need suggestions with audio upgrade
 

Hi,

I have 2014 Camaro 1LT. Sound is kind loud but its not good quality. I have 2014 Pathfinder it has Bose. And difference in Bose and Camaro's Non-BA system is like day night. I want to have more quality to music in my Camaro.

I went to bunch of local shops. One said change all speakers, and 5 channel amp and and sub and then amplify all door speakers with amp and add sub in trunk. His estimate is something like 2500$.

Other says leave door speakers as is. Add sub in trunk and then make settings in equalizer to lower bass and also adjust other settings. His estimate for sub and amp was 700$.

But they were not able to demo bose kind of sound quality on their test systems.

Not sure what people are doing to get it going.

Also i saw battery is in trunk and feel like i should install sub and amp myself even thought i have not done anything like it before. Any ideas what kind of wiring and fuse should i use to power up amp? I am thinking of using "JL Audio JX500/1 Sub Amp" which i have laying around with JL 12" sub. if it will solve issue. Also where should i connect remote on wire for sub in 2014 camaro?

Thanks in advance.

If you aren't happy with the quality, a simple sub upgrade isn't going to help. A sub isn't going to change the audio quality, it's simply going to add bass.

For sound quality, you are looking at speakers. And to get the most out of the speakers, a new amp to power them is required.

So assuming you truly aren't happy with the quality, then shop 1 is the way to go.

complete package upgrade of all speakers and sub will be best but most expensive route. What speakers would they install for $2500 and what amp?

go w/ quality components up front, leave the rears for 'rear-fill', add a quality sub(or 2), then you should be good to go...and use good quality amps, efficient power for the sub(s)-usually class D-and class A or A/B for the fronts. Amps that have high S/N ratio and CES-compliant are ones to look for.

I agree that speakers need to be upgraded. Here are few things that are keeping me back from that.

1) I hate cutting wires. And both shops say they will cut speaker wires and install new speaker. I asked them to use harness and they said there is none available. I searched internet and couldn't find my self.

2) If i add 5 channel amp, they will have to run wires to all speakers and i feel its way too much wires, they will run from amp in trunk to speakers so i think it will be mess of wires.

Has anyone just tried to change speakers to better component speakers in camaro? without amplifier? Was there any difference. As problem is now when i play music on high volume, speaker in door tries to play bass along with vocal sounds and it mixes them making voice to be unclear. So thought might be speakers are of poor quality.

Another thing is I had issue with my bluetooth in MyLink. It on random forgets my phone and i have to repair it every 1-2 weeks with my car. Chevrolet is looking into it but they say if i touch stereo warranty is voided on it. They say i can upgrade speakers but it might effect warranty. So i am holding off as they sent me to dealer for software upgrade and my stereo was up to date and now they are trying to find what can they do about stereo.

I'm sure people have tried it. But the fact is that both (BA and non-BA) systems are underpowered. An aftermarket amp wakes up both systems.

Also of note, based on your description of the "problem", you are experiencing the problem at high volume (ie: 75% plus volume), thus most/part of the distortion is simply the radio/amp itself. Distortion is what damages speakers. You can overdrive a speaker with a clean (ie: distortion free) signal. But push a speaker with a distorted signal (even if under the speakers power rating), and damage can occur.

So yes, you can simply replace the speakers. It may or may not "sound" better. This is largely due to the fact that sound "quality" is largely subjective. Ask three people what sounds "good" and allow them to make adjustments, and you will get three different answers. And again, when you have your volume adjusted that high, you will get distortion. If you often have your radio over 75%, you need a different/larger amp and/or speakers.

As for wiring, you don't have much choice. Leave it stock and deal with it, or upgrade. The wires won't be visible anyway. They will all be under the carpeting and behind trim panels. It's a lot of labor, thus the high quote.

Bluetooth support varies greatly based on phone. Android phones seem to have fewer issues. iPhone issues seem to vary more based on ios.

I kept the head unit in a prior car and added a sound processor and amp. Made allthe difference in the world. Stock stereo's naturally lower the base as the volume is increased. If you have BA speakers ... I'd add a sound processor first.

Sounds to me like you have a good start, with the amp and sub you have. I would ask either of those shops what they would charge for a simple installation fee, if you bring the equipment. Amps and speakers are super easy to find for great prices. I know you wont have a warranty on the equipment itself, but they should at least warranty their work, in case something goes wrong. You could simply find a 4-channel amp, some 6.5's, a pair of tweeters, and a miniDSP for probably around $500-600 total, and have it all installed. There are a bunch of youtube videos that would also help you do a lot of install stuff on your own, saving you a bunch. For example, you could, and should sound deaden at least your doors before you do anything else. There are videos of pulling the doors speakers, cutting out the junk OEM and using the mounting ring for aftermarket 6.5's. The tweeter install is about as easy as it gets, since it sits on top of the door card. Mainly, the install stuff you might want to leave to the pros is fusing, power wire, grounds, etc. since they could do the troubleshooting if need be. I have a bunch of equipment, if you decide to go the DIY route.

Just my .02