KICKER History

Music...It's deep in our roots. We live it, breathe it and make it kick!

In 1973, KICKER's Livin' Loud legacy began as a two-man operation, hand-building professional-speaker systems in a narrow one-car garage. With very few resources and an intense love for music, company founder and current president Steve Irby invented the mobile-stereo enclosure market from his Stillwater, Oklahoma community, when he developed the Original KICKER. It was the first full frequency-range speaker box designed specifically for cars and trucks. From that historic moment, delivering concert-like audio quality across a wide volume range with renowned bass and accurate sound has always been the KICKER way.

The Original KICKER was made for use behind the seat in pickup trucks, and at the time thousands of the vehicles rolled along Oklahoma roads due to a recent oil boom. Because Irby had already been making a living designing and building the larger P.A. speakers, he literally overdesigned the much smaller Original KICKER. It produced a ton of bass, and when customers had it installed, heard it, and felt the enormous rumble through their truck seat, they said it “really kicked.”

Shortly thereafter, KICKER created a line of single subwoofers, which they named “Separates” to distinguish them from the KICKER subwoofer-loaded enclosures. The Competition Series of Separates was a popular selection for those consumers seeking to build their own bass-makers in their vehicles. To this day, we receive stories weekly from consumers who began driving with KICKER Comp Subs providing the bass.

Mobile-Audio products sold under the KICKER brand name include:

• L7®, CompQ®, Solo-Baric® L7S™, L7R™, L7T™, CompVX™, Competition Gold™, CompR®, CompRT®, CompVR®, CompVT™, CompC™ and Comp® Subwoofers;
• KICKER Enclosures loaded with L7S, L7R, L7T, CompR, CompRT, CompVR, CompC and Comp Subwoofers;
• KICKER Down-Firing Loaded Enclosures;
• Hideaway™ Compact and PTRTP Down-Firing Powered Subwoofer;
• KEY® Smart-Amp Technology and CX-Series Power Amplifiers;
• QS-Series Point-Source Coaxial Speakers and Matched Component Systems;
• KS-, CS-, and DS-Series Component Systems, Tweeters and Coaxial Speakers;
• KM-Series Marine Media Centers with weather-band;
• KM-Series Marine Subwoofers and Horn-Loaded Speakers with LED lighting;
• KXMA-Series and KMA-Series Marine Power Amplifiers
• KM-Series Horn-Loaded Tower Systems;
• Powersports PX-Series Waterproof Power Amplifiers and PS-Series All-Weather Speakers;
• Full-Range Outdoor/Indoor Systems - two-way, enclosed speakers;
• Smart-Radio Interfaces and LOCs;
• Audio Accessories, Power Kits, Brass and Wiring.

The 2023 Comp Gold and its look are based entirely upon the cosmetics of that ‘80s Competition Series, with the single gold “KICKER” in a simple capitalized font across the dustcap. Consumers will notice the back label is nearly identical to the ‘80s version as well.

The cosmetics are the only thing similar, as the driver itself includes all the current subwoofer features that make KICKER bass the best found around the world. UniPlate and Forced-Air Cooling to displace heat and increase the durability, integrated dust cap for stability under stress, double-stacked magnet for powerful low-end response, large-diameter spider for linear movement, etc.

KICKER graces the Stillwater skyline and has stayed true to the values from which the company was built. KICKER products are designed and shipped from a 280,000-square-foot facility that houses nearly 200 energetic individuals who constantly push the limits of audio-design technology and performance.

KICKER products are currently sold by approximately 1,200 authorized dealers in the United States, and export sales are managed through a network of distributors serving over 2,000 dealers in approximately 50 countries.

As audio continues to evolve, KICKER will continue to be on the industry's cutting edge, pushing the limits of audio design technology, performance and integration in the quest for ultimate sound.