Q. So where do I begin?
Common starting point is the radio itself. Your budget will determine what brand you should look at. Best bang for the buck is Pioneer. It's a terrific brand with great features. Alpine has absolute top quality and innovative features.

By changing the radio, you will instantly change the sound of your car for the better.

Soon after the radio swap, replace your front and rear speakers. The sound from the headunit is only as good as your speakers. Becareful of the mounting depth of the locations though. You can't get these massive speakers because the mounting locations can't accomidate for the massive magnets on the high end models.

Q. When is an amp needed?
An amp is only needed when you want to run some massive power to your interior speakers or drop a subwoofer in the trunk. If you purchase a new radio with a strong internal amp (4 speakers by 20W RMS is the standard), then you won't need an amp for the front and rear speakers.

If you purchase component speakers (the kinds with the seperated door mount tweeter and woofer), then you'll need to amp your internal speakers.

If you want to run a subwoofer, then you want to match the power of the amp to the RMS of the subwoofer you want to purchase. Under powered amp to a huge woofer isn't the way to go. Over powered amp to a weak subwoofer isn't optimal either.

Also, take into account that if you start matching brands (Alpine radio to Alpine amp, Kenwood radio to Kenwood amp), you get some extra control features.

Also, buying the most massive amp on the market isn't good either. It's quite a strain on the alternator and electrical upgrades come into the picture. 400W to 500W is a safe limit to run on a stock electrical system.

Q. What can I get for $500?
Total? Speakers, Radio, Amp, and woofer? That's a tough one. I'll see if I can piece together something decent for that price ... get back to you on that one in a later post.

Q. Is the stuff at Best Buy going to be more than enough for what I'm looking for, or is that junk?
Best Buy carries all the popular brands like Kenwood, Alpine, and Pioneer. It's a good place to play and test out component combinations, but not to actually purchase. They're quite expensive.