I have searched all over this site and no one seems to agree on what to do.
Can you get good sound by adding aftermarket amps and speakers while keeping the stock head unit?

I keep finding partial answers to this. Has anyone done it and liked it?

Please let me know so I can plan my attack on the stock system.

Thanks


98 SC300

 

i really tried to keep everything stock...but was very unsuccessful.the cd changer starting acting up,and would 'nt have made any sense to replace it with the same stock unit,so i went aftermarket and i am extremely happy with the outcome..b4 this transformation,i had the rear subwoofer changed to a kicker 4 ohm sub,customized the bracket it sits in to make it fit(sounded better than stock,total cost:speaker$80 customization to cut steel mount:$60)my amplifier went bad(nakamichi) had it replaced w/ a 5 channnel alpine amp rated at about 250 watts rms total cost:amp-$280 install-$50 changed all the other speakers to Ma audio / total cost:about$180 kept the tweeters stock. the sound was better than stock but,still very limited...it all depends on what kind of setup your looking for.all the stereo shops i went to basically had the same thing to say...it's just not worth expanding on the stock radio(very limited).now i have a alpine head unit,FOCALS door /tweeter/rear deck speakers-upgraded the size of the door to 5.5 speakers and rear deck 6.5 speakers..with a custom 12" jl audio fiberglass sub mounted in the same space the cd changer and amp was placed.no sacrificing trunk space and it sounds amazing!!...stock cannot ever compare...good luck in your research!

 

Do you have some pics of the new head unit?
I like how the stock unit looks. I hate to clash with an aftermarket.

 

You can always go with an aftermarket Nakamichi headunit. They have a stock look to them. http://www.nakamichi.com/auto/index.html