Hertz DSK 165.3 Review: Component Speakers Without a Crossover Box to Hide
Updated: Oct 6
The Hertz DSK 165.3 is a 6.5-inch two-way component set from Hertz's Dieci range: two DV 165.3 woofers, two DT 24.3 tweeters and passive filters that sit on the supplied connection cables. Hertz rates it at 80 W continuous (160 W peak) into 4 Ω, with 93 dB sensitivity and a 50 Hz to 23 kHz response. The India MRP is ₹10,990, which places it above the Uno K 165 and well below the Cento CK 165 in our Hertz price list. It suits owners who want component-style tweeter placement without hiding crossover boxes in the doors. See the set on our Hertz DSK 165.3 product page.
Quick summary
A true component set: woofers in the doors, 24 mm PEI-dome tweeters mounted higher, and a 3.5 kHz, 12 dB per octave tweeter filter built into the cables.
80 W continuous handling and 93 dB sensitivity: happy on a head unit, better with a modest four-channel amplifier.
Paper V-cone woofers with TPU surrounds and water-repellent treatment, sensible materials for humid, dusty door cavities.
Ten reviews at a UK Hertz dealer over twelve years, eight of them at the top score, with almost no written detail.
Hertz DSK 165.3 specifications
Specification | Hertz DSK 165.3 |
|---|---|
Type | 6.5-inch (165 mm) two-way component system |
Parts | DV 165.3 woofers, DT 24.3 tweeters, cable-mounted filters |
Power handling | 80 W continuous, 160 W peak |
Impedance | 4 Ω |
Sensitivity | 93 dB |
Frequency response | 50 Hz – 23 kHz |
Tweeter filter | High-pass, 3.5 kHz, 12 dB per octave |
Woofer cone | Water-repellent pressed paper, V-cone profile, TPU surround |
Woofer voice coil and magnet | 25 mm; ferrite, 80 x 40 x 15 mm |
Woofer Xmax | 2 mm |
Woofer Fs / Qts / Vas | 67 Hz / 0.81 / 14.6 litres |
Tweeter | 24 mm PEI dome, neodymium magnet |
Weights | Woofer 0.74 kg; tweeter 0.03 kg; filter 0.16 kg |
India MRP | ₹10,990 |
Figures come from Hertz's official DSK 165.3 page and its technical sheet, which agree with our listing. Hertz prints the woofer's dimensions only as lettered figures (165, 144, 72 and 64 mm) without a legend, so there is no clearly labelled cutout or mounting depth; check fitment before you buy.
A component set with the filters on the cables
Most component sets come with crossover boxes that need a dry, rattle-free home. Hertz has moved the DSK 165.3's filtering onto the supplied cables. Its tech sheet describes it as a 3.5 kHz, 12 dB per octave high-pass for the tweeter, and no separate low-pass for the woofer is listed. The tweeter's slope is steeper than the gentle 6 dB filter in the standalone Hertz DT 24.3 tweeter kit.
The woofer's upper range matters. Hertz's V-cone profile is designed for good off-axis response and detail in the mid-high range, which is exactly what a door-mounted woofer pointing at your knees needs. The trade-off of cable-mounted filters is flexibility: Hertz lists no tweeter level adjustment, so brightness is controlled by where you aim the tweeters.
What the woofer specs say about door mounting
The DV 165.3's published parameters (Fs 67 Hz, Qts 0.81, Vas 14.6 litres) describe a woofer suited to a car door rather than a sealed box. A door is a large, leaky enclosure, and a driver with this Qts suits it better than a low-Qts, box-oriented design. The limit is excursion: Xmax is 2 mm, so it sounds best when it isn't asked to play deep bass loudly.
Factory head unit or amplifier?
At 93 dB, the DSK 165.3 is easy to drive, and one Four Car Audio reviewer reports running the set straight from the head unit with the woofers on baffles. That is a fair starting point for a car with a factory touchscreen.
The step up is a four-channel amplifier. Hertz's own DP 4.300 delivers 60 W per channel into 4 Ω, comfortably within the kit's 80 W continuous rating, and its speaker-level inputs work with factory head units. Use its high-pass filter, set somewhere around 60 to 80 Hz, so the 2 mm-Xmax woofers aren't pushed to reproduce bass they can't handle. Later, a DSP can add tweeter level and time alignment; our guide to why DSP matters in car audio explains what that buys.
