I am looking for a good cheap set for the car.  Needs POWER!  Also needs single CD player and speaker box. I can do the install but what do I look for in recievers and amps?

I want to keep it under $500 total


SGatr15

Crutchfield

www.discountcarstereo.com/


Railgun....

Crutchfeild is a bit pricey.  As for the CD player I would go for JVC.  They are the best quality for the money.  As for speakers replacements from any of the major company will work.

So what specs do I look for in radios and amps?

I had a place install a nice 4 speaker system in my other Ford....60 watt amp wasn't quite loud enough.  Do I need a 4 channel if I use 4 speakers?

What about sub woofers?

I need bass.


SGtar15

The more power the better quality the sound.

Theoretically each speaker should have its own amp and either crossover coils to match frequency or a digital crossover network that supplies the amps.

The deck itself need only 30 watts max as the main power is in the power amps.

The problem is the $500 ceiling that you put out.

Thats basic.

400 watt amp with stereo front and back, {four} speakers, and then a second 100 watt amp for a mono sub box.
Still should use crossover coils to clean up frequency response.

Railgun....

Quoted: Thats basic. 400 watt amp with stereo front and back, {four} speakers, and then a second 100 watt amp for a mono sub box. Still should use crossover coils to clean up frequency response. Railgun....

1)  What are cross over coils and how do I wire trhem

2)  if I run f speakers and a sub, what outputs do in need to llok for on the back of the reciever?  Or do I just wire to the amps and then to the speakers/sub?


Sgatr15

You're better off getting a quality amp.  All those 500 w amps sound horrible next to a nice Rockford fosgate or soundstream.  Also don't skimp on your speakers.  In my old camaro I ran 2 100 w amps and Boston Acoustic speakers.  The rear speaker were 6x9 and everone though I had a sub woofer.

As far as receivers, I like Sony.  They've always been 'plug and play' (meaning really easy to install).

Quoted: The more power the better quality the sound.

I have to disagree with that. You can have 400 watts of shitty power. But if you put 100 watts of pure clean power then its going to sound better.
Ive been out of the car audio loop for awhile But I used to use Precision Power amps. Incredible stuff. I bet there is alot better now though

Well yes I too have four Rockford Fosgate Punch 100's and two digital crossovers left and right.
And then 1 more Punch 100 for the sub.

But Sarge is looking to gear up cheap. Kinda hard to get the best gig.

www.bcae1.com/passxovr.htm

Sarge ya better bone up on the car stereo thing.

Railgun....

The best way to get good clean sound is to match peak output and especially RMS output as closely as possible between deck or amp if used to the speakers. Clean sound equates to properly driven speakers. Mismatched equates to garbage.

Sgtar15, allow me to translate your post in AR-speak:

"I am looking for a good cheap AR type rifle for the car.  Needs a good rail system.  Also needs a good optic and free-floating chrome-lined barrel.  I can build it myself, but what do I look for in terms of receivers, rail systems and parts kits?

I want to keep it under $500 total."

Also, if you told us more about your music interests, and maybe the type of system you have at home, we could possibly help more.  Your focus on "power" and bass makes it sound like you want a teenybopper hip hop machine - am I reading you right?

If you can tell us what type of music you like. How loud you actually want it. What type of vehicle. Do you want components or coaxials in your doors? How big of a sub? Will you build your own sub box or will you need a prebuilt one? Do you need to be able to play MP3 cds?

I quickly put together a nice little system using mostly Alpine components on Woofersetc.com and the price was around $800. That could go lower or higher depending on the answers to the above questions.

I will give you one piece of important advice, do not skimp on the amplifier. That will be the heart of your system. You can always swap out speakers or start with really cheap speakers and then upgrade later on. If you have a good 5 channel amp (it sounds like that's all you'll need) you can create a good sounding fairly loud system around it.

I'm building a system myself right now but my budget is a bit higher than what you are looking to spend. Also, consider doing this in stages over 2 months if that will allow you to buy better quality. For that, we will need to know exactly what kind of system is currently in there.

the best budget brand for amps and subs: MTX, Good sound for a good price.

Ebay has some killer deals on head units- some of the refurbs are a steal. Kenwood Exelons for $130 on ebay...

Dont spend too much or some asshole will steal your shit out of your driveway.

