Got it! Will do it and report back.

 

I've been debating what to do... I hate the stock system, it's definetely dying. Lots of noise, sometimes speakers stop working too... radio is even noisey-ish but the rear antenna was replaced....

What would be the most budget oriented setup that would sound a lot better since it is a 20+ year old crap dated system....

Front speakers, rear speakers, minus woofer for now... with plan for a woofer in the trunk hole.... only care for hooking up aux to play phone stored music.... (for now -- bluetooth would be even better so no cable... and if it could read the song names) and radio (FM/AM).

 

I like a double din head unit bu it isn't cheep because you have to replace the center console or have it modified.

The cheep option is a single din head unit and the speakers of your choice. You just need an install kit and a wire harness interface like the ROEM VET1 or PAC Audio one.

Dennis at Double D Mods sells complete kits and offers installation advice for C5's but I see your in Candida.

 

There's been much drama lately with Double D Mods and his customers. Check the transaction feedback section of the forum for multiple threads from angry customers. Also, it was said that Dennis is no longer a CF vender and also may no longer be doing custom work for Corvettes. Just a heads up.

 

I did my own. I have no issue with providing advice.
I started with Polk Audio speakers, then went with a Android head unit from China.
The Metra center console bezel can be purchased new for around $230 from eBay.
I didn't skimp too much on my subwoofer but got a stealth box, a JL Audio 10" sub and a Rockford Fosgate class A amp all for about a grand.

There is a lot of work involved.

As for a cheep upgrade, the Polk Audio speakers really bring out clarity for about $110.
The stock head unit is way under powered and doesn't deliver much power. Any aftermarket will sound better.

 

Shipping to Canada is often times cost prohibitive so I don't know what is the most cost effective system for member "a ahmed" in regards to post #22.
I don't know what is available to him.

 

GPruitt, I hope you got this solved by now. I am about to embark on an effort like yours. Pentavolvo has great input, and it makes sense. The head unit has a large heatsink on the passenger side of the unit. Therefore, it has a built-in amplifier. The rear speakers are not amplified, so I believe the head unit powers them directly. The front speakers seem to have a connector with several wires. Based on Penta's input, the front tweeter is probably powered directly from the head unit, but the woofer is not, and has it's own power amp, mounted behind the door tweeter. The module's size would be appropriate for about a 15 watt single-channel amp. The metal cover would be appropriately sized for a 15 watt heatsink/thermal mass (no airflow, the mass would keep the power semiconductors cooled appropriately). And, a pic of the module's label says "power amp". Lots of hints for us.

I think your problem might be that the ground wire for the door speaker may not be making adequate ground connection, causing the woofer's power amp to misbehave. I had trouble with my C5 and had to re-ground several connections using tin-plated star washers. Anyway, if either the power or ground to that door speaker is not good, you may hear anomalies like you are hearing...sometimes it works, sometimes in high-power situations it doesn't. That's because a ground-shift because of higher than normal resistance in the ground lead will make the amp misbehave more in high-power situations.

So for my installation, I'm gonna buy the module like you did and use the front speakers as Bose designed them. I will replace the rear speakers with some, maybe Polk Audio, which will probably sound better. My head unit is a Sony no baloney Mex N5200BT which had the best FM sensitivity and the highest power output I could find without going the external power amp route.

I am not taking the door panels off. Every time I have done that before with other cars, I have spent days reconstructing the door panel mounting using epoxied cardboard and other techniques.

I'm not going to install sound deadening material: in 1967, I bought a Sunbeam Tiger which allowed me to develop a fondness for motor and road noise. Perhaps tolerance is a better word.

And I'm not too fussy about High Fidelity, since I quit high school and toured with a R&R band, and my hearing above 3K is pretty much non-existent, and mixes in with that constant tinnitus.

Anyway, I hope you had good luck. Best regards

 

I never actually solved that issue. I pulled the head unit to check the wiring and all looked fine in terns of color wire connections and terminations. I ended up just living with it. The system sounds great. However, After all the work I put into the car, I recently traded it in for a C6. Now, I get to start all over again.