A new client from Anchorage, Alaska, came to Perfectionist Auto Sound & Security looking for a 2003 Chevy Corvette audio upgrade. Our team sat down with him and discussed his goals for the project. We went out to the vehicle and looked it over together, exploring ideas as we focused on different areas of the vehicle. When we came back inside, we asked him several questions to get him thinking about all of the possibilities for the Corvette. Once we had gathered all of our information, we worked up a solution that we felt best fit his needs. He liked our idea, so we set an installation appointment.
Big Tech Upgrade With Pioneer Radio
It was decided early on that we would not do any major modifications to the vehicle that could not be reversed at a later date, so we chose a Pioneer AVHX-7700BT motorized touchscreen unit for the dash. The client gained a laundry list of new technologies and features, including Bluetooth for hands-free calling and music streaming, and USB control of his digital music and an iPod or iPhone. The Pioneer unit comes with a high-quality preamp, so it will deliver a great-sounding signal downstream to the rest of the electronics we installed in the vehicle.
Hertz Speakers Replace Lifeless Sounding Factory Bose
In the front doors, we removed the existing Bose Audio speakers and installed a set of Hertz HSK165.4 components. That included 6.5” woofers that we installed in custom, composite speaker plates designed to bolt right back into the stock mounting holes. They also come with a 1” tweeter that we installed into the stock tweeter locations, again using custom mounts and stock mounting points. In doing this, we kept the front door panels looking completely stock, with a set of great-sounding speakers hidden behind them befitting a performance vehicle like a Corvette.
Custom Subwoofer Enclosure For Hertz Subwoofers Adds Class And Great Low End Output
In the rear of the vehicle, we decided that we would show off some beautiful fiberglass and woodworking, yet keep the system completely removable, should the client ever choose. We installed two Hertz HX250 10” subwoofers in sealed enclosures, with the speakers aimed toward the rear of the car. Our team modeled the enclosures to fit the theme of the flowing lines in the interior, and we covered the enclosure in a beautiful black vinyl that matched well with the interior panels. We used carbon fiber trim around the outside of the subwoofers and the Perfectionist logo between the subs, adding another layer of class to an already beautiful install.
Hertz Amplifiers Provide Plenty Of Clean Power
Now it was time to choose the power for the system and, again, we went back to Hertz. We chose their HDP4 and HDP1 amplifiers from their Digital Power series. We like these amplifiers for their combination of small footprint, great output, high fidelity and low current draw. It is a winning combination. The HDP1 supplies well over 1,000 watts of clean power to the subwoofers, and the HDP4 sends more than 150 watts to each woofer and tweeter in the front stage.
As you can see in the pictures, the fabricators at Perfectionist used the well in the rear of the Corvette to house the amplifiers and the processor. We made a custom floor with a grille insert to highlight the equipment, and we finished it off with LED accent lighting.
Precise Tuning Made Possible With Audison Processor
It is the opinion of Perfectionist Auto Sound & Security that, if you are going to build a great-sounding car audio system, you should have a processor as a piece of the puzzle. In this build, we chose an Audison Bit10D, which is one of our personal favorites. In the hands of a skilled tuner, the Audison processor can take a good-sounding system and make it sound incredible. It allows individual control over the output level, equalization, crossover points and time delay for each and every speaker in the audio system.
The end result has to be heard in person to truly understand the improvement it makes in sound quality. When you fire up this system, the sound is no longer biased to the driver’s door, but rather, it stages beautifully across the dash as if you were sitting in the perfect seat at a live concert. And the quality of the music is as good as it gets, since we can fine-tune each and every speaker with 31 different bands of equalization.
We believe that you should get all of the sound quality that you paid for, so our attention to detail also encompasses the fine-tuning of equipment before it is released from our shop. Most retailers will fire up the equipment, make a few adjustments and send it on its way. It is our experience that the extra time we spend on fine-tuning each piece of audio equipment can be a night-and-day difference in the final sound quality. It is just another way we strive for Perfection in all that we do.
Audison DRC Allows For Fingertip Control Of The System
The good news for the client is that controlling this couldn’t be easier. It comes with a small controller called a DRC that we installed on a custom mount in the ashtray location, under the Pioneer stereo system. It gives the client a large volume knob to control the volume and subwoofer level, and it lets him choose between two different preset curves we program for different kinds of music, listening levels, etc.
We Go To Great Lengths To Protect Your Vehicle While It Is In Our Care
Here at Perfectionist, we take our name seriously, so the care we give to a vehicle while it’s in our possession is legendary. We use protective tape on any paint or trim panels where we may be in contact, and go to extreme measures to ensure your vehicle is delivered back to you in the same condition as we received it.
In the end, where the rubber meets the road is when the client comes to pick up the vehicle. Will he like the sound? How about the installation? The good news is that this client loved it. He never imagined the sound would be that good – like a studio on wheels. And the fit and finish of the installation made him all smiles. That made our day.
When you are in the market for an audio upgrade for your vehicle, we invite you to stop by Perfectionist Auto Sound & Security. One of our award-winning team members will work with you to design and build an audio system that meets your unique needs. Let us show you why we are a multi-year winner of the Top Mobile Electronics Retailer recognition in the Nation by Mobile Electronics magazine.
You can also contact us here for more information about any of our products and services.
