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While I do not claim the title of "audiophile", I do know what I like and have a reasonably well tuned ear to sound quality
IMO today's audio electronics are biased to produce a BOOMING BASS that tends to be usually muddy, intense and overpowering... Depending on the audio source, that can be aggravating as hell, and the dropping the bass to minimum in the equalizer is my friend...
OP - Sound is such an individual preference that the only answer is to fiddle with the controls till you find something that pleases you.. FWIW, IMO the Bose system in the 'vette rates about an 8.5 on a scale of 10...
While I do not claim the title of "audiophile", I do know what I like and have a reasonably well tuned ear to sound quality
IMO today's audio electronics are biased to produce a BOOMING BASS that tends to be usually muddy, intense and overpowering... Depending on the audio source, that can be aggravating as hell, and the dropping the bass to minimum in the equalizer is my friend...
OP - Sound is such an individual preference that the only answer is to fiddle with the controls till you find something that pleases you.. FWIW, IMO the Bose system in the 'vette rates about an 8.5 on a scale of 10...
I wouldn't rate it quite that high, but still pretty good. Until you start driving at higher speeds as mentioned in my post #52. Then, the tire and engine noise makes it really awful. Adjusting the settings as I mentioned made the best of a bad situation, but I think improving the sound system will be pretty much a waste of time and money, until we can reduce the interior noise at speed. Others have shown us how to do it, but I'm unwilling to spend the time, money, and weight; to get good results.
I tried the BlockIt mats in our C6 coupe, and my ear could not discern any improvement.
IMO today's audio electronics are biased to produce a BOOMING BASS that tends to be usually muddy, intense and overpowering... Depending on the audio source, that can be aggravating as hell, and the dropping the bass to minimum in the equalizer is my friend...
FWIW, IMO the Bose system in the 'vette rates about an 8.5 on a scale of 10...
Originally Posted by Gearhead Jim
I wouldn't rate it quite that high, but still pretty good. Until you start driving at higher speeds as mentioned in my post #52. Then, the tire and engine noise makes it really awful. Adjusting the settings as I mentioned made the best of a bad situation, but I think improving the sound system will be pretty much a waste of time......
I tried the BlockIt mats in our C6 coupe, and my ear could not discern any improvement.
with both! From reading many posts and seeing some dB measurements, improving noise level in a coupe is not easy and most see minimum differences. I adjust the base so it’s fine for 95% of >1000 songs that play in shuffle mode when I start the car. However that other ~5% can be pretty boomy. Adele come on the other day singing “Hello” recorded at the Grammys and was so bommy had to lower the volume.
As I’ve posted, best situation was when I added a subwoofer and large amp in my S10 some years ago. It had a remote control **** that I mounted on the console and the base was adjustable with a flick of the wrist. Perhaps GM could provide a button to select from two preset base level adjustments!
One of the most motivating reasons for upgrading from my C6 vert to the C7 vert was the sound system. The C6 in my opinion was severely lacking. I had the opportunity to sit in a 2014 coupe at Corvettes in Carlisle shorty before the 2014 C7 was available for sale at dealerships and I purposely brought my iPod and cord just to hear the stereo. I was sold that day. The stereo sound was way better than the C6. I believe the people complaining about the sound quality just don’t have the settings set up correctly. I have no complaints about the sound quality other than the subwoofer is overpowering on certain Sirius stations at low volume. That’s a very minor issue to me.
My 2LT stereo settings
where do you find the tone setting? I can only find auto bose on or off
One of the better things I've done with this car is create three "Tone" presets, labelled them as "LO BASS" "MID BASS" and "HI BASS" and saved them as presets on the bottom of the display.
One of the better things I've done with this car is create three "Tone" presets, labelled them as "LO BASS" "MID BASS" and "HI BASS" and saved them as presets on the bottom of the display.
Really liked the idea, and after managing to convince the preset keys to display on the TONE screen and renaming them, I now have BASS, MID and TREB presets to minimize the BOOMING bass whenever it rears its noisy head.
One of the better things I've done with this car is create three "Tone" presets, labelled them as "LO BASS" "MID BASS" and "HI BASS" and saved them as presets on the bottom of the display.
Sounds like it would be similar to the subwoofer amp remote control **** I installed on the console of my S10! Will have to try that as no question some songs have a lot of Bass that is boomy. In my case only about 5% of the >1000 I have playing in shuffle mode as soon as I start the car. Hitting a button to reduce the bass is better than skipping the song!
DAVE396LT1 provided a hint on how to set 3 Tune/Balance tones and retrieve using presets on the touch screen! Sounded similar to the **** Bass Control for the subwoofer AMP I had installed on my S10 some years ago!
Tried a number of times but persistence finally paid off.
Since a picture is worth 1000 words here are three!
