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Chevrolet Impala Audio

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Comments

  • jntjnt Member Posts: 316
    Some radios may have 24 hr clock instead of 12 hr. I do not know that is the case in the Impala's radio. But if the 24hr vs. 12 hr is an option, there should be a choice for end users to select either option. It probably the technician at the dealer played around with the clock and got it in this mode. On newer radios, station presets are preserved even if the battery is unhooked. So if your radio shows wrong time of the day, it may experience a radio computer"RESET" or battery disconnection.

    It is always easier for any dealer to reset the clock and claims "No problem Found" since it is hard for them to verify the problem unless you let them keep the car for days. I doubt they have tool to check in hours unless the clock is off 5 minutes every hour. In this case, they probably replace the radio and charge GM for it. Normally that would solve the problem

    jt
  • mymittiesmymitties Member Posts: 242
    Hey wbowl.

    Military Time....!! ?? Well, maybe the good 'ole GM mechanic was just trying to be nice here by setting it to MT thinking it was Ron or Bryan in for SERVICE...(Ok, Ok, small joke here..!!) :blush:

    Wow wbowl, you have obviously hit a sore spot here, I don't think I've ever heard our friend Ron sooooooo irritated. :mad:
    You know, I can't blame him..!!!! We've all been there...!!

    Frank ;)
  • wbowl99wbowl99 Member Posts: 133
    I do have the choice to change from 24 to 12 and I reset the clock after I realized it had been changed. If it's supposed to keep its presets when the battery is unhooked, it didn't in the previous times service unhooked it. I had to reset them all.

    I have to go with Ron on the iritation with "we can't duplicate the problem" or "we can't find anything wrong". When he said they reset the time, my first thought was, well, gee, I could have done that myself. I guess I just have to reset it every couple months to keep it accurate???
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    Unfortunately, that's probably the case. There may be something in writing as to acceptable tolerances in the timekeeping. If it's enough of a hassle, it may be worth fighting. I would think 5 minutes or more per month would be too much and I'd fight. But, some are less particular than me. ;)

    Frank...the sore spot comes when someone of inferior knowledge/skill level tries to come off as the expert and take credit for doing something they haven't. I'd bet money that they just LOOKED at the clock, pressed a few buttons, and decided it worked fine. His report implied that he ran some type of diagnostic and no error was found. It's that attitude that causes people to lose trust in the service department because anyone, even someone with no mechanical/electrical knowledge at all, realizes they're being fed BS. GM owes it to their customers to discontinue the practice especially since they can't get away with it in this day and age (a la this forum). They should just admit they found nothing wrong, clarify the issue, and make arrangements to check it again or consider it a non-issue. Their lack of credibility has made some people reluctant to even have covered repairs taken care of...even simple things like changing a battery, eh Bryan? ;)

    That's just my $.02. ;)
  • colchester47colchester47 Member Posts: 261
    I have little or no trust in dealership mechanics....I've been known to take warranted cars to independent mechanics and pay(monetarily) for something rather than to pay (frustration)at a dealership....just the way I am...case in point..1978....I had a service manager tell me he could cover the scratch on my trunk lid(car was 45 minutes old) with touch up paint....ok, go to it...(don't like touch-up paint) anyway he proceeds to touch up the scratch and in his jubilation of doing so spills the whole bottle of paint on my trunk lid......want more stories?...and I've gone to many different dealers and they weren't all GM!!
  • markj5362markj5362 Member Posts: 3
    These radio problems are weird...My 06 LTZ/Bose has only a slight hiss on all bands...can only hear with the engine off so I can live with that...My main problem is the AM band which I like to listen to occasionally...it sounds like the antenna is disconnected. The local Seattle stations sound like there broadcasting from Alaska!...UNTIL I "slap" the headliner behind the passenger seat using the flat of my hand...works every time to bring the station in clearer but it must must be done often while driving (its kinda embarrassing)...I read somewhere about a loose ground or coax tsb but the dealer couldn't find it...dealer verified the problem by slapping the headliner himself but said it must come off for repair...I'm now out of warranty so dont want to pay...any ideas would be helpful. I cant be the only one with this problem...other than that...car is GREAT!

