Can component type speakers be powered by a head unit? Or do you need to use a seperate amp? The ones that I've got have a sensitivity of 87.5 db. I have not tried to hook them us yet, but I don't want to be disappointed...

87.5 is fairly low for sensitivity. You can try them, but they won't be very loud.

To use the factory head unit with aftermarket speakers, you want at least 90db (in my opinion) of sensitivity for a speaker. I found a set of 6x9s with 93db of sensitivity, and fronts with a sensitivity of 91db. Good luck....

If you're wanting to get pretty loud, you'll want a power amp for that kinda sensitivity.

Sensitivity is generally regarded as the SPL of a driver @ 1 watt, @ 1 meter, in an acoustically dead chamber.

I hooked my components up to my sony cd player. Your right, theyre not as loud. Also they dont seem to have as much bass as the stockers, higher power handling though. I guess that component speakers are designed for use with a sub?

No, its just that the speakers are not designed to produce as low frequencies as the stockers. It could also be that they don't have enough power to do so.

I would return them and just get a nice coaxial or three way speaker that is very efficient (90db or better)

Components will produce more bass then stockers, but they need power to do it.

How about the stock components in many of our Bonny'*? Mine begin to distort with bass when I crank up the volume... although it could be clipping, but I'm unsure b/c I've never tried them with an amp before.

Don't amplify stock speakers. They take very little power, less the 5watt RMS in reallity. The most you'd want to run in them is an aftermarket HU.

The distortion a lot of you hear in your cars with stock setups is clipping, which is the HU'* fault. If you put an aftermarket HU in, it sounds better, but what definitely takes the cake is an aftermarket HU and new speakers.

I also have rear sony'* at 93 db and front sony'* at 91 db.

Hmm, ok...

I always understood clipping to be caused by speaker being overdriven while underpowered... which in theory would be fixed by more power (i.e. an amp). How would the type of HU change that (unless you are referring to the internal amplifier in most HU'*)? If I want to keep my stock HU, will a sound improvement only result with aftermarket speakers AND an amplifier?