Just outta curiosity....does anyone what the stock sound system specs are? 97 f150 xlt
Just wondering what the power is. Obviously its not much but anyway.

 

Maybe 5-8 rms per channel.

 

Wow pretty weak but I guess not too bad for a 97 and it still kicks loud enough for tailgating so i can't complain. but i definitely wanna upgrade soon

 

A good headunit will put your around 18-22 rms per channel. So thats where I would start

 

Do you have a Lariat? Or a stock head unit that has an "auto set" button in the upper right of the unit? If so, then you have an external stock amp, albeit low power (up to 10 W RMS). These were only on the '97 and '98 models. The absolute cheapest of aftermarket units only put out 5W RMS. A decent one will push up to 25W. After that, you're in component territory (large external amp, subwoofer and the like). There's a dedicated section in this forum for a ton of info on audio upgrades.

 

I keep forgetting to ask the 97-98 guys about the auto-set (External Amps).

 

There is no auto set button on my head unit. But I will definitely check out aftermarket units. What is the price range for a decent one? [MENTION=99584]ibd2328[/MENTION]

 

$150-300

Usually it's worth paying the little bit more at a place like Best buy if they still offer free install if you don't have the know how or desire to do it yourself.

 

I'd suggest an older Alpine CDA 7893/7894, not a fan of the newer ones.
Pioneer DEH 80PRS, Kenwood, Clarion. Unless you plan to build a system no need for the really high end pioneers.

 

How much can I expect to spend on one of those? Eventually I want a full system but not anything too crazy. When its all said and done I would want a aftermarket head unit, amp, 4 new speakers to replace factory, and probably a small new sub. The only music I listen to is country and classic rock. What all would I need out of what I listed to get benefits for my kind of music?