I looked into adding an amp to my stock Bose system in my '99 SE-L. I was told by a Circuit City tech that if I added an amp, I would need new speakers. The stock Bose speakers are 4 ohm's.

Anyone have any input?

 

u know we have a audio forum, they will be more help over there

 

I would check into the information that you were given at Circuit City. Standard aftermarket speakers run at an impedence of 4 ohms. That means that if your Bose speakers run at 4 ohms any standard amplifier would work just fine.

Generally Bose speakers run at an odd impedence like 6.5, 8.25, 12 ohms etc... Bose utilizes amplifiers that can efficiently run at these varied impedences. Now, if you are looking to replace the Bose amplifier with a standard aftermarket amplifier than you can do so. But you won't get nearly as much power out of the amplifer becuase the impedence of tne Bose speaker is much higher than the amp is built to run at. THIS WON'T HURT THE AMPLIFIER THOUGH. By running that amplifier at a higher impedence the amplifier will actually be less distorted, producing a much cleaner sound.

Your best bet is to try it out for yourelf and see if you like the difference. You may or may not like the difference it makes.

If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail and I will help you out the best that I can.

Ryan

 

The Bose speakers are 1 ohm. Most multichannel amps are only 2-ohm stable. You're better off replacing the Bose speakers with better aftermarket units anyway.

 

I intend no disrespect. I am just curious as to where you got your information about the Bose speakers being 1 ohm. The speakers that Bose equips in Maxima's varies in impedence with the different years. I have yet to see a Bose speaker that tested below 4 ohms. Our shop has tested Bose systems in both Maxima's and Acura's. Generally Bose sets a higher impedence on their speakers that is why they sound so good for basic amplification.

When you drop the impedence of a speaker it causes the distortion level to increase. Bose has a reputation for great sound with minimal distortion. By dropping the impedence of their speakers to 1 ohm that would contradict their entire philosophy.

You can test the impedence of the Bose speakers with an ohm meter. That will be your best indicator of what aftermarket amplifier you can utilize.

Again, if you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me. And if I am incorrect with anything I said please correct me.

Ryan