Can't believe I'm asking about the factory speaker amp...

[Blacksheep Josh]

So I've never seen it, but I've heard and read about there being a stock amplifier for the door speakers in my 1993 XLT... Well I believe it's finally starting to give.

While driving the other day, the front right speaker (passenger door) just stopped playing audio all of a sudden. For months it's kinda hissed unusually but I didn't think anything of it, now no sound is coming out of it... Yesterday I pulled the radio out enough to get to the wiring harness, and just stuck wires into the back of the radio and then to the speaker itself (my crossover is mounted outside so it was really easy) and the speaker played.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm thinking that because when its wired from the radio straight to the speaker and it's working, it's got to be the amplifier that's gone bad..?

Just wondering what are the stock specs for the amplifier, because instead of getting an amp bypass, I'll probably buy an aftermarket amp (cause I have aftermarket speakers and want some more power to them).

Thanks for any and all help...

 

[Anime]

You have the stock radio or an aftermarket radio? The stock radio can go bad, especially in the right front channel for some reason, so replacing the radio solves the problem, usually.

If you have an aftermarket radio, you can run speaker wire to the speakers and use the internal amp to power the speakers rather than a seperate amp.

Stock amps are 4 x 20W (they want to pretend thats RMS but it's probably max), so it's a little difficult to find similar power replacements. AutoZone sells some crappy Jensen amps that put out 12-18W x 4 (even though it's sold as a 50W x 4 or something), and you might find some earlier 20W x 4 amps on ebay to just plug into the stock wires and be done with it.

A better idea might be to get a new amp based on the power handling of your aftermarket speakers. If they handle 40-50W RMS each, you can find plenty of amps for them. You'll probably need to run power and ground wires since the factory wiring will be too wimpy, but it will sure make a difference in sound. The factory amp has about 10% THD, and almost all brand name receiver amps and seperate amps have 1-0.1% or less, which makes a BIG difference when you turn up the volume.

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

I have an aftermarket Sony radio that's in there, befor ethis one it was another Sony that the previous owner had installed.

I'll probably just run new speaker wires from the radio to the speakers in teh doors for now, that's probably the easiest/cheapest thing to do right now for me.

In time though I'll buy another aftermarket amp for the speakers, I'm planning on 2 Kicker CVR subwoofers this Summer, and I'd like to hear the mids/highs instead of them being drown out by all the bass.

Thanks for the reply.