Z06 stereo system
Discussion
A question for Z06 owners - is the stereo any good? Had a go in the car but got carried away and forgot to check it!
Impressions of Z06,
Engine/performance - Feels like a massive turbo engine without any lag. Rocket-sled fast!
Tansmission - blistering in-gear acceleration followed by stopping for a cup of tea followed by more blistering acceleration. If only the shift was quicker....
Body control - absolutely superb. The whole car feels really taut and tied down.
Ride - firm, within acceptable limits. (Similar to F45 set to "Performance" on C5)
Brakes - very good. Particularly evident with the improved body control.
Exhaust - sooo quiet at low speed I reckon it's even quieter than stock C5. By the time the flaps open you're already approaching the speed of light.
Road noise - about the same as C5. Those rear tyres are w-i-d-e.
Overall a hugely impressive performance car. Massively better than C5 and a considerable step-up from C6. Feels really good to drive - I reckon even an LS2 in that chassis would make a great car. There's nothing or very little on the road which could get anywhere near the Z06, especially at the price.
Any negatives? Already mentioned the shifter. Otherwise it's the manners at very low speed, especially noticeable when moving off from a standstill. There seemed to be less torque at tickover than in the standard Vettes and a bit of noise and judder when moving off. But once you're going it's straight to "warp factor 10"!
So, back to where we started. Is the stereo any good?
Impressions of Z06,
Engine/performance - Feels like a massive turbo engine without any lag. Rocket-sled fast!
Tansmission - blistering in-gear acceleration followed by stopping for a cup of tea followed by more blistering acceleration. If only the shift was quicker....
Body control - absolutely superb. The whole car feels really taut and tied down.
Ride - firm, within acceptable limits. (Similar to F45 set to "Performance" on C5)
Brakes - very good. Particularly evident with the improved body control.
Exhaust - sooo quiet at low speed I reckon it's even quieter than stock C5. By the time the flaps open you're already approaching the speed of light.
Road noise - about the same as C5. Those rear tyres are w-i-d-e.
Overall a hugely impressive performance car. Massively better than C5 and a considerable step-up from C6. Feels really good to drive - I reckon even an LS2 in that chassis would make a great car. There's nothing or very little on the road which could get anywhere near the Z06, especially at the price.
Any negatives? Already mentioned the shifter. Otherwise it's the manners at very low speed, especially noticeable when moving off from a standstill. There seemed to be less torque at tickover than in the standard Vettes and a bit of noise and judder when moving off. But once you're going it's straight to "warp factor 10"!
So, back to where we started. Is the stereo any good?
It's barely adequate. Lots of US owners change them, but I love the built-in sat nav and speed related volume.
Bose typically make soft, woolly systems and this one is apparently not even made by them although it has their badges on. I may change the speakers and add an amp, but I definitely don't want to lose all the convenience of the OEM touch screen head unit.
Another reason a Euro import beats a US one apparently is that the FM radio in the US ones still go up by only 0.2Mhz steps just like my 1990 did! Why?! So you can only receive half the FM stations in this country...
Bose typically make soft, woolly systems and this one is apparently not even made by them although it has their badges on. I may change the speakers and add an amp, but I definitely don't want to lose all the convenience of the OEM touch screen head unit.
Another reason a Euro import beats a US one apparently is that the FM radio in the US ones still go up by only 0.2Mhz steps just like my 1990 did! Why?! So you can only receive half the FM stations in this country...
I think the sound system itself is OK, however the radio U.S. version (like mine)is crap. It's really irritating not being able to lock on to many stations. If you like 95.8Mhz or 100Mhz forget it !! However, like Godzilla, I won't get rid of it because the sat nav, touch screen etc is cool.
The rest of the car ..... AWESOME !!! I've been grinning so much since I got it my face aches
The rest of the car ..... AWESOME !!! I've been grinning so much since I got it my face aches
Know what you mean about the grin - that's exactly what it takes to get me into a car! Thinking carefully at the moment so nothing hasty. I bought in UK last time to get the warranty cover.
The comments about stereo are disappointing as Vettes have been weak in that area before and it looks a pig to do anything about it, especially as an integrated system.
The comments about stereo are disappointing as Vettes have been weak in that area before and it looks a pig to do anything about it, especially as an integrated system.
godzilla said:
It's barely adequate. Lots of US owners change them, but I love the built-in sat nav and speed related volume.
You've managed to get speed-related volume to work?????????????
Nobody else I know (e.g. in US) has managed that, so we've ended up assuming it only works in the base C6. What's the secret?
cheeky said:
godzilla said:
It's barely adequate. Lots of US owners change them, but I love the built-in sat nav and speed related volume.
You've managed to get speed-related volume to work?????????????
Nobody else I know (e.g. in US) has managed that, so we've ended up assuming it only works in the base C6. What's the secret?
Er, OK maybe I should have said that I've switched it on! Are you saying that it doesn't do anything?
I was naively assuming it was doing its thing so well I never noticed it (which is how the system should appear ideally).
Ah ha! Road and Track (Oct) says in its review of changes for 2007 models,
"There's little room for improvement of the Z06, the lowest-priced 505 bhp sports car on the planet.
Still, Chevrolet offers an enhanced acoustic package on the 2LZ option pack. All Corvettes can now have a new optional upgraded Bose sound system with steering-wheel-mounted controls".
Also, now don't get too excited, "...all models now have a larger glovebox".
"There's little room for improvement of the Z06, the lowest-priced 505 bhp sports car on the planet.
Still, Chevrolet offers an enhanced acoustic package on the 2LZ option pack. All Corvettes can now have a new optional upgraded Bose sound system with steering-wheel-mounted controls". Also, now don't get too excited, "...all models now have a larger glovebox".
cheeky said:
godzilla said:
It's barely adequate. Lots of US owners change them, but I love the built-in sat nav and speed related volume.
You've managed to get speed-related volume to work?????????????
Nobody else I know (e.g. in US) has managed that, so we've ended up assuming it only works in the base C6. What's the secret?
Took my Z06 into London last night for the first time and I can definitely confirm the automatic volume control works! Unlike the one in my C4, the C6 one is not speed related, but noise related which is much more useful.
The way I tested it was by switching my Mild 2 Wild exhaust remote between modes and the radio compensated almost immediately for the extra cabin noise!
It does struggle at higher volumes, but I won't be changing the electronics of this system despite my well known penchant for quality car stereo set ups.
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