    Mark :confuse: :confuse: <img src="
  • markj5362markj5362 Member Posts: 3
    What a hassle! It doesnt sound like gm will be able to resolve the hiss problem. Did yours start off low and increase with time? I have a very low hiss which became noticeable about a month after delivery. It's noticeable only with the engine off...My beef is the AM band not coming in clear until I slap the headliner behind the front passenger seat. I'm out of warranty now and don't want to pay for the headliner to be removed. It's got to be a loose wire or something!
    Good Luck with your local dealer...It sounds like they truly want to help..

    Mark
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    I'm now out of warranty so dont want to pay...any ideas would be helpful.

    Maybe you could have an alternate AM antenna installed. Any car stereo store should be able to help you. It might be cheaper than fixing the factory stereo and give you adequate reception.

    Ya gotta love that $399 premium Bose sound, huh? I know I will likely never buy a Bose product again.
  • mymittiesmymitties Member Posts: 242
    Hey Ron,

    As always , many thanks for your 2 cents here... Well said !!!!! :)

    Frank ;)
  • lineman3lineman3 Member Posts: 12
    (quietpro)I will not even attempt to tell you that you did not have a bad experience with dealer mechanics, or that many are not just kids or adults practicing on your car. It is a sad fact that many mechanics are just not up to speed. And that SAE placard on the wall almost always only applies to one of the mechanics working there, the rest are somewhere from being drug or alcohol dependent beginners to somewhere better. I will say this though. Not all dealer mechanics are bad. You unfortuneatly have to take the time( and get lucky ) to find a good one. And when you do, you take of that person with tips, you wait for their schedule to open up, you be patient when they do make a mistake etc. As an example; until about a year ago I was a master tech for Harley Davidson. We had 10 mechanics. I was the only Master. Being a Master tech "Means absolutely nothing!" I actually was a very good mechanic. Lots of the Master mechanics received the status by going to the schools and putting in the time. However to be good was another thing as most of the dealership classes were a class, as in they really didn't fail anyone. I sat in a class of 14 students on digital electronics. They displayed the parameters for the sensors on the fuel injection and engine management systems, then they asked the class what was wrong with the engines based on the data from the sensor readings. I was the only one who could answer the questions. Ok so thats a long winded way of saying that there are good dealer mechanics. The dealer makes money doing warranty work, albeit not much, but the do, so they will fix you car. You just have to be positive and absolute. If they spilled paint on my car, they would have re painted it or made it exactly like it was when I brought it in. They will do this, you just have to be willing to stand up for your rights. I have personally rebuilt complete motors for free, outside of warranty because the customer complained enough. It can be done. Find a good mechanic, and take care of that person. Don't trust your car/bike etc to any place without knowing who is working on it. If you don't, you will get a just about anything.

    Jeff
  • jntjnt Member Posts: 316
    Likely cause(s):

    1. Bad radio antenna connection (inside radio). Replacing radio will fix it
    2. Bad coax cable connecting to the radio. Only replacing the coax fixes it. You can put another radio in it, but this problem may pop up again once the connection is loose again.

    AM is extremely sensitive to bad RF connection. Theoretically, your radio should be able to receive strong AM station at least 150 miles away.

    jt
  • capo33capo33 Member Posts: 6
    Three days ago my Impala was working fine. The next morning I get in the car and there is no sound of any kind. the radio appears to be running and I can hear the disc skipping tracks. Does anyone know what the problem is. I pulled the radio out of the dash and everything is connected, I checked the fuses (I assume the radio wouldn't run with blown fuse anyway). I really can't take this, the weather starts to finally break here in Chicago and I don't have any music and can't listen to White Sox games. This may be a crisis.
  • colchester47colchester47 Member Posts: 261
    You did what?...you pulled the radio out of the dash?.. :confuse:
  • capo33capo33 Member Posts: 6
    This was after it stopped working, I took apart the dash and checked the connections.
  • wbowl99wbowl99 Member Posts: 133
    I take it it wasn't still under warranty.
  • capo33capo33 Member Posts: 6
    It's a 2002 and I bought it used last September. I'ver put in many radios and sound equipment in cars and that's why I need help to figure this out. The door chimes don't work either. Nothing is disconnected that I can see you can hear the CD player working I saw someone had posted something on Feb. 28 that sounded similar and they said they would report what the outcome was and I didn't see that report.
  • jntjnt Member Posts: 316
    Your radio may experience a brain death incident. It is like Blue Screen on Window PC machine. Try this:

