integrating bose system?

[KenzBenz]

yea i just bought one today, was trying to save 25 bucks and just buy some rca ends at radio shack but its raining, its far, and im too lazy.

[KenzBenz]

got it to work, sounds pretty good, do you guys know what the adjustments are on the hi lo converter, theres 2 dial things you can mess with, what do those do?

[pnsji]

Originally posted by KenzBenz
got it to work, sounds pretty good, do you guys know what the adjustments are on the hi lo converter, theres 2 dial things you can mess with, what do those do?

It adjust the level of the output. So let's say at the lowest setting, the output is at 1 volts, if you crank it up, you can have to 4 volts. of course you need to set it to fit your amp.

[KenzBenz]

Originally posted by pnsji
It adjust the level of the output. So let's say at the lowest setting, the output is at 1 volts, if you crank it up, you can have to 4 volts. of course you need to set it to fit your amp.

i see, thanks =) another question, more volts = cleaner sound correct?

[pnsji]

Originally posted by KenzBenz
more volts = cleaner sound correct?

NO. Depends on the sensitivity of your amp.

[unHookt]

ken- any noticeable rattles etc? Are you hearing a noticeable improvement over the Bose system? Also, did you disconnect the stock woofers on the rear deck or are you running a sub in addition to those?

thanks!

[97Brabus]

My opinion on this whole scenario is to:

a) if you are gonna do it, do it right and replace all interior speakers and pull out the bose amp. (remember you are running 2 ohm speakers with a 4 ohm amp)
b) avoid using a low level converter at all cost. Those things generally suck and overheat amplifiers
c) though interior volume levels are lower (i.e. interior speakers sound better/louder with the bose deck or entirely swapped system) swap your deck for an aftermarket one, use adapters from the deck to the low level leads to the bose amp and run rca's to your sub. You can get away with rca to speaker line converters (this is not a low level adapter) or go with the fancy neovo adapters made especially to tap to a bose system. For this option you are using the bose amp and only tapping the remote on wire (blue/white one.)

I went with option C recommended/installed by the #1 installer in the Northwest, Innovative Audio (famous for work on cars of Gary Payton, Jay Buhner, A-Rod, etc.) They broke it down to me like that and makes sense though my electrician skills are elementary

or you could go with option D and send Bose an email tell them they screwed up your plans to get noticed on the Blvd.

[KenzBenz]

Using the converter is decent but definitely not as clean with my aftermarket HU(in the repair shop right now) but it works. unhookt, with the extra bass from the sub, it did rattle but i just folded up some paper and stuck it in some areas. no more rattle unless i turn the bass up. i didnt unhook the stock rear speakers. In my opinion the bose interior speakers are not bad, you just need to give it some power because when i used my aftermarket deck with the built in amp the speakers were very clean and crisp. Compare that to the stock amp the sound is muffled or not clear.

[97Brabus]

Yep, I noticed a loss in clarity running my stock interior speakers from the HU power. Mostly that can be attributed to the impedence differences. I would suspect that it's not as bad for the Bose amp, interior speakers, or HU because of the low wattage coming out of the deck and going into the Bose amp, but it's not ideal and doesn't sound as good as running a fully compatible match of input signal and amp to speaker impedence rating.

Maybe I should look for an aftermarket amp that can run all interior speakers at 2ohms without bridging. Bah....stereo schmereo....I think I'll spend the money elsewhere.

[pnsji]

My friend is running OEM head unit with Converter and he place 2nd in the IASCA Sound Quality competition. He can't replace the OEm head unit since it controls the climate control as well. In the end, it all depends on your converter and setting.

[KenzBenz]

i guess its not really the HU that affects the sound then its what amp and speakers you use and the settings. If you have a 4 ch amp, how do you wire that to your stock speakers?

[pnsji]

HU definitely play a big role since it is the source of the signal. However, given the stock speaker and stock amp, using converter or not might not be noticeable. For my friend's case, he uses a really good converter.

Given a 4 channels amp, you can buy a pair of passive crossover, so the 2 Front channel will go to the crossover, and then each crossover will split the sound, for tweeter and mids. The 2 rear channel will just connect to the rear door speakers.

[Eiknujrac]

Ok, I hate to bring up an old thread, but ive searched and haven't found anything.

I need to tap into the two rear deck subs on my 1998 C280, is this possible to do at the connector of the Bose amp in the trunk? If so, what wire colors are they.

I've seen the wiring diagram posted on this site (and in this topic) but it says nothing about the two rear subs, just the front and rear speakers.

Thanks in advance.

[97Brabus]

If you are tapping for signal I wouldn't use the sub leads (from the amp to the sub...well...actually woofer) because the signal is weak on that channel versus the rear deck main speakers. If you're using it for lowpass x-over integrated into the bose amp I would just tap the main speakers and use an external x-over or the one built into the amp. I've got an MTX x-over I am not using that takes line level inputs if you are interested in making a deal on it...

If you go with your original plan, just trace the colors from the rear deck woofers. If you can't see the wires from inside the trunk, pop out your first aid kit and you will see them. Be careful pulling it out though as you might rip the rear deck...

You may also want to clarify what you are attempting to do exactly to get advice that might help more.

[unHookt]

just dropped an infinity basslink into my trunk. securely mounted, the trunk rattles a lot. gonna have to do some isolation I suppose...

still, the bass is a lot better, though not as good as the same sub sounded in my old acura integra. I guess the trunk is sealed too well...

any ideas of what I can do to get more bass into the cabin? I was thinking of pulling one of the stock woofers and leaving the space empty but getting those rear deck speakers out is a b*tch!

[pnsji]

Try to remove the rear deck speaker. to remove them, you need to remove the rear deck.

[unHookt]

removing those is a real pain. is there a tutorial somewhere on this site or elsewhere?

[pnsji]

Originally posted by unHookt
removing those is a real pain. is there a tutorial somewhere on this site or elsewhere?

yes. do a search.