Rear deck replacement (audio noob)

[nametakennow]

This is a 2001 Sentra SE w/ Bose option (i.e. front tweeters and rear 6.5" "sub").

I just bought a Sony GT81UW headunit to replace my ailing stock piece. I've noticed for years and have confirmed with other Sentra owners that the "sub" in the back is a POS and buzzes more than it produces bass. Furthermore, I don't care too much about thump thump thump.

Anyway, I've spent some time trying to figure out if I could simply replace the rear deck setup, including the sub, with some 2-way component speakers in the $100 area.

My question is, would I need extra power if I did that? I assume this probably has more to do with the demands of the components, so what would I be looking at if I did/didn't add an amp? I'd obviously rather not if I can avoid it.

If I don't need to add an amp, what's the consensus on the best-quality-sounding (not loudest) $100 6 1/2 - 6 3/4 components? (6X9s won't fit, I know that much)

Yes, I know that's a tough question. I'd do some listening, but I have very few options as far as places to go to listen to different speakers and decide in my current location.

If I would need an amp, how about single speakers of the same size and price range?

I apologize for the noobtacularness of this post. I went through the stickies and looked at all the B15 info I could find elsewhere to try to figure this out.

Thanks folks.

[xekushnr]

Got some bad news for ya...

Bose factory systems are amplified. They sound great for a stock system when they work, but the problem is when they dont. Many audiophiles still want to upgrade. Aftermarket stereos dont respond well to the Bose amplifier. There are "kits" that are supposed to adapt them, but I've never heard good things about them. In order to replace a Bose system, the factory amplifier has to be removed, and the car speakers rewired. The job is actually fairly simple if you have electronics experience, but it can still be a pain in the ***.

The speakers wont be as loud as the factory ones. Its hard for me not to recommend an amp for the 4 speakers since I've had one. Would you NEED the power? I guess not. The speakers will want it, as they will be operating at a much lower wattage than they are rated for, and you will be wanting it to. That's your call.

As for the speakers, you should get out and listen to a pair. Any car audio place thats worth a **** will have their various speakers on display, wired up to at least one head unit. I know you said that you are limited in places to go, but there HAS to be at least one Best Buy or Circuit City near you, and each of them have a car audio department with speakers on display. It obviously wont sound the same in a big room as it will in your car, but you will be able to hear the differences in the brands. IMO, Infinity makes the best 6.5" to my ear, and not all of them break the bank. Luckily they have a wide range of speakers to suit any budget.

Hope this helps. If you have any more questions let me know.

[nametakennow]

Yeah, I'll go annoy the folks at Best Buy.

The 80w amp on this Bose setup is easily accessed on the rear deck and easily bypassed from what I've been able to piece together.

Say I went with an amp, what's a relatively cost-effective one for the simple upgrade I'm going for here? Meaning what sort of power would be necessary and/or what would be optimal and how much will it run me?

[PoorManQ45]

You'll need an aftermarket amplifier. Bose speakers are usually 1.2 ohms. Aftermarket speakers are ~4ohms. This means that with the aftermarket speakers the bose amps can only deliver ~1/3 the power that they're rated for.

For components I'd recommend DLS R6As. Search ebay for the best price. They pure sound quality.

[the converted]

They stopped doing the 1 and 2 Ohm speakers in the early 90's so they are all 4 Ohm for the most part now. I wouldn't really recommend components for the rear because you really won't notice the difference all that much and they are a little harder to install. For $100 bucks I'd just go into the local BB or CC listen to what they have and pick what you like. Also because it is going in the back I personally would pick a speaker that doesn't have a lot of high frequency to distract from the front (I typically just run a midrange without a tweeter in my cars if i even bother with rear speakers at all).

[nametakennow]

The "sub" is a 1ohm unit and it is the only part connected to the 80w amp. It taps from the rear deck speakers' signal.

I believe the rear deck speakers themselves are of a normal ohmage such that pretty much anything aftermarket will drop right in.

Anyway, my point in this post:

If I get some 1-way midbasses for the back, it's still recommended that I get an amp, correct? (i.e. The 17w coming from the new head unit to each rear channel would be lacking.)

What sort of wattage would I be looking at for said amp?

[the converted]

all depends on the midbasses that you use. If your going to do an amp you might as well do a 4 ch 40w set up to run the fronts and the midbasses. Alpine MRP series comes to mind, there's a model for about $200 that would fit the bill nicely and is a good quality amp.

[nametakennow]

Gotcha, I've somehow only just now noticed that speakers are listed with wattage ranges.

Thanks!