My bose radio stopped aorking. I am in the process of looking at aftermarket stereos. ive been several local stereo places and i am getting mixed answers regarding the amp. I read the FAQ about upgrading to aftermarket head unit etc. It seems to me that keeping the bose amp is an option. However, i have been told different things at differnt shops. One shop said they would bypass it and others say I cant. What is your opinion? is there a right or wrong answer? The stock system was fine for me. i'm on a budget so i wont be upgrading the speakers. I welcome your feedback.....and yes i did use the search function.

 

I think you have to replace it since the new hu will have a built in amp. You don't even need an aftermarket amp if you don't use the 6x9s and just run the front 4 and the back 2 speakers. Most hu's will power them fine you just have to run new speaker wire from the hu to the trunk where the wires used to come out of the stock amp

 

Keeping the bose amp is certainly an option, you just need to use the PAC ROEM-NIS2 as your wiring adapter/harness.

I would recommend replacing it, since the bose amp is the single greatest detriment to audio quality in the car.
You can bypass it and use the new headunit to drive the factory speakers. For that setup, just use the Metra 70-7550 wiring harness instead of the ROEM-NIS2, and wire the inputs to the outputs at the amp harness, bypassing the amp completely. I'd say use the front door speakers and rear 6x9's in the coupe with the four powered channels from the headunit, or all four door speakers in the sedan. No new wires will have to be run at all with a basic bypass.

Any shop that says you can't bypass it should be avoided, they're obviously a place that relies entirely on pre-built adapters to do things, rather than some basic soldering skill and looking up wiring diagrams. The shop that says it cannot be done is 100% wrong.

Where are you located? I have a little bit of free time and am in Southern Georgia, and work for the cost of soda and pizza.

 

Thank you for your replies. I will just byass the amp. I may look for an aftermarket amp as well. I like a nice "thump" but i dont listen to it very loudy.

Im in Indiana so that really sucks for me. But I really appreciate the offer.