I dunno if canary is the best to ask about this but before I post tot he whole audio forum just wanted to check here locally first.
I'm thinking of getting an Alpine KTP-445 and trying to mate it in line with the factory deck and then upgrade the speakers. The stock audio is just getting too shitty to live with anymore. Anyone have ideas on this?

Thanx

 

so you're wanting factory deck and different speakers or? I'm a bit confused by your post.

 

Yes. Just dont want to pay $180 on top of a decent aftermarket deck and I think the metro kits looks a bit off. I know the factory speakers need replacing but I also think they need to be amplified. Looking for a way to do this without a set of preouts or using LOCs. Pretty sure I'll have to us LOC to ad a sub tHe factory deck but that will be after. Just looking for help from someone more experienced.

 

You won't be able to do it without pre-outs if you want it amplified, if you just replace the speakers by themselves and don't amplify them you're probably ok, but iff you have the Bose then doing that won't work very well since the Bose speakers have awkward impedance ratings. Do you have Bose or just factory?

Honestly your best bet is the Metra and a nice radio, I don't understand what you mean when you say they look off, mine was a perfect fit and looked fine even before we painted it to match the rest of my painted interior, they also used mine to aid in designing the kit since we scratch built mine originally and they were so impressed with the fitment they approached me about helping them design the final kit.
I would say judging from my real world exprience with running the factory head unit and factory speakers with subs, and running the aftermarket with the Metra and all aftermarket speakers there is just no comparison.
Are you planning on doing a sub or subs, or just replacing door/rear/etc.? Those are things to consider as well, here's a pic of my dash, I honestly don't think it looks "off" by any means.

(this is a shot from 5-8-2010 by the way, car looks just a TAD different inside now )

 

If you are wanting to keep the factory headunit, I would recommend the JL Cleansweep. I've installed these on anything from Mazda6's w/ Bose to Vette's and never had an issue. On the Mazda bose, you will the need SSI as well.

If you don't have bose, you can install an aftermarket radio instead. Crutchfield gives half off of the RX-8 dashkit with the purchase of a radio from them. I helped Angels8 with hers and the fit and finish of the Metra gloss black kit is excellent.

 

no bose here, just gonna get a new head unit i guess. been looking around and there is plenty of nice stuff out there for less than it used to cost for a 7" screen.

 

Im interested in the same thing...I have the bose. but i want to keep the factory head unit.

 

I used the factory HU for 5 years, I had the bose system as well, and upgraded it with the Rockford Fosgate 360.2. It has a little too much control for beginners, but converts your HU output to amplifier inputs and then to your separates.
The Bose speakers/amps do have crazy low impedances, but still handled an amplified signal from a T4004 RF amp and crossed over using the RF 360.2.
If i had to do it all over again and the Metra kit was available back then, I would have definitely upgraded using it and an aftermarket deck. You will spend the money eventually when the stock speakers dry out and need replacing as well as the deck completely disappointing you on sound quality.

btw, i started with a LOC to a sub and amp system, works for a while until you can upgrade to something different. i pulled off the back deck speaker outputs for it.

All of that is gone now! Metra Kit, double din touchscreen, 4-10 inch subs, 2- T5002 amps for the subs, Memphis Audo M Class 8 inch separates for the front doors and MB quart 6.5's in the rear, mids and highs run by the T4004 RF amp, with all components fed by the 360.2 signal processer.
Over kill for some, just right for me!