hi people, i just got my mom's '96 I30t and i am looking to at least add some subs to the sound system. I have read elsewhere that if you want to change the speakers, you have to change the hu and also the other way around. But, can I just add a pair of 10's and an amp in the trunk? Would doing that cause any problems with the stock Bose system? thanks alot.

 

Personally I wouldn't change the speakers or HU because I'm a BOSE fanatic, but I have heard its easy enough to get an amp and subs and just wire them through RCA inputs etc. I'm sure someone else can answer that much better though.

I'm actually going to be putting amplified bass tubes in my I30 in a couple of weeks - I love the sound quality from the stock BOSE but you know, I gotta compete with my friends' systems heh.

 

Bose fanatic? You like a peice of **** overpriced factory system? Paper speakers? GARBAGE.

 

BOSE is one of the best sound companies around and they speakers hold up better then most speakers that are this old. Most cars older then ours, they dont keep their, stock speakers they drack and break. BOSE speakers have a tendency to do the same, and a well older age.

I Just put in 2 12" Type R's in a sealed box hooked up to a Rockford Fosgate 1001bd amp. My old subs were hooked up into Highlevel Inputs, the signal quality was extremely poor, it was terrible. I have a totaly stock system also. I have a Tsunami line converter and Monstercable 3 foot RCA Cables, it cleaned up the signal so much and its sound really clear, and its well worth the extra money.

You splice off the signal to the rear speakers so u have 2 leads from each speaker and then hook it up to the conveter. Then you need to run a remote turn on cable, and ur power wire which isnt to hard.

Also when sputting your subs in a box, put the box as far back as possible in your trunk to the backseat and secure it. I didnt do that with my box and the handeling decreases and so does your speed. But since i pushed them back further and secured them, Hooks on the box to the car, there are little holes above the back seat stuff in the trunk, with high tension wire, My speed and acceleration is almost the same as before and handeling is the same.

 

I used high-level inputs on an older RF amp in my 96 Max and it was fine, but this time I will be ising a Peripherial brand interface that hooks up through the factory wiring harness behind the HU. I will be running 1 12" ir 2 8" subs.

In all honesty, adding subs to the Bose really helps out. It is definately not audiophile quality, but it is a big improvement, and for 99% of the world, this woud be fine. That 1% of us who demads more would be left wanting, but the cost/benefit for me right now has me dumping money into maintainence and performance, at least until I get the green to go with satellite radio and a new HU setup altogether.

 

you could just get an amp and splice it into your sub in the back with the new subs.

 

Huh?

If you are saying to splice it into the signal to the OEM Bose sub, that will not work for him because he has a 96, which does not have a subwoofer.

 

o ok sorry i didnt see that

 

now that we have established that i can add subs to my i30, anybody have any suggestions? I am not looking to spend that much money, something like $500 or so, i was looking at an infiniti perfect 10.1, but im not sure what amp i would need to run that or any other supplies i would need to make it run. Any sub/amp suggestions for about $500?

 

Bose speakers are garbage, for what they're worth. I'm sure factory charges you over 300 for all 4 if you want to replace them. I got polk dbs for all 4s, and they are so much better. Clearer, but less bassy, but i have a sub to compensate for that. I will however, admit that the bose is better than most other stock car sound systems out there, but no contest to aftermarket stuff.

I advise anyone who cares about sound to change their system, since i sold my whole setup for about 350 on ebay. I got 150 for the deck, 100 for 4 of the speakers, and 100 for the cd changer. So i guess 250 for most of you minus the cd changer.

As for sub and amp, that's totally up to you. Different people like different subs. Clean bass, thumping bass, or a mix of both are what you should consider. I have kicker l7 solo baric in a custom closed box with a kicker kx800.2 amp and lightning audio 1 farad cap, and they're very bassy, though not the clearest. Whole setup cost me about 600, which includes the speakers, bass stuff, and wires. I already had a decent deck, so i didn't include that in the price. I'm very satisfied and glad i made the investment to replace the bose stuff.

