Ok I checked the manual and could find any specs on the stock speakers in my '90 pioneer as far as wattage. Anybody got any ideas on how musch watts they can handle?
Well, I have an '88 Pioneer. Probably the same speakers, and about the same age.
The factory tape deck on mine died so I replaced with a Kenwood AM/FM/CD head rated at 22 watts/channel (RMS). Put in a CD with Bob Segar's greatest hits, and blew out the driver's door speaker. (No external amp, just what the head puts out)
Hey eagle mine did the same thing: I put in a 35x4 ch. pioneer head unit and blew out the driver side as well. The other speakers thought seem to be kickin' it just fine....Strange....
Not strange at all. OEM speakers are not the best quality in the world ... never were, never will be. Add to that the effect of 10+ years of heat drying them out, and the only mystery is why the others haven't blown out.
Wal-Mart has decent prices on acceptable quality Pioneer speakers if you just need tunes while you drive. If you're an audiophile (or, as seems more commen these days, a volume-phile), you'll want something a bit more exotic -- and expensive.
Back in my younger years when I didn't have the money to do upgrades all at once I always replaced the speakers 1st in my vehicles. A set of good Polk or Alpine speakers always made even a factory stereo sound much better, in contrast a good head unit with the factory speakers in most cases didn't sound much different at all.
FWIW,
Mike B.
ive found that like most things, its best to replace in groups. So if your gonna upgrade stock speakers, your should upgrae stock head units. Mine sounds great except i need to find a faulty connection somewhere b/c if i turn it up too loud it will cut off on me.