# Audio upgrade for the cruze



## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

Im thinking about doing a audio upgrade to my cruzer and wanted to get some good opinions and or suggestions. I checked with the kicker audio upgrade from gm accessories that costs like $1000.00 and it ONLY comes with the subwoofer, amp, and some wiring. Now..im no expert when it comes to electronics. However, ive done a few audio systems in my past vehicles, but I think for the little bit of equipment you get with the price seems outrageous to me. So...with that being said, What do you guys suggest? I want something that sounds better with a little more bass, keeping the speakers stock...no subs. I hate sub now. I used to be into subs but I grew out of that quickly. Does the bose system sound better in the LTZ cruze than the other systems in the other models? Ive never heard the difference so this is why im asking from others on here. Thanks


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Sounds like you had some shitty subs in the past. Subs are not designed to just give you loud bass; they are designed to linearly reproduce the entire frequency response down to the lowest musical range available. For a piano, that's 27.5Hz. For an electric guitar, that's 41Hz. Your door speakers can't do that without easily bottoming out. Want to reproduce a solid classic rock kick drum? Forget about it if you don't have a sub. What you want is a sound quality based install, not an SPL based install. 

You have 1300 posts on this forum and have been here a year. In that amount of time, I'm sure you've seen my designs as well as my how-to threads discussing what it takes to design a proper sounding system, so you should already know what I'm going to ask you. 

How much are you willing to spend?


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

Anywhere from 500-$1000


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> Anywhere from 500-$1000


Are you willing to install this all yourself? 

If so, the answer for that price point is pretty clear. 

Silver Flute/Vifa combo I listed in my V2 SQ car audio thread, a pair of my custom adapters, a miniDSP, miniDC, advanced plugin, wiring kit, and a 5-channel amp. Set that all up, and then decide if you need a sub. If you do, it will be 5 minutes to add it, and we can go from there. 

If this sounds good, I can find you a good 5-channel amp and we can get a parts list going. When are you thinking of ordering these parts?


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

I was thinking of ordering them at taxes. Just depends on how much I have left over after I pay off a couple bills. Im kinda taking baby steps on mods to my car. Im not going big at all like fast and the furious lol. That's overrated anymore. But anyhow...This is a possibly my next project ive been thinking about doing. I also thought about having my buddy redo my headliner in 100% suede in black.


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

Now you are singing our tune Matt .. this is our special interest and buisiness on this forum . Andrei has qualifications to go along with his expertise with car audio upgrades . 

You will not go wrong with following the concepts that will be given to you and do take your time with your purchases .


You owe me 1 or is 3 now .... X ..


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

brian v said:


> Now you are singing our tune Matt .. this is our special interest and buisiness on this forum . Andrei has qualifications to go along with his expertise with car audio upgrades .
> 
> You will not go wrong with following the concepts that will be given to you and do take your time with your purchases .
> 
> ...


Ya lol. Now another question I have is.. does anyone know if there is a wire harness ran for the decklid speakers?. I would like to add those as well.

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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> Ya lol. Now another question I have is.. does anyone know if there is a wire harness ran for the decklid speakers?. I would like to add those as well.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


Don't bother with rear deck speakers. Trust me. If you go that route, you wont be as happy with the results as you would be following my design. 

Sent from mobile.


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Don't bother with rear deck speakers. Trust me. If you go that route, you wont be as happy with the results as you would be following my design.
> 
> Sent from mobile.


What if I got the speakers for all the doors windshield pillars and rear deck speakers from an ltz that has bose?. Atleast I think it has bose anyway 

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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

chevycruze2012 said:


> What if I got the speakers for all the doors windshield pillars and rear deck speakers from an ltz that has bose?. Atleast I think it has bose anyway
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


No Bose just Pioneer

Sent From My Galaxy Note 3.
Which is bigger than my hand.


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

Hmmm...I thought it was bose.

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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

Prove it to yourself and pull a door panel . 
Chris is correct when he stated they would be pioneer .
You should be looking up a component upgrade for the front stage . wiring , amps , sub or subs and enclosures . and the list goes on . 
You need to get a handle on your emotions and be patient . this is a lengthy process , unless you are stacked with cash and can go out and purchase all that is required of you to upgrade to a quality audio build ...


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

Swapping to the pioneer speakers wouldn't be worth your time.

I search and searched for a Diesel with the Pioneer system finally found it and am not impressed.

