re: Best brands for car speaker systems

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Salty1- How big of a pain in the arse is it to upgrade the Bose systems in GM vehicles

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I’d love to hear Salty’s take on this as well

2024 Silverado High Country w/the Upgrade Bose system. I know they tie everything in with the media center these days but there has GOT to be a viable workaround to make this happen.


Would love to get some Infinity/Focal/JL Audio stuff rocking me on the way to the lake…. Can you help a brother out Salty?

Not the most premium stuff, but I’m running Alpine S2 6x9 components in the front, Alpine S2 6x9 in the rear, 4 channel Alpine S amp, Alpine S monoblock amp powering a JBL Stadium Basshub subwoofer. All of that is running through an Alpine Optim 6 DSP.

Far and away, the most important piece for sound quality is the DSP.

I’d like to replace the cheap paper cone “Bose” speakers with JL, add the JL hidden sub to the back (they make one specifically for the Tahoe but I’m not sure if it fits 25) and add power. But I also want my media stuff to work correctly. When I upgraded my old F150 system and amped everything, I lost a lot of function to backup alarms and other stuff that ran through the stereo.

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I’ve been waiting for this thread forever…I compete in car audio sound quality.

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Nicely done everything out the way

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Thanks. If you have a spare tire like mine, look into the JBL Basshub. They make a 250w active as well as a passive unit. Not going to blow your doors off, but sound is good enough.

I knew almost nothing about car audio when I decided to upgrade my system. Learned a lot and it was fun. The whole amp rack is modular, I used molex connectors for the speaker wire and quick disconnects for the power. If you are willing to spend a little more, I also recommend a little sound deadening. That and a DSP make a difference.

Edit: here is the rack out of the car

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When I upgraded my old F150 system and amped everything, I lost a lot of function to backup alarms and other stuff that ran through the stereo.

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Look into the iDatalink Maestro. I retained all my factory functions (steering wheel controls, back up camera, SYNC, etc) while swapping out my head unit and adding a full audio system.

Blaupunkt used to make great stuff with great prices. alpine amps and JBL speakers are what we rocked back in the day.

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Looking for quality and value. Not looking for the highest end high dollar stuff. What brands should i key in on for speakers, subwoofer, and amps?

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I’ve got a Crutchfield catalog from 1991 you can look at.

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Alpine deck and Kicker 12's with a Punch 40

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Had you said a Punch 45... I would have know you were old and wise.

Depending on the vehicle, PAC Amp Pro is the easiest and most seamless way to keep your stock headunit and run an aftermarket system. Sucks it’s expensive, but I’m sure those units require a ton of R&D.

I was able to use one of the PAC T harnesses for my 2023 Grand Cherokee, but I had the base speaker system in mine.

Edit: just saw you have a Tradesman, does it have a touchscreen headunit?