what size is the stock bose amp, and does anybody have any suggestions as to what i could replace it with. btw thats the amp thats by the rear window right>?

 

I just replace my bose amp with a rockford fosgate amp. The rockford was just about an inch or more longer than the bose amp. I had to buy a piece of sheet metal from home depot and modify it to bolt up to the bracket that holds the bose amp so I could mount the rockford in the same location. The bose amp is located inside the trunk on the drivers side. You will have to remove the upcover to see the amp, but you have to take out the rear panels and seats to remove the bose amp.

 

Stock bose map size is freakishly small, underpowered and just plain bad.

Anyway, you can replace it with any 6-channel amp that supports differential balanced inputs (JL amps almost all do) or an amp that doesn't support differential balanced signals so long as you buy a signal converter to go along with it. You'll still need to run now power and ground wires, but the audio signal wires and amp power signal wire can be re-used.

Or you can take the opportunity to upgrade the headunit, and not worry about whether or not your amp supports differential-balanced signals.

 

im thinking about doing that now, i got an 04 sedan, so ill take it to a sound shop. also last time i took my car to a sound shop, i wanted all the stock speakers removed and installed new ones, they said since its an bose system, htey have to rewire eveyrthing all over again and its a very pricey setup? were they just full of **** and tryna squeeze some hard earned dollers out of me or is that true?

 

Well, the Bose amp is probably made of the cheapest stuff that'll work with the Bose speakers, I wouldn't be surprised if it would fail quickly if attached to 2ohm speakers, but many have put others in their place and been ok, at least short-term.

Not much re-wiring required, I'm using stock wiring from the trunk to the door speakers.

I won't say they were just trying to squeeze more dollars out of you, because there isn't anything good about the Bose system, so doing amp with speakers is highly recommended.

 

ok so im going to change the speakers to like digital designs or polk audios or something thatll sound good for rap music. i got two 15s but there blown so i gotta redo that and get a new amp to since the current one is 300 watt and an old piece of **** i got for 40 bucks. wow this is gon cost about 600 bucks all together damn now im pissed lol

 

I was thinking of replacing the Bose amp with a different one as well as I have heard that the Bose amp sucks lol...Is it worth it to just replace the amp and keep stock head unit and speakers? Or will I not notice any difference in sound? I really don't have the money for a whole system right now and was just wondering whether just the amp is a noticeable upgrade or not?

Thanks

 

You want notice a difference in sound just it might be a little louder volume wise but thats it. You can change it piece by piece like I did. I change the head unit first and it did sound a little better. Then I changed the speakers which was the biggest difference in sound, and this weekend I will replace the bose amp and sub. Check ebay for your equipment. I got a pioneer head unit with gps for under $250 and I got polk audio speakers for the front and rear for $100. I order the metra kit from chruchfield for $160 with the harness adapter.

 

I upgraded my headunit to a Pioneer Z1, leaving the stock speakers and amp. Let me tell you, what difference in sound, sounds 100% better than before, seems like I changed speakers also but i didn't.

 

I'll disagree here. The reason the Bose amp sucks so hard (okay, one of the reasons among many) is that it has a horrible EQ that ruins the audio as it gets louder, so you'll get a lot better sound, particularly at volumes 20 and above with an aftermarket amp - however - you need one that accepts differential-balanced inputs or a converter if you keep the Bose headunit, or it'll sound about as bad as the Bose amp. JL Audio amps almost all accept differential-balanced signals, I do not know off hand of other brands that do, but I know they're out there.

The Amp is easily the worst part of the Bose setup, but the headunit fails faster, so if replacing one thing, the headunit's best. If replacing two things, then do the amp too, then speakers last.

 

Most of the new Arc Audio amps will accept the inputs. Zapco's will accept it. Every amp JL Audio has made will work. Just to name a couple more. Not many amps will accept it. Rockford does make a converter that will make the signal un-balanced.

 

I have Polk dbs all around and I'm using the Blows (Bose) head unit and amp. I've been woundering anout doing a amp or head unit upgrade so thanks for all the input I giving me something to think about. What stops me from doing the head upgrade is the dumb AC controller.

 

Not to thread jack or anything, but Wrath when you say signal converter are you talking LOC? I guess for partial clarification in this thread it applies. I found nothing on a brief search for audio signal converters, LOC's on the other hand are abundant. I have a AudioControl LC6i I use post horrid Bose amp, but it suffers in the opposite way you mention, past 20 it sounds marginally ok, under 20 it's decent. I called AudioControl on their LC6i about accepting and converting the balanced HU signal to standard and was told it wasn't used for that, and doing it that way would invalidate needing the LC6i in that it converts high level signals to low level signals. But I didn't get the exact answer if it could or not. May have to just try and see unless someone else has any pearls of wisdom short of an aftermarket HU.

 

I'll chime in for Wrathernaut. The LC6i is isn't used for converting a balanced signal to non-balanced. It only accepts speaker level inputs which are high level signal and converts it into RCA outputs. You could use one of Audiocontrol's dash-mount EQ's to convert the signal. Rockford Fosgate also makes a converter, the RF-BLD. Get rid of the Audiocontrol piece you have and tap into the low level signal that is sent to the Bose amp from the factory headunit with some RCA ends.

 

^ Thanks, I have to sleep some time
Exactly what he said.