I'm gonna practice first on my 97 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I've never done any stereo install work so I figure I'll use my Jeep as a learning tool. For the Jeep, I bought the following compnents from Crutchfield:

- Pioneer DEH-P47DH CD Receiver for GM/Chrysler (1.5 DIN)

- 4 Pioneer TS-G1641R 6-1/2"/6-3/4" 2-way Speakers for the front and rear doors.

I figure I'll get some experience on the Jeep before trying anything on the Corvette. When the time comes, I plan to upgrade the head unit and the door speakers on the Corvette.

I really like the looks of this JVC head unit for the Corvette:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Tb9QEC2...50&I=257KDAVX2

Any feedback or advice on this JVC head unit would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

Any opinions on that JVC unit?

Thanks.

 

The unit is a nice looking design etc. But even inside the C5, all of the lines and shape of the console, dash etc. are all very fluid. That unit is too rigid IMHO and will look out of place in a C5. Perfect design for a Hummer.

 

I have the Pioneer DEH-P77DH CD Receiver for my SUV. I really like it.

As for JVC. In the past I've owned two JVC componets. One was a "boombox" in the early 80s. That thing worked great. The other, a JVC cassette deck was a piece of chit.

IMO, you have an awesome car. You can find a better receiver for it

 

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not a big fan of the single DIN so I'll either go with a double or 1.5. Having to customize the dash/console is a little daunting when going with the double. Otherwise, I'd go with a NAV unit. Maybe I'll gain enough confidence working on the Jeep to go for a NAV install in my Vette.

 

I agree with Knew. I usually do

That unit is trying to do too much, and not doing any of those things well. Gives you a little screen to work with when our cars accept a nice screen without too much work. It gives decent power at mediocre quality. Has a few nice features at a middle level. Like Knew said you have a nice ride give it a nice headunit

Fej

 

I finished the install in my Jeep. It was really straightforward and the sound improvement was impressive. I had a lot of fun doing the wrok myself. I only had to call tech support twice, which was a lot less than I thought I'd have to call.

Crutchfield makes it really easy by including the instructions, wiring harnesses, and adaptor plates specifically for your vehicle.

Now, I gotta do some research on what head unit I want for the Vette.

 

thats awesome scott! yeah crutchfield is definately a great source for the diy'er. now lets get you a system in the vette!

 

You're going to pay preimum through Crutchfield. Next time, check out www.etronics.com I bought all Pioneer components from them and had a positive buying experience.

 

crutchfield has probably one of the best customer service and product supports on the web. thats what you pay for and that is usually worth it. if you've never done any car audio before, crutchfield is the way to go. they'll spoon feed you through the project

 

When I started out installing back in the early 80's :o Crutchfield was a friend of mine. I even purchased some home stereo equipment from them which I still have (and still works ) I don't have any of the car equipment anymore but I sure wish I did.
I also agree with Autoworker. Crutchfield is more expensive but not too much so when you figure in the fact that they give you install kits/wiring adaptors for free.

 

Yeah, just gotta figure out what I want to do. As much as the NAV systems are cool, I think they are overkill for my purposes. I don't live in a big town and I don't take many roadtrips. So, I'll do some research here and on Crutchfield to decide what to get.

Thanks for the tip on etronics.com. I'll check 'em out. Although, I must say I was very happy with Crutchfield. I needed handholding on the wiring harnesses/adaptors/brackets...and their reputation for customer service held up in my experience. I don't have any car audio friends so I was completely on my own and a serious newbie.

 

Don't expect much from Crutchfield on C5 Vette installs. They do not have any real mastersheets for the C5 so you get a generic Deck and speaker install guide...too generic to be useful. In addition, their included adapter is stated to work plug and play but you actually have to tap into another location for accessory power or use one of the spendy adapters to get acc power. Same for illumination, but you can live without that anyhow.

Read up on the FAQ (a godsend) and read through the posts on the forum before you start the install...will save you much frustration.

 

Just remember, your Bose system is amplified, so if you put just a headunit and speakers, it's gonna sound worse due to less power. I personally don't think the JVC unit is all that bad. Alpine and Eclipse are good options as well. If you want Nav, I highly recommend the Eclipse AVN 7000, or the Alpine Blackbird hooked in with an Alpine screen. If you want to go big baller, the Alpine NVE-N872A is an option as well.

Recommended systems:

Minimum -
Alpine, Eclipse, or Pioneer H/U -200
6.5 Components - Alpine or Infinity - 200
5.25 Coaxial - Alpine or Infinity - 100
4 x 75 ish Amplifier - Alpine - 300

About 800, and I'm sure you can find better prices around internet, or, sticking with Crutchfield, this is about the price range.



***** Out -
Eclipse AVN 7000 - 2400
Focal 165 K2P - 1100
Focal 130 CV1 - 250
JL 10 or 12 W6v2 - 400-500
JL 450/4 - 800
JL 5001 - 600

About 5500. This gets you navigation, some of the best speakers on teh market, super clean and ample power, and a bangin' sub that fits neatly in the rear well. I would recommend a battery upgrade to a Kinetik 1800 as well (370) and a capacitor (~100). An alternator upgrade depends on wether or not your system is keeping voltage at the level of music you listen to.

Hope this helps spell out the gamut of some typical systems out there!

-- Chris

 

Good advice, rear speakers? Save your money IMO the vette is small and why waste all of the sweet sound the front stage is making with coaxials?

Fej

 

Eh, I like my rear-fill....plus, I've gotta have my rears....can't have 5.1 without 'em...

 

I have a JVC head unit in dash, with a black trim plate that places it in the center of the opening and it looks fine, I also have a 12 disc mp3 JVC changer in the right rear compartment which is direct connect. On top of that I do XM thru a roady with an FM broadcaster, never leaves me bored...I am looking for pics of my head unit....I thought about upgrading to the head unit you referenced, simple swap, but I don't suppose I really need video...and NAV seems overkill to me

 

Thanks for the info, Xtreme5053. I appreciate it.


Right now, I'm considering the Alpine CDA 9857 and the Eclipse CD7000. I like the features of the CD7000 but think it might not look so good on the C5 dash. The design of the Alpine seems to fit into the design of the dash better...but its hard for my to decide what will look better from Crutchfield pictures.

I still may consider the Pioneer DEH-P77DH since I like the DEH-P47DH I installed in my Jeep. The 1.5 din seems like it would fit the C5 dash really well although it may stick out a little too much. If it could be installed so that it sits more flush, then I may still consider it.

I'm not a big fan of retractable screens like the AVN 7000. Now, I would love to go with a double din system but making it fit worries me. If I did decide to go with a double din, I'd probably go with the Eclipse AVN5435 or AVN5500. I may try to find a used C5 dash console so I can play around with modifying it to fit a double din. Actually, I may have just talked myself into doing this test.

For speakers, I was considering Infinity Kappas or Kicker KS but I really, really don't know how to choose a good speaker. For the amp, I would likely get an Alpine.

Thanks to all who have provided feedback. I would love more ideas or comments on the options I'm considering.

Cheers to audio section. This is really a great group.

 

hokievette03,

Thanks for posting pics. That helps a lot. I really like the look of your h/u at night. Looks .

 

The 77 will fit fine, it needs less depth than a regular head unit