Well the update on this MK2 speaker issue is:
8 x 6 speakers are a direct replacement. Coaxials are fitted as standard (some special editions may have component set up) and for ease coaxials are the best to upgrade with. The standard speakers are
okay but do not offer decent sound quality. You may think they do...until you hear upgrades. For me music is about quality rather than volume.
I replaced the head unit with a Kenwood KDC W4644UY, which I can run an ipod through directly and also memory stick storage. An SD card would have been good but one can't have everything. This runs to a cheap 2-way amp, a Kenwood KAC 5204. The speakers were replaced with JBL GTO-8627 coaxials. I ran new speaker wire to replace the very thin standard wire. Replacing the speaker wire was a bit tricky on account of the body to door wiring being via a plug. What I did was drill a new ser of holes just below the door plug. I painted the drilled surface to stop rust setting in, and ran a new flexible tube through the two holes and put the new wire through that. While I had the door stripped off I put a few layers of flashing tape on the outer skin of the door behind the speaker, and also on the inner skin of the door. All in all the upgrade cost less than £250 and took a few hours for a novice to install. The difference in quality is huge. There is a bit of a misconception that an amp is only relevant where an increase in volume is desired. That is not the case. An amp makes a tremendous difference to quality of sound.
On a sunny day on a B-road the top will be down, the stereo will be turned off, and I will be loving the rasp of the exhaust. Sadly life is not always so romantic. When I'm stuck in traffic and it's raining I will have the music on and I will be glad of every pound I spend upgrading.
