Is the only difference in the systems the addition of the sub? I want the 2LT for the HUD but the addition of a bad Bose sub makes me think I should skip it. Boomy is not for me, most of my listening is Jazz and Blues which do not require subs, just quality mid-Bass. If you are looking for upgrades start with speakers, then amp, HU last, or all at once. Bose really Blows.

 

I'd be willing to bet the HU has little or no coloring of the sound quality - that would be the speakers more than anything else

Besides, the HU in the C7 is so integrated into the vehicle I would think it would be best to take a hands off approach towards it. Not to mention those of us working on aftermarket apps for it

 

The HU will have the most effect on sourcing content, especially radio/satellite. The DAC and preamp will have some effect on digital content. But overall coloration, etc., will depend mostly on the speakers and to a lesser extent on equalization (which, depending on what the C7's HU can do, could be downstream of it). My hunch is it won't be long before some best practices emerge on effective audio upgrades, and that not all of these will have to do with electronics, either.

 

Meaning, the Challenger wasn't designed around going fast on the track. It was designed to be a comfortable, "sporty" luxury car where weight and balance doesn't really matter... at all.

The Corvette is a purpose built sports car designed for the track with luxuries added to it later as a second thought. This is the same for ALL generations of the Corvette. No different from the sparse interior of the Viper; it's a purpose built sports car. The Viper is far more expensive than the Challenger and the Corvette. Yet I bet its sound system isn't remotely as good as your Challenger's.

So the point is that the price doesn't really mean it's going to have a better sound system. I'm sure I could buy a $5K Honda and put $15K in stereo equipment in it and it will 100x better than what you have in your Challenger. Exactly where is the cost ever going to be equal. The Honda would be a purpose built boom box. It's not going to be pretty or fast, but it will be far cheaper than your Challenger and sound better.

You can't compare two cars that were designed with for purposes with completely different constraints and expect you'll get a real answer. Your Challenger is no challenge at all in any performance manner to the Corvette. If you desire a nicer audio system than a better performing car, you picked the right car. But the majority of us prefer the better performing car over an audio system on wheels.

 

I don't see why they have to be mutually exclusive. And you can get nav in a purpose built sports car designed for the track.

 

I sat in your car and your new system was demo'd to me at the LA auto show. Sounds nice, very crisp.

I was quoted $3800 "auto show" special price if I signed up right there and then.

A $3800 mod like that will have to wait a while, but like I said, it did sound good, but to me it already sounds good, but could do with a way to adjust the sub woofer in the back independently.

 

I also saw and heard your car at the LA Auto Show -- superb! Congrats. Yes, Cliff implied that it would be a $4k deal. Interestingly, he said that they could move the system or elements of it to your next Corvette, which is a pretty neat feature.

I liked the Reuss upgrade a lot, but think the most important upgrade is to the sound insulation. Without serious sound isolation, I'm not sure I would notice the improved clarity and transparency.

 

The Reus Audio Systems upgrade sounds amazing. I'm sure it would make the system incredible. Listening to FM radio is my biggest disappointment with the sound system. For $20 bucks they could have had an HD FM signal. When I listen to my favorite classic rock station I get a lot of static because the signal is never perfect. I've been looking around and it appears I could replace the receiver with one out of the Taho that has the HD signal. Any thoughts on this?

 

$3800 is a bit steep if it is replacement of speakers and adding amps. I put a full Hybrid Audio system (not cheap), custom fiberglass sub enclosure with sub, amps, everything sound deadened, and a BitOne processor ($1000 on it's own) in my old car for about $4500.

 

If you want to upgrade your system then do it. It's not impossible to improve stock sound quality. Just be sure to have the EQ settings setup right so you get "balanced" sound and not a bunch of bass which seems to be the problem with these cars "as-is" from the factory. LoL!

 

I have the 1LT. The 2LT and 3LT have the "Premium" system with the extra bass box in the back and some trivial DSP settings. The system in the 1LT is excellent, and certainly lives up to what you'd expect in a $60k car. According to Bose, it's the loudest system they've installed to date. Not sure what people expect in this car, since many owners just want to hear the loudest exhaust possible and complain about the lack of a CD or cassette player. :

 

Its not that bad. Its definitely not for the audiophilics but for most part it serves the purpose. I got a Stingray with 1LT package as I did not really need any of the fluff that the higher packages come with and so far I am pretty happy with it. Just dont expect too much out of it. After all the real music comes from under the hood and exhaust and not really from the audio system!

 

The C7 sound system is SO much better than the one in my Gen5 ZL1 - I feel like I'm in audio heaven!

 

I consider myself to be somewhat of an audio snob. To my ears, the factory system in my 2LT sounds just fine. It's light years better than the factory Bose system that my C6 had. I guess it kind of comes down to expectations. I don't expect my car's audio system to sound like my audiophile-quality home system and I don't expect my wife's Mazda 3 to perform like my Corvette.

 

^^^^
I'm not an audiophile but have a hard time understating those that are thinking they can tell differences with all the tire and road noise in a C7 coupe!

Sound system in my 3LT 2014 was better that my 3LT C6 with the addition of that rear speaker. The C6 missed a good base. Even added an amp and subwoofer in my S10 truck that I was driving before the C6.

In the 2014 Z51, had one of a ~1000 songs on an SD card playing in shuffle mode as soon as the car started. (Just put those and a few more on a flush mount thumb drive as no SD in the 2017 Grand Sport I have on order.)

I don't find the C7 noise objectioalble, I just pay the radio lounder when on a concrete highway! Janis Joplin singing "Cry Baby," etc covers up a lot of tire/road noise!

 

Listen to exhaust note more and you'll soon forget the sound system.

 

If they could offer install in Phila, I'd get it in my C7