meanjoe

But the stereo in the girlfriends Explorer sounds way better than the Bose in my C6 ZO6.....looking here for suggestions to improve this. I don't want to break the bank on this so here's what I'm looking for.
1. No navigation, I have that covered.
2. No need for another bass speaker.
3. Is the problem with this Bose stereo the head unit, the speakers or both?
4. I would like Blue Tooth, USB port and the ability to connect my iPhone. I also have Satellite radio.
4. Can I get this done for $600.00 or less?
Thanks for any info you guys can give me.

biggator6

I am in the EXACT situation.. have had a C6 forever, but never bothered to upgrade. The Sony system in my '17 Explorer is light years better, and now we have strict hands-free laws here, so I want bluetooth/Android auto/etc.

I plan to swap the head unit, replace the bose amp, put components in the doors (disable the center and rears) and get a stealthbox type sub.

Still working out the exact build.

TorchRedFred

The simplest, budget, bang for your buck upgrade would be to swap out the head unit with an aftermarket unit and then swap out the door 3.5" and rear 5.25" speakers with some aftermarket 4ohm ones. Adding a new head unit will also give you a ton of additional features like bluetooth for music, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, usb, etc.., while also improving the sound quality coming out of the Bose system. Replacing the speakers mentioned, will also improve sound quality a little more by improving the highs and clearing up some of the muddiness inherent in the factory Bose system. Depending on the head unit and/or speakers you choose, I would think you can keep it close to your budget.

danzio56

As Fred said, simply upgrading the head unit will do wonders for the sound. That's all I did was replace the factory HU with a Pioneer HU, kept the stock speakers and amp and it's a world of difference. You can take it further with speaker and amp upgrades but for me it wasn't necessary. I really wanted better Bluetooth performance and connectivity and that was my main reason for the change out but the improvement in sound was more than I expected. Modern head units have some wonderful sound shaping capabilities and in a small sound environment such as the Corvette cockpit they can work wonders. A decent HU can be had for $300-$400 (even with satellite radio control) and you can get the installation kit and steering wheel control adapters for a hundred bucks more so it can easily be done within budget (assuming you're doing the install.)

meanjoe

Do you have a recommendation on the head unit? I just don't want anything with nav.

02BlownZ06

Do you need it play CD's/DVD's?

meanjoe

Probably not. No movie watching in a Vette and seems like CD's are going away also.

richopp

Anything with "Bose" on it should be scrapped. Almost anything else will sound better in any situation.

Cheers!

biggator6

I just picked up one of the Kenwoods.. a 7704s (last year's model.. new one is 7705). No CD/DVD, no NAV.. just usb/bluetooth/apple/android/etc.

Not installed yet, so I'll let you know.. but it seems to be pretty well liked.

TorchRedFred

I agree with Biggator, one of last years Kenwoods might be the right move for you. I would recommend something with a capacitive touch screen and of course Apple CarPlay and/or Android Auto. Take a look at the DDX9904s or DDX9704s. You can get the DDX9904s form Crutchfield.com for $500 plus discounted installation gear for $80 with the purchase of the head unit. It will bring you close to your max budget but it would be a nice head unit. Only other thing would be backup camera, which you can get from Amazon for about $17 and a SiriusXM tuner (sxv300v1) which attaches to the back of the head unit for $32 on Amazon or free from Crutchfield with ($70) mail-in-rebate.