Hey! I just recently bought myself a 3rd generation maxima and I am loving it. One major problem though is that the bose system in it is still the factory stereo and the 12 years is really showing itself. I'm pretty sure niether of my front speakers work and the rears...well...get this, I can turn my stereo up as loud as it will possibly go, yet it is like normal talking volume. I can't even hear it going down the freeway. I talked to a car audio place about installing a stereo for me (i know nothing about car audio) because I have a brand new jensen car stereo but they told me because of it being a bose system just the installation of the stereo would run over a $100 and I told them I needed new speakers too and they quoted me like $500 - $600 dollars. I don't have that kind of money so I was hoping to install my stereo myself and get some new speakers and do them too. Any tips so that I dont mess up my system while doing the install?

 

1. Jensen sucks, lose it.

2. Bose can make it more complex but not too much.

3. Stay away from C.C. And Best Buy.

 

Don't pay more than a hundred or so for speakers. I paid like 2 hundred something for all 4 of my 6.5" infinity kappas. Shop around, check out ebay (tho read user feedback before buying) You should be able to put together a half decent system for 600 dollars , not just speakers either..
Check around..

He's right about the Jensen, lose it or sell it or something
Alpine
Clarion
Pioneer
JVC Digifine or El Kam, no other JVC
Kenwood
there's other good decks too, but I don't feel like listing them all off

stay away from
anything really cheap like..
Boss
Jensen
Blaupunkt (although some of their stuff is okay, you can do better)
Sony XPLOD (aka POOPY SONY POOP) <--which dissapoints me sony should do better
basically any brand you haven't heard of or heard good about (there's probably a few brands you haven't heard of that ARE good)

Look around, shop around, get prices. You CAN goto Circuit City or Bestbuy, but JUST TO DEMO STUFF, don't buy from them, they have HUGE markup.

Get back to us, let us know what you find, what you like, we'll point you in the right direction.

Welcome to the world of aftermarket car stereos!

 

My advice is always this: (especially for 3rd Gen)

Get rid of everything in your car that says "Bose" on it (except maybe the back grill covers).

Do some research and try to do as much as you can yourself. Your dollars will stretch a lot farther when you aren't paying someone else for labor.

Listen to the advice most people here give about various components, even if all you want is a deck and four speakers. Try to stick with quality brands like kenji referenced: Alpine, Clarion, Pioneer, Kenwood, Infinity, etc.

Save your money if you have to, but don't buy crap. You usually get what you pay for.

Good luck and have fun.

 

thanks for feedback... yea i wasn't too sure about the jensen. I got it as a gift. i'll have to look into some of the brands you guys mentioned. can't wait to get a new system and hopefully some other customizations in the future.