Quoted: I am looking for a good cheap set for the car.  Needs POWER!  Also needs single CD player and speaker box. I can do the install but what do I look for in recievers and amps? I want to keep it under $500 total SGatr15

First off, good and cheap dont go hand in hand in audio. Moving on.
Install is the key. The best equipment will sound like ass in a bad install, the worst equipment will sound good in a well planned install. Now, these recommendations are based on your budget. I personally wouldnt run them, but I'm probably a bit more demanding in my audio (My sub would almost max out your budget)
First off speakers.
For the front stage I'd do either CDT, Infinity or JL. All impress me. I'd probably go with CDT's myself, thezeb has a good set at a good price (Has had them forever...)
CDT
It includes 2 midrange, 2 tweets and 2 crossovers. The crossovers are a snap to wire up. Wire from amp to crossover, then from crossover to speaker. Making your own crossover if more rewarding but a bit tricky depending on the slope and crossover point. Plus you have like 10 different crossover types to choose from, I'd do a Linkwitz Riley or Butterworth.
But to make it easy, get the CDT's and be happy.

For an amp I'd do a US Acoustics. It'll get the job done. Its not the shiny neato-ness that can be had, but for the money you get a solid amp that gives you power.
US Acoustics

For a head unit I'd do a Pioneer. I looked up one from Crutchfield with MP3 playback. Pioneer or JCV will do you good, not much preference either way really.
Head unit

CDT - $150
Component amp - $130
Head Unit - $180

Total - $460. You'll also have another 50 to 100 in wiring and fuses and beer.

Thats a simple, no frills system. Fact of the matter is you wont get a complete system (head unit, components, amps, subs) on your budget without really getting the worst of the worst. You also dont need a high dollar amp as power is power. You cant tell the difference between watts so dont worry about it. Now I prefer to get a bigger amp then my speakers are rated for to keep the gains low, but thats not always the best way. I just dont like leaning on the gains, you can end up really trashing a speaker when you overload the amp. Yes, a 250 watta mp can burn up a 400 watt rated subwoofer. (As an example)

Anyways, that'd be a good entry level system, and later you could go in and add a sub and sub amp as well.

With your 500.00 limit I would say hit a few pawn shops.

If you are going to use an external amp.  you need not worry about the wattage of the deck.

Get an amp that is a tri- way.  that way you can bridge the two channels in to one mono, add a coil to kill the mids and highs from getting to the subs.  With a tri way amp you can also run the fronts off the left and right channels.  Just put really good resisters on the door speakers so you don't  get a bunch of bass in them.

Also make sure you use a large diameter power wire straight off your battery to the amp(s).  Think of the electricity as water in a pipe.

I have added a 1 Farad capacitor to keep the wattage up as the base hits.

A guy at work picked up a "Crunch" amp at a place called "Fry's Electronics" for like $80.00.  sounds great driving 2 PPI 10" subs.

I have heard good things about majestic subs.  I have 2 in my garage that I paid $30.00 bucks each for.  Bought them direct from the manufacture.  I just need to take the time to build a box for them.

I have a friend that owns a car stereo shop, in his truck.  he had 3 8" kicker subs in this really long and narrow box.  They hit harder than some 12"'s in pairs that I have heard.


As for your deck, that's were the pawn shop comes in.

If you can find them cheap enough get component speakers for the front door's.  the tweeter is separate from the woofer.  They also have a crosser over included.  they run any where from $150.00 and up a pair.

I hope this all makes sense.  As I'm really tired right now.

http://www.a1carstereo.com/forum




ETA this is what is in my truck:

A clarion DXZ745MP with Sirius hooked up

I 200 watt PPI amp running the 2- 61/2" component's Boston acoustic speakers.

1- 600 Watt HiFonics "Zeus" amp (Bridged down to mono) pushing 1 AURA 12" sub.

I also have a PPI pre-amp.

The not sure what gage my power wire is, but it's about as think as my middle finger.  My bass really took a jump for the better when I added the heavy duty wires.  It as like I was starving the amp.   So then I decided that since I had a 16' run for so of power wire I had  better stiffen the power supply with a 1 Farad Capacitor.  That did really help as well.

Quoted: If your car stereo is loud enough to piss off the occupants of the car next to you to the point that they're tempted to shoot at you,  you've got more power than you need. I hate loud car stereos.   CJ

Sooo...The 2200 watts I was giving my 12" sub would probably qualify then eh?