90 to 95% of the >1000 songs I have playing in shuffle mode as soon as I start the car were fine with the Tone/Balance setting I use. However for some songs like Josh Stone signing Teardrops, the Bass was "so Boomy" it was hard to listen to the song! Had to lower the volume or skip. As a modern Janis Joplin, did not like skipping. A key reason I have the sound system playing all the time in my 2LT Grand Sport Coupe is to drown out road and tire noise so lowering the volume was not meeting the objective.
After I was able to do what was recommended in this Thread, my standard Tune/Balance was set as Tone 1, the Preset button on the far right by pressing and holding that button while on that Tone/Balance screen as if you were saving a radio station.
To eliminate the Boomy Bass on this song I set the Bass to the far left. There is still Bass but it sounds proper for that song at this level. I stored that Tone/Balance on the third Preset button from the right shown as Tone 6 in this pic. I had stored others but only have these three showing on the top presets. There are two more lines of 6 Preset buttons if you need that many-I don't.
So when that song is playing (or others with Boomy Bass at Tone 1) I just push Tone 6! To get back, I push Tone 1. If I stop at that setting when I start the car, that is where the Tone/Balance will start!
The trick is to get the Preset buttons to be visible on the Tone/Balance screen. I tried the sweep your finger up from the bottom many times. I really can't say I mastered how as it takes 10 to 20 or more tries! But when it appears I press a Preset Key and a New Tone number appears.
Perhaps someone has a simpler way but I don't have luck with touch screens. Even on my iPad I use a carbon fiber cloth tipped stylus! Even tried it on the C7 screen. No help.
I took the Vette out for a ride this afternoon. I left it in "Tour" to keep the exhaust noise down and cranked up the Bose audio system. I usually listen to Pandora from my iPhone, or various music that I purchased from iTunes. I listen to all kinds of music, from classic rock, country, classical, EDM, hip hop.....you name it.
On this forum, I read many complaints about the Bose Audio system in these cars, and when I first took delivery of my Corvette back in October, I could see what they were talking about. The stereo sounded "boomy", almost like I was listening to music from a speaker that was behind a cardboard wall. The highs were there, but the midrange and bass were so muffled and overpowering that you could hardly hear the music. So, I searched through the various menus in the audio controls and found the graphic equilizer. From the factory, the treble, mid-range, and bass were all set in the "neutral" position. So, I adjusted each equalizer until I had the sound quality that I wanted, and left it there.
I must say that after adjusting the sound system from the factory settings, it is a very nice sound system. I had the soundtrack to "Master and Commander" playing, which is a combination of symphony and old British folk music. The drums came through with deep bass and good mid range, the violins were sharp, and the flutes and pipes were almost ear piercing when I had the volume cranked up. You could probably hear my car from 50 feet away, even though I had the windows up! I also played Imagine Dragons, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Bryan Adams, and a few other artists. The stereo performed excellently with each different band and sound with no distortion on the highs and *almost* no rattling on the lows. (The door panels do shake a bit with bigger bass hits.) . I can honestly say that if you don't think the stereo in these cars is at least "good", you either do not have the equalizer set properly, or your source music (like XM or mp3's) are of poor quality. I know that there are better sound systems out there, specifically in the aftermarket. I think you would be hard pressed to find a factory sound system that is significantly better. I enjoy mine thoroughly, and I do not plan to change it at all. *GM, I hope you read this post!*
Having an pretty good 2-channel system at home (I have separate monoblock amps and a preamp and decent b&w speakers) and thinking my ‘17 3lt system was pretty good, I had an “expert” look at it. Beside being a rock musician himself who plays the electric guitar, my friend is an executive for a major Hifi audio company that makes systems, amplifiers, and speakers —not Bose (but pictured in several articles in Stereophile mag for example). He looked at the specs (below) and listened to several different songs on my car system (LS’s “Simple Man,” Madcon’s “Beggin,” Gordon Lightfoot’s “If you could read my mind”). He was adjusting the controls for me and it may be in my head, but it sounds so much better now. My friend concluded: “you’ve got a killer system!”
so I do recommend adjusting the default settings on your system and of course using good recordings.
Spec description:
Base system is 7 channels of Class-D amps running 9 Bose Speakers. The amp chips are rated at 38Watts RMS into 2 Ohm Bose, so that system excluding subwoofer would have a total power of 7CH X 38W = 266W. Premium model has an added subwoofer with an additional power amplifier for it.
