Stereo upgrades?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 237
Likes: 0
From: Geneva Nebraska
Stereo upgrades?
What kid of upgrades have some of you done to your C5 stereos? I'm extremely disappointed with my C5 bose stereo in my FRC. It really sucks. The bose gold series that was in my 94 was a better factory setup than this stereo. I think I'd like to keep the original head unit, but it'd be nice to have some better sound. What do some of you forum members think?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 939
Likes: 38
From: Riva MD
If you replace all the small speakers and keep the subwoofers, I think you will find the sound much improved. I replaced the front speakers (3.5", I think) with Alpine coaxials and the rear (5.5", I think) with some Kenwood Coaxials (I should have used Alpines here as well) and found the stereo improved to the point I have no desire for further changes.
Check the Audio Forum here for particulars and how-tos, thats where I got my information.
Check the Audio Forum here for particulars and how-tos, thats where I got my information.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
You need to take a look at ENGLANDGREENS post on what he is doing to his system!!!! 
Very impressive!!
i want to do mine too. I just need to figure out what i want to do and how much money I want to spend!
BC
Very impressive!!i want to do mine too. I just need to figure out what i want to do and how much money I want to spend!
BC
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
My new Infinity Kappa speakers arrive tomorrow, can't wait. High end speakers for not too much $$. I'm replacing the front 3.5" and rear 6.5". I'm wondering if I'll have to bypass the Bose signal processor as it is probably equalizing the heck out of the signal to compensate for the crappy Bose speakers. Until you make some changes, try playing with the equalizer presets, I found some that improve the sound. One thing I can't seem to do is adjust the bass, my bass control has virtually no effect.
Supporting Tuner
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 51,896
Likes: 39
From: ================== Houston, Texas www.englandgreen.com ================== Necessary Evil™ __________
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14
Originally Posted by Bill Curlee
You need to take a look at ENGLANDGREENS post on what he is doing to his system!!!! Very impressive!!
i want to do mine too. I just need to figure out what i want to do and how much money I want to spend!
BC
Very impressive!!i want to do mine too. I just need to figure out what i want to do and how much money I want to spend!
BC
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1009771
EG
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,284
Likes: 2
From: Meridian MS
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Well, I just got my Vette back from the installer. Replaced the factory head unit with a 05 Kenwood Excelon with 3 sets of 4 volt pre-outs. Also a XM commander installed in the ash tray area. Front speakers were replaced with Kenwood Excelon Dual Mag componets with external cross overs. Rear speakers were replaced with 7" Kenwood Excelon Dual Mag Co-axel speakers. Used a SubThump sealed stealth box custom made to fit in our large bottom compartment for the 10" Kenwood Excelon dual 2 ohm voice coil sub. Powering all of this is a 800w Kenwood 4 channel amp for the speakers & a 1000w amp for the sub. The installer did a great job & the sound is un-believable. Better than I thought. I will try and post some pic soon. 
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,284
Likes: 2
From: Meridian MS
Cruise-In VII Veteran
EG, I wish I could have done the install myself, but time and not wanting to break down the dash kept me from it. The installer was great and has done customs for me in the past. He took his time and built an amp rack forward of the coupe top storage. I still want to "clean up a few things" but over all I was very impressed. 
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 20,054
Likes: 44
From: Swansea IL
For awhile a few years ago many folks were adding some small tweeters to the rear speakers. These could be bought at Radio Shack for about $30.
I was going to do that mod but never got around to it. Hopefully someone will mention it in more detail. These little puck tweeters could be mounted to the exterior of the OEM grills and wired in parallel to the rear speakers just by taping into the plugs on the rear of each speaker.
I still may do this after I complete my DynaMat sound/insulation mod this weekend on my Z.
This is the cheapest/easiest audio upgrade mod I know of, that and DynaMat in the doors.
Tom
I was going to do that mod but never got around to it. Hopefully someone will mention it in more detail. These little puck tweeters could be mounted to the exterior of the OEM grills and wired in parallel to the rear speakers just by taping into the plugs on the rear of each speaker.
I still may do this after I complete my DynaMat sound/insulation mod this weekend on my Z.
This is the cheapest/easiest audio upgrade mod I know of, that and DynaMat in the doors.
Tom
Supporting Tuner
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 51,896
Likes: 39
From: ================== Houston, Texas www.englandgreen.com ================== Necessary Evil™ __________
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14
Originally Posted by pyro5o
EG, I wish I could have done the install myself, but time and not wanting to break down the dash kept me from it. The installer was great and has done customs for me in the past. He took his time and built an amp rack forward of the coupe top storage. I still want to "clean up a few things" but over all I was very impressed.
EG
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 19,105
Likes: 1
From: Paducah KY
Cruise-In VII Veteran
I installed an Alpine D-900 DVD head unit, CDT 6.5" speakers in doors and 5.25" CDT's in the back, CDT tweeters mounted in door handle surrounds, 12" Elemental Designs subwoofer mounted in custom made box in rear center cargo area, and a couple of Rockford Fosgate 600w amps for power.
I added an Alpine XM Satallite Radio module and an Alpine TV Tuner to the system too.
Then for added kicks, I installed a rear camera in the 3rd brake light.