    Unhook the radio power connectors since you can get access to the back of radio by popping out the trim around it. Let it unhooked for 5 minutes so that the radio is completely dead. Then hook it back on. This may get this thing started again. Another easy way is to unhook the radio fuse(s) and then hook it back

    One caution: if your vehicle is older Impala and you actually set a LOCK code for theft deterent purpose, you should remember the code so that you could enter it in later. Otherwise, the radio display may show LOC and will cost you $50 to visit the local dealer

    jt
  • zappalandzappaland Member Posts: 5
    now this is truly wierd i lost my sound on the 15 march at appx 11am est in my 2002 impala and all works and no sound called dealer and they said it needs to go there. could it be the amp in the trunk?
  • capo33capo33 Member Posts: 6
    I don't know if it could be the amp, but there sure are a lot of speaker wires going to it. Did the dealersip charge you? This is getting ridiculous.
  • zappalandzappaland Member Posts: 5
    no charge from the dealer for the phone call. a mechanic from the shop i work at (tractor trailer) checked to see if the antenna or any thing was loose and i showed him the amp he scracthed his head and said dealer item. i was wondering if an after market system is the way to go instead of a repair at the dealer, why toss good money after bad.
  • capo33capo33 Member Posts: 6
    I still haven't heard anything back, I wish someone could let me know exactly what the problem is. I could fix it myself then without playing guesswork and without paying out of my backside.
  • mjagsmjags Member Posts: 4
    I have the same problem with my 2002 Impala. Thought it was the amp so I bought one on Ebay...still didn't work. Seller said it was OK when he sold it.
    Called GM radio repair place and he said to disconnect each speaker wire one at a time, could be shorted speaker....still didn't work.
    Pulled radio and sent it to GM radio guy. Radio checked out OK and he sent it back to me no charge. When I talked to him again he said he's seen a lot of bad amplifiers out there, so my next step is to by a reconditioned amp or find a wiring diagram so I can bypass the amp. :confuse:
  • dave138dave138 Member Posts: 1
    I have just leased a 2007 Chevrolet Impala LTZ that includes an upgraded audio system. I also lease a 2005 Impala LS with the same type of audio system. Both vehicles have the XM, FM and AM bands.

    My problem is the radio&#146;s EQ button in the 2007 Impala. When the EQ (equalization) button is pushed the only choices received are the &#147;Talk&#148; and &#147;Manual&#148; settings. I should be able to choose between all of the preset equalization settings, such as CLASSICAL, ROCK, NEWS, COUNTRY, etc. The 2005 Chevy Impala LS audio system does have preset equalization settings.
    This is a terribly disappointing inequity. I am not sure anyone, and I mean anyone, in the Chevrolet Organization realizes what limitations this gives to the customer that expects the upgraded audio system, with the upgraded Bose speakers, to produce top quality musical sounds and tones.

    I have had several Dealer Salespeople, Dealer Service personnel, and Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center personnel and as of today a GM Service Expert tell me they didn&#146;t realize this shortcoming. I was also told that Chevrolet actually chooses not to offer this feature to their customers this year and that GM outsourced the radio to Panasonic. The first two responses make no sense.

    Why would Chevrolet Motor Division intentionally leave out the preset equalization/tone settings when Chevrolet touts a new feature of 36 possible favorite station settings? You can&#146;t even set a different manual equalization setting for an individual station and then save another manual equalization setting for another station. There is one possible manual equalization setting. Imagine listening to a great classical piece with equalization set for Rock or Pop; again doesn&#146;t make any sense.
    Allowing one manual setting means the driver has to adjust bass, midrange and treble every time he or she switches station categories, such as Country to Jazz or Jazz to Classical and so on. This is a SAFETY issue, as the driver has to take his/her eyes of the road to adjust the tone or choose to pull over every time he/she changes radio stations or CD music.
    The Owner&#146;s Manual includes the following statement on page # 228:
    &#147;EQ (Equalization): Press this button to select preset equalization settings.&#148;
    I have checked other GM products and found, for example, the lower priced Pontiac Solstice has the exact same radio that includes a screen of preset equalization settings when the EQ button is pressed. Why not the Chevrolet Impala LTZ?

