rhaas

I will be taking delivery of my new 2007 Enthusiast (non-Bose) in a couple of weeks and I'm trying to plan the audio upgrades.

I'm thinking about trying the stock headunit with new front components, an external amplifier, and a powered subwoofer (Infinity Basslink or Kenwood KSC-SW1) in the stock Bose location. Just how weak of a link is the stock headunit? I'm not looking to win any competitions but I would like to have pretty decent sound quality at moderate volumes.

If it doesn't work well, I figure it won't be a big deal to upgrade the headunit later but I'd like to hear from others who have already tried this setup.

Thanks!

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

The headend is probably the second best thing about the stock set-up next to that fine RF amplifier that boosts the antenna signal. I would rank the antenna itself as the third best thing! There are a pretty normal number of failures of the Bose headend most seem to be CD's stuck, skipping, refusing to play, or not displaying text.

rhaas

Thanks. Does this apply to the non-Bose system as well?

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

I've never seen/heard the stock non-Bose - it's made by Clarion IIRC.

tahoe-man

I believe the Bose unit also says Clarion on it...I had the stock Bose 6 disk and it skipped all the time. So when I replaced my speakers and went with an external amp I switched out the headunit to the stock non-bose and haven't had a single issue. I know for a fact that the tweeters in the sail panel are made by Clarion. I've never liked keeping the OE headunit and adding a aftermarket radio but I bought a very good LOC that is fully adjustable and 100% noise free. I hear absolutely no amp pop or engine noise! I also used to metra harnesses (one to car and one from car) so everything is plug and play!

rhaas

Do you remember the make/model of the line-out converter and how much it cost?

tahoe-man

VARIABLE 4-CHANNEL HIGH-QUALITY OEM ADAPTOR
N-7785V $49.90

The N-7785V is a four channel device that features two channels of full range output, plus two channels of low pass out with the same bass boost as the N-85 and N-85V. The signal level can be adjusted from a maximum of 9.5 volts rms down to zero volts. This is a great feature for optimizing the S/N of system and a must for competition or demo systems. Turning the ***** clockwise increases the signal level. At the amplifier/speaker we recommend a 1:3 gain structure for most systems. The N-7785V is a great device to connect an OEM deck into TWO aftermarket amplifiers. The front amps can be fed a full-range signal and the rear channels can be low-pass only.

From...

http://www.davidnavone.com/adaptor_products.htm

bjr

I've done what you are planning on a '05. The stock head unit has one major drawback but will provide good quality sound through a good amp/components/sub. It's definately clear and detailed enough sound for inside a car. What you will need to know is that the '05 stock HU has a built in equalization curve that I did not know about ahead of time and needs to be dealt with appropriately. I am still happy with my decision becuase my car sits out a lot and I want the stock look. I'm guessing that an '07 will be the same way. They had a good reason to do this with the factory setup and you will notice that you can turn it almost all the way up without much distortion with the factory equipment because the bass is cut to the speakers.
What you need to know specifically is that there is a built in high pass filter below 100Hz to keep the stock speakers from bottoming out with bass. It is steep (about 18dB/octave). And above 1000Hz there is a slight boost and your component tweeters will probably sound bright unless you set the crossover for the tweeters at -3dB like many crossovers have. What I ended up doing and what I suggest are different becuase I didn't want to have to spend more money. Plan on finding a high quality 31 band EQ that is capable of a +18db boost and you will be all set to fix the factory EQ that is not defeatable.
Oh yeah, and also someone posted ages ago that after volume setting of 23 the HU starts to show signs of clipping ('05 max volume is 31) so use that info when you setup your amps. Also there is a built in loudness contour that turns off above 15 on the volume. Some CDs may sound a tad boomy until you get it above 15 and the extra bass and treble boost cuts out.
I am very happy with mine though and you should give it a try before spending on a new HU. It's not THAT bad. Give it a try I say this becuase I had mine going for 3 weeks before I noticed the deep bass deficiency. You will listen to a CD you KNOW has very low bottom end and it just will not be there.

On the other hand, if you don't care that you have an aftermarket HU for everyone to see, you will spend just as much on a 31 band EQ as a decent aftermarket HU so consider that as well!

rhaas

Wow, thanks for all the details bjr. Did you use a LOC like tahoe or did you just run speaker-level to the amp(s)?

cubu

iTrader: (21)

well, i had my front speakers replaced and had an amp and sub hooked up through a converter(hooked to speaker wires), the sub level was off depending on volume... when i replaced my head unit a few weeks ago everything sounded better, my tweeters tweet and the sub is banging now

bjr

rhass - I used a David Navone line convertor because of its reputation. I was pleased with mine but then my boss bought a newer version of mine and had noise with it. Probably his installation though?
I would still recommend Navone and he seems to stand behind his product if you have trouble and even respond to e-mails if you need anything from him.


cubu - this is probably becuase the bass from the factory HU is at a volume level that is almost non-existent. All of the bass is still there actually but it needs to be boosted back up with EQ. With an aftermarket HU you will get a nice flat response to begin with.