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Audio system/ speakers

5K views 31 replies 15 participants last post by  MikeJCx9 
#1 ·
So I have had the V Wagon for almost a month now. In my opinion, the audio system sucks. I am sorry to anyone who like it - not trying to offend anyone. I once in a while like a bit of volume and some bass. This syste has neither. In my 2008 corvette, which also has a Bose system and in my opinion, has the same problem, I found the hard way that replacing the various speakers with better quality ones does not really do that much. In the cadillac, has anyone put a different or better subwoofer in?
Has anyone left the electronics and just replaced the speakers? I am not optimistic that changing speakers in the doors is going to do much, but I am open minded.
 
#2 ·
Might be worthwhile getting your audio system checked before replacing anything?

I'm a young guy, I like my lossless audio crisp, clear, and full of bass. I'm actually surprised at the V's system. Pleasantly happy with both the Escalde's and the V's systems.
 
#3 ·
You can switch out the speakers and add a sub. Adding in a custom sub with amp would be your easiest route. Replacing the speakers and amps would require more professional work (unless you're comfortable with it) and it will cost a pretty penny as well.
 
#5 ·
I hate to admit it, but I'm on board with OP.

I will say that the audio source can obviously change things significantly, but I have consistently been disappointed with the setup in my Wagon.

Perhaps the extra cargo space (vs a trunk) distorts the low end in a negative way?
 
#7 ·
The real question is, does anyone have any experience with subwoofer or speaker upgrades? those are easy to do - The Bose system in my orvette frankly is poorly designed, and upgrading means switching the amp/crossover unit and changing the speakers. in the V, maybe just speakers???
 
#12 ·
All Bose is the same. Low impedence speakers, etc...

You'll need to get a processor from RF or Audison or JL Audio and then amps and then speakers. All new.

However, the woofers in the doors are huge and set a nice platform for custom installs...

----------

As integrated as the sound system is in modern vehicles you will really need a high end pro to perform magic.
They are hard to find I can PM you a good web site to see whats what.
Crutchfield tested what modifications do what.
Video Link: http://youtu.be/5iJ5lO3va1Y
Might try
JBL MS8 is popular
Rockford Fosgate 3Sixty.3

Bonus series
Video Link: http://youtu.be/gtPg_v8yhFo
hmm...

Don't know why your post didn't show up until after I made mine.

Yeah, listen to this guy...
 
#10 ·
I notice music that just has low thumping or rumbling (recently-engineered pop, certain dramatic movie scores) sounds okay, but lower-register instrumentation sounds thin. No, it's not the source material -- the same tracks sounded great in my last car.

Also, put the front windows down and everything deeper than a boy's voice seems to disappear.
 
#14 ·
I had a 2012 Sedan and now a 2013 Wagon and the bass is better in the wagon an it just sounds better than the Sedan. Source is very important, when i'm streaming off my Galaxy 3 and have a good 4g source on Pandora or Slacker it sounds amazing, when it's streaming off a low quality 3g source not so good, not as good on CD or Hard drive either. Try streaming off a good cell phone, you will be impressed.
 
#17 ·
Here is my plan for adding more bass. this is a compromise, but I am not going to go too crazy for the sound system. I plan to use the wires coming off the subwoofer in the spare tire well (it is so lightweight and so plastic that I cant imagine it realy does much) to drive a separate single channel amp, that I mount somewhere below the rear cargo floor. there is a ton of room down there. Power can easily be taken off the battery, which is right there in the rear.
I will put a 10" subwoofer either in a separate enclosure attached to the floor with the child seat tie downs, or maybe just make up a faceplate to mount the sub in the driver side rear storage bin. The subwoofer will fit there, but there is not a lot of volume for the subwoofer enclosure. I am not sure how well that storage bin will work, but it makes a really nice, out of the way spot to mount a 10" or even an 8" sub.

Does anyone know what the 5 wires coming into the factory subwoofer are? There is a thick red and black, which I think might be power and ground. There are 3 smaller wires. Anyone know how to find out?

If we know what the wires are there, replacing the factory sub with something better becomes easy,

Hard to believe the factory sub could ever do anything below the "spare tire cover plate" and also below the cargo floor. There are 2 thick panels on top of it!! I know bass is supposed to be not directional, but putting 2 "walls" between the bass and the passenger compartment seems stupid.
 
#19 ·
you definitely need a bigger box to work best. i wonder if I left the "enclosure" partly open, to simulate a small ported box, if this would work. It is not definitely not a great arrangement, but I may try it because it would be good packaging - the subwoofer is out of the way. I just need some direction on which wire is what on the stock subwoofer harness. anyone?
 
#21 ·
On my 2011 I had four wires to the sub. Power, ground, signal +, signal -. The sub amp is built into the sub. The signals on the connector are pre-amp level signals. 2 signal wires to input of amp then done. Just make sure you have an amp with a volume control. The bose significantly reduces bass as the volume goes up.

I used a JL 500/1 amp and a JL 10w3 sub in a small box that fits in the spare tire well.
 
#23 ·
I may try reversing the polarity going to the sub, plus for minus and see what happens. I did this in my last car (Pontiac G8GT) and it sounded so much better reversed for some reason, gobs more bass it was strange, then everybody started doing it when they read the thread about it. Worth a shot with my Vagon, I'll try it when I pull it out of storage next fall.
 
#24 ·
If the Bose amp reduces output to the subwoofer and higher volume, I wonder if I could take the subwoofer INPUTS from the head unit to the Bose amp and run those to a separate amp before the Bose amp rduces output. The Bose amp is right in the rear of the wagon near the subwoofer. from previous posts, that seems to be the blue and white wire and the green and white wire, or something like that. Has anyone done this as opposed to pulling signal off the subwoofer directly?
 
#27 ·
I have a 2011 schematic if that helps.

Regarding the bose amp, if it is the same as my 08 Yukon system, the head unit outputs a constant signal and volume and tone control are done through the AMP. The output from the preamp is the same no matter the volume position. I believe the system sends messages to the bose amp to handle all audio control. Only true solution on my 08 was to take all outputs from the bose amp and put them through a Cleansweep unit to take out all the bose equalization and provide low level clean outputs to your new amps and speakers.

Did not want to take that extreme step as I prefer the sound of the exhaust :)
 
#28 ·
I read that somewhere, about the volume control being through the amp. so then, have to take signal off the bose amp if I want the head unit volume control to work, but then have to accept the cutout of bass at higher levels. these bose systems suck. if you can pass along the wiring info on the 5 wires going to the subwoofer, that would be super.
 
#32 ·
I have pretty much the same setup in my V as my G35 and all I did was keep the Bose system intact with it's own personal amp/sub, then added 1 12" with an Alpine amp and the shit hits hard, clear and sounds how it should have from the factory, not too crazy but has kick. Only problem is that it takes up a significant amount of space in the trunk and the V's trunk is not much bigger. I've been looking for a 10" all-in-one sub/amp I've seen one from Rockford Fosgate, which I've heard good things about from a local installer. Might go that route.
 
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