 

A JBL Mono amp would be a good start, and mayne a nice perfect 10 or even a 12. You could easily do this for under $500. Check ikesound.com for good deals on JBL and Infinity.

 

any opinions on amplified or none amplified drop in subwoofer systems, like http://www.sounddomain.com/sku/ABNABP10T

 

uhh garbage, stay away LOL. If i had a choice and the money i would replace the system with alpine speakers. Honestly if u want good sound, like i am really picky i have heard alot of diff subs and to me the Type R's sound the best, you could buy 1 type r thats 109 and then a 750 watt amp, they can take that much i know someone who has them running at that, or a 600 watt amp to be safe. Like i said there are alot of options but if u are keeping the bose deck, get the RCA converter the difference is night and day, and its worth the extra 20 bux. Remeber even though u have bought the amp and the sub/subs u still have to buy the wiring for it get a box or build one urself but then u need the mdf carpeting and speaker terminals along with the glue, so with this remeber there are always alot of hidden costs and if u do it right u will spend a decent amount but it benefits u in the end, why? because the subs go with you. i spent around 700-750 im happy as can be, im happy i paid extra for whgat i wanted because i feel that its performing and sounding the way it should

 

Do NOT get that system. It is made with looks in mind, not sound. The subs are very low quality and will blow easily. Audiobahn has some pretty good value subs, but definately stay away from those. Buy everything seperate. Get a nice amp, if you are on a budget JBL amps are hard to beat (I myself have a 1200.1.) They don't have subsonic filters but will give you as good of a "bang for your buck" as you can get. The Alpine Type-R and Infinity Perfect subs mentioned are good as well. Last time I checked the Alpines were a bit cheaper and offered similar quality and power handling. Those are good inexpensive subs that work well in sealed boxes.

CrystalClear is right, there are a lot of extra costs involved with upgrading your stereo, especially with a complicated stock system like the Bose. Make sure that plan everything out so you know your total cost.

Also consider replacing your entire system. If you just want to add subs only, you will have to use an adapter in order to get the subs to work with the Bose HU. You will not get the full sound quality out of your subs when you do this. You can get good quality decks and speakers pretty cheap if you shop around online and you will get a lot better sound quality. If you just want a little bass, I'd tell you to go for the adapter and sub. If you like loud music and good sound quality, you might want to hold off until you can afford to swap out the entire system. The Bose sounds good at lower volume levels, but will have trouble keeping up with a good sub.

 

i have a rf 1001bd its comes with a subsonic filter and remote bass punch. it may be 200 watts less than the jbl amp, but u are also paying fopr better quality and power output. not totally knocking the jbl amps, i personally dont like JBL excdeept for like dj stuff. Also remeber to set your gains on you amplifier to match that of the headunit. me i just played it at a decent listening volume on the low side and set the gains to my personally listening prefs. when competing you dont want to do this because u wont get full amp output.

like i said i have my stuff tapped off my rear speakers and from there into a converter. the converter takes the bose signal which at this point is rather weak and juices it up, its clears it up and makes it stronger. it may not be aftermarket sub input quality, but it will be the best from a bose system.

If u plan on having the car for a long while, save up and get a whole new system, im not doing that b/c i dont think i will have the car that long and what i have now is sufficient

 

With my rockford amps, I found that the signal/speaker level inputs actually gave me a BETTER signal than when I tried to use a converter.

Most RF amps are good, clean amps, but I have really never heard much bad about the JBL amps either.

it all comes down to budget.

As for sub selection, you have gotten some good input here. Just don't opt for a pre-fab setup or you are likely to be disappointed down the road. Some Bazooka setups and the Basslink are okay for moderate listening levels, but 90% of the time you will eventually want more.

At 27 I have already HAD big systems, so I am not looking to add much to the Bose, btu in HS and college I would not have been satisfied with a prefab setup.