Head Unit with (stock?) Bose Speakers

[Haitian_King]

Sorry to be off topic, but I went to Best Buy and they wanted me to shell out an extra 70 to install a Sony cd-player head unit in my Q. They said it was because I have a Bose system and they have to "by-pass" it. No clue what that means. Please help. I don't understand, especially since I have a Blaupunkt headunit that came with the car when I bought it. It looks stock since it has a cassette player with CD Changer controls.

[heywier427]

each bose speaker( 2 in the ft doors and 2 in the rear deck) have their own amplifiers in them. they or you will have to "by pass" the stock amps as to not cause a back feed and blow out your head unit. this is caused when you send to many watts into a low voltage input. since the bose already have theyre own amps they dont need the extra power from the headunit and sent it back to the reciever eventually frying it!

easy to do if you have some common sense

remove the plugs on each speaker and figure out which of the plugs are the speaker positive and neg. or ask somebody for a fsm picture.

alot of people are gonna give you hell for keeping the bose speakers, but keep em and maybe hook up an amp to em. they really do sound great. ive had my stocks hooked up to an old school RF punch 240 and symetry and ive yet to here a clearer fuller sound. and i worked at one of the better known custom install places in the north east.

[Q_SHIP]

I have had luck just finding out what wire is the remote turn on for the Bose amps and wiring the remote wire off of the deck to that. Than just connect everything normal.

[Jesda]

In your case, you can get away with just replacing the head unit. I suggest bypassing all the Bose amps, since they'll be dead soon anyway, and getting all new speakers.

[rubdog]

Hey i had the same problem when I was trying to install my pioneer deck with the bose speakers. what i did is i went to crutchfield.com and they have a module so you can keep the bose speakers. It connects straight to the speaker wires from you head unit. It'll cost you about 40$ so its worth it. and each speaker will have an adjuster so you adjust the sound from each speaker. Very simple if you know how to connect a radio. Better than trying to rewire each speaker.

[ceningolmo]

In your case, you can get away with just replacing the head unit. I suggest bypassing all the Bose amps, since they'll be dead soon anyway, and getting all new speakers.

The Bose speakers are rubbish anyway... better off saving for another month and buying some new speakers to go along with your head unit. You'll still have to pay the $70, but that will be a part of your speaker installation you would have paid for anyway. So, in the end, it wouldn't cost you anymore than installing new speakers and head unit on any other car.

I went with a Pioneer head unit, iPod control module, and Infinity Reference series speakers all the way around. It wasn't too expensive and it sound great.

[NyRider]

Hey Q_SHIP can you tell me what is the remote turn on wire for the speakers?

[nimbyfaygo]

The Bose speakers are rubbish anyway... better off saving for another month and buying some new speakers to go along with your head unit. You'll still have to pay the $70, but that will be a part of your speaker installation you would have paid for anyway. So, in the end, it wouldn't cost you anymore than installing new speakers and head unit on any other car.

I went with a Pioneer head unit, iPod control module, and Infinity Reference series speakers all the way around. It wasn't too expensive and it sound great.

He's right. The bose speakers aren't all that great. Also I strongly advise against connecting the factory bose speakers to any aftermarket headunit. I measured the DC resistance of each speaker, and they have a 1.2ohm load.

That will burn out your onboard amplifier very quickly from it over heating.

You could get away with connecting them to a high quality external amplifier but there is no use in doing that with the factory speaks

[ScottJackson]

I cut out the holes in the factory front speaker boxes for 5 1/4" speakers and put in a set of JBL component separates. In the back I put in a cheap set of Cadence 6x9s. Sounds pretty good.

[rubdog]

Dont know what kind of bose speakers they got on their Q but my 95Q sounds excellent with my factory speakers and an aftermarket headunit, unless your planning to add more amps. and a woofer box then I would replace all speakers.

[Q_SHIP]

Hey Q_SHIP can you tell me what is the remote turn on wire for the speakers?

