Replace C5 Coupe Rear Speakers
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 5,515
Likes: 646
From: Silicon Valley and Yosemite, CA
Very interesting notes and I completely understand the concepts of staging, right to left stereo, placement...but I have 2 questions/comments.
1. Corvettes especially those with run flats are so loud with road noise and all, those decibel levels alone are mighty, requiring to push higher decibel sound levels to even hear the music over car and road noise. Can anyone ever expect much quality and imaging in that environment after you start up and get going down the road?
2. I may be completely wrong but it seems some great sound systems actually place sounds, instrument locations, R - L much more graphically than actually perceived when in person, at the event. I've attended and participated in many "concerts" from rock to orchestral and can't recall hearing placed sounds as precisely as a stereo system does even in the best concert hall. And unless the driver is sitting center, off axis sound has to be built in or adjusted, but then if a passenger is present, they suffer greater loss. Does it really make sense to go to great lengths to create a great sound inside a dumpster sound box (corvette)?
1. Corvettes especially those with run flats are so loud with road noise and all, those decibel levels alone are mighty, requiring to push higher decibel sound levels to even hear the music over car and road noise. Can anyone ever expect much quality and imaging in that environment after you start up and get going down the road?
2. I may be completely wrong but it seems some great sound systems actually place sounds, instrument locations, R - L much more graphically than actually perceived when in person, at the event. I've attended and participated in many "concerts" from rock to orchestral and can't recall hearing placed sounds as precisely as a stereo system does even in the best concert hall. And unless the driver is sitting center, off axis sound has to be built in or adjusted, but then if a passenger is present, they suffer greater loss. Does it really make sense to go to great lengths to create a great sound inside a dumpster sound box (corvette)?
For your question about sitting center, I had my balance in all my cars to left by one notch or two depending on the HU and speakers. The right side speakers have a clear shot to the ear and will sound louder, moving the sound to the left, even though it is closer, your leg causes interference and muffles the sound a bit. When I have a passenger, conversation is much more important than the sound system, but that is just me. I set my systems up for me. just a personal thing.
You are correct in questioning the soundstage. Monster electric bands have so much equipment there is no soundstage, it is just a loud blend of sound. However I do attend very small venues and have access to front rows where well known bands play and yes there is a sound stage because they almost all do an acoustic situation albiet small but is does exist.
Yes it does make sense to put in a quality sound system in a dumpster box, if you are into quality sound, but quality means many different things to many different people.
When I sold my C5, the guy was simply blown away by my sound system and I might add I was using the stock HU. Even I was shocked at the quality of it. My C6 was slightly beyond pathetic with the stock HU and was replaced
Yes the Corvette is noisy but sound proofing the doors and hatch help quite a bit.
Rear speakers, and I will stand by what I said just make a mess out of the sound unless all you want is volume.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 5,515
Likes: 646
From: Silicon Valley and Yosemite, CA
One of the problems I found was once you pop the door panels they are not as tight, so I used double sided weather stripping and that tightened up the door panels. Very low bass would vibrate them and the weather striping made them very tight
