basic suggestions for 2001 C5 stereo improvements
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
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From: Katy Texas
basic suggestions for 2001 C5 stereo improvements
I tried searching this forum section for some of this info, but came up sort of empty. Hopefully this won't be too much of a newbie question. 
Basically, I want to do some simple and low-key modifications to my stock stereo system. I'm very happy with the head-unit (although I DO wish it had CD-Text support) and I actually like the imaging of the stock Bose speakers. There needs to be more speakers, though...
Ideally, I'd like to add a simple subwoofer and perhaps some small tweeters later on. Eventually I'd like to replace or enhance the stock CD-Changer with an MP3 compatible unit, but that's a whole separate project.
To start, I think I'd like to get a small subwoofer with whatever required amplification it needs. I've seen a few smallish subwoofer kits that fit into the back compartment where the CD changer lives. Do those kits cause malfunction with the CD changer, or does the CD changer have to be removed?
Someone here at work mentioned that you can put a "filter" of some sort of the main amplifier (is there even one in with a Stock C5?) that cuts the low frequencies from the main speakers, and lets the subwoofer do that work. That sounds like a good idea for letting the main speakers work less.
So... suggestions? Comments? I basically just want to improve the sound quality and imaging of the stock system. I'm not interested in showing off, or having the coolest loudest system out there (boy is that the path of no return...). I certainly don't want to impress anyone with my stereo but me.
Thanks!
Basically, I want to do some simple and low-key modifications to my stock stereo system. I'm very happy with the head-unit (although I DO wish it had CD-Text support) and I actually like the imaging of the stock Bose speakers. There needs to be more speakers, though...
Ideally, I'd like to add a simple subwoofer and perhaps some small tweeters later on. Eventually I'd like to replace or enhance the stock CD-Changer with an MP3 compatible unit, but that's a whole separate project.
To start, I think I'd like to get a small subwoofer with whatever required amplification it needs. I've seen a few smallish subwoofer kits that fit into the back compartment where the CD changer lives. Do those kits cause malfunction with the CD changer, or does the CD changer have to be removed?
Someone here at work mentioned that you can put a "filter" of some sort of the main amplifier (is there even one in with a Stock C5?) that cuts the low frequencies from the main speakers, and lets the subwoofer do that work. That sounds like a good idea for letting the main speakers work less.
So... suggestions? Comments? I basically just want to improve the sound quality and imaging of the stock system. I'm not interested in showing off, or having the coolest loudest system out there (boy is that the path of no return...). I certainly don't want to impress anyone with my stereo but me.
Thanks!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 3,020
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From: Union City CA
Re: basic suggestions for 2001 C5 stereo improvements (Speed-Racer)
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 20,246
Likes: 0
From: Katy Texas
Re: basic suggestions for 2001 C5 stereo improvements (Speed-Racer)
Yeah, I saw this one. On first glance it looked like more than I wanted to do, but let me re-evaluate that.
(Thanks!)
(Thanks!)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,756
Likes: 5
From: Satellite Beach, FL, USA
Re: basic suggestions for 2001 C5 stereo improvements (chadwick)
chadwick
Read my post on the C5 Bose system. You must understand how the present system works before you can do mods to it.
The Bose Signal Processor, BSP, already low pass filters the signals before they are sent to the midrange and high frequency Bose Twiddler drivers.
Some of the problems with the stock Bose system are:
1. Speaker placement. The mid/high frequency speakers are horribly placed. The front Twiddlers radiate at your feet and the rears radiate at each other. High frequency drivers are very directional like a flashlight. They need to point directly at the occupants.
2. Lack of highs. There are no tweeters in the C5 system. The system should have had pillar mount tweeters. The front Twiddlers are really upper mid-range drivers. They also don't point at the occupants. Even my C2500 has door mounted tweeters.
3. Gain imbalance. The subs level and the mid/highs level is not ideal. It seems that Bose/Delco is trying to use the bass control as a subs level control. It has a very low frequency turnover frequency compare to other Delco head units. It does not work correctly. The system should have at least three level controls, subs, mids and highs.
4. Low mids/high power amp gain. The Twiddler power amps in the Bose/Delco head unit have their gain set very low. I don't know what Bose was thinking. You cannot drive the front and rear Bose Twiddlers to full level on many CD's and certain radio stations, yet you can drive the Bose subs to full level any time. I modified my head unit to fix this problem in my hybrid system.
5. Lack of audio power. The Bose/Delco system has six power amplifier channels. Four channels are in the head unit and two small class D amps are in the doors. None are more than 15-20 wrms. The Bose system should have had an external six channel power amp module with high power. They could have taken the money wasted on the external BSP and sub amps and put it into an external amp. Why is it that other GM vehicles like the Camaro have a seperate power module. GM/Delco wanted to be cheap and use a modified version of a standard head unit.
6. No external auxilliary audio input connector. It this day and age, the head unit should have had a set of RCA connectors under the dash for a MP3 player or what ever one wanted. The deck could do this now if it had different software in it.
Read my post on the C5 Bose system. You must understand how the present system works before you can do mods to it.
The Bose Signal Processor, BSP, already low pass filters the signals before they are sent to the midrange and high frequency Bose Twiddler drivers.
Some of the problems with the stock Bose system are:
1. Speaker placement. The mid/high frequency speakers are horribly placed. The front Twiddlers radiate at your feet and the rears radiate at each other. High frequency drivers are very directional like a flashlight. They need to point directly at the occupants.
2. Lack of highs. There are no tweeters in the C5 system. The system should have had pillar mount tweeters. The front Twiddlers are really upper mid-range drivers. They also don't point at the occupants. Even my C2500 has door mounted tweeters.
3. Gain imbalance. The subs level and the mid/highs level is not ideal. It seems that Bose/Delco is trying to use the bass control as a subs level control. It has a very low frequency turnover frequency compare to other Delco head units. It does not work correctly. The system should have at least three level controls, subs, mids and highs.
4. Low mids/high power amp gain. The Twiddler power amps in the Bose/Delco head unit have their gain set very low. I don't know what Bose was thinking. You cannot drive the front and rear Bose Twiddlers to full level on many CD's and certain radio stations, yet you can drive the Bose subs to full level any time. I modified my head unit to fix this problem in my hybrid system.
5. Lack of audio power. The Bose/Delco system has six power amplifier channels. Four channels are in the head unit and two small class D amps are in the doors. None are more than 15-20 wrms. The Bose system should have had an external six channel power amp module with high power. They could have taken the money wasted on the external BSP and sub amps and put it into an external amp. Why is it that other GM vehicles like the Camaro have a seperate power module. GM/Delco wanted to be cheap and use a modified version of a standard head unit.
6. No external auxilliary audio input connector. It this day and age, the head unit should have had a set of RCA connectors under the dash for a MP3 player or what ever one wanted. The deck could do this now if it had different software in it.