Granted I have never heard the stock system.

I plan to work with XtremeRevolution myself, there are tons of satisfied people on here with his builds.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

You will spend about the same amount for the stock setup as you would a very low budget high end system that XtremeRevolution can help you build if he ever has the time now.

Sent From My Galaxy Note 3.
Which is bigger than my hand.


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

Chris I would have to say that we get to step up and try to help Matt .


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> What if I got the speakers for all the doors windshield pillars and rear deck speakers from an ltz that has bose?. Atleast I think it has bose anyway
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


Don't. I recommended against it for a reason. First, it destroys your sound stage. Second, they are technically subwoofers, and third, the rear deck pad on non-pioneer Cruze does not have the cut-outs for the speakers. They are only there for boomy bass. If you want more bass and don't want it to sound boomy, uncontrolled, or difficult to blend, add an SQ sub in a sealed box. Peerless XLS/XXLS and TC Sounds Epic 8/10/12 would be excellent choices. 

Sent from mobile.


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Don't. I recommended against it for a reason. First, it destroys your sound stage. Second, they are technically subwoofers, and third, the rear deck pad on non-pioneer Cruze does not have the cut-outs for the speakers. They are only there for boomy bass. If you want more bass and don't want it to sound boomy, uncontrolled, or difficult to blend, add an SQ sub in a sealed box. Peerless XLS/XXLS and TC Sounds Epic 8/10/12 would be excellent choices.
> 
> Sent from mobile.


Are you talking about how and where the speakers mount to the decklid? If so..i know for a fact that there is holes cut out of the rear deck lid to mount them. Because i looked. I ll even take a picture and upload it if you dont believe me.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> Are you talking about how and where the speakers mount to the decklid? If so..i know for a fact that there is holes cut out of the rear deck lid to mount them. Because i looked. I ll even take a picture and upload it if you dont believe me.


The pad/board that goes on top of the sheet metal has holes in it? Because yours would be the first. I'm not talking about the mounting holes. I'm talking about the "pad" that goes on top.


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

Yeah mine has all of that haha

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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> The pad/board that goes on top of the sheet metal has holes in it? Because yours would be the first. I'm not talking about the mounting holes. I'm talking about the "pad" that goes on top.


Yeah it has the insulation pad and cut outs for speakers and all. Everything but the wire harness is there

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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> Yeah it has the insulation pad and cut outs for speakers and all. Everything but the wire harness is there
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


Take a picture. I have a 2012 Eco as well and while I do have holes in the sheet metal, I do not have holes in anything else. Sound won't travel through that deck pad.


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Take a picture. I have a 2012 Eco as well and while I do have holes in the sheet metal, I do not have holes in anything else. Sound won't travel through that deck pad.


These r as good as I can take em. My phone is jacked up. 
View attachment 46361

View attachment 46369


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

I could also be missing something of what ur talking about but as to my knowledge this should be as plain jane to a mock up of a system set up. Correct me if I'm wrong. 

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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> I could also be missing something of what ur talking about but as to my knowledge this should be as plain jane to a mock up of a system set up. Correct me if I'm wrong.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


You have the same thing I do. The sound won't get through the insulation and the deck material. The Pioneer system with the rear 6x9 subwoofers has a different rear deck pad that has holes in it to allow the sound and pressure to travel through. Don't waste your time back there.


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

Yeah..see I must have missed something because it seemed to me that it was speaker ready...but I also suspected that I would need to run wires back there bec I didn't see anything on top or behind the trunk carpet cover on the sides. Who knows they could be tucked away somewhere else. So what did you suggest for a recommendation on my spending budget for this?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> Yeah..see I must have missed something because it seemed to me that it was speaker ready...but I also suspected that I would need to run wires back there bec I didn't see anything on top or behind the trunk carpet cover on the sides. Who knows they could be tucked away somewhere else. So what did you suggest for a recommendation on my spending budget for this?


I already told you. miniDSP, silver flutes, Vifa tweeters, 5 channel amp, and add a sub later.


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

oh okay my bad. I didn't see that in the thread. Ill have to look into that and check out your audio threads.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> oh okay my bad. I didn't see that in the thread. Ill have to look into that and check out your audio threads.


You have a few months to do so and to learn and ask questions it sounds like. No matter what option you look at, the set of parts I just mentioned to you will outperform anything in their price point, and if you have deeper pockets than that, I can put some even higher quality parts into the mix. You won't beat the Silver Flute/Vifa combo without spending $600+ on a set of just components not including the miniDSP.


