I have done what you want to do FYI the speakers and sub suck if your like me and are a audiophile
Now the differences between the second gen body style (our trucks) and your partners truck (third gen body) is huge due to differences in the data bus among other things,
Here is how I setup my truck and retained the stock head unit and amp
I have infinity 6030cs component speakers front and rear and a sound ordnance sub under the center console
The sub is the 8-bpt I bought it through crutchfeild.com
Now I do suggest having the sub installed by a pro unless you want it elsewhere in the truck
The rear speakers I had to make a custom mount but you can use the 5030cs and use the stock mounts.
The rear tweeters I also had to make a plate to be able to use the stock locations.
The front tweeters I just had to remove a small bit of the a piller plastic around the tweeter mount.
The end result of my hard work was tight but deep bass lines life like midrange and clear as a bell highs.
If you need anymore info or help I will help the best I can.

 

I can't help you as far as an upgraded system.

But I will say I have the same Nav radio with the 2012 updated NAVDISK and in my opinion its not the best. If I was young and dumb again (going back to the early eighties with no mortgage, kids, wife etc...) I would definetly look at upgrading the entire system, but I do not have the luxury of dropping a couple of grand into a stereo system again. Up on a shelf in my garage is a system that I spent $3,200.00 (yes $3,200.00) in 1982, includes Pioneer top of the line radio, EQ, 6 Disk, speakers, Rockford Fosgate AMPs (Punches), box and lifetime 10" Fosgate woofer, tweeters etc...

Maybe some day I will stick all that crap in our boat. Problem is I forgot how to install all that stuff!

 

Times have changed.. but the bose system that comes stock in a escalade is definitely worth keeping. there's no reason changing all the mids and tweets to add a amplifier to get the same affect I have done this before.just to change those youll be in it 800 to 1000 parts and labor..dont do it not worth it..i have done this and was very upset with the sound.. if you do have the bose system I'll keep it.. just change the head unit for something that you would like to keep looking at. here's an idea this is something I'm doing mine. 8.9 samsung galaxy tablet 4 g wifi. has all kinds apps navigation radio music and everything in 1.

 

Times have changed.. but the bose system that comes stock in a escalade is definitely worth keeping. there's no reason changing all the mids and tweets to add a amplifier to get the same affect I have done this before.just to change those youll be in it 800 to 1000 parts and labor..dont do it not worth it..i have done this and was very upset with the sound.. if you do have the bose system I'll keep it.. just change the head unit for something that you would like to keep looking at. here's an idea this is something I'm doing mine. 8.9 samsung galaxy tablet 4 g wifi. has all kinds apps navigation radio music and everything in 1.<img src="http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=96169"/>

I didn't add a aftermarket amp when I swapped out my speakers everything is worked off of the factory and me being a audiophile I disagree with you on the Bose speakers the flaws I found muddy bass, weak midrange and harsh highs
I replaced my sub with a sound ordnence sub and the door speakers and tweeters are infinity.

 

I know in earlier Bose setups, the speaker impedance was all different from standard aftermarket stuff, so that you couldn't use any aftermarket gear with a Bose amp. Did they finally change that? If so, I'd think about replacing all of the speakers / sub in my truck as well but using the factory wiring and amp. I rewired my entire BMW a couple years ago top to bottom with all new speakers, amps, a sub, navigation unit, the works - it sounds awesome now, but if I had known what a project that was going to be I would never have done it.

 

I'm a 25+ year Car Audio guy and am an audiophile and producer. If you enjoy a good head unit with great sound and hald decent pre-outs, look at http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-AVHP8400-AVH-P8400BH-In-Dash-Receiver/dp/B007O0K9EG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345058934&sr=8-1&keywords=pioneer+8400THIS. You'll need a factory wiring harness that crutchfield sells for 50% off when you get a stereo and you'll also want a PAC TR7 to bypass the video restrictions so you can watch scarface while driving. To retain steering wheel controls you'll need the ASWC by the same manufacturer as the factory wiring harness. it just plugs right in and works like a charm.

You can add the GPS but I prefer a garmin that you can remove.

If you want to talk subwoofer upgrades, well, that's a whole different monster. The easiest thing to do is to just leave the factory amp/wiring and just upgrade the speakers... If you want to bypass the crappy amp, you'll have a lot of work ahead of you. For most the stock Bose sounds ok. The Pioneer 8400 will allow a lot more options as far as equalization.

I hate Kenwood... Pioneer FTW!

 

Hence why for "most" people it's fine to keep the bose amp and upgrade the speakers... You can match the resistance.

Yep which is why I recommended infinity speakers which work best with the stock amp.

 

^ yup yup ^

Just curious, which Infinity models did you go with exactly?

