I'm by no means a car audio expert, but over the years, I've installed several aftermarket head units, as well as aftermarket speakers. I happen to be on Crutchfield's mailing list, and I just got a new flyer from them, in the mail. It got me thinking about the old GM head units that I had removed from a few of my cars, They were big, bulky, and way underpowered, compared to the Pioneer and Kenwood HUs of the day.

My question is this....why were the GM units so big and underpowered, compared to the aftermarket units that replaced them? Just curious.....

 

The stock head units are detuned in an attempt to avoid vehicle owners from blowing the speakers, then trying to get them replaced under warranty. Aftermarket head units tend to have better sound because they don't need to worry about warrantying speakers, so you have better sound quality as a result, however if you run a aftermarket head unit with the stock speakers, you take the chance of blowing the stock speakers if you're not careful because they can't handle the added bass and power an aftermarket head unit puts out.

Stock speakers and head units are also made as cheaply as possible an attempt keep the overall cost of the car down, but most stock systems aren't worth what they charge for them, so for what they charge for a stock navigation system, you can get a lot higher quality aftermarket system for about the same price. For example I believe the stock navigation system was around a $1200 to $1500 option from the factory, for the same price you could buy a top of the line Pioneer or Kenwood navigation system which is light years ahead of the stock navigation system sound and functionality wise. Aftermarket systems are better and for this reason people are willing to pay for the higher quality, and the additional features they offer.

So ideally if you're replacing the stock head unit with an aftermarket head unit, it would also be in your best interest to upgrade the speakers also to better handle the new head unit. The extent you do this varies on the extent you decide to upgrade i.e. adding amps etc. the options of which can almost be unlimited, but once you have a good aftermarket system matched with speakers that can handle the system, you have something that puts a stock system to shame.

 

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Thanks for the details, however, your comments did overlook my original intention. My question was why an underpowered OE head unit, is physically larger than a far more powerful aftermarket unit.....

 

There is no standardized openings for stereo size between car manufacturers they basically design their stereos based on the design of the car and not any standardized specifications which is why you see a wide variety of different size openings and stock stereos in different makes of cars which is based on their specific needs and designs.

The DIN standard is short for Deutsches Institut für Normung, which translates to mean German Institute for Standardization.

The goal in the creation of this standard was to develop a radio chassis size that could be commonly used across a wide variety of vehicles. The standard for aftermarket car radio sizing was established in 1984 under DIN 75490. This standard was later updated to ISO 7736. ISO refers to the International Organization for Standardization, a Geneva, Switzerland-based non-governmental standards organization.

Different vehicles have different mounting provisions and often, different trim panel dimensions. Take, for example, General Motors and Chrysler vehicles through the ’80s and ’90s. These radios were wider than the DIN standard at 8 to 8.5 inches and measured roughly 3 inches in height. Companies like Metra, Best Kits and Scosche make adapter plates that allow an installer to mount a standard single-DIN radio in these openings.

Due to hundreds of different cars, with varying styles, being manufactured all around the world, the measurements of a single DIN units, (50mm x 178mm or roughly 2" x 7"), were introduced as a common standard, by the Germans, to make things more efficient. and later the double DIN units which are, essentially, twice the hight (100mm x 178mm or roughly 4" x 7") of a single DIN unit. The double DIN size was developed to accommodate for more power, performance and features such as digital displays etc. as technology advanced. Although this standardization gave an accurate measurement for width and height, a depth was never really determined, so as a result a DIN system may not necessarily fit a specific vehicle depending on the depth requirements of the vehicle.

So basically the DIN standard was introduced as a standard that could fit a wider variety of cars though the dash opening size may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and through the use of dash kits such as the Metra 95-3304 which is meant to adapt the factory dash opening of the C6 Corvette to fit a double DIN aftermarket system https://www.crutchfield.com/p_120953...k.html?tp=3121 or this dash kit which is meant for mounting either a single DIN or double DIN system (I personally have never heard of anyone mounting a single DIN system in their C6), though it's possible. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_003GMK...k.html?tp=3121
Installation of an aftermarket stereo in vehicles in the pre-computer cars of old days used to make stereo installation a pretty simple process, however, with the introduction of amplifiers, vehicle computers, and Canbus systems, it has made things a bit more complicated, as a result the newer cars also require the use of an interface for the aftermarket system to be able to communicate with the cars Canbus system such as the PAC RP5-GM11 https://www.crutchfield.com/p_541RP5...Interface.html which'll integrate the new aftermarket head unit to the cars system.

The RP5-GM11 is the most commonly used interface used on this forum, however there are other interfaces and other manufacturers of interfaces that'll also work depending on the features of the specific head units needs, but the RP5-GM11 pretty much covers the needs of any head unit out there, though all connections may not be needed depending on the specific head unit being installed.

On a side note, another thing that's been standardized with the aftermarket systems is the wiring colors to help simplify installation, not all car manufacturers however have not all adopted this standardization with their stock stereo systems, however the manufacturers of interfaces has, which makes for simpler wiring of the head units wiring to the wiring of the interface, you basically wire them together color for color then the interface has connectors that match those of the cars factory radio connectors, so this basically make it plug and play once you've wired the interface up to the stereos wiring harness. Here's an example of the standardized wiring colors.



Depending on the system being installed there may be additional colored wires such as Pink for a VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor) used in navigation systems, or Light Green for a parking brake connection, Blue with a Yellow stripe for steering wheel controls. For example, if you bought an aftermarket head unit requiring these connections, an interface capable of these added connections would be required. Also, keep in mind that a lot of these interfaces are designed to work with a wide range of vehicles, so there might also be wiring that wouldn't be needed for a Corvette such as the RSE (Rear Seat Entertainment) wires on the RP5-GM11 which (for obvious reasons) wouldn't be used on the Corvette.

Hope this answers your question, if not let me know.

 

Ergonomics, ease of use, easy to adjust while driving..... bigger buttons, less features, safer. They size has nothing to do with sound quality. Small budget for factory audio is why most sound like crap.

 

Very true Vince, for the small budget they spend on their stock systems, compared to what you get charged for that system when you buy the car makes them just not worth it because you're buying a cheap system at a premium price. So personally when I buy a new vehicle I buy one with the cheapest system they offer with the intention of removing it, and replacing it with a high dollar aftermarket system and components that'll put the stock systems to shame. Of course when you buy a used car you have no control over what system the car comes with, so you just need to deal with it accordingly.

 

Except that most manufacturers now offer the crap systems as part of a package. GM is a prime example of that practice. Make the garbage Bose system part of the technology package, or the off road package, or hell, the towing package. That way, they can't be removed and the customer can't get exactly what they wanted and the maker gets the healthy mark-up. Happened in my AT4. I didn't want Bose at ALL! But to get ANY other option package automatically included the crap Bose system. Very frustrating.

 

OR......a number of the vehicle's control functions, such as the climate control, and in my Jeep, the suspension settings, are integrated into the head unit. It CAN'T be replaced.

 

A portable Bluetooth speaker can fill your car, boat, or patio with awesome sound. If you're ready to upgrade your car stereo but want to keep your options open, a portable speaker can be the answer. They're also a good choice if your car stereo isn't up to par or you don't want to bother with installing an amplifier. On the other hand, a portable speaker won't give you the same quality or volume as a full stereo system. If you're not looking to replace your existing stereo, a portable speaker is a great alternative.

 

Yeah, that'll impress the chicks