I am planning an audio upgrade and am hoping to keep the vehicle looking stock. Is changing amplification and speakers and all the other stuff just a waste of money if I don't change out the Bose HU? Has anyone been happy with the system after an upgrade that kept it?

Let me know your thoughts. Thank you.

 

do alot of of searching here, and you will find a few people that upgraded speakers, subwoofer, amps, etc, and kept the stock Bose head unit. Just be careful--it uses non-standard (differential) ouputs, and you need special line convertors to take the diff output to line level output for input to your amplifiers. I think Soundgate makes some nice convertors and a few people here have used them with good success.

I tried a couple different convertors on my setup, before I threw in the towel and ditched my Bose Head unit altogether. I was disappointed with the overall sound of the head unit, after alot of upgrades, and it may have been related to the convertors.

I finally decided on the Pioneer Premier DEH-840mp head unit, and I love it !

Here is a recent pic:

 

In order to keep the stock look I first tried new amps,speakers and a sub. It sounded much better but the audio pilot still worked and it drove me nuts so I put a new hu in the glove box and put an ir repeater for my remote in the nav spot and the difference was like night and day. I am so happy now. It's not cheap but if music is important to you it is well worth it. And I like having kept the stock look.

 

Read this thread, and then decide. I've been more than satisfied with the sound. FrankMusic will be installing his system over the holidays. Maybe we'll get a few members trying this and post some results. Best thing is the LOC is relatively inexpensive, and if you decide to replace your HU in the future, it's the only part that you won't re-use. The main thing is to get rid of the BOSE Amps and poor quality speakers! Anyway... it IS an option for you.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....threadid=49591

 

You can use line out converters on the back of the head unit and then use "normal" amps and speakers after that.

I want to keep the factory head unit for a few reasons. I want the stock look (lower theft risk in a roadster, I like the integrated/factory look, and I like the in dash 6 cd changer. I have heard from several reliable sources that the bose "patent sound wrecking EQ" is in the Bose amps. The head unit is not a "show winner", but it should sound decent.

So...

I am going to go with the audiolink converter and cablelink cable from AudioLink. This setup gives you 4 normal RCS outputs to do with as you please. I am groing to run them to a 4X50 Alpine amp and put Infinity speakers in the doors and rear. The Alpine amp has sub outs so I will run them to a basslink in the stock location.

It should look totally stock and sound pretty darned good. It may not be _quite_ as good as a total swap out, but with a sportacar like the Z the noise floor is pretty high unless you add a lot of sound proofing to. To me there is no point going SUPER premium unless you also do the soundproofing. (since I always listen while driving and rarely while just parked.)

It can be done and it can sound decent. Also, if you later want to upgrade the headunit you do not lose all the other stuff. You just yank the HU and the audiolink gear and hook the RCAs up to the new head unit. Room to grow!

 

Onecoolee,

How much of a sound improvement did you notice when you went from the Bose to your Pioneer stereo? Thanks! Where in PA do you live (Eastern/Western?

LaScala

 

When I went from all Bose to all aftermarket, the difference in sound was astonishing, as I expected. I have never heard a great sounding Bose system. I also never listed to the Bose stereo, with the latest TSB amp, and I never bothered to listen to the Pioneer Premier head unit with the existing Bose speakers. This sort of upgrade is an all in or fold scenario. If you swap head unit then and you have the Bose system, you have to upgrade the amps too, or use the Pioneer's built-in amp, since the Bose amp is not compatible with speaker level inputs (they must be differential inputs).

I would guess a 100-1000x improvement in the sound over the factory/stock Bose system, if you want a number. The sub amp is very small and extremely weak, the subwoofer itself is total crap (look at it for a good laugh), adn the Bose stock speakers are pretty much junk. I was surprised when I gutted the Bose how junky everything was. I did like the stock look of the head unit, but I am much happier with the sound now, and it was worth it to take the factory head out as a sacrifice.

Anyone need any Bose system 350Z components ? LOL!

A couple slogans came to mind when I got the Bose out and the Pioneer Premier system in...

BOSE = Better Off with Something Else
OR my favorite:
No Highs, No Lows, Must be a BOSE

I am about 2-2.5 hours from Philly, sort of in Southern/Central PA around the Harrisburg area. Let me know if you are ever over this way, and we can have a Z meet.

I have to agree with AndyB...if I had the roadster, I would have been forced to keep the stock head to lower the risk of theft, or isntall some super duper aftermarket alarm...there are others in these forums hwho have kept the stock Bose head unit and used decent convertors and gotten good results as far as sound quality goes, btu I have yet to hear a system using the Bose head with good results--I tried to, and was not successful.

 

Grutter... it seems like Audiolink may be the way to go for me. Your sig says "All options"... am I correct in my assumption that the LOC does not change the operation of the Nav audio in any way? You also have seperates in the front ("kenwood tweeters"). Where did you mount these? In the stock tweeter locations? Was it dificult to find tweeters that fit there if so? Finally.. where do you have your amps? I was thinking of putting them in the glove compartment behind the passenger, but am concerned about ventilation for the amp. Will this be a problem with the closed up compartment? Maybe under the passenger seat? Thanks for all your answers.