 

^ yup yup ^

Just curious, which Infinity models did you go with exactly?

I got the 6030cs component speakers and mounted them in the stock locations in the front in the doors and a-pillars I had to cut a bit out to fit the tweeters
I also used 6030cs in the rear but I made a custom mount for the rear doors and rear tweeters in the d pillars
You can use 5030cs for the rear in order to use the stock mounts
If you want to know the sub just post and I will let you know the model of the sub I have.

Just keep in mind that you WILL need a crossover on both front speakers and tweeters as the rear speakers and tweeters are crossed at the amp along with the sub.

 

So the front tweeters are crossed at the amp? I want to improve the front soundstage without ripping out the stock wiring... It's gonna be time consuming enough running 30' of 00 AWG along with about 5 sources of RCA's to get my video setup finished. I also have to install a second battery, a Soundstream DTR.3400 and two 18" AA Havoc subs.

Needless to say, until I upgrade the factory speakers, I want plug and play.

So, I'm only doing front soundstage which is the kicks and tweets, what do I need? 6030's and tweets with a x-over? Thanks TCM.

 

So the front tweeters are crossed at the amp? I want to improve the front soundstage without ripping out the stock wiring... It's gonna be time consuming enough running 30' of 00 AWG along with about 5 sources of RCA's to get my video setup finished. I also have to install a second battery, a Soundstream DTR.3400 and two 18" AA Havoc subs.

Needless to say, until I upgrade the factory speakers, I want plug and play.

So, I'm only doing front soundstage which is the kicks and tweets, what do I need? 6030's and tweets with a x-over? Thanks TCM.

The front is where you will need the crossovers the rears are crossed at the amp.

I just used the wire feeds for the door speakers and ran the wires to the crossover that came with infinity speakers as far as placing the crossover I have them under the front seats for easy access in case I have to replace in the event I ever need to replace one.

I know after you hear the infinity speakers you will want to change the rears also as the sound quality between them and the Bose is worlds apart (infinity is better)

 

Is there something special about the Infinity speakers that make them better suited than other aftermarket units for replacing the Bose speakers? Ohm rating, etc? Just curious, as I am a fan of CDT and would like to go that route if I could just drop those in place of the factory Bose drivers. I had some Infinitys in my Trans Am and they were a bit bright for my taste. Of course, that was years ago - I don't know how the new models sound.

TCM, did you find an off-the-shelf sub that just dropped right in place of the Bose one? I'd be curious to know which one you used. I assume the under-dash sub is an 8"?

Is the Bose amp in the Escalade designed to run 4 ohm drivers?

 

Is there something special about the Infinity speakers that make them better suited than other aftermarket units for replacing the Bose speakers? Ohm rating, etc? Just curious, as I am a fan of CDT and would like to go that route if I could just drop those in place of the factory Bose drivers. I had some Infinitys in my Trans Am and they were a bit bright for my taste. Of course, that was years ago - I don't know how the new models sound.

TCM, did you find an off-the-shelf sub that just dropped right in place of the Bose one? I'd be curious to know which one you used. I assume the under-dash sub is an 8"?

Is the Bose amp in the Escalade designed to run 4 ohm drivers?

The infinity speakers are 2 ohms which is more efficient then other speakers in the power area plus the sub is a all in one package I got it through www.crutchfeild.com it is a sound ordnence bpt-8 which is much better then the stock 6inch sub which is very sloppy if you ask me
Ps the reference line which is the models I listed aren't as bright as the kappa line of infinity's car speakers(I have multiple sets of infinity's older home speakers for my home audio system and home theater system which is smooth as silk in the mids and highs the nice tight low end.

 

I'm gonna temporarily go with the 6030cs... I'd optimally like to have 2 way's (6032) in the doors and tweets in the pillars with 2KhZ cutoff,

 

I'm gonna temporarily go with the 6030cs... I'd optimally like to have 2 way's (6032) in the doors and tweets in the pillars with 2KhZ cutoff,

These are two way component speakers with separate woofer and tweeter if you want to see how I have mine setup I can email you pics if you want me to.

 

I know but I want to have the 2 ways in the door and tweets up top also. I've always done a mid/tweet combo with an extra set of tweets... That would not be an easy feat though without doing some rewiring unless the doors contain stock 2-ways?

 

I know but I want to have the 2 ways in the door and tweets up top also. I've always done a mid/tweet combo with an extra set of tweets... That would not be an easy feat though without doing some rewiring unless the doors contain stock 2-ways?

Well you could get a set of coax infinity speakers and leave the stock Bose tweeter in place so you don't have to run extra wire(it mainly depends on how much time you want to put into it)

 

So there isn't a stock crossover in the amp or the door for the stock 6.5 and tweet? Are the stock door speakers coax?

