2013 Base GT - need better sound from stereo on a budget

[Brian Z.]

As the title implies I'd like to improve the sound of the base stereo in my '13 GT, I will be trading this car in on a '15 stang in late fall or early spring next year so I don't want to put a ton of money into a new system. I don't need navigation or a lot of bells and whistles and I don't want to add weight to the car with a sub (and I listen to metal not rap so big bass isn't a concern). So can I get better sound by just upgrading the speakers? If so which ones fit and work well with the factory head unit? A new head unit the better option? I'm not that knowledgeable about new stereo stuff I just want to crank the As I Lay Dying without cringing because it sounds so wimpy now. Thanks guys!

 

[jojobee]

How much are you willing to spend max ?
I did JL stealthbox, front speakers and rear speakers, amp and L2ci.

This was a major improvement for about 1200$

I kept the Shaker head unit and door subs but used my 4 channel amp to power the sub and a set of speakers

 

[Brian Z.]

I was hoping to stay under 1k if possible. If I was going to keep it longer I'd go all out, but with my plan to trade it in less than a year from now I don't want to invest too much. Not sure if spending that little will allow me to upgrade it much though.

 

[Mugzy]

Replace the door speakers. Add a sub. Going to need an amp. You'll also need some kind of processing. An Audio Control LC7I may pull it off. I'm sure there are better options. It may be possible on your budget with a prefab box. The jl stealthbox would put you over budget.

 

[dirtyd88]

Get some Pioneer TSD6802R speakers (Ford/Mazda replacements) and a nice little 4 channel amp that does about 80-100W RMS. Then you can get a small sub and amp combo, which should keep you under the $1k budget. I wouldn't mess with the headunit.