How's the sound system on the Z06?
07-30-2018, 08:34 PM
#21
Team Owner
Member Since: Oct 2013
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Posts: 25,359
Received 7,752 Likes
on
4,181 Posts
CORVETTE TODAY Host
St. Jude Donor'15
Tough crowd.....
07-30-2018, 09:08 PM
#22
Drifting
I bought mine used but the previous owner did not care for the lack of bass and had a sub box installed. I now have 2 10" subs in the back. I have to say the install was great and it looks factory in there. It does take up space but I can still get a set of golf clubs and some soft sided luggage in there for a long weekend away. The sound to the sub is boosted by a controller under the dash. I can make your ears bleed with what this shop did to the sound system.
07-31-2018, 04:57 AM
#23
i think the antenna may be the weak point on the car. I hate listening to sat radio, it has that compression echo to it. I leave an ipad in the car at all times, it naturally finds its way underneath the drivers seat. I get it out by slamming on the brakes. But i DL music I like and listen to it via bluetooth, works great. I find the audio is much better imo via the ipad and bluetooth. I have the 3lz with the sub in the back. I tweaked the settings a bit... i forget what i did... i think the base was too much and obnoxious/annoying since the sub isnt THAT amazing, so i think i turned it down. I moved the sound forward or backward also, i forget which way. But, the sound is good now when i crank it up, i have no complaints. Depends on what songs you listen to i guess too. If you are listening to a symphony or something, yeah... i dont know what to tell you. If you are listening to songs that you enjoy driving fast to, you're golden.
Last edited by Mikec7z; 07-31-2018 at 04:59 AM.
07-31-2018, 06:38 AM
#24
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Oct 2005
Location: Metro Detroit Michigan
Posts: 7,076
Received 1,817 Likes
on
1,085 Posts
I bought mine used but the previous owner did not care for the lack of bass and had a sub box installed. I now have 2 10" subs in the back. I have to say the install was great and it looks factory in there. It does take up space but I can still get a set of golf clubs and some soft sided luggage in there for a long weekend away. The sound to the sub is boosted by a controller under the dash. I can make your ears bleed with what this shop did to the sound system.
Lots of megabuck RV's there. Guess what got by far the most attention?
"Dragging and dropping" some of your favorite music onto a USB memory stick, and plugging it into the port in "the secret compartment" works pretty well.and seems to be better quality than through a bluetooth connection. I think my $15 one will hold at least 20 hours of music, and every song which comes up just happens to be one that I like.
Last edited by Warp Factor; 07-31-2018 at 07:50 AM.
07-31-2018, 07:16 AM
#25
1st Gear
Member Since: Jul 2018
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Adding a solid amp and subwoofer will do wonders for sound quality. You also can switch out speakers easily and add some sound proofing to doors and floor boards. Easy upgrades that will vastly improve sound quality.
07-31-2018, 07:33 AM
#26
Burning Brakes
vette sound system
The Bose sound system is better than in the older vettes but still in my mind not the greatest. My BMW and Mercedes had much better ones as did my Lexus too. Vette owners buy the car for the handling, looks and performance. And it does do all of that. One of my neighbors buys ferraris every few years. His car at double the price still doesn't get the looks that mine does and I can definetly beat him in a race if we did.. The Z06 in my mind is the finest looking, best value car for the money that was ever made by GM.
07-31-2018, 09:54 AM
#29
It's actually much better compared to the C6. And it's also pretty good for a GM car. No complaints here since there is too much exhaust and road noise to have a high end system in it.
07-31-2018, 10:40 AM
#30
Melting Slicks
Several important points
1) the cabin space is small
2) the road noise is substantial
3) the exhaust note is significant
4) the Bluetooth interface seems to sample sound
5) the amp introduces sound delays to create sound stage
6) the amp processes sound to offset road/exhaust
with all of that the Bose system does a pretty good job and delivers reasonably good sound. My 2c
1) the cabin space is small
2) the road noise is substantial
3) the exhaust note is significant
4) the Bluetooth interface seems to sample sound
5) the amp introduces sound delays to create sound stage
6) the amp processes sound to offset road/exhaust
with all of that the Bose system does a pretty good job and delivers reasonably good sound. My 2c
07-31-2018, 02:58 PM
#32
Heel & Toe
Harmon (and Harmon Kardon) have (or did at one time) put their primary focus on accurate sound reproduction. According to one Harmon engineer I spoke with, Bose does not, but relies much more on listener feedback testing, which can have little to do with accurate sound reproduction, as far as the average listener goes. However, he did say that he'd very much like to know how Bose pulls off some of their tricks, managing to do so well with chit-accuracy sound facsimiles.
