C. Montgomery Burns

Did I just waste rougly 500 dollars for something that doesnt' sound even better.

Donovan

Just kidding, here's how I see it: If you are somewhat of an audiophile (maybe 10% of us), like myself, you're going to redo everything including the head unit. In that case you are better off getting the bare minimum, since you're junking the OEM stuff. However, if you fall into the other 90%; you'll probably find the upgrade stock system just fine and you can do minor upgrades to the speakers or add a small sub later.

I've become a complete snob, and will not settle for anything but real high-end equipment. I didn't start out this way, it's like an addictive drug. Maybe some people can mess around with doing modifications and be just fine with that. Not me! About six years ago, it all started with my previous car (a Saturn) and slowly developed into a disiease. Proceed with caution.

I see the key being how deep is your love for the music you like? If you're real passionate, look out. If you can take or leave music and it's background filler, you'll scratch you head at people spending $2,000 to $5,000 on a music system.