    Does anyone out there know of a fix for this?
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    Dave,
    Welcome to the club, my friend. :cry: You are just now discovering what all of us Bose owners have discovered shortly after buying our cars. In the new "Black Tie" series of stereos, they all look very similar but there are three levels with different features in each. With the Bose system, you don't get the various EQ presets. That is a feature on the mid-level units. But, you not only lose the various preset EQs, but the earlier models had problems with the amps that caused a steady hiss to be heard whenever the stereo, turn signals, door chimes, or hazard signals were used. That was MOSTLY fixed by replacing the amp but the hiss is still there with us, just reduced. Some of us also feel that the levels available to adjust aren't adequate and there is an overboosted level between mid and treble that is very annoying. For me, I can't bear to listen to certain songs very loudly because when they hit certain notes, it feels like my head will explode.

    In my opinion, it is not worthy of being called a premium sound system. I will likely never buy a Bose product again. I know for a fact I will run ANY sound system through its paces before buying it. I was foolish and just ASSUMED that a system with the Bose name and a PREMIUM price would be of the highest quality. I'm embarrassed to admit that I barely turned the stereo on while test driving the car.

    Sadly, there is no fix other than to replace the unit. Yours is working as it is supposed to...it's just not designed well. Sorry... :sick:

    Ron
  • pbaranellopbaranello Member Posts: 36
    I think that it is safe to say that no matter what radio you have in any new Impala, the sound system is terrible.

    I have a 3LT or LT3 however you want to say it. It had everything I wanted, 3.9 motor, sun roof, radio has XM and all the goodies except I did not buy the premium system. Basically I am missing the amplifier.

    Without the amplifier the radio does not have enough power to power all 6 speakers, I am always just about up at the limit of the radio volume. If I apply to much rear speaker I am definitely up at the end of the radio volume power.

    I actually thought something was wrong with the radio but from what I have been reading, the system is just well below standards.

    As far as the Bose system goes, anything you buy from Bose is over priced and over rated. This goes for A/V home systems as well.
  • wbowl99wbowl99 Member Posts: 133
    I've got the '06 LT with non-Bose system and no XM. I thought at first my hearing was going because I had to turn the volume up so high to hear it. Thanks to all the complaints in here, I know it the cheap radio instead. I have to turn it even higher because of road noise and wind noise that I'm told is normal for my car. When there's a crosswind, it's ridiculous.
  • 07impala07impala Member Posts: 1
    I just bought an 07 Impala and I was wanting to put an aftermarket radio in it. I have the radio adapter and interface out of my 03 Cavalier are they the same or will I have to buy a new one?
  • mymittiesmymitties Member Posts: 242
    Hey 07...
    You can go to posting # 1422 " How to install an after market Radio" in this discussion title...This should help you...!! :)

    Frank ;)
  • tdeartdear Member Posts: 1
    I have an 03 impala and out of no where the sound was gone. I don't hear anything. My door chimes or the low gas warning does not work it is just silence. I called a chevy dealer and they want $96 an hour to just diagnose it!! :mad: I don't know if anyone has actually come to a conclusion with their radio but if so could you please advise me. :cry:
  • mymittiesmymitties Member Posts: 242
    pb

    Well, I too have an '06 LT(2)Impala and I have had my girl now for about 6 months... Just love my Chevy..!! :blush: Sorry, I get carried away sometimes..!! Anyway, at the time, I innocently chose the 8 speaker Premium Bose Sound System (with amplifier) in mine, and so far, I'm honestly quite pleased with it. "Cheap Radio"...I'm not too sure if I personally feel the same as some here.!! It's similar to how I feel about my Goodyear's..while I know they are not the very best, there is alot worse out there... So,it's interesting... I have had always extremely good volume and without all the other frustrating "stuff" that others talk about here..i.e. hissing sounds, wind noises, etc. etc. But, one thing I will admitt though, is I really miss the various EQ pre-sets!!. Boy did they (GM) ever miss the boat on this one..!!
    Anyway, about your road & wind noise... I assume that you are aware of Speed/Noise sensitive Volume control feature in your radio that automatically changes the volume slightly with vehicle speed to compensate for these various noises.. ???. The Settings can be set at LOW - MEDIUM or HIGH..
    Personally, I have mine set at MEDIUM and it is working fine so far.
    Enjoy your ride...
    Frank ;)
  • mymittiesmymitties Member Posts: 242
    Mornin' Wanda... :)

