gspencer

Just got my new 02 SE, and it does not have the Bose system. That can be good and bad from what I've read here.

I like the stereo, functionality, steering wheel controls, etc. And overall, it puts out enough volume. I'd like to clean up the sound a little bit, and am thinking replacing some/all of the speakers would help quite a bit. I'd rather not replace the head unit unless absolutely necessary.

My questions are these:

Can anyone point me to some links to read up on?
Does anyone have experience with what I'm attempting to do?

I'm a 33 year old guy who is about to have a daughter, and am not after a massive stereo overhaul that rattles neighborhood windows. Mainly just a nice/significant improvement over what came with the car.

Thanks for any advice, guys.

Maxman2000

iTrader: (5)

The headunit is whats making the sound bad. If your not sure what our gonna do, then take it to somewhere so they can do it. But if you te DIY like me then it's not that hard. This person did it, here's the link. http://maxima.cardomain.com/member_p...259701&page=10



P.S. Those instruction are for the 2001 max, but there souldn't be any difference.

cabernet

If you have a BestBuy or Circuit City near you then wait for one of their free installation specials (usually one week per month) and pick up a decent head unit for $150-200. It will save you hours of work and look a lot better too unless you've done it many times before. For this price you can get a 4x50 watt unit. The OEM was something like 4x15 watts. It will be a big improvement. Replacing the speakers isn't as necessary and is a lot more work (especially if you don't have the bose brackets to start with).

gspencer

Thanks cabernet and maxman. I appreciate your thoughts. I guess the only thing that concerns me about using an aftermarket head unit is the look of the dash. They put in stereos these days that mold and blend with the dash, and I have been afraid that a new head unit would totally change the appearance of the interior. Also, do you think I can use my steering wheel controls with a new head unit?

Thanks again for your time--
Greg

Max_5gen

iTrader: (2)

I dare to disagree that head unit is responsible for poor sound quality in Max. One day I helped friend of mine to improve his WRX sound system. His unit is also built into dash and has even worse quality. He bought two Focal composite speakers for the front, 10" sub and "Boston Acoustics" speakers for rear. He also bought two Microdimension amps - one for mid-high speakers and one for the sub. I made custom circuitry to get rid of his h/u output stage amplifier and replaced it with high quality pre amps to provide better signal/noise ratio. Man, what a change - you won't believe that head unit is capable of such sound. Actually, those Focals made whole world of difference. He finally switched rears off since they made sound noticably worse. You can't tell the difference listening them alone but when you listen to Focals - those Bostons suck big time and can't be used even for rear. Funny thing - he also has quite decent sound system at home and after we've finished with the car he doesn't know which one sounds better ). If I'm not mistaken Bose h/u already puts out signals for stock external amplifiers. If I were you I'd try to replace stock amps & speakers, not h/u. Quite often I ride in his WRX in the back and I sound quality is so good that you don't feel luck of rear speakers at all. I highly recommend to use Focals in front.

studman

First off... he doesn't have the Bose HU, so the Bose answers are unrelated.

Secondly... the HU IS responsible for the crappy sound. I've tested them myself.

Max_5gen: This is a Maxima he is questioning, not a WRX. The stereo system in a Chevy Cavalier is worse than the Maxima, but you can't compare the two. Don't judge the Maxima's HU based upon what you know about an AC Delco HU. And don't say that a Maxima's HU is not the weakest link just because the HU in the WRX wasn't as bad as the speakers. If you're gonna recommend the Focals, then just say "I recommend the Focals" and then tell us why. But don't compare the HU between the WRX and the Maxima because they are not the same.

Thirdly... the dash interior will change depending on the HU you purchase. Some dash kits can be like mine (where they are black) and some can match the car's interior. It all depends on what is available at the store where you purchase your HU from.

Fourthly... the steering wheel controls can be retained using a kit from PAC called the SWI-X. It will take some installation to do, but it is possible.

Fifthly... the trip meter can be retained by grounding a wire in the dash. This takes all of 5 minutes maximum while the radio is being replaced. You can take the instructions to the install shop (available in the car audio FAQ in my Bose post) and they can perform the procedure during the install.

Lastly... please read before you post. This is meant more for the repliers than original poster. However, make sure you've read the FAQ too, as it will give some insight to things that we already know about the installs.

That being said... replacing speakers is a good idea from many points of view. The stock ones are made from paper and aren't made to produce quality sound. Aftermarkets are much better because they have been researched more throughly and are made from better materials.

That being said... each manufacturer of speakers has a distinct sound. Infinity's are known for their crispness and clarity. Polk is known for their reliability and full-soundedness. So on and so on...

That being said... visit a local install shop for a listen of each of the speakers. Take a CD with you that you regularly listen to. Listen to it on all the speakers. Pick the speakers that you like the sound the best from. Then enjoy them when they are installed in your car.

Max_5gen

iTrader: (2)

OK, it was late and I didn't notice that it wasn't Bose HU, my bad. I do like sound of Focals and recommend them any day. I'm sure thre're others with the same/better sound quality. My point also was that it is theoretically possible to bypass HU output amplifier and leave HU in place because all the rest of HU processes low level signal and it doesn't do much to it. I used WRX as an example of what is possibly can be done to retain stock look & feel. Unfortunately, it requires custom circuit in HU which is not an opion in most cases.

gspencer

Thanks to both of you for your time in posting. Since speakers are relatively low cost, and the stock are paper coned, I may start with that, but will check with an audio professional before I do anything.

Thanks again for your help.