Bose System and an after market amp does it work? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

boxxerbill · 11-18-2008, 12:46 PM

I love the quality of the stereo but it ain' loud enough on XM and just not loud enough for me even on FM or CD. I went to a stereo shop and they said they could put an after market amp in the car in the same place in the front section ($600 for amp and labor).. But he said he need to run different wires to the amp from the deck. Is that true and does a 4 ohm system work with the 2 ohm bose speakers. I wanted to get ya'llls advice for a let this dude mess up my car or my system. If that don't work do ya'll have any suggestions to get it louder without replacing the deck and speakers?

TriGem2k · 11-18-2008, 01:07 PM

1. Aftermarket amp will most likely blow the Bose speakers as the factory amp also houses the crossovers.
2. If your current speaker require 2ohms then you need 2ohms. Its not a good idea to mess with the recommened ohms of the speakers.

The only amp I know of that is BOTH 4ohm and 2ohm stable with the same power output for boths ohms is the Alpine PDX amps and these would be way overkill for the factory speakers.

My suggestion if you want good sound is to redo the entire system.

Good luck!

11-18-2008, 01:41 PM

My Bose system is plenty loud. Can't imagine it any louder.

I suggest you get a louder exhaust instead. Music is over-rated when driving our cars. It's all about intake, engine, and exhaust notes!

boxxerbill · 11-18-2008, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TriGem2k

1. Aftermarket amp will most likely blow the Bose speakers as the factory amp also houses the crossovers.
2. If your current speaker require 2ohms then you need 2ohms. Its not a good idea to mess with the recommened ohms of the speakers.

The only amp I know of that is BOTH 4ohm and 2ohm stable with the same power output for boths ohms is the Alpine PDX amps and these would be way overkill for the factory speakers.

My suggestion if you want good sound is to redo the entire system.

Good luck!

Dang, I think I will wait to do that to see how much obama nails us first.

Thanks for the input.

bmussatti.

i have always put systems in anything I buy. i had a prowler once that totally rocked so I think I may have damaged my hearinig a bit.

c4s · 11-18-2008, 09:00 PM

I replaced the amps and head unit with a Pioneer AVIC D-3 and a Memphis amp... Need a custom face plate to acomodate the AVIC... Dent pro will paint to match for $50.

The memphis amp is mounted in the front boot... Sounds great with the bose speakers (and I don't like bose)... If it played any louder my ears would bleed... both IPOD and XM have plenty of gain.

boxxerbill · 11-19-2008, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c4s

I replaced the amps and head unit with a Pioneer AVIC D-3 and a Memphis amp... Need a custom face plate to acomodate the AVIC... Dent pro will paint to match for $50.

The memphis amp is mounted in the front boot... Sounds great with the bose speakers (and I don't like bose)... If it played any louder my ears would bleed... both IPOD and XM have plenty of gain.

What was the price for all that? And what is Dent Pro and do all 11 speakers work with the new system? Tell me more if you don't mind.

Adam · 11-19-2008, 08:37 AM

Just an observation, I'm happy with the loudness of the Bose, but IMO the front dash speakers are pretty tinney and ear piercing when the music is cranking. I have the treble set at like -6 to tone it down a bit, but I would expect a more rich and full sound for what this system costs. Perhaps it's not the speakers, but just the placement which bounces the sound right off the windshield making it sound a bit harsh.

TriGem2k · 11-19-2008, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam

Just an observation, I'm happy with the loudness of the Bose, but IMO the front dash speakers are pretty tinney and ear piercing when the music is cranking. I have the treble set at like -6 to tone it down a bit, but I would expect a more rich and full sound for what this system costs. Perhaps it's not the speakers, but just the placement which bounces the sound right off the windshield making it sound a bit harsh.

Adamn replacing the factory tweeters with quality silk dome tweeters would help reducing the hi ear peircing freq. Porsche does use silk dome however they arent very good. The Bose system in fact doesn't even use Bose tweeters, they are Haes speakers just like the non Bose system.

Adam · 11-19-2008, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TriGem2k

Adamn replacing the factory tweeters with quality silk dome tweeters would help reducing the hi ear peircing freq. Porsche does use silk dome however they arent very good. The Bose system in fact doesn't even use Bose tweeters, they are Haes speakers just like the non Bose system.

Thanks James, I had a feeling those front dash speakers weren't Bose. I might swap them out with something better.

TriGem2k · 11-19-2008, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam

Thanks James, I had a feeling those front dash speakers weren't Bose. I might swap them out with something better.

The speaker its BOSE but the tweeter is not. Kind of stupid BOSE didn't match their speaker to their own tweeter. Silly ways to cut costs.

Adam · 11-19-2008, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TriGem2k

The speaker its BOSE but the tweeter is not. Kind of stupid BOSE didn't match their speaker to their own tweeter. Silly ways to cut costs.

Oh ok, I gotcha. So the tweeter is able to be replaced without replacing the whole speaker assembly.

TriGem2k · 11-19-2008, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam

Oh ok, I gotcha. So the tweeter is able to be replaced without replacing the whole speaker assembly.

Yes you can just replace the tweeter. The factory size is .75". You can fit up to 1" with slight modification of the grill.

boxxerbill · 11-20-2008, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TriGem2k

Yes you can just replace the tweeter. The factory size is .75". You can fit up to 1" with slight modification of the grill.

Does Diamond make a tweeter that small? Also isn't there three tweeter on the dash 1 in the middle and two on the sides?

Adam · 11-20-2008, 09:58 AM

Bill, I noticed those on mine too. I don't think they are tweeters. I looked in my bentley manual and it says 03 and 04 Bose equipped models have an "AudioPilot" microphone that detects cabin music and noise which adjusts vloume and cancels out noise somehow. It looks like it is located on the left side of the steering wheel. The manual doesn't mention the other two little deals on the dash so I don't what their purpose is. Also, it says the tweeters on the top of the dash are 4.3 cm which is about 2 inches.