Before installing any of the stereo system, I gutted out all the interior, removing seats, center console, trim, and carpet and put Dynomat Extreme everywhere pssible inside car, including both doors.
CDT 6.5" door speeker, cross-over, and the tweeter mounted in door handle surround. The shiny, reflective stuff is the Dynomat.
Here's the rear camera I installed in brake light.
Rear camera is selected on the screen showing my friend's yellow vette parked behind mine.
I added an Alpine XM Satallite Radio module and an Alpine TV Tuner to the system too.
Then for added kicks, I installed a rear camera in the 3rd brake light.
Before installing any of the stereo system, I gutted out all the interior, removing seats, center console, trim, and carpet and put Dynomat Extreme everywhere pssible inside car, including both doors.
CDT 6.5" door speeker, cross-over, and the tweeter mounted in door handle surround. The shiny, reflective stuff is the Dynomat.
Here's the rear camera I installed in brake light.
Rear camera is selected on the screen showing my friend's yellow vette parked behind mine.
Last edited by Z06-JIM; Mar 2, 2005 at 08:39 AM.
Supporting Tuner
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 51,896
Likes: 39
From: ================== Houston, Texas www.englandgreen.com ================== Necessary Evil™ __________
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14
Originally Posted by Z06-JIM
I installed ... tweeters mounted in door handle surrounds.CDT 6.5" door speeker, cross-over, and the tweeter mounted in door handle surround.
That is awesome!! I've been agonizing over where to mount my RF supertweeters - I never thought of putting them there!!
Thanks!!
Stephen
Supporting Tuner
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 51,896
Likes: 39
From: ================== Houston, Texas www.englandgreen.com ================== Necessary Evil™ __________
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14
Originally Posted by Joe Diver
And if you wouldn't mind...mention how much you've paid for all this stuff?
I spent just over $2k all told for the actual hardware. I'm installing it all myself, so that was my total cost. I bought the cheap stuff.
Jim's would be more, I would guess - he has some awesome stuff!!
EG
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 5,026
Likes: 925
From: Bonney Lake Washington
I did a complete transplant:
Pioneer HU/Screen
Diamond components in front
Diamond Coaxials in the rear
Alpine 4 Channel Amp runs those 2 pair
Alpine Mono Amp and JL Sub in the storage pocket
Paid about $2600.00 installed
You can imagine how much better it sounds....as my installer said: "No highs, no lows, must be Bose...."
Pioneer HU/Screen
Diamond components in front
Diamond Coaxials in the rear
Alpine 4 Channel Amp runs those 2 pair
Alpine Mono Amp and JL Sub in the storage pocket
Paid about $2600.00 installed
You can imagine how much better it sounds....as my installer said: "No highs, no lows, must be Bose...."
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,150
Likes: 1
From: Colorado
Head unit - Kenwood Excelon
Rainbow Profi Vanadium components in front
Rainbow Soundline 2-ways in back
Arc Audio 2100
Kenwood Excelon 10 disk CD changer
Somewhere over $2k
Installed it all myself!
Rainbow Profi Vanadium components in front
Rainbow Soundline 2-ways in back
Arc Audio 2100
Kenwood Excelon 10 disk CD changer
Somewhere over $2k
Installed it all myself!
Racer
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 344
Likes: 0
From: Windsor CO
I did a complete overhaul:
Alpine head unit
Diamond Audio Hex series components in the front
Diamond Audio D6 series sub in the back
Pheonix Gold Titanium 500.4 powering the system
I did the install myself and saved a boat load of cash. The diamond sub hits like nothing I have heard before and the components are as clean as they get.
I would estimate about 2k invested.
Jeff
Alpine head unit
Diamond Audio Hex series components in the front
Diamond Audio D6 series sub in the back
Pheonix Gold Titanium 500.4 powering the system
I did the install myself and saved a boat load of cash. The diamond sub hits like nothing I have heard before and the components are as clean as they get.
I would estimate about 2k invested.
Jeff
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,113
Likes: 1
From: Cerritos/Mooresville CA/NC
I also had a complete done:
Kenwood Excelon KVT915 Head Unit (Nav/DVD/TV)
Kenwood Navigation DV4100
Kenwood Excelon Music Keg CX-910
Kenwood 10 Disc Changer
Zapco 650/6 Channel Amp
Boston Coaxial speakers/Boston Cross-overs
Kenwood Center Channel Speaker (Hidden in Ashtray)
JL Audio W7 12" Sub/Custom build box
Dynamat Xtreme(entire car)
Custom Amp & Music Keg/CD Changer & Nav Unit enclosures
There is more but I don't remember what else.
Kenwood Excelon KVT915 Head Unit (Nav/DVD/TV)
Kenwood Navigation DV4100
Kenwood Excelon Music Keg CX-910
Kenwood 10 Disc Changer
Zapco 650/6 Channel Amp
Boston Coaxial speakers/Boston Cross-overs
Kenwood Center Channel Speaker (Hidden in Ashtray)
JL Audio W7 12" Sub/Custom build box
Dynamat Xtreme(entire car)
Custom Amp & Music Keg/CD Changer & Nav Unit enclosures
There is more but I don't remember what else.