07-31-2018, 02:59 PM
#33
Tech Contributor
Member Since: Oct 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Posts: 40,085
Received 8,926 Likes
on
5,332 Posts
Get on the loud pedal and you may as well turn the sound off since you can't hear it. Wide open throttle at 6400 rpm the engine drowns out everything else including the tire noise and ear buds stuck directly in your ears. You don't buy the car for its stereo and at its price point you can't find a car that has the underpinnings that come with the Corvette. The other thing is if you spend a lot of fun time listening to the engine at full song you don't have the ears left to judge whether a sound system has good quality or not. You are lucky if you know it is on.
Bill
Bill
The following 2 users liked this post by Bill Dearborn:
Mikec7z (07-31-2018),
Null Pointer (08-01-2018)
07-31-2018, 03:12 PM
#34
Get on the loud pedal and you may as well turn the sound off since you can't hear it. Wide open throttle at 6400 rpm the engine drowns out everything else including the tire noise and ear buds stuck directly in your ears. You don't buy the car for its stereo and at its price point you can't find a car that has the underpinnings that come with the Corvette. The other thing is if you spend a lot of fun time listening to the engine at full song you don't have the ears left to judge whether a sound system has good quality or not. You are lucky if you know it is on.
Bill
Bill
07-31-2018, 03:36 PM
#35
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jan 2014
Location: Colorado Springs, CO/Augusta,GA Colorado
Posts: 1,178
Received 211 Likes
on
157 Posts
LOL, off course you don't buy these cars for the audio system but it'd be nice to have a good Audio system when looking at the price point of the car. Just saying.
I guess anything would be good for me at this point, I'm driving a 2018 Subaru WRX STI and man the audio system on this thing is utter garbage, as if you were listening to your audio through an iPad.
I guess anything would be good for me at this point, I'm driving a 2018 Subaru WRX STI and man the audio system on this thing is utter garbage, as if you were listening to your audio through an iPad.
The following users liked this post:
Mikec7z (07-31-2018)
07-31-2018, 04:05 PM
#37
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Oct 2005
Location: Metro Detroit Michigan
Posts: 7,076
Received 1,817 Likes
on
1,085 Posts
It is interesting about Bose.. They are vilified in the audiophile community (for too much processing of music), and they seem to have the same ratio of lack of respect here. I don't disagree, they do process the music. However, their current (home) wireless speakers sound pretty good and they are garnering industry respect for their current crop of noise reduction headphones (I have a pair). Somehow, they are doing something right as they continue to sell product to John and Jane Public and have done for decades. In some applications, I like (not love) their product, as is the case in my Z06.
The sound system in my wife's Subaru sounds a lot better, but there is also a lot less road and engine noise, and a good deal of trunk space is sacrificed to speakers and associated electronics. I haven't tried it, but highly doubt that we could have put as much gear into that trunk space, as we crammed into the Z06 for our camping weekend.
Last edited by Warp Factor; 07-31-2018 at 04:17 PM.
07-31-2018, 05:28 PM
#38
Race Director
Member Since: Mar 2003
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 10,789
Received 888 Likes
on
553 Posts
Oldtimer
My hearing has gone south anyway, so the quality of the music doesn't mean that much to me. While the quality of the music back in those days was certainly lacking, the memories more than make up for it. 
07-31-2018, 06:07 PM
#39
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Oct 2005
Location: Metro Detroit Michigan
Posts: 7,076
Received 1,817 Likes
on
1,085 Posts
Last edited by Warp Factor; 07-31-2018 at 06:12 PM.
The following users liked this post:
DevilDog II (07-31-2018)
07-31-2018, 09:03 PM
#40
OK, I was a gigging musician for 50+ years and I’ve heard it all. Here’s the thing. If you are at the point in life where you just like a nice sounding system in your car that gives you no bragging rights and does not **** off the neighbors or every car stopped at the stop light with in 200 feet of you, this may be what you are looking for. Sounds nice when cruising and just diggin the scene.
I have have some very nice audio gear in my studio and kind of know what is good and what is not. This is not the to die for system but like some have said, it’s adequate for most. Based on some of the booming systems I’ve heard at stop lights and driving through my neighborhood at ungodly hours of the night, if that is what you seek, these are not the droids your looking for.
I have have some very nice audio gear in my studio and kind of know what is good and what is not. This is not the to die for system but like some have said, it’s adequate for most. Based on some of the booming systems I’ve heard at stop lights and driving through my neighborhood at ungodly hours of the night, if that is what you seek, these are not the droids your looking for.