Need help/advice for replacing an older sound system

[Xerxes]

Hello everyone!

I know this may seem very noobish of me, but I was hoping for some help in replacing a seemingly mid-90's aftermarket build in a 1979 Camaro I recently purchased. I would consider myself a home entertainment audiophile (mostly headphones, but a bookcase set also), and I have quite a few pairs of pretty nice cans. However, I have just recently began my foray into the world of car audio, and it is very different indeed.

Anyway, I was hoping for some help with a somewhat decrepit stereo system in my Camaro. When I purchased it, the Camaro had

1. a pair of Sony XS-302E 6.5's (2-way) for the front (front-ish, the speakers are actually located next to the seats in the back, rather than in the door/by the front),

2.a pair of Pioneer Premier TS-903 6x9's (3-way, it appears) in the back,

3. and a Jensen A22HX 100wx2 Amplifier that amps the Premiers ONLY.

Needless to say, it sounds pretty terrible (horrendous amounts of fuzziness, little base, little clarity, response in the highs is terrible). After receiving the car, I promptly tore out the old headunit (an alpine...something. I did some research on it and it was low end) and put in a cheap Pioneer (Deh-2200UB) headunit in its place, which I purchased a couple months ago. After this, I tore out the Sonys in the 'front' and put in a pair of Infinity Reference 6012i 6.5's, unplugging and disabling the amp and Premiers in the back.

Now that all of the stats are out of the way, I was just curious if any of you have any suggestions/see any glaring issues so far. Some things I was wondering:

1. Are the References I put in any good? I couldn't really find any information about them. Running them unamped by themselves sounds decent after some eq, but not perfect, so should I get something different for them?

2. Is that Jensen amp worth keeping? If I were to replace the Premiers, would the Jensen degrade quality in any way?

3. (Most importantly) What should I get to replace the 6x9 Premiers? I see a lot of hate for 6x9's here, but I was thinking about the ID CTX69 that seem to be recommended often.

4. I am not sure I understand the differences in quality between coaxials and components and 2 or 3 way speakers. Which would be best for me?

Thanks!

EDIT: I forgot to mention, I am hoping to keep the prices more on the budget side, maybe 300 dollars total, but even cheaper would be awesome.

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[Xerxes]

I am now debating whether I put this into the correct sub-forum. It seems that most of my issues are speaker-related, so should I move this thread? Sorry if it is in the wrong area...

 

[Bumpin' Goalie 10+ year member]

This sub-forum can work.

So could the other. Six of one....

Anyhow, the frame work of a decent sound system in a car is commonly seen as this: Capable headunit, amplifier, speakers, appropriate wiring.

Many people choose to add a substage, though in an older Camaro, this may not be a priority.

These things can get pricey, so if on a budget as tight as that, price EFFICIENCY is the most important.