I hate my car!
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 7,035
Likes: 134
From: North Augusta, SC
This is what the door speaker setup looks like:
The smaller 3.5" on the right is commonly referred to as a 'twiddler' because Bose combines the tweeter and mid range outputs into one speaker. Most Corvette owners can handle the tricky word play without having an aneurism. That speaker can be replaced with any 4ohm aftermarket speaker and it will make the system sound better.
The larger 8" on the left is the Bose door woofer. It has an amp designed just for it that's mounted behind the 3.5" speaker. That speaker can be replaced with aftermarket, but not with anything that will play the low notes as well or as loud as an oem replacement will. If you want better bass than that speaker will produce, you need to put a real sub in your trunk.
If your 8" Bose is blown, and you're opposed to a sub in the trunk, then you need to replace the pos sub with another used pos sub. If you do that, I would recommend that you also buy a mid-grade set of 3.5" aftermarket 2-way speakers to replace the twiddlers with since you'll be in the door anyway.
You make it hard to want to help you 
The smaller 3.5" on the right is commonly referred to as a 'twiddler' because Bose combines the tweeter and mid range outputs into one speaker. Most Corvette owners can handle the tricky word play without having an aneurism. That speaker can be replaced with any 4ohm aftermarket speaker and it will make the system sound better.
The larger 8" on the left is the Bose door woofer. It has an amp designed just for it that's mounted behind the 3.5" speaker. That speaker can be replaced with aftermarket, but not with anything that will play the low notes as well or as loud as an oem replacement will. If you want better bass than that speaker will produce, you need to put a real sub in your trunk.
If your 8" Bose is blown, and you're opposed to a sub in the trunk, then you need to replace the pos sub with another used pos sub. If you do that, I would recommend that you also buy a mid-grade set of 3.5" aftermarket 2-way speakers to replace the twiddlers with since you'll be in the door anyway.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 276
Likes: 1
From: Cleveland Heights Ohio
Double D Mods has C5 Corvette Speaker Upgrade Packages. All are plug & play.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/audi...w-choices.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/audi...w-choices.html
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,855
Likes: 78
From: Sammamish WA
WA Events Coordinator
Tweeters are those small speakers that handle the High Notes. 1" or less in Diameter
Mids handle the "middle" notes, pretty much where voices and lots of music lies. 4-6" Diameter generally.
Woofers (Subs) handle all the notes below ~100Hz...of which there is plenty in most music. A proper Sub does not Boom-Boom. A proper Sub is matched to your system and accurately portrays what the music engineer wanted it to sound like. Only Kids have Boom-Boom Subs. My '95M3 has two 8" Subs in the Back Shelf and they are perfect. In some old Rush tracks I do see the glass moving...but no booming at all.
I'll be doing the entire system re-do next year, and using Dennis at DDmods for a lot of it. (8" Navigation/DVD etc) He knows Vettes and is quite honest and capable.
Mids handle the "middle" notes, pretty much where voices and lots of music lies. 4-6" Diameter generally.
Woofers (Subs) handle all the notes below ~100Hz...of which there is plenty in most music. A proper Sub does not Boom-Boom. A proper Sub is matched to your system and accurately portrays what the music engineer wanted it to sound like. Only Kids have Boom-Boom Subs. My '95M3 has two 8" Subs in the Back Shelf and they are perfect. In some old Rush tracks I do see the glass moving...but no booming at all.
I'll be doing the entire system re-do next year, and using Dennis at DDmods for a lot of it. (8" Navigation/DVD etc) He knows Vettes and is quite honest and capable.
Thread Starter
Lepus-temperamentalus
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 5,827
Likes: 5
From: Roswell Ga
This is what the door speaker setup looks like:
The smaller 3.5" on the right is commonly referred to as a 'twiddler' because Bose combines the tweeter and mid range outputs into one speaker. Most Corvette owners can handle the tricky word play without having an aneurism. That speaker can be replaced with any 4ohm aftermarket speaker and it will make the system sound better.
The larger 8" on the left is the Bose door woofer. It has an amp designed just for it that's mounted behind the 3.5" speaker. That speaker can be replaced with aftermarket, but not with anything that will play the low notes as well or as loud as an oem replacement will. If you want better bass than that speaker will produce, you need to put a real sub in your trunk.
If your 8" Bose is blown, and you're opposed to a sub in the trunk, then you need to replace the pos sub with another used pos sub. If you do that, I would recommend that you also buy a mid-grade set of 3.5" aftermarket 2-way speakers to replace the twiddlers with since you'll be in the door anyway.
You make it hard to want to help you
The smaller 3.5" on the right is commonly referred to as a 'twiddler' because Bose combines the tweeter and mid range outputs into one speaker. Most Corvette owners can handle the tricky word play without having an aneurism. That speaker can be replaced with any 4ohm aftermarket speaker and it will make the system sound better.
The larger 8" on the left is the Bose door woofer. It has an amp designed just for it that's mounted behind the 3.5" speaker. That speaker can be replaced with aftermarket, but not with anything that will play the low notes as well or as loud as an oem replacement will. If you want better bass than that speaker will produce, you need to put a real sub in your trunk.
If your 8" Bose is blown, and you're opposed to a sub in the trunk, then you need to replace the pos sub with another used pos sub. If you do that, I would recommend that you also buy a mid-grade set of 3.5" aftermarket 2-way speakers to replace the twiddlers with since you'll be in the door anyway.
You make it hard to want to help you
What you just gave, that one little post explaining the Bose door woofer WITH a picture, is the single biggest amount of help I've ever gotten. Okay. I can see what everybody is talking about now.
You're telling me out of all those bazillion audio manufacturers, NOBODY can make a damn dinky *** 8" woofer to replace that POS? NOBODY??? That's just ..... unbelievable.
