I had the new bose amp installed today and... well to be honest, I went into the dealership expecting quite a bit from this replacement... i read the reviews from the audio/video forum, and it sounded like it was going to be amazing

and my reaction is........

they were right ... the sound quality is MUCH better now... I can actually FEEL the bass coming from our so-called 10" subwoofer now, and when set at +5 and playing some hip-hop at 16, i can rattle my rear window... going above 20 is even better... the sound stays clear all the way through the volumn band, with minimal distortion, and the bass just gets linearly better and better... don't get me wrong, it's not the same as having a pair of 12" JLs and a 500 watt amp in a bandpass (like i had in my old car) but it's decent... and the sound actually does justice to the 10" sub in the back... treble is also much more crisp and clean

HOWEVER... mid-range, IMO, has NOT improved all that much... there is still some raspiness like an AM radio... though it is a little better than before, I was really expecting more clarity

Overall i'd say that the stereo system now is much better... the way it should have been when it came from the dealer.. on a scale of 1-10, I'd rate the old bose a 3/10... and this "new" system a 7/10

Is it worth doing? YES.

 

that's great to hear.......glad u liked it............cant wait to get mine done........thanx againg wayne

 

I had my amp replaced today and I have to say that is 100% better than it was. Due to the build date, I had the second amp installed in my Z at the factory(build date 10/02). The sound was of corse not what I expected. After today I can say that I am satisfied with the Bose. The CD, which was good before is now extremely clear and crisp. The radio which before was unbearable is now just as clear as the CD player. If you are considering this amp swap, don't hesitate. DO IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I had the window grease fix done to. They did an excellent job.
Of corse this is not a ground thumping system, but with all the concerts I've gone to over the years, it sounds great to me.

 

This is good to hear! I plan on having mine replaced soon.

 

Hey Strife, thanks for sharing your sucess with us. It makes me really want to do the swap as well.

Did you have it done at Village Nissan? Did they have to order the amp for you? did you have to wait while they installed it? how long did it take?

I was thinking of doing it in conjunction with my next oil change which is coming up in about a month and would appreciate any advice.

 

Hi Post - Yes I had the TSB done at Village Nissan... and no I don't think they had to order the amp for me... the hardest part was getting them to admit that there was a TSB, and that my car's VIN number applied to it... anyway if you're interested in getting the fix, speak to "Chris" at Village... that's the service manager. I believe I'm the first Z owner to get this fix done at Village Nissan but I know both Tiggerpooh and LowbeeZ are going to have theirs done in the next few weeks too.

Anyway good luck - the install took about an hour (according to the work order), but I waited about 2 hours before leaving since that dealership is ALWAYS rammed packed with people (they have a free shuttle service to work or home if you need it).

Hope this helps

 

Call the dealer the other day gave them the tsb # and then took it in today. They installed the new amp and it sounds like a new system. Very pleased with the dealer and nissan for the prompt service and no hassle.

 

I'm going in tomorrow morning!! Can't wait!!!

 

Canadian350z: how did it go? are you happy with it?

After a few more days of listening to the upgraded bose, I must say... i like it... i'm no longer ashamed to turn it up past 7/8 with my friends in the car

 

Well, just got back.... had to make a quick trip to London so it made for great listening time....

Must say, this is the best it has sounded yet. Everything is much clearer than before and the bass can actually be felt. It isn't the rib pounding I had hoped for, esp. after first seeing the sub behind the driver seat, but I can say that I am satisfied with the result.

The stereo in the G is still better, but not by nearly as much... if the bass was better in the Z it would be an extremely close race...

Had a buddy in the car with me and, before telling him the long, drawn out story about the stereo, asked him what he thought.... after listening to the opening rifs of AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" he was quite impressed, as was I.

