Audio

[Sokki]

I have a stock Bose CD/Cassette radio. I planning to change all the speakers and add a 6 channel amp. Can the stock radio work with the new amp? I been wondering about this before I buy the amp and start the installation. Thanks

[CHORAY911]

It is possible to use the factory factory radio and ditch the Bose amps, but it will sound like garbage. In order to make it work you would have to cut up a pair of RCA cables and sloder them to the out puts of the radio. Unfortunatly, the bose radios do not have speaker outputs behind the radio. It is a low level (RCA) signal that is noisy when feed into an after market amp, and clips very badly. If you want a decent sould chunk the factor radio, and get a decent aftermarket radio with dedicated sub outputs.Choray

[Fezzik]

I would ask Audatious (Matt) this question. I havent done much to the audio on my car but he has

[coolhand]

If you want to do that, They do sell a RCA converter that works better than modifying the RCA cables to work with the radio. You can bypass the Bose unit and install your speakers with little effort just find a wiring diagram for help http://www.maximaclub.org/5th-howto.htm . Using the RCA converters approach can get a little tedious. You will have to cut the factory harnenss and wire the converters to the radio, run the RCA cables to the amp, and run the wires from the amp back to the cut wires to the rest of the car. I have done this a lot and know a thing or two. Hope this helps.

[CHORAY911]

If you want to do that, They do sell a RCA converter that works better than modifying the RCA cables to work with the radio. You can bypass the Bose unit and install your speakers with little effort just find a wiring diagram for help http://www.maximaclub.org/5th-howto.htm . Using the RCA converters approach can get a little tedious. You will have to cut the factory harnenss and wire the converters to the radio, run the RCA cables to the amp, and run the wires from the amp back to the cut wires to the rest of the car. I have done this a lot and know a thing or two. Hope this helps.

Sorry Coolhand, but that only works if the car is non-Bose. If you use the RCA adapter lost will turn a low level signal to an almost no existant signal. In order to use you method, you must hook in the adapters after the Bose amps, then run the RCAS to the amps. In effect you will change a digital signal to analog, reduce it to a semi digital signal, input it to the after market amps, boost the signal and turn it back to analog. It works but produces engine noise, clips at 75% volume and pops when you change tracks, or radio stations. There is no easy way around the whole thing. Replace the radio.

[coolhand]

Well I done it on other cars with factory amps. It is true that the signal pre amp is lower that a non-Bose but you have to remember that Bose amps are signal amps so there has to be strong enough signal to be amplified. Also he is adding an amp that is more powerful than the Bose setup so he will have strong gain over stock, but not to the full potental of the aftermarket amp. It is true to that it would be easier to replace the radio (I recommend it lots of times to customers), but if he wants the stock radio they will go to the lenghts to have it.

Sokki, take a look at this product from Rockford Fosgate http://www.crutchfield.com/S-W...IXTY1

and weight the options.