    Geeee, it must be too early for me here... My previous message (to pb ??) was supposed to go to you..
    Oh well, the fog will lift soon...I hope..!! :confuse:
    And , noticeably , I did spell my name correctly...!!
    Have a great day....
    Frank ;)
  • pbaranellopbaranello Member Posts: 36
    Frank,

    I know how you feel I enjoy my 2006 LT3 a great deal also, except for the gas mileage with the 3.9 liter engine and the power output of the standard radio.

    I also own a 2002 Impala that does have the premium sound system and it will blow you out of the car if you crank it up.

    It is a long story on how I ended up with this 2006 that I have now. I originally ordered the car from another dealer but they tried to pull a switch on me by delivering a car with a different interior then what I had ordered, so I turned the car down. This ticked me off so I went to different dealer and that is how I wound up with the 2006 I have now.

    The 2006 LT3 I ordered was fully loaded so I assumed it had the premium sound system but stupid me I never checked when I picked up the car. (No, I am not an idiot, I needed the car and I was in a hurry because I had already sold my previous vehicle when I went to the first dealer)

    Well anyhow, Lo and behold my fully loaded 2006 LT3 had only a standard radio. Go figure the logic from Chevy in that, all the options on the car except for the premium sound system?

    The standard radio does not have the power for the 6 speakers especially the rears, so I need to turn the volume just about all the way up when I am listening to a CD track or song that I like. The wattage of the standard radio is just not enough for the size and wattage that the speakers can draw.

    The Speed/Noise sensitive Volume control feature in the car works just fine and I also have mine set to medium. I don't have any other problem with the radio but that, it sounds fine even with the volume all the way to its limit. No distortion at all but I should not have to turn the volume all the way up either!

    I have asked "OTHERS" in this forum if they knew whether or not I could just add a Chevy power amp to this radio but no one ever gave me an answer. OR maybe the question is just plain dumb?

    Bottom line is that the standard radio, (not the Bose) is a dog when it comes to powering the speakers.

    PS. The gas mileage I can live with because the power that the 3.9 liter engine produces when wan :) t to get a little heavy footed, makes you forget that you are only getting 21 to 24 MPG.
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    PB,
    Sorry about not giving you a direct answer on adding an amp. It's not a dumb question but it is a difficult one. GM has integrated so many things into the audio system (i.e. turn signal, door chime, hazard signal, etc) that you really have to know what you're doing to ever modify it. I would feel safe taking it to an expert (Circuit City or other reputable dealer that guaranteed their work) to have it replaced or upgraded.
    As for you having the cheap stereo, does yours play MP3s or have XM? Regardless, even if you had the Bose upgrade, you'd still have to crank it up to get any volume out of it and even then, the quality of the sound isn't all that impressive. Trust me, you were better off saving your money.
    I used to own an '02 Monte Carlo and likely had the same system as you have in your '02 Impala. I loved the stereo in that car (but no XM). It's a shame that they allowed this new system to be approved for use in their new cars.
    Oh well, maybe they'll get it right before my NEXT new car. :)

    Have a great weekend and Happy Easter!
    Ron
  • jntjnt Member Posts: 316
    You could add an aftermarket dumb amplifier (no bus linkage to the radio head)+ additional speakers to your base Impala radio. The only problem with this approach is if the amplifier has a lot of gain, just a small change in volume setting will blow your ears off. The "premium" Bose amplifier is a "smart" amp because it tells the radio head that it is there so that the gain is adjusted accordingly on the radio head. It also does some tuning for the vehicle sounding? I doubt that the Impala Bose Amp has thousand of Watts like in the Cadillac system. So you should not have problem finding a Audio shop that can match what you need (amp and speakers).

