C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Quincy IL
C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions?
I've read 99HT's excellent post regarding the Stock Bose head unit & am considering scrapping the Bose Speakers & going with some aftermarket speaks & amp. I'm just tired of the lack of highs & lack of lows & the constant rattle in the door speaks when I try and boost the bass. I would however like to keep the stock head unit CD player.
My question then is this, can some one recommend the exact make & model's for the doors, the rear & some tweeters to put on the pillar? I'm looking in the $500-1000 range total.
Thanks in advance.
[Modified by Jeff Wilson, 2:39 PM 10/22/2001]
My question then is this, can some one recommend the exact make & model's for the doors, the rear & some tweeters to put on the pillar? I'm looking in the $500-1000 range total.
Thanks in advance.
[Modified by Jeff Wilson, 2:39 PM 10/22/2001]
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 100,672
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From: Cleveland OH
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (Jeff Wilson)
I would recommend MB Quart but they cost some good cash.... onlinecarstereo.com has some on sale depending on if you want componenets or coaxial speakers....
Other choices : A/D/S and Focal both great and high quality... I just couldnt find a local dealer or I would have gotten the Focal.
Other choices : A/D/S and Focal both great and high quality... I just couldnt find a local dealer or I would have gotten the Focal.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,181
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From: When I say who is the mastah you gotsta say Shonuf
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (NewVetteLover)
NewVetteLover is right, HOWEVER, the factory stereo is not designed to crank out really good quality music. I went from factory deck to Kenwood Excelon and it was a big difference in quality of highs and lows. I recently replaced my Kenwood deck with an Alpine deck and noticed an even greater difference. The Alpines are phenomenal at crisp and accurate highs but I hate those blue buttons!!
I am using Polk components up front and Polk three-ways in the rear. If I had a lot of money to chunk around, I would like to get Image Dynamics, MB Quartz, or Focals but the expense is a bit prohibitive.
If you aren't going to get a better deck, don't bother getting good speakers. Garbage in = garbage out.
MS
I am using Polk components up front and Polk three-ways in the rear. If I had a lot of money to chunk around, I would like to get Image Dynamics, MB Quartz, or Focals but the expense is a bit prohibitive.
If you aren't going to get a better deck, don't bother getting good speakers. Garbage in = garbage out.
MS
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 3,020
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From: Union City CA
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (DocSandy)
Here's my writeup for the radio install
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zero...=997508#997508
Speed-Racer
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zero...=997508#997508
Speed-Racer
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,556
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From: Quincy IL
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (Speed-Racer)
Here's my writeup for the radio install
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zero...=997508#997508
Speed-Racer
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zero...=997508#997508
Speed-Racer
You kept the front BOSE tho? Do they still rattle or does the much better speaks & sub in the back get rid of the door rattle?
JSW
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 3,020
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From: Union City CA
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (Jeff Wilson)
I do not get any rattles since I troubleshooted that already, but I would like to add some dome tweeters to the front by pillar.
Speed-Racer
Speed-Racer
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,756
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From: Satellite Beach, FL, USA
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (Jeff Wilson)
To feed Tweeters, you can always leave the BSP as a crossover for the internal amps in the HU. The internal amps are 15-18 wrms/ch. This is enough to feed an efficient set of low cost tweeters. Tweeter placement is critical. You must point them at your head.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 8,827
Likes: 10
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (99HT)
What is a good replacement speaker for the front door? How hard will it be to make them fit. The rears <after seeing speed racers trick> look like they will be easy since I've seen how speed racer did it! How hard will the front be?
Also, the CDA-7878 looks PERFECT for me with one difference... It's a single DIN. I need a 1.5. What could I do to make it look factory? I want it to look original or better!? Any suggestions? It would appear that it doesn't need an EQ because of all the fancy stuff it already does inside.
