My original amp is acting up. It’s linked to an Pioneer head-unit. I’m looking to replace both the BOSE amp AND upgrade the head unit but I would still be using all the original speakers and the subwoofer. What would your rec be for upgrading both the head unit and amp?

 

From what I understand from the "experts", you will lose a lot of your Bose sound w/o the Bose amp. Nothing will make the speakers sound good. Some say Bose uses cheap speakers and fancy amps that make cheap speakers sound good. I've heard this for over 10 years from every audio shop I've spoken to. I am an EE but not an expert in audio systems.

If your head unit is Pioneer, you should have an interface such as this:

https://avinusa.com/most-fiber-optic...n-boxster.html

or this:

https://navtv.com/products/NTV-KIT210/most-hur-997.html

If so, it could be the problem instead of the amp.

If the amp is indeed bad, I'd get another one from a junkyard.

GN​​​​​​​

 

I agree with @Gatornapper ... Bose makes cheap speakers and funny enclosures and equalization profiles to make the speakers sound better (I still don't like how Bose systems sound, but that's a different topic).

My car has a Pioneed HU and it appears to have copper speaker wires running out to the speakers (I can see some wires behind the HU, but I haven't taken it out to see what's really going on back there). With this setup, I'm driving the speakers from the HU, and certain frequencies really **** them off (because they resonate due to the Bose enclosures). At some point, I'm going to try retuning the EQ in the HU to try to eliminate this, because it will damage the speakers (and it sounds terrible)... but for now I have to use a "vocal" EQ because the speakers can't take it. It sounds ok, but it's very annoying and I can't crank the volume for fear of blowing the speaker. FYI, I got the car this way, so while I like the HU, the implementation is not great.

Bottom line, if you plan to use the existing speakers, you need the Bose amp to massage and tweak the EQ profile so that it works properly with the speakers. If you use a third-party amp, it will expect a "flat" frequency response, which will **** off the speakers at certain frequencies. If you plan to change the Bose speakers, then you can certainly use a third-party amp and HU without issue...

There was a product in the past (by JBL I think) that would map out the equalization of a factory setup, and compensate for it via a calibration step. Basically, it was a many-point EQ which would be able to tune out this type of nonsense. I don't know if it exists anymore, but you could try something like that, in theory.

In summary - I don't think you can find a 3rd party replacement for the amp alone. Either use another Bose unit (for this car - note that Bose makes systems and amps for other brands, but those tunings would likely be different as well), or swap it ALL out (speakers, amps, and HU).

 

With the Bose system I used the Most fiber optic interface listed above, a pioneer head unit, and a parking brake bypass, both purchased from Amazon. It sounds great!

 

Duh - what is the Parking Brake Bypass for? I'm about to put in a Sony HU and didn't know about this....

TIA,

GN

 

Bypass allows you to use the video and other features of the HU while the car is NOT parked. Without that, you will need to have the brake engaged to allow videos to play. Most video-capable HUs are required to work like this, for legal/safety reasons.

My Pioneer HU (came with my car) has a little switch installed near it, that does this task - this way it can be setup to work either way (probably the same as what looks like a switch in the second item shown).

 

Thanks Schwinn - I'll not be watching videos on my Sony, but thank you.

GN

 

Agreed, I don't watch them either. However note that in some HUs, the settings pages may be locked out when the car isn't "parked". It's incredibly annoying when this happens, because, for example, the passenger can't even pair their phone to the bluetooth when this happens. So stupid. (I say this based on experience from a factory system, FWIW... not an aftermarket, so maybe they don't do it... but just be aware it could happen).

I think my Pioneer locks some stuff out, so I'm happy I have the switch to stop that nonsense. I leave it unlocked since I just don't want to deal with it.

 

I may have a good, used Bose unit for you. The '08 Cayman S I've turned into a race car had the I680 Bose High End Sound Package, most of which is still here (minus some of the speakers, already sold). Motivated seller - get this stuff out of my basement!

 

I thought it was required to use the Apple CarPlay and other features of the touchscreen head unit itself while the car is in motion. This is what popped up as a necessary feature when I researched the new head unit last year.

 

Well, in the case of my Pioneer HU, all the controls are via the touchscreen, so if they disabled all of it, then you couldn't do anything... which does not happen in either mode on my system. I have noticed that some features are disabled when the switch is flipped, but I never bothered to look deeper and just left it unlocked all the time. I'm sure different HUs behave differently in this regard.

I know in the few Android Auto cars I drove (mine don't have this feature)... it worked all the time, as it should, because that's what AA is for - to help you minimize interaction and use a larger touchscreen instead of forcing the user to deal with menus and such on a smaller phone screen. I never saw AA get disabled when moving/not-moving on factory radios... kinda defeats the purpose, if you ask me.

 

I have a base sound system in my 987. Is it possible to install a Bose amp (used) into this vehicle, if it wasn't originally part of the car? Feeling overwhelmed on which way to move with respect to replacing a poor sounding unit.
Thanks!

 

I wouldn't recommend it. As I noted above, removing part of it is going to sound bad... similarly adding only part of it will sound bad as well. Bose tunes things for their speakers and enclosures (quite a lot, actually), instead of a flat profile, which is what normal speakers do. I'd recommend installing an aftermarket amp instead, and aftermarket speakers (both of which are tuned flatter, generally speaking). It will be cheaper that way and sound MUCH better. Go to a stereo shop and have them help you with a system... or you can work with a company like Crutchfield who is very good about helping as well.

I also wouldn't put an amp just on factory speakers... chances are they are too old to take the extra power, and they may even be very worn or even damaged already. If you want better sound, you may start with just new speakers, and then add an amp later if needed. The trick is that if you plan to stay without an amp, then you'll want LOWER power speakers, so that they move well under stock power levels. When you add an amp, you're adding power, and that's when you may need more powerful speakers too. So it can be a little tricky to do it piecemeal and plan to expand later.

 

Thank you, that makes more sense. It would appear that the least expensive approach would also result in a decent sounding system. My old 986 had the DSP stereo system, which I quite enjoyed (in light of it being a convertible and not a sound studio). I'll visit some shops in the spring and address it then!
Thanks again!

 

Picked up the car tonight and I will definitely have to do something about the sound. PCM 2.1 with Nav plus (the Nav is outdated) and there are no rear speakers. The sound is not up to the standard of this vehicle but can someone explain: If you change the HU, then you would lose the PCM element, wouldn't you? How do you still access the programming etc. with an aftermarket unit?
Thanks!