Quoted: Also, if you told us more about your music interests, and maybe the type of system you have at home, we could possibly help more.  Your focus on "power" and bass makes it sound like you want a teenybopper hip hop machine - am I reading you right?

This will go in the Ford Boronco if I get it.


I read up on stereos last night and learned much.

I listen to alot of talk radio and all sorts of music, from jazz to rock to classical.

I like load but must have CLEAN sound.  Being a small vehicle I think a pair of 6x9 and a good sub will be fine.

100 watts will be enough power I think.

Sgatr15

Quoted: Crutchfield

+1 Everything you need to know is here.

Quoted: Quoted: Also, if you told us more about your music interests, and maybe the type of system you have at home, we could possibly help more.  Your focus on "power" and bass makes it sound like you want a teenybopper hip hop machine - am I reading you right? This will go in the Ford Boronco if I get it. I read up on stereos last night and learned much. I listen to alot of talk radio and all sorts of music, from jazz to rock to classical. I like load but must have CLEAN sound.  Being a small vehicle I think a pair of 6x9 and a good sub will be fine. 100 watts will be enough power I think. Sgatr15

You really need to avoid focusing on wattage ratings.  One companies 200 watts will be less real power than another's 90.  There is no set industry standard to arrive at those numbers - the most reputable brands tend to use stricter testing, and thus give lower wattage ratings on their literature.  There are A LOT of brands (*cough* kenwood) that cater primarily to teenagers who make outrageous power claims but that sound like shit and weaker compared to others.

I agree that 100 watts from a good amp is fine - good luck shopping.

FWIW, I don't even run an external amp OR sub in my current ride.  My speakers can carry the lows just fine for me, and the built in amp was more than adequate with the low resistence speakers I chose - and they won't transfer "thump" sound to the neighbors and other cars.  Too much of the car stero market is driven by competitions that do NOT reflect the needs of the average commuter with a picky ear.  My system puts out good clean sound to volumes that approach painful, across a wide enough range, and that adequately overpower wind noise and engine noise.

I save the better stuff for home use.

I've never understood spending shitloads of money for a hi-fi car audio system.

Road noise cancels out any extra detail you might get by spending $1000s. I suppose you could sit in your car in the driveway and listen.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: If your car stereo is loud enough to piss off the occupants of the car next to you to the point that they're tempted to shoot at you,  you've got more power than you need. I hate loud car stereos.   CJ Sooo...The 2200 watts I was giving my 12" sub would probably qualify then eh? Like the bumper sticker says.... Rattle my windows with your car stereo if you've never seen an UZI fired from a car window before! It's just stupid to have that much power.   What good does it do?   Nothing, unless you count PERMANENT HEARING LOSS as a good thing. What you lose in hearing, you don't get back.   Far better to listen at more reasonable levels for a lifetime than listen at loud levels for half of it and end up functionally deaf at 40. I appreciate good quality sound as much as ANYBODY.  I'm an audiophile myself, and my home audio/video system consists mainly of equipment whose retail prices and quality levels would scare you to death.   My main speakers alone are $7700 a pair.   My main amps are 8000 a pair. (Monoblocks...two needed for stereo.)   But the system isn't intended to blow your ears off.  It's intended to provide a very natural, clean sound, with ample power to support large scale dynamics.    That's 240 watts (at 8 ohms) per main speaker, and the speakers are full range, with flat bass extension to 19 Hz. Sonic quality is something that I (and you, almost assuredly) have NEVER heard in ANY mobile audio installation.   When watching action movies, I turn on the subwoofer system for when I want things to get a little bit more physical.  But even the sub system is only a kilowatt.   I've maxed it out once or twice to see what it was like, and it's stupid loud.   Painful.   Not fun anymore.   In truth, I only turn the sub system on when entertaining others.  The main speakers alone outperform the vast majority of consumer grade home theater subwoofers anyway. Your loud car stereo does NOT impress anyone with taste and class. It pisses them off and makes them want to do something horrible to you.  It only impresses people who you should not give a shit about impressing.     Disturbing the neighbors, even the ones in cars, is very bad manners. CJ

I've done my damnedest to try to keep the sound IN the car, and I dont bump hard at lights.
As an audiophile you know as well as me that high output is actually needed for the dynamics and balancwe of a system. Theres a fine line between loud and obnoxious, and detailed and accurate.
I went for detailed and accurate, and to do so on some tracks requires a good amount of power to really reach down deep on those bass tracks (Some of the lowest recorded tracks are classical).
It takes power to reproduce sub 20 hertz frequencies.
And your prices dont scare me at all. I myself have looked into high end Denon  and Krell setups for my own home.