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

oh sweet. Im gonna keep this in mind for future references. I haven't personally heard what the pioneer systems sounds like, but my neighbors LTZ that has it, she says it sounds good. For me, id have to listen to it myself to see if I like it. The way I would like to do it is buy all 6 speakers for the 4 doors and two pillars from a brand like jl audio, kicker, alpine or whoever and install an amp if the prices were reasonable and make the installation as easy as possible by just changing out speakers and adding the amp. Do you think that's a stupid idea?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> oh sweet. Im gonna keep this in mind for future references. I haven't personally heard what the pioneer systems sounds like, but my neighbors LTZ that has it, she says it sounds good. For me, id have to listen to it myself to see if I like it. The way I would like to do it is buy all 6 speakers for the 4 doors and two pillars from a brand like jl audio, kicker, alpine or whoever and install an amp if the prices were reasonable and make the installation as easy as possible by just changing out speakers and adding the amp. Do you think that's a stupid idea?


Yeah, I do think that's a stupid idea. No offense, but car audio brands are garbage. You pay for the name, not the quality. If you have a budget high enough to go with a miniDSP front stage, do it. You will never look back. You can pretty much forget about every brand name you've ever seen anyone showing off, except for Alpine perhaps. I love their 8" Type-R sub. 

If you want truly good sound, start with the front and move your way back if you're not satisfied. I honestly don't think that will be an issue though. 

If you go with the typical way of installing car audio, you will get a $1000 system by spending $1000. If you do it my way, you will get a $3,000 system by spending $1000. That's the beauty of design and using raw drivers where you pay for the performance, not the marketing and brand name. 

Here are the door speakers and tweeters you'll need:
The Madisound Speaker Store
The Madisound Speaker Store

I design these systems around measurements and raw data, not around what some guy said on the internet about how they sounded to him, in his car. 

Of course, if you really cared about brand names, you could just do it yourself your way, but you'd be coming back a few months later telling me you don't like how it sounds, or you'd show up at Lordstown next year and listen to my sound system and wish you had taken my advice.


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

Good crisp points Andrei. Im glad there is someone on here that knows a lot about car audio systems, bec I do not have the bit slightest clue about any of this stuff lol. The good thing is we are only 4-5 hours away from eachother so if I did it your route/way, I would drive there and you can do them for me? How much would your labor be?. Your right...if I want the best sound, I will have to do the way you suggest. I don't want subs. I want it the natural way...just so we are on the same page.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> Good crisp points Andrei. Im glad there is someone on here that knows a lot about car audio systems, bec I do not have the bit slightest clue about any of this stuff lol. The good thing is we are only 4-5 hours away from eachother so if I did it your route/way, I would drive there and you can do them for me? How much would your labor be?. Your right...if I want the best sound, I will have to do the way you suggest. I don't want subs. I want it the natural way...just so we are on the same page.


Read through this, as well as V1 linked in the initial post:
http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/36-audio-electronics/11204-sq-car-audio-thread-v2.html

Just so we are on the same page, if you want full, deep, and rich sound, you need at least one small sub, even if it's a single 8". You cannot reach down into the 40Hz range with any degree of authority on two 6.5" drivers in front doors. It just won't happen. 

Let me paint a picture for you. I run TWO 18" subs in my trunk. That's equivalent to SIX 12" subs. Ask the guys on this forum who have heard it what it sounds like. It is the most accurate, musical, full, rich sounding system you'll hear. The subs are not overpowering, boomy, or excessive. It all sounds amazingly natural, from the kick drums to the double bass. You really need to forget everything you know about car audio. The vast majority of people who I've talked think that to make a car sound better, you throw more expensive parts at it. I don't slap crap together. I design based on measurements and raw data. Read that thread and you'll get where I'm going with this.


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## SCruze (Oct 20, 2013)

MilTownSHO said:


> Swapping to the pioneer speakers wouldn't be worth your time.
> 
> I search and searched for a Diesel with the Pioneer system finally found it and am not impressed.
> 
> ...


I partially agree with this one....the pioneer speakers produce nice deep bass, but when it come to higher volume the quality suffers a lot, like beyond 30 it only screams thats it. I heard those alpine type r coaxials i guess that sounded loud & with rich mids. Afcourse there are far better speakers like soundstream , etc.


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