No, I'm not looking to add amps and subs and all that crap. I just want a speaker that doesn't buzz and distort. Just a LITTLE better than stock is all I'm looking for.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 8,718
Likes: 20
From: Dyer IN
Cruise-In IX Veteran
Not gonna happen then without adding an amp. The sub was one off deigned for the c5 with its dinky Amp. No manufacturer is gonna make a replacement designed to work with the pos amp strapped onto the back of it
Last edited by pentavolvo; May 26, 2013 at 11:42 PM. Reason: Fat fingers and auto correct
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 5,515
Likes: 646
From: Silicon Valley and Yosemite, CA
Here is a concept, rather than put down/attack a vast majority of the people trying to help you, and with the attitude you display, it does make it tough, why don't you learn about the audio system and what it contains?
Some very simple searching will give you quite a nice education.
Almost all of us had to learn from scratch how to deal with the audio systems in these cars. Very, very few walked in the door with instant knowledge. many of us came from the C5 world and that audio system and it was so different form the C4 it was a learning experience for all of us. The C6 was a carryover, but many, many people have come from no knowledge to learning a great deal about the system by looking at what others did.
Bottom line you are looking for a simple upgrade that does not exist, several people have said it. All have given very clear instructions on what to do, and you seem to attack them.
Pentavolvo said it best, it simply does not get any clearer that what has been said. Time to educate yourself instead of biting the hand that feeds you
Some very simple searching will give you quite a nice education.
Almost all of us had to learn from scratch how to deal with the audio systems in these cars. Very, very few walked in the door with instant knowledge. many of us came from the C5 world and that audio system and it was so different form the C4 it was a learning experience for all of us. The C6 was a carryover, but many, many people have come from no knowledge to learning a great deal about the system by looking at what others did.
Bottom line you are looking for a simple upgrade that does not exist, several people have said it. All have given very clear instructions on what to do, and you seem to attack them.
Pentavolvo said it best, it simply does not get any clearer that what has been said. Time to educate yourself instead of biting the hand that feeds you
Last edited by Grzldvt1; May 26, 2013 at 10:13 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 5,401
Likes: 52
From: Norman OK
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Verdad Gallardo
Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 505
Likes: 6
From: Dover De
OP,
Don't listen to Crutchfield, they have no idea about vettes. Listen to Mark, Pent, and DDMods. They know these cars, inside and out.
GM worked with BOSE(BLOWS) for an unknown reason and you either have to replace the old with same new crap or change everything. I know it sucks, but once you change everything out it will be night and day. Kind of like watching a old 9 inch black and white TV(Bose) and then a new 50 inch HDTV(upgraded stereo). Some people have replaced the 3.5 with aftermarket and then put new rear speakers in, but that will not sound that good. I am sure DDmods can set you up with a whole new system without a sub for about the price of new Bose crap. Get a new single din headunit(CD player in dash) and 6.5 inch Comp speakers(Mid and Tweeter) and new 6.5 inch speakers for the rear, use the headunit power to power the speakers. Yes a rewire will have to happen but its not a bad job. Plus you will get to know the car.
Good luck
Don't listen to Crutchfield, they have no idea about vettes. Listen to Mark, Pent, and DDMods. They know these cars, inside and out.
GM worked with BOSE(BLOWS) for an unknown reason and you either have to replace the old with same new crap or change everything. I know it sucks, but once you change everything out it will be night and day. Kind of like watching a old 9 inch black and white TV(Bose) and then a new 50 inch HDTV(upgraded stereo). Some people have replaced the 3.5 with aftermarket and then put new rear speakers in, but that will not sound that good. I am sure DDmods can set you up with a whole new system without a sub for about the price of new Bose crap. Get a new single din headunit(CD player in dash) and 6.5 inch Comp speakers(Mid and Tweeter) and new 6.5 inch speakers for the rear, use the headunit power to power the speakers. Yes a rewire will have to happen but its not a bad job. Plus you will get to know the car.
Good luck
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,295
Likes: 8
From: Issaquah WA
You're telling me out of all those bazillion audio manufacturers, NOBODY can make a damn dinky *** 8" woofer to replace that POS? NOBODY??? That's just ..... unbelievable.
No, I'm not looking to add amps and subs and all that crap. I just want a speaker that doesn't buzz and distort. Just a LITTLE better than stock is all I'm looking for.
No, I'm not looking to add amps and subs and all that crap. I just want a speaker that doesn't buzz and distort. Just a LITTLE better than stock is all I'm looking for.
The problem is - even though you're not looking to add amps and subs, you're dealing with a system that already has amps and subs... And they're non-standard, and not compatible with any other equipment. So since some of the amps and subs that already are in the car aren't working, you either have to replace them with the same stuff (so it's compatible) or replace the existing amps and subs, with new amps and subs. Or lose the existing amps and subs, and sacrifice some sound quality.
No one's looking to make you upgrade, but the options are pretty limited.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 404
Likes: 6
From: Amarillo Texas
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,846
Likes: 129
From: Orlando Florida
I have a full set of Bose speakers that are in like brand new condition from my 03 I can sell to you if you just want to replace some worn out speakers. They are for sale in the C5 parts section. There is nothing wrong with them, I have just opted to go with a flux capacitor for my boom boom
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
Simple choice keep Ecklers/Midamerica in business buying overpriced oem items or upgrade.
The simplest analogy i could come up with was:
Wheel (speaker)-<>-Axle ( amplifier ) and trying to replace one of these on its own will result in having the wrong bolt pattern.
The simplest analogy i could come up with was:
Wheel (speaker)-<>-Axle ( amplifier ) and trying to replace one of these on its own will result in having the wrong bolt pattern.