Looking for some advice on the following...

I have a 1996 Nissan Micra, and would like to upgrade the non-RDS
radio/cassette system to something that plays CDs and MP3s, and goes rather
louder than the present system. Musical tastes are fairly diverse - mainly
pop, rock, jazz and classical. Just got the car, and found that the standard
Nissan system is really crap (the bass vanishes when the vehicle moves). I
changed out the radio/cass for something with a front/rear fader (Clarion
ARB0170E) and added some Kenwood KFC-6979ie 6x9 speakers a week ago -
they're on the rear parcel shelf. They've helped a lot, but I still want a
proper CD-playing head unit (CD is currently a CD walkman and an adapter),
and I'd like to fit better door speakers.


Head Unit.

I'm considering the Kenwood KDC W4031, mainly because it has bass, *mid*,
and treble, rather than just bass and treble. This unit seems to go for £130
at Halfords, down to about £90 on eBay. Worth the money? Loud enough to
drown out the road noise in my Micra? In terms of hi-fi sound quality, how
does it rate? Any other units at this sort of price that are worth
considering?


Door speakers.

I'm told that I need 17cm speakers to fit my Micra doors, and that they need
to be fairly shallow to be sure of fitting in the space available. Pioneer
TS-G1748 have been suggested at £45. Worth it? Anything better for that
money? How about the Kenwood KFC-1768S 2-way jobbies in Halfords for 40
quid?


Soundproofing.

How much effect do those sound deadening panels have? I'm told that, for £16
a door, I can reduce vibration with some sort of heavy black self-adhesive
stuff - called 'Brown Bread' or something. Any good?

What about the rear parcel shelf? At present, the Kenwood 6x9 speakers are
just screwed to the shelf itself. I'm considering making a baffle which
would fit under the shelf, to which the speakers would be fixed - the idea
is to add mass to the fixed structure and thus allow the bass cones to move
better. Just looking to improve the bass without having to go to a sub.


Thanks in advance,


--
Wally
www.artbywally.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk