Wiring an amp & sub into stock bose system, not working right.
05-05-2010, 09:37 PM
#1
Wiring an amp & sub into stock bose system, not working right.
So I am trying to add a 760W Pioneer Amp, a 2 Farad Cap Raptor Cap, and 2 12" RF Punches. I have a stock Bose headunit in my 04 Max SE. I read that some of you guys said to splice the amp inputs into the speaker in wires at the Bose Amp in the trunk. I did this and the subs at max power barely hit. I was speaking with someone at crutchfield and they said I should wire instead to the Amp Outputs.
What kind of setup did you guys do to wire your amps to your stock system with a stock deck? I really need help with this. (Btw the amp and the cap both come on and work fine, and the remote turn on lead also works fine.
What kind of setup did you guys do to wire your amps to your stock system with a stock deck? I really need help with this. (Btw the amp and the cap both come on and work fine, and the remote turn on lead also works fine.
05-07-2010, 10:18 PM
#6
It's not a sticky but its perpetually on the first page of this forum...
http://forums.maxima.org/audio-elect...nt-thread.html
http://forums.maxima.org/audio-elect...nt-thread.html
05-08-2010, 07:44 AM
#7
It's not a sticky but its perpetually on the first page of this forum...
http://forums.maxima.org/audio-elect...nt-thread.html
http://forums.maxima.org/audio-elect...nt-thread.html
05-08-2010, 07:57 AM
#8
It has plenty of info, if you read the entire thread. I wrote most of it myself so I KNOW it has info about adding to factory bose HU. The concepts between 5th and 6th gen are the same.
You're a bit new around these parts so I'm going easy on you, but if you can't tell, the culture here is that we don't like multiple threads about the same info. Search before posting. Yes, I know the search feature isn't the greatest - but trust me, the info you need is definitely in that thread. And the wire colors you can get from the FSM, which I believe is also floating around this forum.
You're a bit new around these parts so I'm going easy on you, but if you can't tell, the culture here is that we don't like multiple threads about the same info. Search before posting. Yes, I know the search feature isn't the greatest - but trust me, the info you need is definitely in that thread. And the wire colors you can get from the FSM, which I believe is also floating around this forum.
05-08-2010, 09:49 AM
#9
It has plenty of info, if you read the entire thread. I wrote most of it myself so I KNOW it has info about adding to factory bose HU. The concepts between 5th and 6th gen are the same.
You're a bit new around these parts so I'm going easy on you, but if you can't tell, the culture here is that we don't like multiple threads about the same info. Search before posting. Yes, I know the search feature isn't the greatest - but trust me, the info you need is definitely in that thread. And the wire colors you can get from the FSM, which I believe is also floating around this forum.
You're a bit new around these parts so I'm going easy on you, but if you can't tell, the culture here is that we don't like multiple threads about the same info. Search before posting. Yes, I know the search feature isn't the greatest - but trust me, the info you need is definitely in that thread. And the wire colors you can get from the FSM, which I believe is also floating around this forum.
05-08-2010, 10:00 AM
#10
BOSE headunits are designed to work with BOSE products. I am not surprised that you aren't get a lot of punch from your subs. Adding aftermarket stuff to a BOSE system usually results in a headache for yourself.
Is there any kind of option in your headunit for external subwoofer control? That would be the first thing I'd check.
Second, I don't know much about 6th gens but do you have a separate amp in the trunk for a stock BOSE sub? If so then I suggest you bypass it.
Third, are you splitting at the amp attached to each speaker or at a BOSE sub amp? BOSE speakers each have an individual amp that powers each individual speaker.
In my 4th gen I had to bypass every single BOSE amp in the car before I could get anything sounding right. But that was when I only changed the headunit and left the stock speakers. So it's different from your case. Now my entire audio is aftermarket.
Many people, including myself, would not recommend adding anything aftermarket to a BOSE system simply because BOSE designs are different than your typical audio setup. Their systems are designed to work optimally on only BOSE systems.
Is there any kind of option in your headunit for external subwoofer control? That would be the first thing I'd check.
Second, I don't know much about 6th gens but do you have a separate amp in the trunk for a stock BOSE sub? If so then I suggest you bypass it.
Third, are you splitting at the amp attached to each speaker or at a BOSE sub amp? BOSE speakers each have an individual amp that powers each individual speaker.
In my 4th gen I had to bypass every single BOSE amp in the car before I could get anything sounding right. But that was when I only changed the headunit and left the stock speakers. So it's different from your case. Now my entire audio is aftermarket.
Many people, including myself, would not recommend adding anything aftermarket to a BOSE system simply because BOSE designs are different than your typical audio setup. Their systems are designed to work optimally on only BOSE systems.
05-08-2010, 10:41 AM
#11
BOSE headunits are designed to work with BOSE products. I am not surprised that you aren't get a lot of punch from your subs. Adding aftermarket stuff to a BOSE system usually results in a headache for yourself.
Is there any kind of option in your headunit for external subwoofer control? That would be the first thing I'd check.
Second, I don't know much about 6th gens but do you have a separate amp in the trunk for a stock BOSE sub? If so then I suggest you bypass it.
Third, are you splitting at the amp attached to each speaker or at a BOSE sub amp? BOSE speakers each have an individual amp that powers each individual speaker.
In my 4th gen I had to bypass every single BOSE amp in the car before I could get anything sounding right. But that was when I only changed the headunit and left the stock speakers. So it's different from your case. Now my entire audio is aftermarket.
Many people, including myself, would not recommend adding anything aftermarket to a BOSE system simply because BOSE designs are different than your typical audio setup. Their systems are designed to work optimally on only BOSE systems.
Is there any kind of option in your headunit for external subwoofer control? That would be the first thing I'd check.
Second, I don't know much about 6th gens but do you have a separate amp in the trunk for a stock BOSE sub? If so then I suggest you bypass it.
Third, are you splitting at the amp attached to each speaker or at a BOSE sub amp? BOSE speakers each have an individual amp that powers each individual speaker.
In my 4th gen I had to bypass every single BOSE amp in the car before I could get anything sounding right. But that was when I only changed the headunit and left the stock speakers. So it's different from your case. Now my entire audio is aftermarket.
Many people, including myself, would not recommend adding anything aftermarket to a BOSE system simply because BOSE designs are different than your typical audio setup. Their systems are designed to work optimally on only BOSE systems.
05-08-2010, 11:12 AM
#12
The 'speaker leads' coming out of the Bose HU are LINE LEVEL. Which means they're preamp signals. So go behind the head unit, tap those wires and splice in a cheap pair of female RCA's. Then make a proper/standard run or male RCA's from there to your amp. That way, when you decide to change your HU to aftermarket, your RCA's will already be run.
If you crossover your amp the right way, you don't need a separate subwoofer control.
If you crossover your amp the right way, you don't need a separate subwoofer control.
05-08-2010, 11:12 AM
#13
05-09-2010, 05:12 PM
#14
I already tried splicing into the wires behind the headunit (aka the wires coming into the bose amp) and with the volume and amp all the way up the subs barely hit.
05-09-2010, 07:32 PM
#15
You should not be running anything to the high level input of your Pioneer amp. High level input is for high frequency levels. In other words, for the speakers INSIDE your car. No wonder your subs aren't hitting hard!
You should be running your RCA cables to the the low level input of your Pioneer amp. If there's only one port for the RCA cables then look for a switch that lets you choose between low pass filter and high pass filter. It should be set at low pass filter (LPF).
Try that and then let me know how it goes
Also, give me the model number of your amp so I can help you further. Last edited by SwEEt_tOOtH; 05-09-2010 at 07:35 PM.
05-09-2010, 07:35 PM
#16
Beg to differ.
High level is NOT for high frequency. It's for already amplified signals.
Completely different conversation than the crossover levels and crossover switch of which you speak.
High level is NOT for high frequency. It's for already amplified signals.
Completely different conversation than the crossover levels and crossover switch of which you speak.
05-09-2010, 08:36 PM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 670
PAUSE.
You should not be running anything to the high level input of your Pioneer amp. High level input is for high frequency levels. In other words, for the speakers INSIDE your car. No wonder your subs aren't hitting hard!
You should be running your RCA cables to the the low level input of your Pioneer amp. If there's only one port for the RCA cables then look for a switch that lets you choose between low pass filter and high pass filter. It should be set at low pass filter (LPF).
Try that and then let me know how it goes Also, give me the model number of your amp so I can help you further.
You should not be running anything to the high level input of your Pioneer amp. High level input is for high frequency levels. In other words, for the speakers INSIDE your car. No wonder your subs aren't hitting hard!
You should be running your RCA cables to the the low level input of your Pioneer amp. If there's only one port for the RCA cables then look for a switch that lets you choose between low pass filter and high pass filter. It should be set at low pass filter (LPF).
Try that and then let me know how it goes
Also, give me the model number of your amp so I can help you further. PLAY.
JMSports, two subs, how do you have them wired? Series? Parallel? Whats the final impedance the amp is seeing from the subs? Whats the nominal impedance of the amps output? How low of impedance is the amp stable down to?
05-10-2010, 03:25 PM
#18
PAUSE.
You should not be running anything to the high level input of your Pioneer amp. High level input is for high frequency levels. In other words, for the speakers INSIDE your car. No wonder your subs aren't hitting hard!
You should be running your RCA cables to the the low level input of your Pioneer amp. If there's only one port for the RCA cables then look for a switch that lets you choose between low pass filter and high pass filter. It should be set at low pass filter (LPF).
Try that and then let me know how it goes Also, give me the model number of your amp so I can help you further.
You should not be running anything to the high level input of your Pioneer amp. High level input is for high frequency levels. In other words, for the speakers INSIDE your car. No wonder your subs aren't hitting hard!
You should be running your RCA cables to the the low level input of your Pioneer amp. If there's only one port for the RCA cables then look for a switch that lets you choose between low pass filter and high pass filter. It should be set at low pass filter (LPF).
Try that and then let me know how it goes
Also, give me the model number of your amp so I can help you further. The subs were 4ohm, bridged at the amp.
05-10-2010, 04:24 PM
#19
PAUSE.
You should not be running anything to the high level input of your Pioneer amp. High level input is for high frequency levels. In other words, for the speakers INSIDE your car. No wonder your subs aren't hitting hard!
You should be running your RCA cables to the the low level input of your Pioneer amp. If there's only one port for the RCA cables then look for a switch that lets you choose between low pass filter and high pass filter. It should be set at low pass filter (LPF).
Try that and then let me know how it goes Also, give me the model number of your amp so I can help you further.
You should not be running anything to the high level input of your Pioneer amp. High level input is for high frequency levels. In other words, for the speakers INSIDE your car. No wonder your subs aren't hitting hard!
You should be running your RCA cables to the the low level input of your Pioneer amp. If there's only one port for the RCA cables then look for a switch that lets you choose between low pass filter and high pass filter. It should be set at low pass filter (LPF).
Try that and then let me know how it goes
Also, give me the model number of your amp so I can help you further.
05-10-2010, 06:24 PM
#20
Right, so you either take a post-amped signal (like after your Bose sub) and wire it to high level inputs, or you take a pre-amp signal (like coming out of your Bose HU), splice in some RCA's, and then run the RCA's into the RCA input of the amp. Either way, it should hit the same.
05-10-2010, 07:39 PM
#21
Right, so you either take a post-amped signal (like after your Bose sub) and wire it to high level inputs, or you take a pre-amp signal (like coming out of your Bose HU), splice in some RCA's, and then run the RCA's into the RCA input of the amp. Either way, it should hit the same.
When I looped the wires around the wires inside the sub(the ones that attach directly to the cone of the sub) and ran those to the amps high level directly, the subs hit hard.
My problem is, which wires in the subwoofer connector would I splice into (because there are more then 4 wires going into each subwoofer, and the wiring diagram only shows 2 and doesnt even show wire colors for one of the subs.
