield: The Podcast"
• Is one of our car audio installation experts with hundreds of hours of experience installing car audio systems
• Completed our thorough in-house Advisor training, learning the details of every type of product we sell
• Attends dozens of vendor training events each year
• Has interviewed car speaker engineers and product designers at JL Audio and other premium audio companies
• Authored dozens of Crutchfield articles and hundreds of product presentations