Also, the CDA-7878 looks PERFECT for me with one difference... It's a single DIN. I need a 1.5. What could I do to make it look factory? I want it to look original or better!? Any suggestions? It would appear that it doesn't need an EQ because of all the fancy stuff it already does inside.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 602
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From: indianapolis indiana
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (Jeff Wilson)
you can put the best speakers in the world in your vette , but if you dont have a good head unit to run them.........you spent good $$ for bad. i hate to say it but delco head units are junk. ( audiovox manufactured & assembled in kokomo indiana) & the same head unit in your vette is the basic head unit in all gm cars. spend the extra $$ now for a good head unit (Poineer,Eclipes,Jensen,ect.) & you wont be disapointed. if you dont want to go with componants & cross overs, go to any audio store & listen to good 2-3 ways 6.5 for the doors & 4x6's for the dash. everyone's hearing & taste are different...... so go listen & rock till you drop in that vette..... :cool: :cool:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,756
Likes: 5
From: Satellite Beach, FL, USA
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (vette-freak)
Using the Delco/Bose HU pre-amp outputs, the stock HU is fine for most people. The distortion is as low as any aftermarket HU. I personally like the ergonomics of the stock HU. Most aftermarket HU's have too many buttons for me. Most people do not need 100 wrms/ch in an auto system. They run around all day maybe pumping 5 watts into the speakers.
Due to the Bose HU bass control being optimized for a system with a sub-woofer, I would recommend using one also in any modified system.
I modified my Bose HU to have a "normal" bass control. It works fine with it's 4 ch internal power amp. With efficient aftermarket speakers, my system sounds better than most factory premium sound systems. My hybrid system has no Bose BSP or sub-woofers. In the future I will probably add two sub-woofers to the side storage bins.
Due to the Bose HU bass control being optimized for a system with a sub-woofer, I would recommend using one also in any modified system.
I modified my Bose HU to have a "normal" bass control. It works fine with it's 4 ch internal power amp. With efficient aftermarket speakers, my system sounds better than most factory premium sound systems. My hybrid system has no Bose BSP or sub-woofers. In the future I will probably add two sub-woofers to the side storage bins.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,556
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From: Quincy IL
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (vette-freak)
you can put the best speakers in the world in your vette , but if you dont have a good head unit to run them.........you spent good $$ for bad. i hate to say it but delco head units are junk. ( audiovox manufactured & assembled in kokomo indiana) & the same head unit in your vette is the basic head unit in all gm cars. spend the extra $$ now for a good head unit (Poineer,Eclipes,Jensen,ect.) & you wont be disapointed. if you dont want to go with componants & cross overs, go to any audio store & listen to good 2-3 ways 6.5 for the doors & 4x6's for the dash. everyone's hearing & taste are different ...... so go listen & rock till you drop in that vette..... :cool: :cool:
I already stated I want to keep the Bose HU. Now if you had something other than "Bose Sucks, get a diffrent HU" , I'd listen, otherwise it's just whitenoise.
Why do you feel the need to stick your opinion in where it isn't needed?
You said it, everyone's tastes ARE different, and MY taste is the Bose Head unit with different speakers. Personally I can't stand ANY of the aftermarket HU's I've seen. Too many un-needed buttons and worthless LED's.
Just my .02ct
Pro
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 602
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From: indianapolis indiana
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (Jeff Wilson)
wow.......i didnt mean to upset you. i know that my opinion my not hold a candle here since i am a new member & you folks are the gods of all knowing, all seeing. just hate to see someone throw bad money for good..........now if you read correctly......i never said they suck.......just junk. now that i realize that you need simple (not to many buttons) probably due to the fact that you dont understand their meaning or how to use them.......go ahaed & spend your money...........geez..........
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,756
Likes: 5
From: Satellite Beach, FL, USA
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (vette-freak)
When you get rid of the C5 HU, you give up the following features:
1. Speed Controlled Volume
2. Favorite channel memory storage for two people
3. Central illumination control by **** on dash
4. Retained power, radio stays on til door opened
5. Great ergonomics
6. Consistant dash looks
7. Much less chance some crook will bust your window to steal your $2500 stereo. Crooks will not steal a GM stereo.
8. Diversity antenna system
9. intergrated CD changer system
10. Choice of CD or cassette HU
Not one person has ever been able to prove that their aftermarket HU has superior distortion performance to the Delco/Bose HU when using the pre-amp outputs.