I honestly don't know what wire it is on the Q. I know with pontiac, it's the pink wire. When i get a new deck and start playing with it, I'll have an answer for you.

[Haitian_King]

He's right. The bose speakers aren't all that great. Also I strongly advise against connecting the factory bose speakers to any aftermarket headunit. I measured the DC resistance of each speaker, and they have a 1.2ohm load.

That will burn out your onboard amplifier very quickly from it over heating.

You could get away with connecting them to a high quality external amplifier but there is no use in doing that with the factory speaks

Wow. No idea that all of this was needed.But for the most part, my speakers are great. My Blaupunkt head unit is fine, jst my tape player doesn't work right, so I can't use the cassette adapter to listen to my iPod and my RF transmitter doesn't it in my cigarette lighter pocket. It keeps popping out.

[nimbyfaygo]

Wow. No idea that all of this was needed.But for the most part, my speakers are great. My Blaupunkt head unit is fine, jst my tape player doesn't work right, so I can't use the cassette adapter to listen to my iPod and my RF transmitter doesn't it in my cigarette lighter pocket. It keeps popping out.

I feel ya. The cd changer and the cassette were both bad on my stock unit. So I installed an alpine head unit. I used a Nissan Maxima harness adapter and bypassed the stock amplifiers.....after the install everything worked fine until I turned the volume past about halfway, then I would get a severe clipping noise. Suspecting bad connections. I used my DMM to ohm test the wiring. Thats when I noticed a 1.3ohm load going to my cd player. So I waited until payday and bought some decent rear speakers. The following payday I bought a decent component set for the front. Problem solved!

Just for reference, the wiring inside the door speakers is as follows.

Midbass= Purple(positive)/Yellow(negative). Tweeter=Black/w red stripe(positive)/Black/w white stripe(negative).

That is the wiring inside the bose box but before the stock amplifier. The rear is the same, just without the black wires.

[Que-45]

Did you have to run new wires to your speakers, or were you able to use the factory wiring?

I feel ya. The cd changer and the cassette were both bad on my stock unit. So I installed an alpine head unit. I used a Nissan Maxima harness adapter and bypassed the stock amplifiers.....after the install everything worked fine until I turned the volume past about halfway, then I would get a severe clipping noise. Suspecting bad connections. I used my DMM to ohm test the wiring. Thats when I noticed a 1.3ohm load going to my cd player. So I waited until payday and bought some decent rear speakers. The following payday I bought a decent component set for the front. Problem solved!

Just for reference, the wiring inside the door speakers is as follows.

Midbass= Purple(positive)/Yellow(negative). Tweeter=Black/w red stripe(positive)/Black/w white stripe(negative).

That is the wiring inside the bose box but before the stock amplifier. The rear is the same, just without the black wires.

[nimbyfaygo]

Did you have to run new wires to your speakers, or were you able to use the factory wiring?

I used the factory wiring. Its not the best thing to do but I'm not using high power. I'm happy with the results.

[lino]

The Bose speakers are rubbish anyway... better off saving for another month and buying some new speakers to go along with your head unit. You'll still have to pay the $70, but that will be a part of your speaker installation you would have paid for anyway. So, in the end, it wouldn't cost you anymore than installing new speakers and head unit on any other car.

I went with a Pioneer head unit, iPod control module, and Infinity Reference series speakers all the way around. It wasn't too expensive and it sound great.

Can you share some pics of your setup please?

[ceningolmo]

Can you share some pics of your setup please?

I would... but, I'm not sure there is much to show you. The head unit is a standard single DIN Pioneer. Mine is last years version of this unit.



The iPod unit...



is installed behind the dash in the gap left by the smaller head unit I installed. The new headunit was installed with a dash kit that has a little "change tray" type space to fill out the double DIN opening. There is a small hole drilled in the back of that change tray (you can't see the hole) that allows the iPod integration cord to sit in the change tray. I just plug in my iPod and it sits in that little tray below the deck. And, unless I told you it was there or you were looking for it...you'd never even know I had an iPod in the car.