Am I happy with the stereo? Yes
Should it have been better? Maybe...
Am I glad I spend my $$$ on the XBox/Nav install over tearing out the stereo? Definitely!
Am I going to miss my car as it sits waiting for Spring? Nope! I bought part of a Detail Shop and can go visit it whenever I want!!1

 

Could you please post the TSB # and the part number for the new amp? Thanks.

 

Ditto please thanks.

 

Strife thanks for the advice. I called Village Nissan and was advised they have to take some # off my old amp to ensure they order the correct replacement amp? Did you have to do this?

 

Got my amp replaced for a 2nd time this week.

The first repalcement in the spring solved the Audio Pilot problem but it still didn't sound very good.

My first impression of the 2nd amp was that it didn't seem as powerful as the other two. After listening for a couple of days now I can say it's a big improvement.

I realize now that the reason it sounded less powerful is because the sound is MUCH cleaner than before. It's still not the best I've ever heard but I'm much happier with the new one.

BTW the part number on my invoice is 28060-CE400.

 

I believe Strife350z was the first one to have his amp installed @ Village Nissan and thank to him for fighting the 1st battle, I had my new amp installed pretty painlessly there today.

Well, let me tell you, I'd never (for the past 8 months) have my BOSE turn on for longer than 60 seconds before I have to shut it off. (I can't stand the noise it made). Today I had it playing my favorite music for longer than an hour.

Now that I have the new amp, I understand why the TSB is titled "Sound Clarity". The BOSE no longer sounds like the singer has his/her mouth covered. The system still doesn't sounds as nice as the BOSE in a Mercedes, but it is now acceptable (to me anyway).

Good luck to anyone out there waiting to have their amp install.

BTW, I obtained pdf version of both TSB (03-086, 03-087) from zwindor in the Audio forum. If anyone need a copy to take it to the dealer, PM me your email address and I will forward them to you.

 

For those of you who have already done the install, did you ask your dealer to replace it when you went in for regular service? Is there any paperwork? Do you have to log a formal complaint before the re-install? What's the process?

For me, I haven't been disappointed with the bass response so much as I've been completely disappointed with the lack of mid-range dynamics (typical Bose, in my humble opinion).

I'm also interested in what I need to do to get the window grease problem fixed (who do I call, what paperwork do I fill out, who do I have to kill, etc.).

Thanks!!

 

lowbeez - congratulations ... glad you like it

jables - no paperwork... just need an acconut with your nissan service dept. (which I assum you have anyway in case you need warranty work)... but yes you need to "complain" about the lack of clarity in your bose system before they'll install... with the dealerships I dealt with, just quoting the tsb number didn't get me anywhere

 

I got a copy of the TSB # NTB03-087 from this board. When I took my car in for the tire feather I asked them to look at the amp. When I picked up the car the SM said that it did not apply and that they had checked it earlier during an oil change.

The VIN #'s on the TSB, from what I can tell, (JN1ZA34... to JN1AZ34) look like they cover Maximas and 350z's.

The SN range is 104720 - 119707. My 350z SN is 114846 which IS in the range. Do the TSBs go by the SN only? If not how can I tell if my car is in the VIN range of the TSB when they use different models?

Thanks,

 

post350z: yes, they needed to remove my current amp to check the model number

joebva: yes the TSBs should only go by the serial number and build date (which is relative)

i suggest you go to another dealer, or keep calling your current dealership until they get it done for you

as far as I know.. as long as you own an '03 350z, you are eligible for the bose amp replacement

btw, it looks like you're from virginia... make sure you're quoting the US TSB numbers, since the Canadian ones wouldn't make sense to them

 

Got mine done at Walkely Nissan in Ottawa this AM. 1.5 hrs to get it in and out, zero hassles. I'm not much of an audio expert, but I did find the bass to be quite muffled. With the new amp, the change is not as drmatic as I expect, but it can be heard. The bass is much more crisp instead of slurry. I noticed that it was also easier to listen at a higher volume without it actually feeling that much louder. Basically the upgrade seems to be more clear rather than louder.

Good enough for me.