Stock bose sub. problem

[Isr]

I tried searching around a bit but couldn't turn up much on this topic. I have the stock Bose stereo, and I recently blew out the subwoofer. Are there any after market subs that I would be able to just drop in with out having to modify anything? and if so what specs should I look for?

Thanks much

[aris_unlimited]

What size is the stock bose sub, like 10 inches? If so any 10" will fit in the same spot. And you shouldn't have to worry about getting a sub that will take gobs of power because its still a stock system. Just look for a decent sub brand the same size and it should work fine.

[DR350Z]

I'm not too sure about this. The stock subwoofer may be a different spec than most other automotive subs. For instance, if it has a different Ohm rating it could draw more or less current from the amplifier resulting in damage to the amp (V=IR so V/R = I).

Also, it is likely to not have as beefy specifications as most of the production speakers and replacing it with something off-the-shelf could sound horrible.

I recommend going with a bose replacement speaker as opposed to just slapping something random into the factory system.

http://www.courtesyparts.com carries them last I checked, you can also likely find a bose factory sub on ebay.

[Isr]

Thanks. I guess I'll stick with the stock unit. I've gotta say though I'm kinda disappointed with the Bose system, can't hardly take any abuse at all..

[K03sport]

Thanks. I guess I'll stick with the stock unit. I've gotta say though I'm kinda disappointed with the Bose system, can't hardly take any abuse at all..

You're right. BOSE has an odd way of doing things that don't always conform to the industry standard. I'm not sure what the specs are on the stock BOSE stuff, but they will do things like base their system off of a 3ohm load vs. the standard car 4 ohm load. I wouldn't be surprised if the BOSE subwoofer has a 1.5ohm or 3ohm rating or something non standard.

This makes replacing BOSE components one at a time very difficult. The best bet is to replace them all and be done with it, but that has its own challenges.

[DR350Z]

I've found the Bose system in the Z to be better than the Bose system I had in my Audi A4. The subwoofer in the Audi didn't produce much bass at all, and the Z sub at least provides a decent sounding low-end even though I cannot feel much of the bass without a bit of distortion or vibration from the subwoofer cover (something starts to buzz).

The replacement factory subwoofer is kind of pricey at over 100 bucks. It might make sense to upgrade the rest of the system while you're at it and replace the weak Bose amplifier. Perhaps a custom sound (shudder) shop would set you up with an aftermarket subwoofer and amplifier to fit in the factory location; I am just scared of the hack-job some of those places do.

[C-Kwik]

I can't recall the exact specs, but I know the Bose sub in the Titan is a dual voice coil unit. It may run on 4 ohms each (can't recall but it was 2 or 4), but regardless, the problem is its rated well below the 50 watt mark which implies the amp is not going to have enough power to drive any aftermarket woofer. I'd imagine that the Z's woofer is not dissimilar in terms of being a low powered unit. Which may be a big factor that contributed or caused your sub to fail.

Personally, if it were me, I'd replace the sub with an aftermarket unit that fits and add an amp. Even a relatively low powered system would be a big improvement...

[Isr]

That sounds like what I'll have to do. I recall a previous thread stating that the factory BOSE head-unit does not have a RCA adapter for the amp, so sounds like I'll have to replace that too. I could be wrong on this though.

I was thinking something like this http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1...20217 Wife would kill me though....

[DR350Z]

Ha, that is a very nice looking head unit!

I'll end up down the same path when the factory system finally dies; for the moment it still covered by a warranty though .

This brings up another thought, if you have the factory warranty or an aftermarket warranty you might double-check whether speakers are covered. For the extended warranty I had on my Audi, they covered the tweeter I had go out on the rear driver's door.

Good luck!