2025 CT5 BW - AKG Settings

[blackeneth]

The reality is these AKG systems are poor, and certainly below average compared to what other cars use. Tweak the settings or add a sub, neither delivers any kind of real audiophile performance. A sub will give you a bass heavy sound, but you're still stuck with the poor reproduction of the stock system. If that is what you want in this car, you need to replace all the stock speakers and add some proper amplifiers.

Where’s the bang for the buck here? I would guess replacing the speakers?

 

[coffee_time]

Where’s the bang for the buck here? I would guess replacing the speakers?

Yeah this was my question too. Lots of great manufacturers of speakers out there, but don't know how well they'd sound dropping them in with the stock crossovers and whatnot.

 

[JUSTABW]

I have added a JL sub and while it improved the bass, the overall sound is clinical and flat - with good bass. The system, no matter what settings I have tried, can not reproduce a warm well rounded sound. The only way to truly improve the sound is to replace the speakers, add DSP, amps and start over. Take the signal from the head unit and replace everything down stream.

 

[jvp]

Were I the type to make such modifications (I'm not), I'd start simple with an amp and a sub. I'll bet the OEM speakers are actually quite good if they get driven by a proper amp; amps make all the difference in the world to clean the sound up.

 

[spearfish25]

GM really needs to take a lesson from Ford on this one. My 2019 F250 Platinum has a B&O system that to this day blows me away. Simply amazing sound.

 

[Z28]

I had a rental king ranch with the B&O and was very impressed. Probably in the top ten of factory audio systems I have experienced. Cadillac needs to do better benchmarking when deciding on their audio standards.

GM really needs to take a lesson from Ford on this one. My 2019 F250 Platinum has a B&O system that to this day blows me away. Simply amazing sound.ad a rental king ranch with this package not long ago.

 

[velcro]

I didn't want to start a new thread, and i am new here, so not knowing any better....

According to GM service schematics, the 2025-2026 CT5 for left and right the front door woofer and a-pillar tweeter are wired in parallel.
The upper door speaker (midrange) is wired separately left and right.
This is a change from 2024 when each speaker was wired separately.
When they switched to ATG, they combined a few channels.
i could see combining midrange and tweeter, but not tweeter and woofer.
look at attached pdf.
starting left to right of schematic, it shows upper door speaker, then woofer and tweeter combined.
That's pretty messed up.

 

[rdollie]

You're reading it right but hopefully there's a simple passive crossover - like an inline capacitor (a "bass blocker"), physically soldered directly to the back of the windshield garnish tweeter.

 

[velcro]

i've looked at every pic of the a-pillar speaker (aka garnish windshield) and no cap inline or at tweeter.
i'm wondering if either the drawing is wrong or if they messed up.

drawing wrong theory:
should be door midrange and a-pillar tweeter in parallel.

they goofed theory:
they meant to put upper door speaker and tweeter parallel.
but since both door speakers are "door" speakers, they somehow put the woofer and tweeter together.

the wire sizes shown from the connector views are strange too.
they have size 1.5 to front midrange speakers.
but size 1.0 to woofer/tweeter.

i would think 1.5 to woofer
and 1.0 to mid/tweeter

i don't know the real answer.
they reduced the number of outputs from the amplifier in 2025-2026.

combined front woofer/tweeter
combined rear door speakers
the woofers in rear deck are one output - so the rear woofers are parallel.
the surround speakers in rear deck are one channell - in parrellel.

seems strange.

 

[Kevin0311]

Any idea if the ANC uses all speakers or just the deck speakers, would love to keep the anc and get clean signal (non anc) to add a sub.