    All the amp needs is 4 pairs of differential outputs from the radio head. The rest should be done at the amp unit. On top of that, you will not lose your EQ option like the case of the Bose option.

    jt
  • jntjnt Member Posts: 316
    The info on #1422 will not work for 07 Impala vehicle since Chevy changed the radio design in MY06. That info is good for MY05 or older only. You can get the info from Circuit City radio stores where they're selling whole bunch of adaptors for most vehicles.

    jt
  • colchester47colchester47 Member Posts: 261
    I shutter to even think of messing around with these new radios....so much is integrated into them....these radios aren't just for music, their part of your cars computer system!...Good luck, bryan
  • mymittiesmymitties Member Posts: 242
    Mornin' Bryan.. :)

    Ya, meeeee tooooooo.... SHUTTER nothing !! Radio electronics could cause a major panic attack for me..!! I'll stay with the stuff under the hood thankyou very much..
    But, I guess, for guys like JT it's as easy as brushing your teeth..( yep, still have mine...)

    Have a great Easter holiday.
    Frank ;)
  • martin22martin22 Member Posts: 53
    Hey Ron,
    I've noticed before your comments on your experience with your Bose system. All I can say is I've not had the same problems - none of the hiss and plenty of volume. In fact, I fear that the speakers would be damaged if I crank it up beyond 60%. I have absolutely no complaints whatsoever about the sound quality (and I have listened to some pretty tinny systems in the past). In fact the only complaint I have had is from rear seat passengers requesting I fade it to the front so they can hear each other speak! Is it possible you still have a defective amp on your car?

    Happy Easter to you as well
    Martin
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    Martin,
    I dunno...I suppose it's possible. What model year is your Impala? Would you be interested in trying a few things with yours as comparison? I would be interested in trying to compare the amps and the performance. If mine is indeed defective, I would love to have it fixed.

    Thanks,
    Ron
  • martin22martin22 Member Posts: 53
    Ron
    It's an '06 (Jan build). What do you want me to do? (Get a decibel meter?!)
    Martin
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    Martin,
    That would be great...if I had one too. :) I don't have my car right now (it's currently having the FOB problem fixed, cross your fingers for me) but as I remember, you can hear the hiss if you just sit inside and turn on the hazard signal. This hiss is steady and starts with the tick, tick of the signals and ends about a second or so after you turn them off. You should also be able to hear it by turning the ignition on (not starting the engine) and engaging the turn signal. Or, leave the key in the ignition and open the door and listen in between door chimes or immediately after closing the door, listen to hear if there is a hiss that stops about a second after the last chime. Finally, the best way to control the hiss is to turn the key to accessory power and turn on the radio. Turn the volume all the way down and then turn it one notch up. On mine, you'll immediately hear the hiss accompanied by the light sound of the radio/CD/etc. Depending on your hearing, you should be able to hear it if you have it. I have pretty bad tinitus and I can hear it with mine. You can alternately turn the volume up and off to hear the hiss if it's there. Let me know if you can duplicate any of these. BTW, I believe my Impala was built in Oct '05 but I'll have to confirm that later.

    If any other '06 Bose system owners out there would like to try this, please do and report back. Please include whether or not you have had the amp replacement that was done in early to mid '06. I had mine replaced and it did improve the situation a great deal but I'm still not really satisfied.

    Thanks,
    Ron
  • martin22martin22 Member Posts: 53
    Ron,
    I've just tried all those tests:--- absolutely no hiss at all. The only evidence of a very slight hiss was when, with no XM signal available (in my garage), I turned the volume up to 100% -but I would expect that anyway. Sorry, but it looks like you may still have a bug in your system. By the way, I do hope GM continue with those Black Tie radios. The way they let you know what's under each preset is brilliant. I don't understand why some folk want to change them out. Just wish though I had the full set of EQs.

    Martin
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    Martin,
    Hey, I appreciate the ultra-fast response! Just curious, about the volume levels, did you say that yours was plenty loud as well? While I haven't complained that mine doesn't get loud enough, I do sympathize with the folks who complain that the new black tie systems aren't as loud as the old systems. But, while I would likely never have gotten much louder than 50% on the old systems, that's about where I start on the new ones.
    As for the memory presets, I totally agree with your point there. It's awesome how you can preset across the bands. I just wish you could have better control over the sound quality (full EQ).

