Low Volume with Aftermarket Head Unit
 

I installed it correctly and volume is low even when on max. I have adjusted the eq and loudness setting as well

Not sure if its just because the stock head unit is designed to work with bose .

Any ideas?

My buddy who used to be an installer did my Pioneer DD and when he had finished wiring everything up I had the same issue. He ended up splicing RCA's and somehow wired them to the blose stock speakers. I can't get my radio over 9 or 10 it is so loud now, before you had to get o like 30 just to hear it. Wish I could tell you exactly what he did but I can't. I am going to his place tomorrow so if you still can't figure it out I will see why I can find out.

Yeah that seems to be my issue as well. Please let me know what he did because this is annoying lol. And now I can actually use my ipod

If you're keeping the stock Bose amp, you need an adapter like the PAC ROEM-NIS2.

Yes I'm keeping the stock amp and speakers

You need the PAC ROEM-NIS2 adapter. One end is plug and play into the car harness and the other end is wired to your car stereo.

Your problem is normal for those who are using an aftermarket radio on a stock Bose system. The audio wont be loud enough from your new headunit and you may hear a buzzing from the different levels coming from the Bose amps. PAC ROEM-NIS2 will fix that.

I'm using one myself on my Bose system and everything works great.

I actually think the sound quality is perfect just the volume level is highly low. There is surprisingly no hissing or alternator whine. Even when I then the car off and on its very quiet.

But I will have to get that adapter I suppose as that's the only way to get the volume louder.

And to clarify I wouldn't need the metra wiring harness? Just the PAC one? Because the metra one is installed now.. and this would fix my problem 100%?

yes.

So its worth the $30?

I don't have the PAC or the metra and my car runs my pioneer with stock blose and actually sounds decent. Loud and clear. I will see what I find out for you tonight and update this as early as I can tomorrow.

Cool please let me know its bothering me and I really would rather not spend another $30 if its not needed

"This is indubitably an issue with your speakers. You should check all speaker connections to make sure they are secure in order to ensure they are able to produce optimal volume. You should try sending this into a professional to get looked at. This will be your best bet."

I emailed sonic electronix where I bought the unit from and they said its a speaker issue.


They clearly have no idea what they are talking about.

Some video on youtube said perhaps using a chassis ground to amp ground, and headunit ground could fix the low volume.

Or should I just screw it and buy the PAC?

Its worth the 30 bucks. Its "indubitably" a wiring issue at the head unit.

A chassis ground to amp ground? what? The amp shouldn't have been touched during a headunit installation, so theres no need to screw with that ground. The headunit could have had a bad ground which can cause issues, so if you want to take it out and see where its mounted thats an option.

I didn't touch the amp at all. On the head unit there is an amp ground that goes to the harness I grounded those together. Same with the regular ground from the head unit to the harness.

I can try to do a wiring diagram and show how I did it

Hmm.. I don't remember having to ground all those wires. I'm pretty sure all I did was ground the black ground wire coming from the head unit, without connecting it to the harness. Amp ground can probably just be capped and left as well. Don't know if that would make a the difference or not though.

You don't need an amp ground at the head unit though. Doesn't make any sense.

Yeah that's what I thought they have the amp ground through head unit. I hope it makes a difference but not sure if its worth pulling my dash apart

I ordered the PAC ROEM-NIS2 and figured it's better then having this issue and living with it. I never would want to go back to bose

I am going through the same problem. I have a 2007 Nissan 350z bose with nav. I have metra 70-7551. Whats the best way to get the sound back up. Ive read a few diffrent ways but none for my year. Any help would be great. Ive heard you can ground wire or do i have to buy that pac harness?