Noob stereo upgrade setup?

Hey I saw the Amazon pioneer deal and wanted thought it would be a great time to upgrade my access cab stereo. Basically my problem is that I'm not a fan of the stock speakers (would like better bass) and the stereo volume isn't loud enough for my taste. Completely new to this subject but from browsing this forum I'm guessing for my preference I will need only an amp and speakers and maybe some of those ********* things if I want to keep the stock face unit. Is this correct? Any recommendations on what kind of watt amp is good and what speakers would be good for me? And if I do decide to go the route with a new face what will i need a bigger amp or is there any other upgrades that I might need to make? The audio shops have a ridiculous markup out here in Hawaii so buying online or at least knowing what I'm looking for will definently help me save some bucks. Thanks in advance.

 

I upgraded my stock non-jbl stereo with a Kenwood single din from Crutchfield it was by far the cheapest improvement mod done so far!
The sound actually is so much better even with the stock speakers.
It rocks & is loud
I am sure if you go do the whole shabang and do an awesome system it will sound soooo much better over stock.

FWIW, I got the headunit, wiring harness & fit kit that looks like stock (I choose a black metra kit) & installed it myself very easily & no little about doing that sort of stuff.
Total cost was $109 w/ a $20 coupon & free shipping. I put the coupon code in the deals & coupon section of the forum.

I am sure whatever is recommended by others far more into audio than me from the Amazon deal will sound great.

pics are in my gallery.

 

Have to agree with Simon'sMom on the stock HU. If it were me, I would upgrade in the following order to get the most bang for the buck at each stage.

o HU - wiring harness+faceplate
o speakers - adapters(or make your own)
o amp - wiring kit(power, speakers, RCA)
o sub&box&amp - wiring kit

Each step gives you a good improvement, and you can always stop at any point that you're good with the sound (ya, right Each step is also not too bad for $$ layout if done individually, except for that last one, kind of need a sub, box and amp at the same time unless you bought enough amp in the previous step.