Buy a 2-channel amp, some decent coax door speakers, and a powered bazooka tube.  You won't be able to tell the difference between that and a $2k install in the Bronco because road noise in that older vehicle is going to cancel out any upgrades in sound quality.  I bet the older Broncos had 6-1/2s in the doors.

Bazooka Tube $200
Blaupunkt CD Player $100
Clarion 80 watt amp $80
Infinity 6.5" door speaker $100

All of that should leave you about $20 for wiring and other gizmos.  The Clarion amp has a built in crossover of sorts so you can send just the mids & highs to the door speakers, and the bazooka will get just the bass from the built in amp/crossover.

Norman,

do you think the 6 1/2" will be enough for mid-range?

I really like my sound to be clean...I hate distortion.


Sgatr15

Quoted: Norman, do you think the 6 1/2" will be enough for mid-range? I really like my sound to be clean...I hate distortion. Sgatr15

I suggested the 6.5" because I suspect that it's what's in the door now.  Cutting bigger holes in the sheetmetal can turn into a major disaster area very quick (larger speakers can interfere with things like rolling down the windows all the way).

The bottom line here is that you are not going to get audiophile sound within that budget, and even if you could you're not going to be able to tell the difference past about 15mph.  What I suggested would require the least amount of installation time, fit within your budget, and sound just fine to boot.

Bear in mind those are Crutchfield prices.  Things can be had for less, but nobody else is going to take your call and walk you through it when you fuck something up at 4 PM on a Sunday afternoon.

walmart has a decent cheap selection of stuff - sony too

... tagged for the expert advice, I'm in the market too

For actual expert advice, go check out elitecaraudio.com or to a lesser extent sounddomain.com

That old bronco gives you a lot of options in your doors since they are so deep. I recommend a 6.5" component set (separate midrange and tweeter). You will get much better sound quality (SQ) than a 6x9. If you wanted to stay with a coaxial set up you should look into MB Quart, JL Audio, Alpine Type R or Polk Audio. All of these can be found for good prices on the net.

What are you in the market for in terms of subwoofers? I would stay away from those Bazooka things, they don't sound very good and take up a lot of space. Since the variety of music you listed doesn't require high SPL like Rap or Hip Hop would, one good 10" sub would probably be enough. If you wanted a little more lower extension then go with a 12. I highly recommend Image Dynamics. their ID or IDQ series would do you very well. They have great SQ, don't require a ton of power to sound good and work well in small enclosures.

I would stick with a quality 5 channel amp to keep things simple. Don't let anyone tell you that "watts are watts".

I should preface this with the fact that after 10+ years of working heavy construction, shooting without hearing protection, etc., my hearing ain't what it used to be.
With that in mind, here is what i put in my Bronco(1994 full size), when my cassette player finally died.

Sony am/fm/cd/mp3/etc. head unit. I am not sure of the model number, but it was the cheapest one I could find that had three RCA (front, rear, and sub) outputs. I got it at Circuit City for around $200.
Sony Explod 6.5" three way speakers for the front. Wal-Mart, about $50.
Sony Explod 6"x9" three way speakers  for the rear. Wal-mart, about $80.
Sony Explod 500 watt 2/3/4 channel amplifier. Wal=Mart, about $100.
6"x9" speaker boxes. Wal-Mart, about $14 each.
Amplifier wiring kit, speaker wire, head unit wiring adapter kit, etc. Wal-Mart, about $50

I couldn't find a decent place to mount the amp, so I built a console that runs from the stock position in the rear all the way to dask in the front. The console is attached to the stock mounting holes, so if I decide to sell the vehicle, I can put the original console back. This allowed me to mount the amp on the center hump, near the dash and hide it at the same time. It also gets cooled pretty well by the air conditioner. I also mounted the 6.5" speakers in this console, so I didn't have to screw with the door panels. The 6"x9" speakers are mounted in the boxes purchased for that purpose with extra long speaker wires so that I can put the speakers outside of the vehicle while I'm working. I don't have a sub.

I didn't bother hooking the factory speakers to the head unit, just left them in their holes.

