Hi, all. Apologies in advance for a long post. I do know there is an audio section but I wanted to post here as it is more relevant to the c6.

When I first got my 07 Z06 in 2019, I had to drive it home 7+ hours. Knowing that there was no Bluetooth, I brought my old school folder of CDs from highschool (that was a fun drive home haha.) I was amazed with how loud the Bose stereo was and how hard the bass hit, but I was missing the Bluetooth feature.

I ended up getting a PAC harness and a JVC head unit (I think I spent $110 max on the head unit.) I now had Bluetooth, but the volume and bass punch wasn’t there anymore. I switched back to stock and attempted a Bluetooth FM transmitter which resulted in low volume, then I tried tapping into the XM module, which worked but again resulted in low volume.

I switched back to a Power Akoustics double din with Apple car play using the same PAC harness and added a RF 10” sub. I have bass now, but still have the same lower volume issue. Don’t get me wrong, it’s loud, but not as loud as I want it to be.

Wrapping up my run-on post/question (lol,) I am looking for the same sound quality as it sounds with the factory head unit playing a CD, but having the Bluetooth feature. Could it be that the two head units I have used (cheaper JVC and a power akoustic) are what is causing the poor sound quality/lack of really high volume without distortion? And, would I get “Bose CD player” sound quality by spending a bit more on a good head unit? Or, do I spend the $200 on a Gizmoguy Bluetooth adapter?


Thanks in advance to everyone that just read that novel of a post and has any suggestions!

Side note: Loudness has been turned on and off with both head units and I have messed with the EQ on both as well

 

Spend more on a head unit. ALOT more!

Dont worry about used, but get something with more power and a multi point eq or DSP of some sort for tuning purposes.

The power and EQ will make a world of diference

 

Thanks! Dumb question though, isn’t it the amp driving the speakers and not the head unit? I could see getting a head unit with more power if it were a non-Bose system since the head unit automatically drives the speakers instead of going through the amp. Not questioning you at all, just trying to understand.

Thanks!

 

Honestly, your biggest gain would come from an EQ/DSP.
A cheap Walmart head unit is not doing you any favors.
I don’t know the specs on the Bose amps, and not sure if repute voltages will help here, but that is another consideration.

I don’t have Bose, just generally speaking not knowing the connector types to the stock amp

 

Makes sense. Thank you!

 

If bose amp in play, then have to remember that bose amp takes the speaker outputs, and turns them into amp inputs.

The problem with after market units with more speaker output power, more power to bose inputs, meaning that your just going to hit distortion levels faster in the volume button on the radio dial.
Note here, most after market radio modules for bose amps, do have a voltage adjustment pot, and may just be a problem with the pot not set high enough, and the bose input volumes not being high enough for the amp, and why the volume is so low out of the amp with radio **** cranked all the way up.

Next if after market radio does have RCA pre-amp out, then that there is the tickets, since you will get way less distortion on the signal to the amp. The glitch, you need to push the output level up on the RCA outputs for the bose amp, and that one is easy to solve with a good Pre amp.

Hence problem is the cheap radio speaker output amps in the unit, puts out a lot distortion to begin with on its channels, and the RCA out is before the radios internal speaker amps, so lot cleaner signals instead. And again, its just a mater of increasing the RCA outputs with 4 channel pre-amp that is going to keep the signal clean, to what the Bose amp is requiring in the end for it power inputs.

Simply on all amps, trash signal in, trash signal out of the amps,
and the high or low volume problem with radio to bose amp, is the amp is not getting the needed voltage signal strength to in in the first place.

 

There's two settings on the PAC harness, something like "amplified" and "non-amplified". If I remember correctly the ports where you connect the head unit harness are on opposite sides of the module. See which one you have it plugged into & switch it to the other to see if that fixes your volume issue.

I know when I originally plugged the head unit harness into the Pac module I had to turn the volume up to 15-20 on my head unit. I then plugged the head unit into the other port & now only turn the volume up to 5-6.

 

Yes, no matter what anyone says, ALL corvettes have an amplifier (BOSE or not) and therefore, you need to use the "amplified" output port on the PAC unit.

 

I appreciate all of the detailed recommendations, all! I will yank my head unit out and take a look at the PAC harness

 

With my Kenwood Excelon receiver, at just 10 on the sound level, it's loud and the sound is great.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_113DMX...-DMX958XR.html

 

I just got a refurbished unit for a nice discount, easy install on my won with crutchfields adapters
ran the mic in the a pillar
ran the nav antenna next to the center speaker on dash