Driver door has one woofer (Amp #1) and a Mid & tweeter (Amp #2)
Center dash speaker (Amp #3)
Passenger door has one woofer (Amp #4) and a Mid & tweeter (Amp #5)
Passenger side rear cargo area woofer or midrange (Amp #6)
Driver side rear cargo area woofer or midrange (Amp #7)
Subwoofer (in a ported enclosure) in the back wall of the cargo compartment (Amp #8)
I was a car stereo salesman/installer MANY years ago so car audio was a major priority. So when I bought my first Vette in 2004 (used black '02 C5 3, not 3lt but the nomenclature of the time, something SA) I had that Bose system out in no time and went Pioneer screen unit, a pair of Alpine amps, pair of Polk Subs in a custom enclosure, a large capacitor and 2 sets of Focal separates in the car as well as the appropriate 10 and 14 gauge wire, crossovers and some carpeted plywood dividers to show the amps, crossovers and subs...it was my best work and the best car audio system I ever owned....fast forward to 2018, I'm 63, retired with a '14 C7 Z51 1lt 7MT torch red vert. and the basic Bose system (one small sub) is JUST FINE....would it have met my standards in '04? Nope but tuned appropriately for your ears (mine probably can no longer hear above 5K Hertz, common for aging males) it is more than sufficient. My 2004 self would laugh at me now but those are the lessons of time...…..
Having an pretty good 2-channel system at home (I have separate monoblock amps and a preamp and decent b&w speakers) and thinking my ‘17 3lt system was pretty good, I had an “expert” look at it. Beside being a rock musician himself who plays the electric guitar, my friend is an executive for a major Hifi audio company that makes systems, amplifiers, and speakers —not Bose (but pictured in several articles in Stereophile mag for example). He looked at the specs (below) and listened to several different songs on my car system (LS’s “Simple Man,” Madcon’s “Beggin,” Gordon Lightfoot’s “If you could read my mind”). He was adjusting the controls for me and it may be in my head, but it sounds so much better now. My friend concluded: “you’ve got a killer system!”
so I do recommend adjusting the default settings on your system and of course using good recordings.
Spec description:
Base system is 7 channels of Class-D amps running 9 Bose Speakers. The amp chips are rated at 38Watts RMS into 2 Ohm Bose, so that system excluding subwoofer would have a total power of 7CH X 38W = 266W. Premium model has an added subwoofer with an additional power amplifier for it.
Driver door has one woofer (Amp #1) and a Mid & tweeter (Amp #2)
Center dash speaker (Amp #3)
Passenger door has one woofer (Amp #4) and a Mid & tweeter (Amp #5)
Passenger side rear cargo area woofer or midrange (Amp #6)
Driver side rear cargo area woofer or midrange (Amp #7)
Subwoofer (in a ported enclosure) in the back wall of the cargo compartment (Amp #8)
The tweeters are in the dash. Doors have woofers and mids only.
The tweeters are in the dash. Doors have woofers and mids only.
actually while we’re splitting hairs, you’re right that only the corners of the dash contains the 1” speakers we know as tweeters. But the doors contain woofers plus Bose’s “ Twiddlers,” bose’s version of a high range/mid range (think TWeeter+mIDDLE Range) driver with a built in frequency crossover filter (google the tech).
I havent measured these and couldn’t find exact numbers on these Twiddlers. But similar 2.5-3.5” Twiddlers are rated for up to 17kHz... So high range frequencies are coming from the door...
Originally Posted by Mayor111
I like the Audio system in my 3LT - but it doesn't "blow me away"... What upsets me is that my Lexus GS 350 has a audio system that sounds like a live concert (no matter what Im playing) and the car costs a lot less than a new Vette. GM stepped up in almost every category with the C7 from previous models, but audio systems have never been a strong category for them. I've owned 3 Lexus vehicles and ALL their audio systems are truly truly amazing - and I dont even have the optional "Mark Levinson" models - which I cant even imagine what that would sound like.
I agree the Lexus systems have been superior. Mark Levinson makes audiophile quality home systems and before that, Lexus installed Nakamichi, another high end (amps are several $1000s) brand. The “worst” system you could have standard in a Lexus probably is a Pioneer, which is pretty solid in the Home Theater world if not 2-channel. We know the Vettes are more abt the exhaust music but I personally would love a higher end audio option that isn’t just adding a subwoofer to the
base system...like Porsche has a base Bose system (12 speaker in 911) but the premium option is Burmester. Even Acura gets a Krell system- C’mon Chevy!
I like the Audio system in my 3LT - but it doesn't "blow me away"... What upsets me is that my Lexus GS 350 has a audio system that sounds like a live concert (no matter what Im playing) and the car costs a lot less than a new Vette. GM stepped up in almost every category with the C7 from previous models, but audio systems have never been a strong category for them. I've owned 3 Lexus vehicles and ALL their audio systems are truly truly amazing - and I dont even have the optional "Mark Levinson" models - which I cant even imagine what that would sound like.
02-24-2018, 01:39 AM
with both! From reading many posts and seeing some dB measurements, improving noise level in a coupe is not easy and most see minimum differences. I adjust the base so it’s fine for 95% of >1000 songs that play in shuffle mode when I start the car. However that other ~5% can be pretty boomy. Adele come on the other day singing “Hello” recorded at the Grammys and was so bommy had to lower the volume.
Sorry, I have yet to listen to good old radio broadcasts; probably never will.
