I'm just looking to replace the blown factory speakers in the front of my '94 Ranger with something inexpensive and I'm not going for anything fancy.
I've already ordered a Pioneer DEHP4000UB CD player and I do not plan to add another amp to power these replacement speakers.
I'm looking at the Pioneer TS-G6842R (2 way, 180 watts peak, 30 watts RMS) and the Pioneer TS-A6872R (3 way, 24 watts peak, 50 watts RMS).
The price difference is negligible but I was wondering if I should go with the lesser speakers (TS-G6842R) in order to get better performance with the limited amount of power that the integrated amp in the head unit will be providing (50 watts peak, 14 watts RMS). Is this a logical conclusion or should I just spend the extra $7-10 to get the 3 way model?
I also see that the Kenwood KFC-C6882ie 6x8"s have a higher sensitivity rating than the Pioneers so maybe they would be better suited to this application.
Any aftermarket coaxials that fit the mount will sound better than the originals did. Don't worry about the sensitivity ratings, and actually listening to a pair at your local car audio dealer is the best way to decide on a model. Otherwise, avoid the easy temptation to pick up brands found at your local everything-for-your-car shop (tucked between the wiper blades and floor jacks).
Notice I said coaxials...NOT 3-ways. Speaker marketers often just add up supposed power ratings for each driver in an array, so don't place stock on power handling ratings on replacement coaxials. Again, it is the listening that will tell you what you want to use. I once had a pair of 50 WRMS Pioneers and a pair of 40 WRMS Pioneers which looked similar to each other and cones were made of the same material. I liked the sound of the higher wattage-rated pair beter in that case. But it could easily have been the other way around as the deck amp is only providing a couple of watts of power anyway.
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Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.