Audio Systems: Car radio, factory amps, chevy impala

Question
I have a 2000 Chevy Impala LS with the factory installed CD/Deck radio.  The CD player does not work.  When you place the CD into the player it trys to find the first track but can not.  For this reason I am looking for a a new stereo.  I went to a place and they said I would have to rewire the speakers because of the fact that there where no new stereo's that would work with the factory installed amp.  They state that the amp that is in the new stereo units and the factory amp would cancel each other out.  From the understanding that I have of amps the actual possible out come is that the two combined could blowout my speakers but not cancel each other out. So my question is are the correct of am I correct?

Answer
Hello Chris,
I think what the person at the stereo store was trying to say is that you cannot connect a new stereo directly onto the existing wires that go to the factory installed amp. YOU can use the existing factory installed amp with adapters that you hook up to the factory plug that goes to the amp. Your new stereo must have RCA or low level outputs. (high level=speakers, low level=RCA connectors) Most factory amps will sound pretty good to most people, however many car owners want to have that ground pounding? bass from their stereo system. You will not get this from the factory amp You will need to have a new amp and speakers installed. When the stereo installer mentioned that the amp in the new stereo would cancel each other out, that would not be the case. The new stereo (high level outputs)would simply burn up the inputs(low level)to the factory amp this may also burn up the amplifiers in the new stereo.

TOM,
T&D ELECTRONICS
tdeser@zoominternet.net