It ain't the top of the line type setup, but it works well enough for me.

for a complete system 500 is gonna push it.
id suggest you bump your self up to the 800+ dollar bracket.
is easily doable especially this time of year, go for last years close out goodies.  
you wont have to settle for car audio manufactured by sparkomatic either.

Quoted: I suggested the 6.5" because I suspect that it's what's in the door now.  Cutting bigger holes in the sheetmetal can turn into a major disaster area very quick (larger speakers can interfere with things like rolling down the windows all the way). The bottom line here is that you are not going to get audiophile sound within that budget, and even if you could you're not going to be able to tell the difference past about 15mph.  What I suggested would require the least amount of installation time, fit within your budget, and sound just fine to boot. Bear in mind those are Crutchfield prices.  Things can be had for less, but nobody else is going to take your call and walk you through it when you fuck something up at 4 PM on a Sunday afternoon.

Good point on the "Help Desk" advice.  Since there is alot of open room in the back I have th option of building my own speakers boxes/amp enclosure.  Pretty good with wood and fabrics so I am confident I can make it look nice.  I understand the budget restrains of the $500 and the road noise issue.  The powered subwoofer sounds like a good idea..

Hmmm


Sgatr15

Quoted: Sony am/fm/cd/mp3/etc. head unit. I am not sure of the model number, but it was the cheapest one I could find that had three RCA (front, rear, and sub) outputs. I got it at Circuit City for around $200. Sony Explod 6.5" three way speakers for the front. Wal-Mart, about $50. Sony Explod 6"x9" three way speakers  for the rear. Wal-mart, about $80. Sony Explod 500 watt 2/3/4 channel amplifier. Wal=Mart, about $100. 6"x9" speaker boxes. Wal-Mart, about $14 each. Amplifier wiring kit, speaker wire, head unit wiring adapter kit, etc. Wal-Mart, about $50 It ain't the top of the line type setup, but it works well enough for me.

PERFECT!!


THANK YOU!!!!

Sgtar15

I never had good luck with Sony.

If you're looking for Sound Quality I would skip the Sony head units. Alpine, Pioneer or Kenwood would be a better choice. Eclipse would also be a great choice but is beyond your budget.

People with loud car stereos are the Devil's Pied Pipers.

Quoted: For actual expert advice, go check out elitecaraudio.com or to a lesser extent sounddomain.com That old bronco gives you a lot of options in your doors since they are so deep. I recommend a 6.5" component set (separate midrange and tweeter). You will get much better sound quality (SQ) than a 6x9. If you wanted to stay with a coaxial set up you should look into MB Quart, JL Audio, Alpine Type R or Polk Audio. All of these can be found for good prices on the net. What are you in the market for in terms of subwoofers? I would stay away from those Bazooka things, they don't sound very good and take up a lot of space. Since the variety of music you listed doesn't require high SPL like Rap or Hip Hop would, one good 10" sub would probably be enough. If you wanted a little more lower extension then go with a 12. I highly recommend Image Dynamics. their ID or IDQ series would do you very well. They have great SQ, don't require a ton of power to sound good and work well in small enclosures. I would stick with a quality 5 channel amp to keep things simple. Don't let anyone tell you that "watts are watts".

Gonna do all that for under $500 huh?

Quoted: Since there is alot of open room in the back I have th option of building my own speakers boxes/amp enclosure.  Pretty good with wood and fabrics so I am confident I can make it look nice.  I understand the budget restrains of the $500 and the road noise issue.  The powered subwoofer sounds like a good idea.. Hmmm Sgatr15

If you're going to build your own cabinet, you're going to have to buy an amp and woofer seperately, and that will drive up the price.  There are tons of pre-built enclosures that are sealed properly and are very inexpensive.  The only real reason to build your own is to have a custom configuration.   In my old extended cab truck we took the rear seat out and built a custom box that held the woofers and the amps.  The whole thing was then carpeted.  Since nobody ever rode back there it gave me an awesome cargo shelf and a perfect place for the dogs to ride on long trips.  Otherwise I would have bough pre-built.

Also, you need to make sure you understand the air space required for the woofer you choose.  Stay away from band-pass or ported enclosures.  Sealed enclosures are the way to go.  I personally think that the closer you can come to a cube the better the sound (i.e. a 12"x12"x12" box).  For most speakers a true cube will be too big, but you should keep the front where the speaker mounts square (say 12"x12' for a 10" woofer) and then get the rest of the volume from the depth.  What you don't want is a 12"x24"x2" box.