Speakers are all installed in factory locations. Infinity Kappa series (I was thinking reference series, but after checking their site I believe I decided on Kappa series) 5" up front and 6x9" on the rear lid.



Anyway... that is what I have. Not that you can see any of it in the car. Basically just the headunit.

[lino]

I would... but, I'm not sure there is much to show you. The head unit is a standard single DIN Pioneer. Mine is last years version of this unit.



The iPod unit...



is installed behind the dash in the gap left by the smaller head unit I installed. The new headunit was installed with a dash kit that has a little "change tray" type space to fill out the double DIN opening. There is a small hole drilled in the back of that change tray (you can't see the hole) that allows the iPod integration cord to sit in the change tray. I just plug in my iPod and it sits in that little tray below the deck. And, unless I told you it was there or you were looking for it...you'd never even know I had an iPod in the car.

Speakers are all installed in factory locations. Infinity Kappa series (I was thinking reference series, but after checking their site I believe I decided on Kappa series) 5" up front and 6x9" on the rear lid.



Anyway... that is what I have. Not that you can see any of it in the car. Basically just the headunit.

I couldn't have possibly asked for anything better than that! Thanks for the lightning fast response and pics!

Now, next question...how does it sound?

[ceningolmo]

I couldn't have possibly asked for anything better than that! Thanks for the lightning fast response and pics!

Now, next question...how does it sound?

It sounds spectacular now. My Green Q has the same setup but with some basic Pioneer speakers. It sounds alright, but not great. To be honest, with the Pioneer speakers it is probably a toss up as to whether it sounds better than the original Bose stuff. Wes didn't think it did, and I'm on the fence. So, probably not.

The installation in the Grey Q with the Infinity speakers, though, is a whole different animal. It is crisp, clear, incredibly detailed sound without overpowering the highs and lows the way Bose tends to. I'm VERY happy with my current setup.

[TBrack]

mine sounds just fine with the stock bose speakers and the bose amps. they make a wiring harness that turns down the signal coming from your headunit that I used and I get the same beautiful crisp sound that my stock bose unit always put out.

[D BELOVID]

BY PASS MEANS THEY WILL HAVE TO RE-WIRE YOUR CAR TO MAKE THE RADIO WORK. THAT'S THE TRADITIONAL WAY, BUT THERE'S A WAY TO GO THROUGH THIS WITHOUT ANY PAIN INVOLED. THE RADIO CAN WORK WITH THE BOSE SYSTEM WHICH HAS AMPS THAT GIVE ITS ON STYLE ON THE SOUND THAT IT CREATES. I HAD IT DONE ON MY Q45(92). I'LL DETAIL IT LATER WHEN I SPEAK TO THE INSTALLER SO I CAN TELL IT RIGHT,AND WITH A PHOTO OF MY HEAD UNIT.

[nimbyfaygo]

It sounds spectacular now. My Green Q has the same setup but with some basic Pioneer speakers. It sounds alright, but not great. To be honest, with the Pioneer speakers it is probably a toss up as to whether it sounds better than the original Bose stuff. Wes didn't think it did, and I'm on the fence. So, probably not.

The installation in the Grey Q with the Infinity speakers, though, is a whole different animal. It is crisp, clear, incredibly detailed sound without overpowering the highs and lows the way Bose tends to. I'm VERY happy with my current setup.

In your installs did you rewire the speakers, or did you utilize the factory wiring?

Soon I'll be amping my front component set and I and looking for an easy way to run the new wires into the doors without making a new jamb sleeve. It would be a real pain to do without taking the whole door off.

[ceningolmo]

On the Green Q, the original factory wiring was used. On the Silver Q, we ran all new wire. I don't think it matters... but, the wiring was missing/destroyed on the Silver Q because the previous owner tried to "fix" the Bose equipment.