Distortion is caused by speakers trying to hit notes
they were not designed to take.  Try and find some
specs on your speakers, but if not you can call up
Crutchfield.  If you put some inline bass blockers in
there your speakers will sound better at high volumes
because they are not trying to hit the sounds intended
for woofers (under 110hz).  I hate to keep pumping
Crutchfield, but they have them at good prices, and
can tell you which ones to get for what kind of
speakers you have.  You probably need ones that run
high=pass at 800hz for 4" speakers if you have an amp,
or 500 just off the head unit.

The 40wX4 stereo specs is Max power. This is a number
that tells you how much power your stereo can put out
for short periods of time.  The RMS number is the one
to pay attention to - it is probably between
12-20w/ch.  That says how much CLEAN sound your stereo
can put out per channel.

Yes an amp will help, but you should look into
different speaker configurations - 4" speakers will
NEVER put out bass.  No matter how much you try.  If
you want to look into a better combination, look for
some 5.25" midbass speakers for the rear. (If you want
a recommendation - UBid.com & Ebay usually sells some
Boss Audio 5.25 mids for 19-29$/pair.  Good stuff for
dirt cheap)
The door speakers can be pumped up to a max size of
6.5"  If you get some 6.5" components and mount the
tweeters on the dash, that would be my first choice,
and is actually what I am planning on after I finish
the audio on my Scirocco.

You could also buy some 6.5-8" woofers (or subs) and
mount them somewhere with an amp.  Subs are good, but
that leaves the majority of the audio spectrum out if
you just have subs and 4" speakers.

Well, I've rambled on enough - if you have any
questions, drop me a line.

here is a link to my current stereo system
http://student.fortlewis.edu/~mwmages/cars/Vanagon/vanpix/vanstereo.htm

HTH
Mark
> This is
> a 40W x 4 unit with remote, and a bunch of other
> cool features. The
> remote in particular is neat when you are in the
> back of the camper.
>
> Just finished installing it, and it sounds really
> good. The weak point
> is my speakers, which, because I didn't want to
> modify the van's
> interior, are the stock size. I have a Westfalia, so
> there are two 4"
> speakers in the rear AC housing and two 4" speakers
> in the front doors.
> They are 80W Pioneer's, and they sound good except
> for the lack of good
> base. I attribute this to the speakers' small size
> and their location in
> the door. At highway speeds, you can't turn the
> volume up enough without
> getting distortion.
>
> I'm wondering if an amplifier will help this
> situation. The CD player as
> preamp outputs, so It's designed for an amp. I like
> the sound, but the
> base is not too good.
>
> Anyone care to comment?
>
> Dan

=====
Mark
If you're not paranoid, you're not paying attention.

87 Westfalia Gl
84 Scirocco 8v
http://student.fortlewis.edu/~mwmages/

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