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I have a 2012 C6 Coupe 3LT and am absolutely happy. To me, the glaring number one mod needed is the quality of the Bose stereo sound and the dated features of the head unit.
I'd like to add better integration with the iPhone, such as navigation sharing, be able to improve the quality of sound (not necessarily go deaf with bass), add backup cameras and still be able to use all the same steering wheel interfaces and USB port location.
Does anyone have a thread or recommendation about a high quality stereo/system, brands, components installed?
For example, what deck, amplifiers, cameras, harnesses were used?
I am an audio design engineer, and I'm really fussy about my audio. Here is what I did with my car, and I will say right now I wouldn't expect many would go to these extremes, but like I said it's what I do, and the entire build was covered in a series of articles for Performance Auto and Sound magazine.
There is too much to list to go into all the details, so I will just hit the major points:
- The entire interior of the car including the dashboard was removed to bare metal/fiberglass, and every inch was covered in Dynamat and then DynaLiner. This resulted in the car being almost 8dB quieter on the freeway at 70mph. Eight dB is a huge gain in the audio world.
- The Audio system was designed to be removable, and the car put back to stock if need be.
- I used a Pioneer AVH-4200NEX for the head unit. This radio has compatibility with Apple Car Play and Android Auto. It also has very good audio performance, customizable screens, and inputs for two cameras.
- The Pioneer drives the inputs of an Arc Audio PS8 DSP processor that allows me complete control of the tuning and adjustment of the audio signal to each amp channel individually.
-The output of the PS8 goes to a XDi 1200.6 that drives the Mid-bass woofers in the doors, 4" mids in the doors, and tweeters in custom made pods integrated into the windshield pillars.
-An Arc Audio XDi 1100.1 drives a 12" Audiomobile woofer in a 2.2 cubic foot sealed enclosure.
- The front speaker system is a three way Elate component setup from Morel. The doors house a pair of 10" mid-bass woofers, and a pair of 4" mids. The tweeters are mounted on the windshield pillars and laser aimed to improve the car's soundstage.
- The subwoofer enclosure was custom made of MDF and fiberglass, and shaped to allow the roof to still be stowed. The woofer fires downward and towards the rear of the car.
The entire battery harness was replaced from the alternator to the starter and the starter to the fusebox, and the fusebox to the rear mounted Red Top Optima battery. I used 1/0 high strand count oxygen free copper cables, which have less than half the internal resistance than the OEM 4 gauge cables.
- The car has been featured in several different booths at SEMA, and the system gets rave reviews. It is seriously one of the best sounding car systems I have ever heard, and I've been doing this since 1976.
It does not play stupid loud, but you hear every nuance and every note with exceptional clarity, even at triple digit speeds.
The car also got front and rear radar detection, Lidar shifters, front and rear proximity sensors, and a rear view camera, in addition to other odds and ends.
Garry
Here are a few photos of various stages of the build:
Every speaker is mounted using machine screws.
Every wire is soldered, and treated to color coded heat shrink.
Amp rack - needs a good dusting! Cooling fans tend to draw in dust.
Pioneer radio with custom splash screen.
Subwoofer enclosure with edge lit plexi Grand Sport logo.
Radar head, and dual USB ports in ashtray. Door still operates normally.
I put a Pioneer AVH4100NEX in with some budget component 6.5's in the door and a 150 watt amp to drive them. Believe it or not, the 6.5's hit harder and WAY cleaner than the larger factory speakers ever did. I love this head unit, it has bluetooth as well as android auto and the apple version as well so you can use what ever GPS is on your phone.
Check out the AVH line from Pioneer, they are top notch.
I put a Pioneer AVH4100NEX in with some budget component 6.5's in the door and a 150 watt amp to drive them. Believe it or not, the 6.5's hit harder and WAY cleaner than the larger factory speakers ever did. I love this head unit, it has bluetooth as well as android auto and the apple version as well so you can use what ever GPS is on your phone.
Check out the AVH line from Pioneer, they are top notch.
That's the unit I'm using, 4100,4200 are basically the same thing and have everything you could possible want in a stereo.