AndyB...In my attempt to keep everything invisible here, I too will most likely be going with a basslink in the stock spot. I have yet to see a more feasible alternative while keeping the sub invisible. Best of luck with the upgrade.

 

You are correct... keeping the BOSE HU also means that NAV audio remains integrated, as it feeds directly into the HU.

Front speakers - I have JLAudio 6.5 two-ways all around, plus kenwood tweeters in the original locations. If I had it to do over, I would consider components up front. Kenwoods tweets fit perfectly in factory locations.

I mounted amps in glove box.. made a custom sliding amp rack. There are pics in this forum somewhere. I was originally concerned about heat, but have long since quit worrying. Apparently the amps are designed to run warm. If it becomes an issue, I'll "ventilate" the box. The room behind the box is cavernous. Under the seat is always an option, and I know some forum members are doing that as well.

The BassLink should give you decent Bass, and eliminates the need for an additional amp.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with the factory HU. The sound mangling technology is in the BOSE amps and speakers, which you'll be eliminating. The HU isn't that bad once the rest of the BOSE components are stripped out.

Good luck with your install, and please post the results when you get done.

 

Be sure to get the proper convertors...the Bose stereo uses a different output than the non-Bose stock head unit. I think Soundgate makes some nice ones, but never got a chance to try them out. You will need to make sure that your line output convertors are Bose compatible, and differential. the stock head unit is compatible with the same line ouput convertors that you can find at all stereo shops...these are typcially known as speaker level to line level convertors, or simply, line out convertors.

 

So I can make this assumption....

I have installed new (BAs) speakers, two eclipse amps and two subs, but it runs off of the Bose HU using LOCs. I can expect to get a substantial increase in sound quality by going to an aftermarket HU, correct?

 

I think its still hard to compare a stock, even higher end Bose Head unit using Line out convertors, even the best convertors at that, to the performance, ie sound quality, s/n ratio, overall Sound Quality to an aftermarket head unit.

Good Line out convertors will make the loss iN SQ less, but its still hard to say that it would be as good as a quality aftermarket head unit...just my opinion. A good example is this, when was the last time you saw a show quality sound system with a stock head unit...thats just not going to happen.

 

What would you gauge the Bose HU S/N for CDs to be? I know Alpine units typically run 105 and Pioneer Premier HUs run around 95. I would think the Bose to be around 90 or less.

 

I have never seen the specs on the BOse, but I thought the sound quality was really lacking...the radio wad horrendous, and for CD's it was better, but the frequency range seemed to be lacking, like 100Hz to 15kHz...the old No highs no lows, must be a BOse theory.

With the system as it was delivered to me in my 2003 Touring, I would say the Bose had a 90 or better, but did have the frequency issue mentioned above...supposedly thsi has been fixed under the latest TSB for my VIN nubmer, and for newer Z's, this problem should be fixed too...

 

Is there a way to create an aux input into the existing headunit, utilizing some kind of external switch obviously? Anyone have any ideas about that? I would really like to keep the stock head unit and upgrade the rest of the audio and this is the only thing keeping me from doing it!!!

 

nope, not easily..unless you want to use the tape select portion of this head unit, and rewire it internally for your auxilliary input. This will most likely not be a simple conversion.

What exactly are you planning on using as an aux input ?

There is no simple solution to this for any factory head unit, and if you look at alot of aftermarket head units, only a select few have aux inputs built in...my Pioneer has several other source selections, but they all use Pioneer's IP-bus technology, so that devices can be linked together. I think Alpine and other manufacturers use similar methods.

 

I hadnt thought of using the tape input. Thats an idea worth looking into. I wanted to run the audio for my auto pc through the head unit. I wanted to keep a stock appearance in the car. If one was to find the wires coming out of the tape player then you could probably splice in the lines there... correct? I'm sure that its going to be on some rediculously complex circuit board though... i'm just trying to get out of getting a new head unit. I like the look of the stock one and I like having the changer there.

 

its hard to say how the tape audio is handled, and how the unit knows a tape is actually inserted into the head unit. Some companies make an audio to cassette converter which is basically a simple stereo mic plug with a cassette interface on the other end. When inserted into the player, it send the mic input into the cassette head...simple but effective and probably good enough for a PC audio application, if you don't mind the wire coming out of hte cassette opening. Just a thought...and it would work great for your auto pc application. If you have never seen one of these, let me know, and I will post a link to a picture. They are only like $15-20, and should be avaialble at any store like walmart, best buy, etc.

 

If you do the BassLink before I do (probably in the spring) PLEASE take notes and take pictures!

I know it can be done, but nobody has posted much detail or photos on how to mount it. From what I have read you want to mount it firing downwards in the stock spot.

Good luck. Post pics!

 

If you listen mostly while driving these s/n numbers are nearly meaningless. The road noise of even a quiet car swamps the noise floor of the head unit.

If, on the other hand, you tend to park with the engine off and listen, then the s/n might mean something.