02-07-2013, 10:07 PM
#22
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 16
No need for a new head unit or need for connecters or wires to hook up amp and subs to stock bose Head unit. i hooked up an Alpine amp and two subs to stock Bose head unit on my 99 Maxima. For a bit i tried a pioneer deck in but went back to the stock Bose kus it sounded better for some reason. But its simple to hook up an amp and sub to the stock head unit even though there is no RCA jacks. I hooked up the Amps B+ to the battery and the ground to a bolt in the trunk. For the REM i spliced that to the stock Bose stereo Amp on Signal Wire. Since the Bose head unit doesnt have RCA inputs, I had to modify my RCA wires. I took 1 working RCA wire and cut it half (something like this <--------I-------->). Once cut each half has an RCA side and a cut side. On the each cut side there are a 2 sets of wire which I cut and separated because one set is Positive and the other is set is negative. After this I I plug each RCA side to the amp and other end to the positive and negative of the rear speackers. RCA_SIDE<-------=Pos&Neg RCA_SIDE<-------=RCA SIDE
02-11-2013, 08:34 PM
#24
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 51
Huh??? Does that. Make since. I have been searching and this is the closest thread to what I am trying ti do, but what you are saying does not make since to me. I am trying to tap into my Bose sub and I have a line converter that takes speaker level inputs and converts them to RCA outputs. What Color wires do I tap into on the rear sub of a 2000 Infiniti i30 to make this work. I am only looking to add a sub amp so do not care about high frequencies. Please help.... I am so tired of searching this forum for this answer with no luck.
02-11-2013, 08:39 PM
#25
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 51
Just to clarify. I have a stock head unit, stock speakers. I am only looking to add an amp and speaker in the trunk. I have already run a positive cable and a remote turn on. I just need to know Which wires on the back of the stock sub to tap into to run my converter. thank you
02-12-2013, 02:29 PM
#26
You don't need a line converter. The Bose subwoofer uses it's own built in amp. It receives an unamplified line signal from the main amp. You should have 5 wires going to the sub. Green/White is your amp turn on. Red is your power. 2 black wires, one is power ground the other is signal ground. White is signal.
If you already have the new amp wired up then you just need to splice an RCA into the white and black signal wires and run it straight to your amp.
If you already have the new amp wired up then you just need to splice an RCA into the white and black signal wires and run it straight to your amp.
08-19-2015, 11:52 PM
#31
Sorry to wake an old thread. But I am looking at adding a single subwoofer and amplifier to my stock Bose system in my 1996 I30.
I assume I need to follow shortdogg's write up, and wire-in 2 RCAs utilizing the line-level-input (to each rear speaker) and plug these RCAs into my new sub amp.
I am hoping by doing so, this will not burden (or reduce the sound level) of the rear Bose speakers?
I assume I need to follow shortdogg's write up, and wire-in 2 RCAs utilizing the line-level-input (to each rear speaker) and plug these RCAs into my new sub amp.
I am hoping by doing so, this will not burden (or reduce the sound level) of the rear Bose speakers?
No need for a new head unit or need for connecters or wires to hook up amp and subs to stock bose Head unit. i hooked up an Alpine amp and two subs to stock Bose head unit on my 99 Maxima. For a bit i tried a pioneer deck in but went back to the stock Bose kus it sounded better for some reason. But its simple to hook up an amp and sub to the stock head unit even though there is no RCA jacks. I hooked up the Amps B+ to the battery and the ground to a bolt in the trunk. For the REM i spliced that to the stock Bose stereo Amp on Signal Wire. Since the Bose head unit doesnt have RCA inputs, I had to modify my RCA wires. I took 1 working RCA wire and cut it half (something like this <--------I-------->). Once cut each half has an RCA side and a cut side. On the each cut side there are a 2 sets of wire which I cut and separated because one set is Positive and the other is set is negative. After this I I plug each RCA side to the amp and other end to the positive and negative of the rear speackers. RCA_SIDE<-------=Pos&Neg RCA_SIDE<-------=RCA SIDE
08-20-2015, 09:11 AM
#32
Would not be a burden or signal reduction. Should be fine.
Definitely recommend reading the massive "Bose Radio/Speaker Replacement Thread" in the audio section. Will provide a lot of background info and explanation.
Definitely recommend reading the massive "Bose Radio/Speaker Replacement Thread" in the audio section. Will provide a lot of background info and explanation.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
jerrod99_se-l
4th Generation Classifieds (1995-1999)
2
08-27-2015 08:27 PM