I put Alpine 6x9's in the door along with Polk 3.5's and replaced the 5.25 in the rear (convertible) with Infinity Kappas and a 10" sub box in the trunk. Speakers are driven by 3 amps mounted behind the pasenger's seat.
While I did not quiet go to Garry's install ( not 100% dynomat although I did add MLV over the mat in the doors). I also have Morel Elate's running off a xdi 1200.6from a NEX 8000 ( in my case also runs the sub with channels 5-6 bridged). Currently running passive so I don't have the fine tuning capabilities yet( next up is a DSP).
The sound as is is fantastic. The Elate's produce high's that do not fatigue the ear. All quality components and well worth the cost
Installed Kenwood, along with Sirius receiver, it's had bluetooth for Iphone and iPods. It also plays DVD and along with host of other options.
I use my Garmin for Nav, which is easy to update software maps.
I may not be quite as particular about my car audio as others who will post here but I do appreciate a nice sounding system in my ride. I have the Bose premium factory package in my '16 Tahoe and I think it sounds really good. Also not crazy loud but crisp, sharp sound. When I bought the '05 Vette, also with Bose, I was pretty disappointed, especially with the radio. The CD player did sound better. I replaced it with a Pioneer 5200NEX with nav, backup cam and Bluetooth. Very happy. Even with keeping the old Bose speakers the improvement is like night and day. Maybe not quite as good as the Tahoe system, but close. The additional power and expanded equalizer make a huge difference. Thumbs up for the Pioneer here.
To Garry in AZ, if you read this, can you tell me how you customized your splash screen? Thanks.
It's pretty easy. size is limited to 820 kb I believe. Upload what you want onto a SD card. open the deck as if install a CD an install the card. A menu will pop up asking where you want to download Splash screen or background. In the stereo section of the forum is a thread with options of ones people which you can cut and paste. Or use software editing to create your own
It's pretty easy. size is limited to 820 kb I believe. Upload what you want onto a SD card. open the deck as if install a CD an install the card. A menu will pop up asking where you want to download Splash screen or background. In the stereo section of the forum is a thread with options of ones people which you can cut and paste. Or use software editing to create your own
No. In the SD slot. Open it up like you are installing a CD. When open you will see a slot for an SD card and should have an rci mini for hooking up a mic( to tune the system not for talking into-but that's another topic).
No. In the SD slot. Open it up like you are installing a CD. When open you will see a slot for an SD card and should have an rci mini for hooking up a mic( to tune the system not for talking into-but that's another topic).
Ok. My 5200NEX actually loads CD's right in front at the top and the face of the unit does not open. And, unfortunately, it does not have an SD slot. But I did some looking around on-line and I think I might be able to do it through the USB port. But thanks for trying to help out.
Thanks everyone. Quite a variety of choices. As I like taking the top off, I may be prohibited from some of the mods which sit in the hatchback. Garry, your setup is sick, very professional. I went with the blockit sound deadening, space behind the passenger seat may be limited as well. Looks like I have some fun research to do now.
I went through this for my home system, I had Yamaha, denon, boston accoustics just like I had Bose in my Suburbans, Avalanches..... But I never realized how good music could sound until my boss interviewed me at the rocky mountain audio fest and now I speak in words of headroom, grunge, staging, balance with my electrostatic 2-4 ohm setup and hybrid ss/tube configurations.... /facepalm.... I explain the new stereo costs to my fiancée as conditions of employment, maybe I can find an excuse for the corvette as well! Thanks again everyone.
I still say you should give Dennis at Double D Mods a call. He can give you prices over the phone that are lower than what he can post them for on the Internet. His customer service is second to none, and he takes very good care of us forum members.
-Hushmat in the doors, trunk and behind the seats
-Audison Bit Ten Sound Processor
-JL XD 700 amp
-JL C560 speakers
-JL C5525X speakers
-JL 10" sub Stealthbox w/ remote level control
The sound is amazing. I would like to replace the HU and probably will over the winter.
C6 Stereo Replacement
