Kia Soul Dashboard Speaker Size
The Kia Soul dashboard accommodates a 1 inch speaker size and 3.5 inch speakers, depending on the model year. Compatible types across these configurations include tweeters and full-range units. The specifications cover the 2010 to 2017 model years.
| Year | Type | Size (inch) |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Tweeter | 1 |
| 2016 | Tweeter | 1 |
| 2015 | Tweeter | 1 |
| 2014 | Tweeter | 1 |
| 2013 | Full-Range | 3.5 |
| 2012 | Full-Range | 3.5 |
| 2011 | Full-Range | 3.5 |
| 2010 | Full-Range | 3.5 |
Speaker Types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Tweeter | A small driver built for high frequencies, typically from about 2,000 Hz to 20,000 Hz. It adds treble detail and clarity and is usually mounted near ear level or aimed at the listener. |
| Full-Range | A single driver that reproduces bass through treble without a separate crossover network. It is the simplest replacement option and is common in factory audio systems. |
Additional Notes
- The Kia Soul dashboard speaker location spans model years 2010 through 2017, with 2 distinct speaker sizes appearing across that range: 1 inch and 3.5 inch.
- The dashboard position places speakers at the front of the cabin, near the base of the windshield, orienting sound upward and forward toward the occupants at ear level.
- A 1-inch speaker in the dashboard of the 2014 through 2017 Kia Soul is designated exclusively for tweeter use, a size standard for high-frequency drivers in component speaker systems.
- Tweeters reproduce the upper portion of the audible frequency spectrum, typically from around 2,000 Hz to 20,000 Hz, covering consonants, high harmonics, and transient detail in audio content.
- The dashboard is a common placement for tweeters in automotive installations because the position allows high-frequency sound, which is highly directional, to radiate toward seated listeners along a more direct path.
- High-frequency sound waves are short in wavelength and do not diffract around obstacles as readily as lower frequencies, making elevated, forward-facing placement acoustically relevant for tweeters.
- The 3.5-inch speaker size listed for 2010 through 2013 models is paired with full-range compatibility, meaning a single driver in that diameter is expected to handle multiple frequency bands rather than a dedicated segment of the spectrum.
- Full-range drivers are designed to reproduce low, midrange, and high frequencies from a single cone, without the division of labor that component systems assign to separate woofers, midranges, and tweeters.
- A 3.5-inch cone diameter is a small format in automotive speaker sizing, which limits low-frequency excursion and bass output while allowing the driver to maintain reasonable response into the upper midrange and treble regions.
- In a dashboard location, a 3.5-inch full-range driver benefits from proximity to the listener for midrange and high-frequency projection, though the physical enclosure characteristics of dashboard cavities affect the driver's low-frequency behavior.
- The mounting aperture requirements differ between the 1-inch tweeter cutout used in 2014 through 2017 models and the 3.5-inch full-range opening used in 2010 through 2013 models, meaning the two groups are not physically interchangeable without modification to the dashboard mounting surface.