Head Unit or Speakers First?

[cosmic]

I'm looking to upgrade from the stock gm stereo, but being a typical High School Part Time Minimum Wage employee, I can either save for a long time until I can afford everything at once, or put it together piece by piece. What, in your experience, would be the component to start with? in other words, what is more important to replace, head unit or speakers? I'm not planning on building a bassmobile, I'm just looking for a good, clear system

 

[ChevyDave]

I did the speakers first...put the front in last weekend and doing the rear this weekend. Probably ordering a radio from crutchfield audio in the next week. If you buy a radio from there that costs over 119.99 they give you ALL the installation gear free. Anyway, you'll still get good sound with new speakers an a stock head unit.

 

[great white]

If I had to pick: speakers

Typically, they will make the largest difference.

Not becasue the OEM ones are bad/crap/cheap, but because by now they are just plain old. The cone and suspension is usually the problem. The paper warps, the surround goes brittle or it is torn. Sometimes even the spider has gone hard and/or brittle.

If the speaker is in the door, it has most likely be subjected to some water damage as well.

The magnet and coil don't really wear out unless the speaker has been subjected to clipping or the spider has allowed the coil to rub the magnet/pole.

This is why they would be my first stop if I had to do it piecemeal.

 

[thz71]

Speakers first for sure

 

[cosmic]

Speakers it is!

 

[SCOTTYINWV]

Also to add, a new headunit will more than likely put out more rms and peak power over a stock gm headunit. That's just gonna shorten the life of an already failing speaker.

 

[great white]

Also to add, a new headunit will more than likely put out more rms and peak power over a stock gm headunit. That's just gonna shorten the life of an already failing speaker.

For the most part: incorrect.

OEM Delco puts out almost 18W per channel. More than enough to drive a set of average speakers (and loud at that).

Demanding more than that out of a head unit alone usually just leads to a noisy amp section. Built in amplifier sections are typically pretty useless for anything approaching SQ or SPL. Better off to pre out to a dedicated amp.

Which is something to look for in a head unit when it's time.

 

[SCOTTYINWV]

 

[SCOTTYINWV]

Is that 18 watts peak or rms?

How many ohms?

Like I said, "more than likely"... I didn't say, "grab a pen and paper to take notes, this is 100% spacific technical information..."

I have not spacifically tested a factory delco unit, but I have seen most factory stereos average 8-10 watts rms per channel and are commonly 8 ohm.

An average quality aftermarket head unit is usually 4 ohm and 10-20 watts rms per channel.

I've never had factory paper cone/foam surround speaker hold up after switching to an aftermarket headunit.... Let alone a set that is anywhere from 15-26 years old.


I will agree that a dedicate amp is best

So it's whatever, I honestly don't care about your "I'm right, your a dumbass" opinion... Maybe if I was trying to state a 100% spacific fact about a spacific topic...

"For the most part: incorrect"

 

[great white]

Is that 18 watts peak or rms?

How many ohms?

Like I said, "more than likely"... I didn't say, "grab a pen and paper to take notes, this is 100% spacific technical information..."

I have not spacifically tested a factory delco unit, but I have seen most factory stereos average 8-10 watts rms per channel and are commonly 8 ohm.

An average quality aftermarket head unit is usually 4 ohm and 10-20 watts rms per channel.

I've never had factory paper cone/foam surround speaker hold up after switching to an aftermarket headunit.... Let alone a set that is anywhere from 15-26 years old.


I will agree that a dedicate amp is best

So it's whatever, I honestly don't care about your "I'm right, your a dumbass" opinion... Maybe if I was trying to state a 100% spacific fact about a spacific topic...

"For the most part: incorrect"

Um, what?

I think you're reading into it if you think I called you a"dumbass". That's why I said "for the most part". Same as you said "likely". The delco is better than most for power and less than some. Also, power does not tell the whole story. Noise floor is far more telling when taking about power from an internal amplifier section. All are noisy. Aftermarket or OEM. Its because they are cheap and small to fit in the confines of the radio. Aftermarket wins out because they have pre amplifier section outs. No noise, or very little of it.

I seldom intend attitude in any of my posts. That's one of the problems of reading something on the internet. No inflection. It ends up being the "mood" of the reader at the time rather than the author.

I also never intend to "I'm right you're wrong" it.I put out what I know without malice and the reader can take it or leave it. If they think its a "mines bigger" contest, so be it. That's the readers problem, not mine.

Its 17.8 wats RMS into 4 ohms by the way. As tested by an audio engineer (not me) in the 90's. I'm simply referencing his work when I say it.