I am upgrading audio in car...I have a 2006 C6 Vert with Bose / NO Onstar/ NO radio wheel controls..I purchased RAAMmat/Ensolite from Rick at RAAM and he has been very helpful...I also purchased ID XS65 components, Arc Audio 125.4 amp...Boyo rear camera...Doing sub in future...
What I need to know is, how much improvement is a Pioneer 930BT or
Z130BT over the existing HU??? And what exactly do I need (model #'s) for PAC, Metra, etc. for the total install if I stay with the stock HU??? I want to remove the stock amp, will the PAC allow for volume control with the newer amp??? And where should I get them from...I would like to buy them from Forum member if possible...I have read and seen tons of installs on here and not sure exactly what to get...Any help would be appreciated...I am not a audio installer, but have some knowledge of car stuff...
Any help would be appreciated...SLIEF (member) did similar install but more references insulation/sound proofing...

Thanks, Scott

 

PM member C5 BearsFan, he owns DoubleDmods.com and he can hook you up with whatever ou decide on.

If you replace the HU the interface you want is C2R-GM24 (formerly GMCO). If you keep oem radio you'll want the AOEM-GM24 interface.

An aftermarket radio has easy to use built in controls of ipod and Nav, plus it has digital sound processing so you can do a lot more things with the music. Go to a local store and play with the radios to see if you really want it before deciding.

 

Hey Mark,

Thanks, this was a lot of what I was looking for...I have heard Dennis at DD mods knows his stuff too...I PM'ed Pentavolvo also, he seems to have a lot of knowledge like yourself...Thanks for the help, I've got more confused reading all the posts...

Scott

 

stock radio or not

 

If I keep the stock NAV radio, what would I need?? I am looking into upgrading the HU, but not sure if it is in the budget right now...
Thanks, Scott

 

addgm24 modded up its in c6faq

 

I bought the same setup as you did. The SQ did not really wake up until I bought the new Pioneer AVIC Z130BT. The stock Hu is low on the input voltage which the ARC amps need about 5 volts to really sound well. Be sure to throw the input RCAs in the trash as they have 100 ohm resisters in them which further cuts the voltage on the inputs. The Vette has little or no space to store CD's so the IPad lossless format with this radio is the way to go!

 

replacing the stock amp and speakers and not replacing the source unit is like putting icing on a loaf of bread and calling it a cake. best to go with a new source unit if you want to get the most out of your new system, also for a headunit if youre like me and dont use nav systems the Pioneer 3300BT is a great unit thats not as expensive as the high end nav units and as Tarheels said the higher the rca voltage the better the system will sound through the amp it has 4 volt rcas which work great

 

I did not know the amps now come with input RCA's, now I understand your issue. There is a guide on the site here in how to tap into the RCA level (line level) output from the stock HU which has enough voltage to drive the amp just fine, it is a very clean signal as well.

The RCA cables that came with the amp are meant for speaker level input which is not the way to do things for best results, I too consider them trash bin parts except for those not able get a proper signal out from their HU, few stock HU's have that capacity.

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On my setup, shortly after installing it, I added a 7 band EQ so I could tune more, with that and the stock HU you can get a very good sounding system.

Replacing the stock HU is not mandatory for great sound, in fact many would be of lessor quality and none of the DD NAV units (I will be tuning the newest high end Kenwood before long, it might be an exception) are of stellar sound quality.

That is why I have been waiting for a new outboard processor on the horizon and have a JVC NT3 as there is a digital output I can use. I will not even bother to install the HU until I have the processor though.

Another option is the new Alpine DD NAV/processor package due out soon. Some have imported the first released units from Asia but seems there may be some issues to resolve yet.

I hope this clears things up a bit

Rick