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Finally completed upgrade on sound system changed everything except headunit.System consists of 2 Alpine 6 channel amps Alpine DSP Alpine 3 -way in front with 5.25 Alpine Coax in rear and Alpine Type-R shallow woofer in passenger footwell.System sounds phenomenal with no issues through factory head unit
I have an Audison Bit 8.9 I would love to install on my 2LT. Did you splice in the speaker wires for the DSP input or is there optical out on the head unit?
The sign in one of the pics advertises $2688 in profit on this install. So what is the retail on this install?
Custom anything is not cheap. I'd guess $10k, and could see it being higher.
Sooner or later you'd think someone will offer a drop-in solution. I'm still hoping someone will make one that can be swapped in for the waterfall/charger panel. A plug and play 8" sub there would do me just fine. If nothing else, seems like a designed-for it product could definitely make a racetrack driver work there.
I have an Audison Bit 8.9 I would love to install on my 2LT. Did you splice in the speaker wires for the DSP input or is there optical out on the head unit?
Nobody that I know of has cracked the code between the head unit and bose amp. Nav-TV produced one but recalled it due to problems and has showed as "under redevelopment" for four years.
So you have to tap off the amp, OR as some have done use a direct input to an amp from your audio source (iphone etc) and forget the car audio system altogether.
I added a footwell sub and improved the audio considrably. A full amp/speaker replacement would only marginally improve what this does. I have heard both.
Thanks for compliments on system we relocated factory amp to front used space that that took up for enclosure. As far input we came out of Bose amp channel for channel swap into DSP with no issues. We are very pleased with results woofer is in .6 sealed enclosure
Custom anything is not cheap. I'd guess $10k, and could see it being higher.
Sooner or later you'd think someone will offer a drop-in solution. I'm still hoping someone will make one that can be swapped in for the waterfall/charger panel. A plug and play 8" sub there would do me just fine. If nothing else, seems like a designed-for it product could definitely make a racetrack driver work there.
Unlikely. The C8 system, unlike previous generations, is good enough for most people. I don't think there is enough market for someone to mass produce an enclosure.
My footwell system had about $2500 in euipment and I built my own box and did the install myselt. To duplicate it, Car Toys wanted $6000. total.
Unlikely. The C8 system, unlike previous generations, is good enough for most people. I don't think there is enough market for someone to mass produce an enclosure.
My footwell system had about $2500 in euipment and I built my own box and did the install myselt. To duplicate it, Car Toys wanted $6000. total.
You are right on. In the 70s & 80s there were aftermarket car audio stores everywhere, now there are few. The difference today is most cars come with very good audio systems. In my early driving days I was thrilled to have a 5W Jensen stereo with (2) 6x9 speakers on the rear deck. The difference was cars typically only had AM radios or marginal FM with a cassette or 8-track player. Today the systems are pretty sophisticated and are more than good enough for most people and thus we dont see many aftermarket shops.
I have been an audiophile for years and think the Bose system is pretty damn good overall, and not worth tearing my warranteed car apart to beef it up a little. Bose has always been good at jazz, etc, not as good at rock. For me retaining a stock look, with minimal loss of space is important as well. I upgraded my C6 audio, but really only had to swap the head unit . I wouldn't like to have a unit in the footwear or take over stowage space as I tour in my Vette. To each his own as that what this hobby is about!
You are right on. In the 70s & 80s there were aftermarket car audio stores everywhere, now there are few. The difference today is most cars come with very good audio systems. In my early driving days I was thrilled to have a 5W Jensen stereo with (2) 6x9 speakers on the rear deck. The difference was cars typically only had AM radios or marginal FM with a cassette or 8-track player. Today the systems are pretty sophisticated and are more than good enough for most people and thus we dont see many aftermarket shops.
I have been an audiophile for years and think the Bose system is pretty damn good overall, and not worth tearing my warranteed car apart to beef it up a little. Bose has always been good at jazz, etc, not as good at rock. For me retaining a stock look, with minimal loss of space is important as well. I upgraded my C6 audio, but really only had to swap the head unit . I wouldn't like to have a unit in the footwear or take over stowage space as I tour in my Vette. To each his own as that what this hobby is about!
My footwell sub doesn't take up much space and it is removable. You can, if you relocate the factory amp, push a footwell sub back so you lose zero footspace. But that was more mods than I wanted to do since I drive alone 90% of the time and the wife doesn't mind the sub. And since it's an add on, removing the sub just means you are back to the factory audio.
Unlikely. The C8 system, unlike previous generations, is good enough for most people. I don't think there is enough market for someone to mass produce an enclosure.
My footwell system had about $2500 in euipment and I built my own box and did the install myselt. To duplicate it, Car Toys wanted $6000. total.
Fair enough. They are selling a lot of C8's and if they don't change the waterfall area or footwells in the refresh, the number of cars will just keep going up. I think the bigger issue is most people won't be willing to give up that footwell space. If it could go somewhere else, I think we'd have a box already. Sure would be nice if there was an easy way to port something in from the frunk.
I came from a C6 and don't really think this system sounds any better. It's louder, for sure, but I can't get it to sound right. In the C6 I could get it to sound ok, but the damn car was so noisy it didn't really matter once you were moving. C8 is a good bit quieter on the road but I can't seem to get the upper midrange/treble to sound right. It's frustrating because I think the system is capable of it, it's just the Bose tuning they went with and the eq they gave us can't fix it.
Fair enough. They are selling a lot of C8's and if they don't change the waterfall area or footwells in the refresh, the number of cars will just keep going up. I think the bigger issue is most people won't be willing to give up that footwell space. If it could go somewhere else, I think we'd have a box already. Sure would be nice if there was an easy way to port something in from the frunk.
I came from a C6 and don't really think this system sounds any better. It's louder, for sure, but I can't get it to sound right. In the C6 I could get it to sound ok, but the damn car was so noisy it didn't really matter once you were moving. C8 is a good bit quieter on the road but I can't seem to get the upper midrange/treble to sound right. It's frustrating because I think the system is capable of it, it's just the Bose tuning they went with and the eq they gave us can't fix it.
One thing I considered is using an outboard DAC from my iphone (or you could use a media player). Some have equalizers. Then use the aux input inside the console. Of course you give up carplay.
05-14-2024, 12:28 AM
Alpine upgrade 1LT with pictures