How is it set up in the front anyway? I haven't gotten a chance to rip the doors yet...

 

So there isn't a stock crossover in the amp or the door for the stock 6.5 and tweet? Are the stock door speakers coax?

How is it set up in the front anyway? I haven't gotten a chance to rip the doors yet...

No there isn't stock crossover for the front stage except a low filter which prevents the bass from shredding the door speakers the tweeters has a cheap filter on them to prevent them from blowing from improper range.

 

That's actually perfect... So this Bose stock amps sends out full range. I can get a 2ohm coax with a passive filter and do the same with tweets... Nice.

 

That's actually perfect... So this Bose stock amps sends out full range. I can get a 2ohm coax with a passive filter and do the same with tweets... Nice.

Yep or do like I did with the separate woofer and tweeter which gives better mid bass and midrange and has a separate tweeter for the highs.

The Bose amp does a range from mid bass and up to the door speakers and tweeters but with the sub you wouldn't know they can do full range.

 

I may do the component but I am seeing that these tweets are extremely harsh...???

 

It was the component set you recommended... There are a few guys online stating that they're a little harsh but they could be idiots... I own a production studio with Dynaudio BM12A's and the Yamaha NS so I'm sure it's nothing that I can't compensate for. I also listen to uncompressed .wav's and lossless files so I'm rather picky. I have B&W in the home.

Infinity is ok for the time being but my rip out will consist of Audison, Morel and/or Mosconi for my soundstage.

I'll get them, listen to some remastered Steely Dan and tell you what I think!

I have listened to some steely Dan and I think you might like the infinity speaker btw B&W is another great speaker brand but I don't think they make car speakers
Also I have been debating on doing a ribbon mid range and tweeter setup in my truck should my infinity speakers ever give me trouble of course I will have a good quality mid bass driver to match.

 

Just to clarify, did you use the stock wiring? I noticed that you mounted the crossovers under the front seats.... See, if I start going this route, I'm going to end up just rewiring everything which I have no time for... I still need to assemble my enclosure and run a lot of 00awg / batteries, etc. I need plug and play. Shame on me for not researching more before I got that infinity component set... Maybe I was better off getting a coax for the doors...

So what is the factory amp resistance set up for anyway? 2 ohms?

 

Send pics of your set up to tcfire@bellsouth.net. Sounds like you have a solid handle on this I would like to see what you did. Curiously at the Crutchfield site ...they indicate that the speakers you are using are a "no fit" for 2005 Escalade....any cause for concern?

Thanks,

John in West Palm Beach

 

Send pics of your set up to tcfire@bellsouth.net. Sounds like you have a solid handle on this I would like to see what you did. Curiously at the Crutchfield site ...they indicate that the speakers you are using are a "no fit" for 2005 Escalade....any cause for concern?

Thanks,

John in West Palm Beach

They will work as the speaker locations are a drop in fit for 6 1/2 inch speakers
I will send the pics when I am on my computer,

As far as the wiring the tweeters came with enough wiring to reach to under the seat and I just ran a small amount of wire to the door speaker to crossover the rear door speakers and tweeters I didn't have to add wire because of the way they are set up.

 

TCM, did you install the tweeters inside the door just above the 6.5" THere is a lot of room there.... I can keep the tweets in the pillars and add the tweets to the doors.

 

TCM, did you install the tweeters inside the door just above the 6.5" THere is a lot of room there.... I can keep the tweets in the pillars and add the tweets to the doors.

Nope I used the stock locations in order to get the best imaging from the speaker and tweeters.
I know there is a lot of room but you won't get the best from your speakers that way.

 

Stock location hardly constitutes the best imaging. When was Bose or GM in the audiophile business? I think you may have thought I'd keep the stock tweets hooked up... No way in hell would I get caught up in multiple point sourcing unless my components have mediocre stage height at the sides. Unless done properly, using the kick tweeters as the main tweets and using the tweets in the pillars in a cross firing scheme it will sound like crap. Since the A pillars are closer to you, you may have to manipulate the polarity to get proper phase between the two sets of tweets. I'm just going to mount the set in the doors and use the stock locations if I have to.

This is another reason many high end systems use a minimal amount of drivers. You net the best possible imaging characteristics and the least number of phase problems to correct. I temporarily considered Coax's. Well, coaxial designs and true point source coaxials (with the tweeter actually resting INSIDE the midrange voice coil) were built on the "point source" premise, and can do a good job in terms of imaging because of this. Standard coaxial designs usually have NO crossover for the midrange, allowing it to roll-off it's freq response on the top naturally. I like components better anyway.

