In this article: We unbox Kicker's KSMT2504 dual pod 2 1/2″ component speakers and review some of their cool features and specs.
Directional midrange car speakers are common in high performance stereos. You'll often see directionally installed speakers like this in custom setups, where fabricators will build the midranges into an A-Pillar that houses both a midrange driver and tweeter while focusing the sound towards the driver and passenger (generally). But these types of installations are expensive and, in my opinion, don't really look all that great.
When I first saw Kicker's KSMT2504, I immediately thought of these custom A-Pillar and similar installs that take HOURS and cost a lot of money. The KSMT2504 is designed as a solution to add midrange drivers to vehicles that don't exactly have a good place to put them. But, they could also provide a great option for a much broader list of applications too like placing them on a dash on a UTV, on the roof of your golf cart or in a classic car where you're looking for a minimally invasive way to install some midrange speakers. Just to name a few. Note that these aren't IP rated though and aren't exactly designed for the outdoors.
I was excited when I got my hands on a pair of these and found them to be pretty unique. In this review article I'll unbox them so that you can get a good first-look at them, walk through some of their key features and detail their specs. Let's dive in!
Unboxing Kicker's KSMT2504 Speakers
When you open up the KSMT2504s for the first time, you're greeted first with the manual and some protective packaging. Below, the speakers are neatly packaged in custom fitted foam and wrapped in plastic to prevent any damage during shipping.
My first thought when I saw these in the box was about how easy they look to install. Being pods, they're contained speakers with a simple mounting mechanism and power wires. And apart from the crossovers, that's really it.
The speaker pods are comprised of two speakers:
- A 2 1/2″ midrange speaker which is the bottom of the two
- A 1″ tweeter that's stacked on top of the midrange
Each speaker pod has two sets of wires – one for the tweeter and the other for the mid-range speaker. They're meant to be used in conjunction with the provided in-line crossovers and even have easy spade connectors so that you can simply plug each pod into the corresponding crossover. Kicker also includes capacitors to limit low frequencies that could damage the midrange if you're looking to install the speakers without an active crossover.
What's In the Box
- 2 Midrange/Tweeter pods (each midrange and tweeter has a 36″ speaker wire attached)
- 2 in-line crossovers
- 2 Capacitors (additional high-pass crossovers)
- 4 Red plastic wire connectors
- Basic installation instructions (full manual available on line)
Dual Pod Component Speakers
Let's dig into some of the specifics about the speaker. There's some cool features that make these pods unique but also incredibly simple to install in almost any application or setting.
Speaker Types & Specs
First off, I mentioned this earlier, but these are component speakers so the midrange is separate from the tweeter (check out our component vs coaxial speakers if you want to read more on the differences between the two). The larger of the two speakers on the pod is the midrange, which is a 2.5in aluminum-cone speaker that's designed to handle midrange frequencies. They don't specify the exact frequency range of the 2 1/2″ speaker but it's likely between the rated 400hz and ~10k Hz (ish).
The tweeter that's stacked on top of the midrange is a 1″ silk-dome tweeter. I personally like silk-dome tweeters for vehicle applications better than a lot of the harder dome tweeters like aluminum, titanium, etc because they're easier to tame and don't have the harshness that a harder dome tweeter might have inside your car. You'll normally see the term ‘smooth' used in marketing materials around silk-dome tweeters because they have a softer sound than hard domed tweeters due to their softer composition (the dome isn't metal). And a 1″ silk-dome tweeter typically operates in the ~3k – 20k range of frequencies (ish).
So when you look at the specs sheet for these, the combined frequency range for the two is 400 – 20k. This is how most component car speakers are rated in terms of frequency ranges.
Pod Structure, Adjustable Tweeter Position and Ball Joint Positioning
When Kicker went to the drawing board for the KSMT2504s, it's pretty clear that versatility was a priority. Duh. The whole concept here is to bring midrange sound to a vehicle that either doesn't have a place for them entirely or for those who don't want to pay the price of custom A-Pillars or something similar. There are a few cool features that Kicker incorporated into these speakers that make them really universal in my opinion.
First of which is the adjustable tweeter pod that's essentially on an axis around the midrange. Using an allen wrench, you can remove a rubber grommet to loosen an allen screw and maneuver the tweeter to almost any position you want. Then, tighten the screw back up to fix it in position.
This is a great feature that allows you to position the tweeter in the ideal configuration no matter the angle or side of the vehicle that the speaker pod is mounted. It's great, in my opinion, for aesthetics but also great for better directing the tweeter sound.
Secondly, Kicker placed this pod on an adjustable ball-joint base that tilts and rotates. So even if your dash or the mounting surface isn't level, you can simply adjust the pod on the ball joint to make it true and point in the proper direction after you've secured it.
And, if you notice in the picture here, there are three allen screws that will allow you to remove the speaker from the ball joint and tighten up the friction of the ball so that it becomes essentially fixed. This way, if you go down a bumpy road you can ensure that the speaker doesn't bounce and roll around on the ball-joint.
The final feature to call out here while I'm on the versatility topic is the easy mounting mechanism. To install these on a surface, you basically drill a 9/16″ hole in the surface, run the wires through and then use the twist-on nut to secure it in place. I mean.. it doesn't get much easier than that! You can tuck these into a corner on your dash, add them to the top of your A-Pillar or downfire them from your Jeep's cage. Which makes me wonder.. should these come with clamps? They kinda look like tower speakers don't they?
Conclusion
I really thought these were a great alternative to a custom A-Pillar midrange speaker installation. For those who don't have any easy location to install a midrange setup or just don't want to pay the price tag to add them to their vehicle. They look and feel well-built and are designed for simplicity and versatility.
The adjustable tweeter pod makes for a customized-look and sound position while the ball-joint further simplifies the installation and your ability to directionally install the pods. If you're looking for an easy way to add a midrange setup to your vehicle and like the style of these, this is an innovative solution that will guaranteed add a more rounded sound to your setup.
