Stereo Upgrade?

[Jim Hester]

Just took delivery of a new 2005 to go with my '67. The Bose Stereo is average at best, maybe even poor compared to the factory system in my 2004 Volvo XC-90. Any suggestions on upgrades without altering the in-dash components? Thanks

 

[Greenie]

There are sooooo many stereos that are better than Bose. They sold a bill of goods to the manufacturers and they fell for it! The question is what will fit. The biggest trick may be with retrofitting the speakers. Stop in at a good hi-end store that has a good installation reputation.

 

[Greenie]

Jim, did you get the "standard" unit? Non-nav?

 

[Jim Hester]

Nav unit

 

[Greenie]

No stereo upgrade?

 

[Jim Hester]

Nav unit w/Bose premium audio. But, the audio sucks!

 

[Greenie]

I have NEVER heard good sounds out of any factory Corvette unit. Bose bragged through the eighties and ninties that they "tunes" the radio for the Corvette interior. What BS!!! I`m starting my search now for the best radio we can install in the C6 and Ill post the results. BTW, the BOSE unit interfaces with the car in such a way that competing radios when installed may not function properly. In some GM cars, low temp and low oil press are "broadcast" through the BOSE system, thus removing the radio can affect that function. I knew that it was difficult years ago to swap out speakers but this is crazy! My search continues Jim!!!

 

[dkluko]

I have NEVER heard good sounds out of any factory Corvette unit. Bose bragged through the eighties and ninties that they "tunes" the radio for the Corvette interior. What BS!!! I`m starting my search now for the best radio we can install in the C6 and Ill post the results. BTW, the BOSE unit interfaces with the car in such a way that competing radios when installed may not function properly. In some GM cars, low temp and low oil press are "broadcast" through the BOSE system, thus removing the radio can affect that function. I knew that it was difficult years ago to swap out speakers but this is crazy! My search continues Jim!!!

I'm curious as to what you find out there. I got my C6 with the base radio knowing I'd upgrade it, but can't get the in-dash kit anywhere yet (at least in the Atlanta area).

 

[Naval Aviator]

Concur; I have a Bose factory install in a Miata and it sounds great with only 4 speakers. It isn't that Bose can't be great...it is the unit installed in the Vet sucks. I have 2 sets of 901's in my house and they still rival speakers costing 10K or more and are going on 25 and 30 years of age.

 

[Jim Hester]

I'm curious as to what you find out there. I got my C6 with the base radio knowing I'd upgrade it, but can't get the in-dash kit anywhere yet (at least in the Atlanta area).

Here is what I've learned:

The Bose system sends a very weak signal to each speaker location. That signal is then amplified by individual speaker amplifiers. To preserve the head unit (navigation system, touch screen, controls, XM, etc..) as installed, the only reasonable alternative to get improved sound is replace the door and rear speakers, add an amplifier in order to provide power to the new spaekers and a sub-woofer. (However to add a sub-woofer you must be prepared to have a built-in unit somewhere in the cargo area. I for one can't stomach that.) Bottom line to get good but not great sound you're probably looking at hardware costs of about $1000 and installation costs of around $500-600. To get great sound increase the hardware by another $1000 and installation by another $200. To get the best sound possible while retaining the head-unit, you're gonna spend $2500-3000 bucks for hardware and $1000 on installation.

This leads me to the following questions: Does it make sense to spend $2000-4000 ADDITIONAL to get better sound? If so, that means combined with the cost of the nav unit upgrade, you probably have more than 10% of your total vehicle investment wrappped-up in audio! Does that make sense? Does Led Zeppelin require I invest the additional money?

 

[U2bassAce]

Makes sense to me! LOL In my Wakeboard boat I have 20% in the stereo. 4000 watts worth!! It is a shame that the manufacturers are making it hard to almost impossible in some cases to install a killer after market stereo system in todays and future cars.

 

[caddy]

Let me ask you guys something, I picked up my C6 last thur and I got the Nav package and I love it, I have been told 2 different things about the CD player and maybe someone can clear it up for me, I was told that the CD player w/the Nav package WILL NOT play MP3 files, and then someone else wrote and said that YES it would, so I made a CD with MP3 files on it and I couldn't get it to play, but then again maybe I'm doing something wrong, if anyone out there knows would you please share this with me.........thanks!

 

[Greenie]

PLUS the fact that the Corvette uses/used the door as the radios base factor. Go figure!

 

[Billybeau1]

Let me ask you guys something, I picked up my C6 last thur and I got the Nav package and I love it, I have been told 2 different things about the CD player and maybe someone can clear it up for me, I was told that the CD player w/the Nav package WILL NOT play MP3 files, and then someone else wrote and said that YES it would, so I made a CD with MP3 files on it and I couldn't get it to play, but then again maybe I'm doing something wrong, if anyone out there knows would you please share this with me.........thanks!

My guess is something to do with the sampling rates you used to record the music. Read up on it in your owners manual. There is quite a bit of info there.

Good luck