RMS rating of stock NA radio

[snshami]

Hi, does anyone know the RMS rating of the stock radio in an NA8.

I am trying to work out how much extra power there will be had if I go to one of the new 18W RMS radios that seem to be the norm nowadays.

[Noddycar]

Hi. I'm not sure what the actual rating is, but I can tell you even with a modest new head unit in my car, it has made a big difference in audio quality. I put a relatively cheap Kenwood unit in and immediately noticed a better sound quality. I then upgraded my door and headrest speakers (still waiting for the waterproof foam protectors for the back of my door speakers) and it has improved it even more.

I really used pretty basic gear (the speakers were cheapish JVC units recommended by a UK MX-5 parts retailer) and the improvement is substantial. I have played music as loud as my ears can bear and there is no distortion. It's a sensational improvement over the stock rubbish I had in my 93 LE.... As it is a limited edition, I have kept all the original radio parts and did not cut any harnesses, so it easy to return to normal.

Just take care if (like me) you have the standard radio/cassette (1.5 din) and factory CD player (1 din). Pulling this stuff out left me with an odd sized hole that could not be filled with a single din cubby. I had to order a 1.5 din cubby from mx5parts.co.uk to replace it, as I could not see any advertised on the forum sponsor. If the radio your are replacing is a single din, you shouldn't have any hassles fitting a modern replacement.

[snshami]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I replaced the speakers first and boy has it made a huge difference. I cannot wait to change the head unit.\\

I am pretty sure both my radio and CD player are single DIN each. So hopefully will not have too much problem.

Did you buy an seperate cable to connect the wiring loom to the new stereo. What model number kenwood did you get. Are you still happy with it. How does it match the rest of the interior.

[snshami]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I replaced the speakers first and boy has it made a huge difference. I cannot wait to change the head unit.\\

I am pretty sure both my radio and CD player are single DIN each. So hopefully will not have too much problem.

Did you buy an seperate cable to connect the wiring loom to the new stereo. What model number kenwood did you get. Are you still happy with it. How does it match the rest of the interior.

[Noddycar]

Hi. The Aerpro wiring loom to suit the EF/EL Ford also worked with my radio (and most MX-5 I believe). It plugs into the factory harness and you then wire it to your radio harness (will be the same colour as the harness for most new radio's. Not sure of my model number but it was quite inexpensive ($199 on sale). It has directnusb for iPhone, aux socket, rear RCA sockets etc. There are quite a few Kenwoods with the same features (about three were cheaper than mine and looked similar, but the sales rep recommended this an an excellent "cheapie" and was correct). The unit I selected has softer blue lighting etc, which matches up with my car interior than the bold red etc.

You can get the Aerpro harnesses from Super CheP or Autobarn. If you want to make it really simple, you can get a n Aerpro Kenwood iso harness that plugs into the EF/EL harness, but I was concerned about how much space was left behind the head unit.

My setup still looks a little dodgy, as the cubbyhole has not arrived yet, so I have the new head unit sitting on top of the old 1.5 din radio. I haven't fitted the fascia on the radio and will fit it properly once the cubbyhole arrives, but a mate has already commented on the fact it blends in well.

[muzzy66]

The amount would be not worth mentioning to be brutally honest, and even the amount from a more modern head unit is pretty pitiful. If you can afford a small and very simple amp would be a definately advantage, but not sure if it's an option for you.

Failing that, I found Alpine's higher units used to have pretty potent on board amps by head unit standards.