Can adding just a head unit be enough?

Question

So I want to upgrade my 1993 Honda Accord's stereo but I am on a very limited budget. I found a pioneer head unit on ebay for 60$ that I am looking to purchase. Im wondering will just a head unit make my stereo sound significantly better? Also I looked at the speakers that are in the car the other day and they are not the normal crappy quality stock speakers with the cardboard cone. They are actually Pioneers that seem pretty nice. Thats why I am reluctant on buying speakers too because I feel like the only reason my stereo is not sounding that great is because of the head unit. Thanks in advance for any help

Answer 1

Yes replacing the stock head unit with a pioneer deck that can push 45w/channel will sound a lot better. I have done it several times and the difference is night and day.

Answer 2

First of all, you get what you pay for. A $60 pioneer head unit will sound better than your stock unit, but not as good as the $130 JVC or Sony Unit. As far as your speakers, if they are sounding terrible now, they won't be sounding any better with a new head unit. Your gonna have to replace the speakers if they are blown. You gotta look at the quality of what you want, then hold off till your budget is able to meet that.

Answer 3

Let's be realistic here.



The only real, objective quality you're going to improve (maybe?) by going to an aftermarket head unit is power. Everything else is bells, whistles and aesthetics that won't have much/any effect on sound.



Fuzzy eluded to a basic pioneer HU being able to deliver 45w to a speaker -- not true.

Pio's current HU's produce 14w rms of usable power. HU's simply don't have the space available to house an amplifier with a lot of power.



14w rms is PROBABLY more than a stock '93 import head unit will give you, but to imply that you're going to get substantially better results isn't being honest IMO.



I think it will be BETTER, but night and day? No.