Will new speakers bring new life to my old Panasonic stereo?

Buy a new stereo.

More than size matters for great sound. It depends on the electronics of the amplifier, and the quality of the speakers and their enclosures. You need a wide band amplifier to get the full range of sound from your media (FM, CD, or DVD). You also need a quality source. Mp3 recordings sound good, but will never be excellent. AM radio doesn’t sound too good because of the limitations on bandwidth at the transmitter and received. The same problem exists with FM but to a lessor degree and also a better signal to noise ratio.

My guess is that the Panasonic was good for its time and price range. True audiophiles prefer vacuum tube amplifiers because they have a wider bandwidth and higher power capability. It doesn’t matter to me because my hearing isn’t good enough to hear the difference.

The only way to pick out a sound system is to hear it first. Much of the quality depends on the listener’s taste and ability to differentiate sounds. You obviously have outgrown the Panasonic. I suggest that you upgrade to a better quality system. Don’t waste money on speakers that are driven by inferior electronics.

Hope this helps.

Definitely get a new stereo. That thing isn’t going to make ANY speakers sound good. The right amp is WAYYYYYYYY more important than the right speakers.

Speakers can do a lot, but I would still suggest getting a new stereo.

Yes speakers can do a lot, but what I’m saying is…

Best speakers + Worst amp sounds slightly better than worst speakers + worst amp.
Worst speakers + best amp sounds significantly better than worst speakers + worst amp.

My two cents…good speakers will help, but what I found a number of years ago when I finally ponied up the money for a pair of really good speakers was that although they sounded better than my old ones, they also mercilessly highlighted the crappiness of my Pioneer receiver. So I ended up spending as much as I spent on the speakers for a new preamp & amplifier, then I was a very happy camper.