    Thanks again!
    Ron

    P.S. - Any other '06 Impala Bose owners out there want to chime on on this?
  • pbaranellopbaranello Member Posts: 36
    Thanks Ron,

    I would most likely go to GM for the amp if in fact I could do this, I would not go for after market since I also have an extended warranty on the car.

    Yes, I do have the MP3 and XM features, I like XM and if they don't raise the prices I can't wait until the merge with Sirus. (Or however you spell it)

    I don't know if there is anything in the dash radio in the 06 that also must change OR can I just add the AMP? I hate going to the Chevy dealer for this info, I would rather know what I need going in.

    The 02 sound system is great but no XM and my wife drives that one anyhow.

    I can't understand how the Bose system could also be underpowered, It has an external AMP?
  • martin22martin22 Member Posts: 53
    Ron
    Yes, we have no problem with volume. Anything more than 30 to 40% would drown out conversation up front.
    Martin
  • pbaranellopbaranello Member Posts: 36
    Hey all,

    Thanks for the info.

    I guess I got my answer on whether or not I can stick a GM amp in my 06 with the standard radio. I would also have to replace the in dash radio.

    I won't go for an after market unit. With the extended warranty they will definitely tell me to hit the road if something goes wrong.

    Question:
    Does GM only make two types of systems? The Bose and the standard for the Impala.

    Do they have a system that can accept an AMP that is not a Bose?
  • mymittiesmymitties Member Posts: 242
    Hey Martin...

    Yep,....me too...more than enough volume on mine
    and sound quality is pretty decent..!! :blush:
    January '06 build also....
    Maybe we are the lucky ones here..!!
    Frank ;)
  • pbaranellopbaranello Member Posts: 36
    Martin,

    I read a few messages ago that Frank has a Bose System, you also have a Bose ...Correct? I wanted to make sure since I have found other people with same complaint I have on the Standard system.

    If you have a Standard and you say the volume is good, I would like to somehow measure that with you. Would appreciate it.

    I like 60's - 80's music and sometimes the downloaded or copied song sound levels are low to begin with. The lack of power in the standard system really shows itself here!
  • martin22martin22 Member Posts: 53
    Yes,pb, mine is a Bose. The amp is located under the rear parcel shelf. I wonder if folks with a standard system still have the full wiring loom that would allow a simple update by adding the amp. Check if there are any unused wires near where the amp would be.
  • jntjnt Member Posts: 316
    Some common info on GM new Black Tie radio:

    1. Same radio head is used for standard system or a Bose system. Another word, the head unit can drive the speakers directly if the Bose amp is not there. So it could drive a Non-Bose amp system if the Audio shop wants to do it themselves

    2. When the radio head detects there is a Bose amp out there, it just sends over a constant audio level to the Bose amp. All EQ (or lack of it), volume control,... are done by the Bose amp. In the non Bose system, all EQ, tone, volume controls are done by the head unit.

    3. Black Tie radio now gets ignition info from the CAN bus (data message rather than 12V wire). This will tell the radio to turn on power or to go to sleep to save the battery. Older Impala radio has 12V ignition signal provided to it in a separate wire. This is one sticky point of replacing the stock radio with an aftermarket radio since after-market radio requires a 12V ignition wire.

    4. A lot of vehicle functions (chime, vehicle info display, click clack sound,...) are now provided by the radio head. In addition, radio dimming, ignition signal, ... are now sent over the CAN bus as messages. So in order for the after-market radio to function in a typical new GM vehicle without losing functions in the stock radio, an interface box is probably needed besides just an vehicle adaptor. I bet there is industry out there making the living on this niche market

    5. Typically for base system, car makers do count pennies. The quickest way for them to save money is on the speakers. They normally are looking for the cheapest ones made in China or another low cost country to fill this order. So just putting in some better quality speakers in the base system will improve sound quality immediately. Some car makers do trick like vehicle EQ to compensate for cheap speakers ' audio frequency response. But you can do too much to hide the cheapness of the part.

    jt

    jt
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