First off I just got a 03 Z,touring, silver wit 29 000 miles.
I thought I would be a bit happier with Bose set up. I just don;t find the clarity and crispness is there, from what I expect from Bose.
Before i ask my questions, I just want to let you know i tried looking thru other people questions and posts, didnt; really find my answers.

I haven't decided what I'm going ot replace it with
I'm wondering what kind of specs the stock Bose unit has. power, Watts, how many channels, how is the power split. Distortion. How does the sub get powered? does the HU have any pre outs. Seems like the sub is getting very litle juice. Is the box in sub is in sealed properly? what size? how deep is the enclosure. (can you swap is out and power it. )

The reason i ask these questions is that I want to keep the system looking as stock as possible. I Imagine i'll have to change out the HU to get the clarity I want. Does anyone know of a nice unit witht he same amber orange glow as the rest of the dash.
Is ther a possible the stock speakersand sub would sound clearer if they were properly powered? Can they handle an amp?

If I knew what exactly I was dealing with it woudl be much easier to decide on a path I want to take. I realize this are pretty specific questions and I appriciate any help you guys have. thanks for your time.

 

I suggest a Nakamichi HU. It'll blend well with a stock interior. But if you want clarity in your system, why would you change out everything BUT the speakers. Personally the FIRST thing I would recommend you change is the speakers. though in order to power them properly, you'll need an amp. And in order to provide clean outputs to the amp you'll need a new HU.

OR you can try JL's "Clean Sweep". I don't know too much about it yet, but I think it lets you keep your stock HU.

 

Man I am in the same boat as you. I just picked up my 03 yesterday and the bose sounds like absolute ***. I feel sorry for the orginal owner who paid for it.

IF you are looking for more clarity while keeping a stock look I would do like a JL 300/4 with a nice set of component speakers. Pull that stock bose sub out of that location and have a shop build you a custom box back there to fit a 8" W3V2. Doing that will drastically improve your sound while keeping your stock look. I have done this setup in probally 15 differnt Z's and everytime the customer loves it.

Dont let anyone tell you that you have to change your deck out to get better sound. It will help but it i not as vitale as shops will preach you.

 

i just read on another thread that the output on the stock HU is all wonky. and it;s hard to match up with other speakers/amps. And i would like to switch out the sub too, but I would like to keep it in the stock location. It looks nice and clean back there. Is thre something wrong with that spot? Not sealed properly? not deep enough?

i have a good lead on some kenwoods. tell me wha tyou think of these components and prices. These are canadian dollars remember.

All Kenwood, like new, in boxes (except for deck).

KAC-848 4/3/2 Channel Amp 600W $200

KFC-1787 6.5” Speakers 220W $100

KFC-P602 6” Component Speakers 150W $120

KDC-X959 WMA/MP3/CD Receiver with remote 200W $300 (this was originally a $1,000 dollar deck and 'deck of the year' when it was new)

THis is obviouly a work in progress.