Hey guys, I wanted to ask a couple of questions regarding the DELCO radios that are available for our cars (and for GM cars in general). I'm very much a "stock looking" freak, so for me, I can / will make modifications, but it has to look like GM put it there from the factory. Same goes for the interior and radios. I'll swap out radios but it needs to look period correct.

Right now, I have a Cadillac "Symphony Sound" radio installed in my 84 Corvette. It's one of the odd-ball ones that also came with the CB radio attachment. Here's a picture of it:





Car is in rough shape, but when I'm done with it, it'll look like a brand new car, much to the detriment of common sense and my wallet. But here is my actual question:

- Are the Delco Bose and Symphony Sound radios better than the standard GM Delco radios?

Ignoring the speakers hooked up to them, what I'm specifically asking about are the frequency range output of the stereos. I know with most factory radios (including GM, Ford, and Chrysler)... especially at this time, they used to filter out (suppress) the lows and highs, and kept a much more narrow sound frequency range in order to help protect the speakers. Almost all speakers in factory radios were paper cones, and they would often tear if the bass was too high, so they'd filter it.

I plan on installing higher quality aftermarket speakers, and maybe even a small amplifier as well. But I want to keep a factory head unit. Anyone know the output frequency range of the Delco radios? Is that listed somewhere? I have the Cadillac "Symphony Sound" radio, and I was thinking of swapping out the face plate and ***** to the Corvette all-black ones, and keeping that radio if in fact it is better. Otherwise I would source a DELCO Bose so that I could get the lower range.


Thanks!

 

I used to service Delco radios. Up through the 80s, they are all pretty bad with low power though 10 ohm speakers and poor frequency range. The Bose systems were better, but still not wonderful. They got better in the 90s, at least in the Bose version.
If you don't want to go through a Bose conversion, you probably have as good as any that's period correct.

 

Thanks JV... I'm probably going to get an aftermarket amp and really quality speakers (not overkill, just something decent). But I want to keep the stock look. Do you know if the Symphony Sound radio was similar to the Delco Bose in that it had a better frequency output? Thanks!!!