What owners and reviewers say about the Hertz DSK 165.3
Of the Dieci speakers we sell, this one has the most owner feedback we could find, though the detail is thin. Here's what we found when we checked in October 2026.
Four Car Audio, a UK Hertz dealer, lists ten reviews dated April 2014 to August 2026. Eight are at the top of its scale and two sit one step below. Most are scores without text. The written ones describe a great, warm sound (February 2018), being very pleased with the speakers (September 2015), and simply good (June 2020). The 2014 reviewer runs them in the front on head-unit power, with the woofers mounted on baffles. None reports a fault, but none gives the car, amplifier or length of ownership, so treat the scores as a favourable sample rather than a test. The retailer's Hertz-supplied description, calling the set ideal for any source in any car, is promotional.
DSK 165.3 vs K 165, CK 165 and DCX 165.3
The cheaper Hertz K 165 from the Uno range (₹8,990 MRP) is a similar idea: a 24 mm PEI-dome tweeter with a filter in its wiring. Its filter is gentler, at 6 dB per octave, and its woofer uses a foam surround where the DSK has TPU. The K 165 quotes 75 W continuous against the DSK's 80 W, but a much higher peak figure; compare continuous ratings, not peak ones.
The Hertz CK 165 from the Cento range (₹24,990 MRP) is a bigger step: a 26 mm soft Tetolon dome tweeter, a CCX 2 crossover box at 2.5 kHz with a 0 or +3 dB tweeter switch, grilles included and 95 W continuous. If you'd rather keep a factory-style layout, the DCX 165.3 coaxial (₹8,990 MRP) puts a 15 mm tweeter in the centre of the woofer instead.
Who should buy it, and who shouldn't
Buy the DSK 165.3 if you want a proper front stage with tweeters up high, a tidy installation, and the option of adding an amplifier later. It is a sensible first component set for a hatchback or sedan with 6.5-inch front doors.
Look elsewhere if you want to tune tweeter level without a DSP, or plan to run serious amplifier power; the CK 165 has an adjustable crossover box and higher handling. And no 6.5-inch door speaker replaces a subwoofer for deep bass.
Installation notes for Indian cars
Many factory doors take a 6.5-inch speaker with an adapter ring or baffle. Measure the depth behind your factory speaker and check the window glass path before ordering, or ask us to check fitment for your car. Damp the door skin while the trim is off: a resonant panel wastes the midbass a 2 mm-Xmax woofer can make. Our sound damping guide covers the method.
Mount the tweeters on the A-pillars, sail panels or dash corners and aim them across the car; the included brackets allow surface or flush fitting. Secure the cable filters away from water running down inside the door, which is common in the monsoon. VA3 Car Studio in Ghaziabad offers professional installation.
Price and where to buy
The Hertz DSK 165.3 has an India MRP of ₹10,990 for the complete set of woofers, tweeters, filters and mounting accessories. Check today's price on our DSK 165.3 product page. Every set we sell is a genuine Hertz product.
The bottom line
The DSK 165.3 brings component-style imaging to cars where a crossover box would be a nuisance. It is efficient and sensibly built, and the owner feedback we found is positive. Its limits are the fixed filter and modest excursion, so give it a damped door, a high-pass filter and, ideally, a small amplifier.
Hertz DSK 165.3 FAQ
Can the Hertz DSK 165.3 run on a factory head unit?
Yes. Its 93 dB sensitivity suits head-unit power, and one UK owner runs the set that way. A four-channel amplifier of around 60 W per channel adds clean volume, ideally with a high-pass filter for the woofers.
Where is the crossover in the DSK 165.3?
The passive filters sit on the supplied connection cables, so there are no separate crossover boxes to mount. Hertz lists a 3.5 kHz, 12 dB per octave high-pass for the tweeters.
Should I choose the DSK 165.3 or the DCX 165.3?
Choose the DSK 165.3 if you can mount tweeters higher up, on the A-pillar or dash; it images better. Choose the DCX 165.3 coaxial if you want a simple drop-in replacement for the factory door speakers.
Buy Hertz Speakers in India
You can buy the Hertz DSK 165.3 Dieci 6.5 Inch 2-Way Component Speaker online from VA3 Car Studio with pan-India shipping. See more Hertz speakers, compare other component speakers, or book component speaker installation in Ghaziabad.
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