Just wondering what current c7 owners think of the stereo in their corvettes. I do realize this is not even a small reason to buy a c7 but was just curious I have a 2019 Chev Highcountry with a Bose stereo in it and it is awesome if the stereo is similar in the corvette that would be great

 

SUXS.... I've only had my C7 for a month. I listen to HD FM radio as XM compresses the signal so much, the quality of the sound suffers (but I still have XM.) BUT, it seems GM has had years of issues with HD on FM. Was removed from any cars over the years and a few added back. My HD signal fades in and out frequently. Interesting that the radio happens to allow me to disable HD. Long running issue with no fix.... I was aware of the A8 trans issue. Add HD FM issues to the list.

Oh yeah... The BOSE sound is not at the top of my list... The radio in my Toyota truck sounds better. This will be a winter project to change amps and speakers and add some sound matting.

These issues would not have stopped me from buying a C7. GM just being cheap....My C7 just needs some love and I'll make it mine....

 

My last 2 cars is a 2013 Miata Club (the worst stereo in a car i ever had) and a 2017 Wrx premium (very crappy stereo). So for me, the Vette's stereo sounds pretty good to me. 7/10

 

Quite happy with it, especially after switching from Pandora to Spotify

 

The GM factory Bose radio is just way to heavy on the bottom end and with little mid range sound.. So its, "thump, thump and thump, until you turn the base down to below normal. I'm a big rock fan, but want to hear all the sound. Not just the bass.

I'm a 3 time Miata owner and the factory radio and door speakers were the first to go for a very reasonable price. Upgrading my C7 will not be so painless in the wallet as it was for my Miata's.

 

The stereo is just fine for my ears.

 

NPP Hi Fidelity - Standard on the Z06. Four Klipsch style horn-loaded drivers providing pure ectasy to the listener. Adjustable to listener preference. Sound hall (on a vert) goes from sweet (top up) to sublime (top down.)

Perfect.

 

First, the C7 has far too much tire and road noise to get excited of hearing "quality music." That said I have the sound system on 95% of the time to "drown out that excessive tire and road noise!" There is little sound insulation- it's a sports car, which is why I bought it. You can check Threads BUT even with the best two layer sound deadening that requires removing the seats etc and adding over 100 lbs and best done by a pro, the documented modest noise reduction will not allow a quite environment. That was no problem for me so as I say, the sound system helps drown out the "noise!"

Had my 2014 Z51 coupe for 3 1/2 years and mentioned many times on the forum that my biggest issue was of the over 1000 songs I have playing in shuffle mode (from a thumb drive in my in my Grand Sport) about 10 to 15% of my songs were "too boomy." But I have the balance and bass set up for my "average song." A good example was Joss Stone's "Tear Drops." (Stone is a modern Janis Joplin; where Joplin songs are fine this modern sound is way to boomy at my "average settings.") Had to lower the volume or the bass was way too boomy, which defeated my "noise drowning" reason for having it on. Wished I had the separate subwoofer amp and speaker system I installed in my modified S10 that included a **** I mounted on the console to control the bass level depending on the song.

When I got my 2017 Grand Sport someone posted a solution! Defining how to do in words, which he did, is not easy or clear. This is a 5 page picture/text PDF I made to show what I have done with preset buttons, including how to relabel! http://netwelding.com/Boomy_Bass.pdf

Have Fun!

 

I'm driving a base model... so no high end stereo. But I'll move it up a notch this fall to more my taste.

 

^^
FWIW, there are Threads about adding the OEM rear subwoofer, which I think is a great addition compared to my 3LT C6 that did not have one. Adding a subwoofer with Bose is not easy! In addition to the housing/speaker you need another amp that is below the carpet in the rear.

The base has two woofers and you might find having the ability of setting different balance and bass, high frequency level options useful in any case. That is part of all entertainment systems.

 

Thanks for the info guys and like I said the stereo is not on the top of my list of reasons for wanting to buy a c7 but it’s good to know what your getting before making the purchase

 

I had a 2015 Z51 with 2LT and Bose w factory sub and then I got a 2017 Z06 2LT with Bose w factory sub. I don't know if I'm crazy or not but the 2017 Z06 stereo definitely sounded better to me. I set the sound up the same way as the 2015 and I realized I had to turn the bass way down in the 2017 compared to the 2015. Not sure what was different as it was the same option, but the 2017 is way more boomy.

 

I still have the factory head unit....so to speak but have replaced everything else with aftermarket. I took out the front 10" and put in 6.5's and added a 10" in the rear. All Memphis and Helix. Made a world of difference!!!

 

OP - If you like the Bose in your highcountry then you'll probably be fine with the C7's system. For those that have heard a decent system, well then you're looking at MOST interfaces, amps, and speakers.

 

As others have stated it can be a little thumpy at times but other than that it sounds decent. Nothing spectacular but also not the worse.

 

Our 2017 2LT coupe (music on memory stick played through USB port behind Nav screen) sounds fine while sitting still with the engine shut off.
At 20 mph, still very good.
At 40 mph, fair.
At 60 mph, poor.
At 80 mph, it's just noise; can barely tell what song is playing.

Tire and engine noise completely ruins the system at realistic road speeds.

 

The Bose system over boosts bass at lower volumes and then remove it at higher volumes in an effort to protect the speakers. Thus the stereo only sounds properly balanced when the volume is at the mid-way point.

Data pulled with a calibrated microphone...



Personally I think it sounds terrible... but its all about your frame of reference and personal taste. Compared to your average vehicle it sounds pretty good, but compared to how I know it should sound its pretty bad. Given the specs of the Bose amp (very weak) and quality (or lack thereof) with the OEM speakers its sounds as expected. It is not a high end system even with the additional so-called additional 8" subwoofer in the hatch. The stereo was clearly not a priority for the Corvette engineers. The parts and overall system design is common to many GM vehicles, so there is nothing special here.

 

No highs, no lows....must be a Bose. That saying was invented for a reason. The C7 stereo is mediocre at best.

 

It’s not bad for a stock factory system. It’s been my experience no factory system will ever sound truly great the only alternative is to buy an aftermarket quality sound system.

 

I can’t express how much your solution increased my listening experience. It’s a “must do”.