I have 2003.5 Sedan with Bose. Should the High low converter be installed before or after the bose amp in the trunk?

"Dont start none, Wont be none"

 

If your running your own amp, you shouldn't use your Bose amp AT ALL. It hooks up to the wires coming from the HU and hooks up into the RCA's of your aftermarket amp. Hope it helps!


2004 G35s 5AT DG/Graphite/Premium/Huper Optik Tint

 

ahh, said the blind man to the deaf mute....

so that's why my subs flutter like crazy when volumes goes up!!!!!! i tapped into the sub wires AFTER the stock amp..duh.

ok, so which color coded wires are for the stock subs BEFORE the oem amp? thanks in advance.



04 6mt Sedan / stock airbox mod / z-tube / k&n panel filter / crank pulley / 18" r/h c2s / s-tein springs

 

Here is my delema, I have had a conversation with David Navone (Navone Engineering) who sold me a four channel high low converter. He enphasized that the converter should be connected AFTER the bose amp. I have it hooked up like this and it sounds pretty good. I may just try the other way as well.

"Dont start none, Wont be none"

 

I am not using my Bose amp AT ALL, sounds great.. but then again..remember that I have a full 5 channel amp, so I run all my audio through it. Unfortunately, I cannot set the crossovers on the HU, which is a limiting factor.


2004 G35s 5AT DG/Graphite/Premium/Huper Optik Tint

 

I'd do what Mr. Navone suggested.

The install shop I used thought they'd have to put converters in after my amp, but I got the non-premium system (no amp) and ended-up not needing any line-level converters, as my PPI amps take speaker-level signal just fine.

 

I had spoken with David Navone about this too! Everyone I've talked to who's used a LOC isn't using the bose amp that I've seen, and there's quite a few of us on here.

2004 G35s 5AT DG/Graphite/Premium/Huper Optik Tint

 

If Navone isn't intimately familiar with this car's system, he may not realize that the Bose/Clarion HU's output is a high level signal and just instinctively recommends connecting the converter to what he knows for sure is a high level output appropriate for his converter. Going after the bose amp will certainly work, but it's not necessarily optimal.

In our cars, in terms of delivering a low level signal to your amp, the Bose amp can only distort the signal. It can't improve it. It's an unnecessary re-amplification step. If you go after the Bose amp, you're taking an amplified signal (From the head unit), putting it through the Bose (which downconverts, then re-amplifies it), then downconverting it with your LOC, and then up-converting (with your amp) again!

Removing the Bose amp is not necessarily going to fix your gripes though. It may only make a barely audible difference in quality. I never did an A/B comparison to see what the difference was. You may even prefer whatever colorization the Bose amp adds to the signal. But the Bose amp definitely does not need to be there in order to properly work with an aftermarket system. It's not there in mine, using a Ven4 LOC, and I'm extremely pleased with the sound quality.

-- Rob

 

thanks for the relplies everyone... I DONT like the coloration for the bose system. I also feel the same way about amplifiing a non amplified system as well. Ill have to try it both ways. On a side note, Im driving a loaner car from the local dealer. Its an 04 with Premium. I have noticed that not only is the 04 system faster (switching cd's) and more quiet but its sounds WAY better than the 03 system. Im inpressed with it. It sounds almost as good as my new aftermarket system wich again leads me to believe something is not right with it.

"Dont start none, Wont be none"

 

Here is an e mail I recieved from David Navone this morning.....
"Hello John,
It doesn't work that way..... Your 30 watt per channel Infinity Bose system only develops the 10 volts into the nominal 4-ohm load at full volume.. This means that you should set the gain structure of your system for MAX signal and MIN noise... check out the two articles I attached... you'll probably need a scope and CD#104 to get it right... but you appear to be the kind of guy who pays attention to decent sound reproduction... As for the NE-774V, all you can do is leave the internal pots at their full CW settings (MAX signal). The NE-774V must be installed AFTER the Bose amps.... from your description of the hissing, I'd guess that the NE-774V is installed in front of the Bose amps... because it's a much easier install...
Dave "

He suggested that I try it both ways and let him know the outcome as well.


"Dont start none, Wont be none"

 

Maybe what he's saying is that that particular LOC can only be configured for the stronger output of the Bose amp? It definitely works properly with the Peripheral Ven4. No hissing at all (in fact, there's less hiss than there was in my previous aftermarket system), and the output is plenty loud at ~25 or so. I'd say it's neither easier nor more difficult to install the LOC before or after the Bose amp. It's simply a matter of which pair of wires you cut. They're all in the same place.

The base system (sans Bose amp) is supposed to put out 160 watts. I'm sure that's a max figure. Even with the low impedance speakers, I can't imagine it not being sufficient for a LOC. According to the shop manuals, nominal values of the head unit outputs are supposed to be the same between the bose and non-bose systems, the only difference is that the output is wired to the input of the bose amp. So, how would you use a LOC on a car that didn't come with premium to begin with, since the otuput is supposedly the same on both?

You'll get hissing and other noise if the converted output is too low of a signal, and you had to compensate by turning up the gains your the amp. My amp gains are only slightly above their minimum settings. As he states, you'll probably want to start with the LOCs adjusted to their highest settings.

-- Rob

 

Thanks for your post Rob. To get the volumes that I was talking about (25 on the stock radio) the gain on the amp is about 50% for the mids/highs and all the way up on the bridged 10 in sub channel. This dosent seem right to me. If I turn the gain higher on teh mids/highs i get that (your gain is too high hiss) hiss in the background. And I cant turn up the sub amp to match it even if it didnt hiss. How is the sound and volume on all of your G's out there with the Hi/lo connected before the bose?

"Dont start none, Wont be none"

 

As he suggested, did you check the pots on that LOC? My Ven4's are at max.

-- Rob

 

I was told they were all the way up.. I have not checked myself. Ill do this when I get home this evening.

"Dont start none, Wont be none"

 

Does anyone know if the bose amp adds any bass or has any other effect on the sound in our cars... I think it sucks that the bass and treble controls are near useless. From what I really the stock system has functioning bass and treble adjustments.

"Dont start none, Wont be none"