To get proper imaging, the path lengths between your speakers and your ears need to be as close to equal as possible. The escalade by delault has the stock tweeters set off axis and the tweeters should only be used as a second set up as cross firing.... I'd rather put the tweets in the kick and get them set up on axis and have less ear fatigue... I'm not trying to bash you but I am a sound engineer. I consistently downmix tracks on $2,000 Dynaudio's for final production so I know a thing or two about imaging.

Also look at your prefabricated kick panel enclosures... Q-Logic or whatnot... The tweets are in there.

No highs, no lows, gotta be Bose...

 

Stock location hardly constitutes the best imaging. When was Bose or GM in the audiophile business? I think you may have thought I'd keep the stock tweets hooked up... No way in hell would I get caught up in multiple point sourcing unless my components have mediocre stage height at the sides. Unless done properly, using the kick tweeters as the main tweets and using the tweets in the pillars in a cross firing scheme it will sound like crap. Since the A pillars are closer to you, you may have to manipulate the polarity to get proper phase between the two sets of tweets. I'm just going to mount the set in the doors and use the stock locations if I have to.

This is another reason many high end systems use a minimal amount of drivers. You net the best possible imaging characteristics and the least number of phase problems to correct. I temporarily considered Coax's. Well, coaxial designs and true point source coaxials (with the tweeter actually resting INSIDE the midrange voice coil) were built on the "point source" premise, and can do a good job in terms of imaging because of this. Standard coaxial designs usually have NO crossover for the midrange, allowing it to roll-off it's freq response on the top naturally. I like components better anyway.

To get proper imaging, the path lengths between your speakers and your ears need to be as close to equal as possible. The escalade by delault has the stock tweeters set off axis and the tweeters should only be used as a second set up as cross firing.... I'd rather put the tweets in the kick and get them set up on axis and have less ear fatigue... I'm not trying to bash you but I am a sound engineer. I consistently downmix tracks on $2,000 Dynaudio's for final production so I know a thing or two about imaging.

Also look at your prefabricated kick panel enclosures... Q-Logic or whatnot... The tweets are in there.

No highs, no lows, gotta be Bose...

Try little to no midrange, harsh highs and sloppy bass that's how I have found that the Bose speakers sound but I setup mine up with the stock locations for the tweeters for now until I get the time and parts to set mine up with ribbon mid's and tweeters which will have to be positioned different anyway.

But I can tell a difference in imaging because of where the tweeters are reflecting off of the windshield (kinda makes me wonder why gm/Bose did the rear better then the front)

I also can tell a huge difference between the setup I have in my car (which it took me hours to get the tweeters positioned right) to the setup in my truck the range of sound is there but on certain songs the dimension of depth is not as good,

I have been wondering if tweeter pods would make a difference if I don't go to ribbon drivers before too long.

P.s I have infinity rs-5 speakers on my home audio system and it sounds as close to a live performance as a speaker can reproduce,

Also I have a set of Bose home audio speakers and even though they don't sound as great as my infinity speakers they still sound better then the Bose speakers in our trucks plus it is better to use a pod for the tweeter to have it aimed right towards your ear level to get the most out of the setup then to have it reflecting off of the windshield (which is another tech word by Bose called direct reflect technology) the Bose home speakers are a joke compared to my infinity speakers reguardless of which model you compare them to.

 

Also keep in mind that there are multiple mounts included with the tweeters of the infinity speakers and one would allow you to use the stock locations and adjust each tweeters direction to compensate I didn't think about that until now (I am going to adjust mine and see if it helps as they are at ear level just a bit out of position for the sweet spot.

 

Read neel's post: http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/71092-mounting-tweeters-on-or-off-axis/

 

Read neel's post: http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/71092-mounting-tweeters-on-or-off-axis/

I read the link and someone mentioned it depends on the brand of speakers you use but I have seen worse off axis tweeter mounts(hummer h2 for one Chevy hhr for another) plus it has a lot to do with a little thing us audiophiles have known for years called acoustics which can make even the best speakers sound like crap.
P.s the two suv's I listed has the tweeter firing towards each other which kills the staging all together.

 

You have mentioned quite a few times that you are an "audiophile". If so, I'm surprised you're using Infinity speakers as your #1's. Infinity can make some good drivers but are far from top quality... They're ok consumer speakers.... There is a difference in speakers and crap speakers are just that, crap speakers. I can't downmix on a pair of Mackies and compare them to my Yamaha NS10's or Dynaudio's and those are IN a studio setup by an acoustical engineer.

I compete in car audio. Join us over in the caraudio.com forums. Just be sure not to mention JL Audio over there...

Are you a member of headfi?

 

Topper