They make a replacement center console that has a subwoffer/amp built in or you could use your own.

Quoted: Norman, do you think the 6 1/2" will be enough for mid-range? I really like my sound to be clean...I hate distortion. Sgatr15

They also make spearate speaker sets.  6 1/2 speaker with a speparate 2 inch speaker with a crossover.  You put the 6 1/2 speaker in it's stock place and place the smaller satallite speaker higher up.  The higher the frequency, the more it needs direction, meaning a sub can be placed anywear since you feel bass as much as hear it.

If you want clarity, go with separates.

You can build a great system for under $500, it all depends on finding the right deals.  Like it was said, eBay is a great source.  I recently bought a NIB MTX sub amp for under $65, and I see head untis all the time for $100.  For subs and amps, I would stick with MTX, which I have in both of my trucks.  As far as mid range, 2 or 3-way 6.5" speakers will plenty enough, and you don't need a four channel amp (unless you insist on fading from front to rear).  Pioneer and Sony make very affordable speakers, and are more than enough for normal applications.  Four speakers can easily be powered by a 2-channel amp and still sound great.  Also, most amps come with built in crossovers, so you don't need external ones.  

SUBS-  Try MTX Thunder series, but Rockford Fosgate and JL Audio are also decent.  Be aware, however, some speakers are designed for ported boxes and otheres are for sealed boxes.  Sealed boxes are allways smaller, but need a tad more power to play as load as a ported box.  Sound is very different between the two, though, and that is a completely different subject.

AMPS- Once again, give the MTX Thunder series a try.  Very solid amps, and their power ratings are very conservative.  The sub channel on my 5400 is rated at 100 watts @ 4ohms, but does over 300 watts into a 2ohm load.  

HEADUNITS- Alpine, Sony, JVC, Panasonic, etc..  Same with TV's, stick with the name brands.  Each has their advantages and disadvantages.  

Here is my recommendation.  By a good head unit with MP3 playback and at least one set of RCA pre-amps (2 or 3 is better).  Buy a 2-4  Sony 6.5" 3-ways, and power them with a reputable (read MTX thunder) amp rated at 35x2 or 50x2 RMS.  Then,  buy a single 12" sub, build the correct box for it, and power with another good amp rated at 50x2.  Most MTX amps rated at 50x2 will do 200x1 when bridged.  Understand, however, amps require separate power cables run from the battery, as well as RCA cables connected to the head unit.  

I am only scratching the surface here, as this question is similar to "What gun should I buy for $500"...

Hope this helps!

Quoted: If you're looking for Sound Quality I would skip the Sony head units. Alpine, Pioneer or Kenwood would be a better choice. Eclipse would also be a great choice but is beyond your budget.

Absolute BS.  Nothing else to see here, move along.

... Is there anyone out there in the same situation I am?

... Mike just called me after seeing my post in the thread. Here's my desire. I have a newer vehicle with a stock but adequate tuner & CD. I actually like the controls and have really no desire to shit-can the stock in-dash system.

... I do however wish to add an amplifier/ equalizer (watts) and some aftermarket speakers matched to the new "upgraded" system. I prefer not to add anything that looks aftermarket yet I would like to audio to output a tad-bit more than the factory tunes.

... Does anyone out there do this?

Quoted: ... Is there anyone out there in the same situation I am? ... Mike just called me after seeing my post in the thread. Here's my desire. I have a newer vehicle with a stock but adequate tuner & CD. I actually like the controls and have really no desire to shit-can the stock in-dash system. ... I do however wish to add an amplifier/ equalizer (watts) and some aftermarket speakers matched to the new "upgraded" system. I prefer not to add anything that looks aftermarket yet I would like to audio to output a tad-bit more than the factory tunes. ... Does anyone out there do this?

Yep, but depending on your current in-dash, you may not want to stick with it.
If it doesn't have pre-outs (RCA's) for the amp, sound quality will suffer dramatically. It can be done, but not worth it (IMHO)

Basically what you want is more power. I still have all factory speakers in my car, sounds great, since I added clean power & a seperate amp for sub & speakers. Even w/o the sub, it sounds good, just need to have clean power, that's the real issue. I spent a lot on my deck though, I wanted a non-powered deck, since the power from decks is generally not as clean as directly from an amp, though I think this has improved recently.

HTH..