I like to be able to totally control my HU between shifts with one finger. I can do this without ever having to look at it. No aftermarket HU I know of is capable of this. Very handy when travelling at high speed.
1. Speed Controlled Volume
2. Favorite channel memory storage for two people
3. Central illumination control by **** on dash
4. Retained power, radio stays on til door opened
5. Great ergonomics
6. Consistant dash looks
7. Much less chance some crook will bust your window to steal your $2500 stereo. Crooks will not steal a GM stereo.
8. Diversity antenna system
9. intergrated CD changer system
10. Choice of CD or cassette HU
Not one person has ever been able to prove that their aftermarket HU has superior distortion performance to the Delco/Bose HU when using the pre-amp outputs.
I like to be able to totally control my HU between shifts with one finger. I can do this without ever having to look at it. No aftermarket HU I know of is capable of this. Very handy when travelling at high speed.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,166
Likes: 14
From: Orlando Fl
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (Jeff Wilson)
MB Quarts / DSD216/ $190 pair/ 1st pair- Woofers in the doors, tweeters on the Windshield in the top corners/2nd pair- Tweeters mounted NEXT to where the rear speakers are currently/ Woofers mounted in the covers to the rear storage area's (fill the rear storage areas 1/2 full with polyfil) -
FANTASTIC SOUND!!!
FANTASTIC SOUND!!!
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,556
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From: Quincy IL
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (vette-freak)
wow.......i didnt mean to upset you. i know that my opinion my not hold a candle here since i am a new member & you folks are the gods of all knowing, all seeing. just hate to see someone throw bad money for good..........now if you read correctly......i never said they suck.......just junk. now that i realize that you need simple (not to many buttons) probably due to the fact that you dont understand their meaning or how to use them.......go ahaed & spend your money...........geez..........
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 3,020
Likes: 0
From: Union City CA
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (Jeff Wilson)
To feed Tweeters, you can always leave the BSP as a crossover for the internal amps in the HU. The internal amps are 15-18 wrms/ch. This is enough to feed an efficient set of low cost tweeters. Tweeter placement is critical. You must point them at your head.
Speed-racer
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,756
Likes: 5
From: Satellite Beach, FL, USA
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (Speed-Racer)
The BSP is between the four HU pre-amp outputs and the four ch HU internal Twiddler power amp. The BSP is basically a crossover network. The signals sent to the front and rear Twiddlers are 1 khz and above. If you tap the front or rear Twiddler speaker wires on the back of the HU, you can feed two pillar mount tweeters. You don't even need the tweeter crossover network if the Twiddlers are removed. The internal amps are 15wrms/ch. This is more than enough for low cost efficient tweeters.
If you keep your system stock, I would add the tweeters in parallel with the rear speaker wires. The rear Twiddlers are actually midrange speakers. Adding a tweeter and crossover in parallel with the rear speakers will be the lowest distortion way to go. The two speakers will have a different frequency response.
Bose system speaker wiring on back of HU
RF+ C1(4) LT GRN
RF- C1(3) DK GRN
LF+ C1(2) TAN
LF- C1(1) GRY
RR+ C2(18) DK BLU
RR- C2(17) LT BLU
LR+ C2(20) BRN
LR- C2(19) YEL
If you keep your system stock, I would add the tweeters in parallel with the rear speaker wires. The rear Twiddlers are actually midrange speakers. Adding a tweeter and crossover in parallel with the rear speakers will be the lowest distortion way to go. The two speakers will have a different frequency response.
Bose system speaker wiring on back of HU
RF+ C1(4) LT GRN
RF- C1(3) DK GRN
LF+ C1(2) TAN
LF- C1(1) GRY
RR+ C2(18) DK BLU
RR- C2(17) LT BLU
LR+ C2(20) BRN
LR- C2(19) YEL
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 3,020
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From: Union City CA
Re: C5 Replacement Speaker suggestions? (99HT)
Thanks 99HT, I understand what you mentioned, so the next thing would be to purchase the tweeters and then do the surgery :)
Speed-Racer
As usual, pictures in my normal manner will follow.
Speed-Racer
As usual, pictures in my normal manner will follow.