Looking for A Different Angle on Audio Upgrade
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,333
Likes: 6
From: Louisville Kentucky
Most or all? I have yet to hear a stock stereo in ANYTHING sound like something I would want to own. For years, I would listen to talk radio because I didn't want to screw up the experience that I had while listening to music in my home. When the car stereo market started to bloom in the early 80's, I finally was able to get something that I could tolerate. Since I've been out of the business for so long, I don't know what is any good out there. I do like the Memphis Audio setup I have in my classic Chevy though.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 51,504
Likes: 6
From: Sacramento CA
No one does, if only because there are physical limitations that won't allow it. Even 2khz is ambitious, and in most cases unrealistic. Around 1 khz is the practical limit for most decent-quality 8s. Most good 6.5" mids start to struggle at 1-2khz, and they're almost all falling apart by 4khz.
Think about those numbers for a moment and you'll see why most car speakers (boxed systems) are pretty lousy.
Think about those numbers for a moment and you'll see why most car speakers (boxed systems) are pretty lousy.
Then again, it's not a true 8, the cone is 6.77",
The actual Dyn 8 that has a 7.6" cone dies hard right at 2k.
Pro
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 744
Likes: 0
From: WayTooCloseToNY Northeast PA
The actual Dyn 8 that has a 7.6" cone dies hard right at 2k
Last edited by Spkrboy; Oct 22, 2007 at 10:56 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 51,504
Likes: 6
From: Sacramento CA
They make everything sound like all the instruments are made out of plastic...
Don't get me started on CDT.
Pro
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 744
Likes: 0
From: WayTooCloseToNY Northeast PA
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 51,504
Likes: 6
From: Sacramento CA
Hows this -
A dyn woofer is super inefficient. You need 200w to make it shine.
The crossover creates all sorts of distortion if you give it more than 100w.
duh...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,866
Likes: 45
From: Tampa Bay, Go BUCS!!!Go Rays!!!Go Lightning!!!
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14
Junkman, there are plenty of folks that have just changed the twiddlers in front and replaced the rear speakers and thoguht there was a good improvement. Most use Boston Acoutics or Infinity. You CANNOT change the front subs because they are self amp'd and the head doesn't provide enough bass to drive anything else on its own.
This the the only small investment upgrade I've ever heard was worth the time.
This the the only small investment upgrade I've ever heard was worth the time.
You do realize that this is a TEMPORARY fix? I don't plan on this being the final installation. I just want to replace the crappy sounding Bose speakers with some after market speakers that will work with the factory radio. That's all. Now when I do decide to do this the right way, I'll be seriously taking all of your opinions into consideration. I trust the info that everyone is offering as I have been out of the car stereo business since 1987. A lot has changed since then.
Again, I just want to change the stock speakers with some better ones. That is the ONLY thing I want to do at this time. Can this be done or is there something about the stock radio that will not allow me to do this?
Again, I appreciate all of your inputs but you're trying to steer me into doing it the right way, instead of just doing this temporary fix that I'm trying to achieve. I'll eventually do the right way, but right now I just want different speakers if that, and only that, will improve the sound, even a little.
Any takers?
Again, I just want to change the stock speakers with some better ones. That is the ONLY thing I want to do at this time. Can this be done or is there something about the stock radio that will not allow me to do this?
Again, I appreciate all of your inputs but you're trying to steer me into doing it the right way, instead of just doing this temporary fix that I'm trying to achieve. I'll eventually do the right way, but right now I just want different speakers if that, and only that, will improve the sound, even a little.
Any takers?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,333
Likes: 6
From: Louisville Kentucky
Junkman, there are plenty of folks that have just changed the twiddlers in front and replaced the rear speakers and thoguht there was a good improvement. Most use Boston Acoutics or Infinity. You CANNOT change the front subs because they are self amp'd and the head doesn't provide enough bass to drive anything else on its own.
This the the only small investment upgrade I've ever heard was worth the time.
This the the only small investment upgrade I've ever heard was worth the time.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,152
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
Yup, the head unit feeds low level signals to a Bose processor then the Bose processor feeds a low level signal to the door for the "sub". The processor also feeds low level signals back to the head unit for the small door speakers and the rear speakers.
So, the only real way to get rid of the door speakers is to either bypass the signal processor or replace the head unit. I guess you could find one out of something like a S10 which looks exactly the same but without the bose processor or maybe connect the low level outs and ins together bypassing the processor thereby running the speakers from the head unit. At least you'd have the final speakers in the car when you do get amps and a new head unit.
Peter
So, the only real way to get rid of the door speakers is to either bypass the signal processor or replace the head unit. I guess you could find one out of something like a S10 which looks exactly the same but without the bose processor or maybe connect the low level outs and ins together bypassing the processor thereby running the speakers from the head unit. At least you'd have the final speakers in the car when you do get amps and a new head unit.
Peter
