Hey guys,
My 1992 chevy corvette coup sound system has started to go bad. The amps on the passenger side are dead and the rear speakers need replacement as they are lacking in sound quality. I could replace the amps $140 each and rear speakers $50 each to maintain the stock system but over time I will lose time and money. I figure If I replace it with a totally new system I save money in the long run get more features and for my money its the best. I plan to keep the car forever, I know most would say keep it stock and get a bluetooth amp for $140 to connect to the radio but tell me your opinions. I believe this fits best in the car with minor work and I could have it installed by someone. Ill have to get new speaker wire obviously and fiddle with the wiring but tell me your ideas and opinions please.
Thoughts on this sound system upgrade...
For the front:
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_109CL5...lub-5000C.html
For the rear:
JBL Club 6520
For the radio:
Kenwood DDX375BT
Radio comes with wiring harness and double din dash kit free

Any other suggestions or is this the best long lasting quality sound system for a guy who likes heavy metal and hip hop rap music with good bass.

 

It all comes down to budget and desire. What you posted will not sounds as good as the Bose did when new, but will sound better than it now that its brokwn. To make it sound good you will want amplifiers and a subwoofer. What you picked is a good start though.

 

Why wouldn't it sound as good the specs on the new radio and speakers are much better than the bose system. I don't believe the bose system can handle bass and I like to play hip-hop/rap and heavy metal. The bose system speakers would be more expensive and I don't get the bluetooth features and such as the new radio offers. It would cost me more to replace the factory system and the head unit can't play bluetooth and its casstte was not playing correctly. I would have to replace the head unit with another factory one in the future along with a bluetooth amp for $140 on ecklers

 

Simply put, power. The bose systems had amplifiers for each speaker allowing it to have pretty good sound in its day. An aftermarket HU will claim 50x4, but really its more like 2 or 3w of clean power. So youre going to be running affermarket speakers that want MORE power, but have less power than the oem system had.

I think its a good start, those look like nice speakers and upgrading to a mpre modern HU is the best way to add technology. But if you want it to sounds good, youre going to jeed to do more work.

For reference, my 92 has 5.25 components, 8" subs instead of rear speakers, and an inexpensive standalone 4ch amp (roughly100x4 actual watts) and it still doesnt sound good. Its not bad, but the stock stereo in my c6 blows it away.

 

What speakers did you put in your corvette specially like brand and possibly model. I understand the difference in power but I can always add a subwoofer If I want as the radio distributes up to 4 Volts of power allowing for an amp with woofer to be added. I don't see anything wrong with the JBL speakers. Running a new Head unit will require new speakers and if I kept the stock HU I have to keep the stock speakers. I don't see how these aren't way better than the stock speakers. Im not trying to argue with what your saying its just I believe that the stock bose system even when fully restored would cost me more money and I still wouldn't have the blue tooth feature etc. that a new head unit would offer unless if I got an after market amp that does that to connect to the radio sold on ecklers corvette for $140. I plan to keep the car forever and I want to have the best system possible in the car for my money. I understand that the speakers are more power hungry but the new head unit will give them that power and the new speakers are rated for that high wattage which I believe should return the best sound quality. If you have a better upgrade suggestion can you comment it please I just want to know what speakers you have in your corvette and how thy performed and why my speakers wouldn't perform that same way minus a subwoofer and amp etc. cause that takes to much space right now. Like are you trying to tell me to spend more money and keep the bose system because it is really 100% better than anything else? And just buy the bluetooth amp later?

 

That's not true. You CAN run aftermarket speakers from the stock HU(with an amp of some kind) ...and vice/versa. The stock HU outputs a "line level" signal -similar to that of an aftermarket HU's RCA outputs.


They ARE better speakers. "Way better". BUT they're not in better enclosures. They're not amped better (unless you add an amp to your list), and finally they're not equalized better (for the car). The Bose package (amp/enclosures/tuning) was totally mind blowing in it's day (for a factory system) and still pretty fantastic sounding today -when working right. It provides way more, and way deeper bass than the system that you've shared with us...a system that will be lacking bass, in a C4. Enclosures, amps and tuning=Bose system, and it's pretty good.


That is true. But you could get an aftermarket HU and adapt it to signal the Bose speakers. Worth it? Eh. Maybe. Depends on what your total goals/budget are. But IMO, Fauee is right that the stock Bose system working right sounds better than what you've picked out above.


Your speakers wouldn't "Perform that same way"...because you don't have a subwoofer and amplification. You are answering your own question. My suggestion? You say "space" is a problem? Something like THIS INSTALL ...that consumed essentially zero meaningful space, and sounds decidedly better than stock....and way, WAY better than an unamp'ed sytem with no sub.


.

 

Tom nailed it. Your choice in equipment is fine, but the power coming from the aftermarket head unit will not be enough to make it sound better than a FUNCTIONAL Bose system.

I'm not saying to restore the nose system at all, it would cost more to restore and in the end it's a 25 year old stereo. I think you're focusing too much on the specific brand and model of pieces, when you should be more focused on what pieces you have. If you want it to sound good, you need amplifiers, not just head unit power. Even a super cheap Boss Audio 4ch amp or something like that will make a big difference.

My setup is all cheap stuff, Pyle 8"woofers, powerbass 5.25 components, and a power acoustik amp. My total system was probably less than each of Tom's VERY nice amps. But that was by design, as my car isnt a low mile show car, it was built as a "cheaper to throw away than repair my c6" car. It also has substantially less sound deadening than factory and a much louder exhaust than factory, both of which dont help my stereo. Mine was built to "get the job done" and that's about it.

Key point is, but the equipment you listed, it's nice stuff. But also buy an amplifier and power kit and run that, it will make a huge difference. I would buy a 5 channel amp so when you decide you need a sub, you have power for it and dont need a second amp.

 

A pair of 8's instead of the rear speakers and an amplifier would get you headed in the right direction. After that you need DSP. As mentioned: a lot of research and engineering went into the original system in the corvette. Equalization is the halmark of early bose systems (more than just a badge as it is often these days) The system was designed to take the environment into account. We can do the same with modern equipment, but we need DSP.