I Want New Speakers. 3 Shops - 3 Very Different Opinions, What's The Real Deal?

[bmlawless]

I was hitting the local stereo shops yesterday to get my wife a new system for her car. While I was shopping, I asked about new speakers for my QX4. From three different shops, I got three very different answers. What's the correct answer?

For the record, these are businesses that specialize in car audio that have all been in business for many years. They all have good reputations. I have personally dealt with the first two and have been happy with them.

Shop 1) No problem, we'll put a component set in the front with the woofer in the door and the tweeter in the A-pillar with a 2-way speaker in the back door. $400.

Shop 2) It's better to leave the factory tweeters alone if they are working. You have full range speakers in the front doors now, so you should put two-way speakers all around. $270

Shop 3) The BOSE system screws everything up. They have a matched impedence system that makes it impossible to replace the speakers. If you want better sound we need to replace the speakers, amps, and head unit. $1,000.

The 3rd shop specifically said that the BOSE system uses 2-ohm speakers. Infinity (coincidence?) makes several 2-ohm speakers.

It seems like I should be able to remove the speakers, measure the impedance, buy corresponding speakers and the adapters and slap them in. What's wrong with this picture?

[KoukiS14]

Is the BOSE head unit different at all from a regular Nissan Clarion deck? I swear there's no difference with the actual head unit... but I'm almost surely wrong, right? The appearance is absolutely identical.

In other news, it wasn't a BOSE branded system, but my 92 240sx LE had "active speakers" that had amps attached to each speaker, and was very similar. I replaced the headunit and the HU alone, and I had absolutely no problems, and sound was decent.

[bmlawless]

My understanding is that the deck is by Clarion and the amp/speaker system is by BOSE. My deck also says Clarion on the cassette door.

My schematics show the front speakers and tweeters connected directly to the audio unit and the rear speakers going through an amp.

[ganesh21]

Shop 1) No problem, we'll put a component set in the front with the woofer in the door and the tweeter in the A-pillar with a 2-way speaker in the back door. $400.

you will need an amp to push those speaker since the bose unit would not capable of doing it.

Shop 2) It's better to leave the factory tweeters alone if they are working. You have full range speakers in the front doors now, so you should put two-way speakers all around. $270

the same as above.

Shop 3) The BOSE system screws everything up. They have a matched impedence system that makes it impossible to replace the speakers. If you want better sound we need to replace the speakers, amps, and head unit. $1,000.

kinda true. i do believe the speaker are at lower then 4 ohm. i would go with shop 3 for the best sound quality.

I would recommend:

remove all bose equipment and just install after market parts. the sound quality would be better.

Guys/Gal if I'm wrong about anything above please let me know.

[25drift]

yo i'm a little new but i can tell you that i think putting speakers in a car that is meant to race is a bad idea. why? because all of the electronics will cost more money to keep up and it also adds more weight. the car that i race is super light weight and basically its just the bare minimum. although if you really want speakers then i would ask more thatn just three people. ask around and look for people who actually have them. you should just be sure.

[25drift]

you are right, bose systems do screw up your vehicle and for so much money. i just dont have a sound system because i think it is too much weight. but yes bose it a waste of money

[25drift]

after reading everthing i would have to say shop 2

[slickroger]

Regardless of how much resistance(ohms) the speakers have they all have their own amps in the bose system. so if you wanted to put component speakers you should just replace the amp that pushes to those speakers.

so if you wanted to replace the back door speakers you should replace the amp behind the rear quarter panel with one of your own. With the front speakers you would have to replace the door amps.

Personally i just threw an aftermarket sony deck and two kenwood 12's with an 1100W amp in the trunk, the vocals and highs are still loud enough to play over the sub. Everything is so crisp and those subs shake everything I just dont see the need to replace the bose system, it sound great.

[fueler]

I'd say shop #3 knows the best. The fact that they mentioned Bose and that they know Bose doesn't work all that great when mixed and matched with other parts, shows that they've done this before. Slickroger mentioned to remove and replace the Bose amp in the drivers side rear quarter panel - I want to mention that you dont exactly have to remove it, I simply bypassed it and added my own amp in the trunk, i still have that Bose amp in place (for no good reason haha)

[WINNIPEGS_MOST_WANTED]

I'd say shop #3 knows the best. The fact that they mentioned Bose and that they know Bose doesn't work all that great when mixed and matched with other parts, shows that they've done this before. Slickroger mentioned to remove and replace the Bose amp in the drivers side rear quarter panel - I want to mention that you dont exactly have to remove it, I simply bypassed it and added my own amp in the trunk, i still have that Bose amp in place (for no good reason haha)

Mine is still back there too

[Empty V]

I'm going through this right now with my 01 QX4. I just put in a Pioneer AVIC-D3X package (replaced my DEH-9800BT) with the backup camera and XM Nav Traffic, JL Audio Components in the front and probably some Pioneer Rev series composite 6 3/4" speakers in back all powered by an MTX 5 channel amp. I also just finished building a low profile box to spec for 2 10" JL Audio subs for the trunk. If you're going to replace your door speakers get an amp. Bypass the factory amps and I suggest you definitely get a new head unit. If you don't bypass the factory amp you might get a hissing noise. The factory system is designed to work with those components, when you start to mix things up it creates problems, especially with the bose system it came with. Personally I can't stand bose and any time I have the chance to remove something bose I jump at it. If you need any advice let me know, i might be able to slow you down a little.

Billy