Best Audio Upgrade for Bose System

[Old Dude]

Hi There. Just got a 2012 Touring. Love the car but the Bose system is not so great.

2 questions:

1. What is the easiest upgrade to improve the sound system without a total overhaul? I assume new speakers would help. Any suggestions on brand? I know that upgrading the HU would probably help but I'd like to keep the current look.

2. Related to #1, can someone tell me how the Bose system works, briefly? I thought I read something about separate amps for each speaker. Is this right or is everything run of the HU, save the sub if there is one.

I listen mostly to alternative hard rock with am amped iPod.

Thanks for any help and I like your forum!

[ccdominic]

prepared to get hassled about not using the search button, but meh, cuz i wanna know too lol

[90 ST]

With the Bose system is sort of a all or nothing thing, you can keep the HU, and build from there.
There are a few OEM intergration pieces you can use to do this. Audio Control LCQ-1, Rockford 3sixty, Audison Bit one, JBL MS-8...depends on your budget and what you want to do.

[bigaudiofanat]

You can not upgrade the speakers in the bose system without adding new amps.

Most of it is in the sticky

What to know about Bose

[reunited]

Congratulations on your new purchase.

I also drive a 2012 Touring ... mine also has the sport package.

There are several roads you can take depending on your preferences but almost assuredly you will end up in the same place.

If you are into sound quality, then you will want to upgrade your fronts (mids & tweeters) because if the mids aren't right nothing will sound good. As noted by previous posters this entails getting a line output converter and an amp. Your choices in LOCs are cheap/simple, LOCs with equalization (DSP based) capability via manual adjustment, or higher end LOCs (also DSP equipped) with greater granularity and ease of adjustment through laptop attachment.

Initially (I've only had my car 40 days!), I chose Rockford Fosgate T2 components for the front, a simple LC6i converter, and a Rockford Fosgate P-300. Huge improvement over the Bose.

However, it became quickly apparent that the rear fill and subwoofer were terribly weak. I decided to build a custom spare tire sub enclosure and use a Pioneer SW-251 10" shallow mount sub. (If you want to use an off the shelf subwoofer solution, go to Wicked C.A.S. and look at their Magic Box.) I swapped out the RF P300-2 amp for a RF T600-4 providing more oomph to the fronts and bridging the rear channels to feed the sub. I also swapped out the LC6i for the LCQ-1 (a mid range line converter with equalization) which also has a nice bass restoring feature (go to Audio Controls for more info)

Now the system is done and it sounds pretty good. No loss of functionality in terms of the HU or steering wheel controls. The amp, crossovers, and converter are installed and hidden behind the seats w/o impacting seat travel, and the sub is stealth (under the rear rug.) However, the installer did not do a good job of tuning. A good installer/tuner is probably at least as important to overall sound quality as the components you select.

The other road you can take, and many have taken this route because of their choice in music, is to address only the low end first by purchasing a LOC, amp and a subwoofer. Going this route means that after improving the low end, your fronts are going to seem woefully inadequate. Also, disconnect the rear fills ...in a car with 58 cubic feet of space, excluding humans, you don't need them, they are junk, and they will just mess up your soundstage.

My advice: do it all at once (fronts, LOC with DSP, 4 channel amp, and subwoofer) as that's where you'll probably end up anyway and you'll save on labor (car is taken apart/reassembled once). If you plan on adding sound dampening, this is also the ideal time to do this.

Bill

[GaleForce]

^^ This is sound advice.

[GaleForce]

oops, no pun intended... lol

[Unique_Z]

Hmm interesting. I still wanted to keep my stock HU look but with upgraded speakers and subs with no interference of steering and HU features/controls. Looks like i have to add a bunch of things lol

[reunited]

I will be posting tomorrow or next a DIY with all measurements for those that want to build a stealth sub enclosure (MDF rings) for the NISMO/sport package. The Pioneer 10" shallow mount I used puts out a fair amount of bass, pretty tight, too.

Although these measurements will only apply to these model Zs, the general principles apply to base models.

Bill

[Old Dude]

Thanks Bill. Great information. I fully understand what you are saying and I agree. I would take the route you went if I do decide to pull the trigger on new sound. You didn't indicate but I assume you kept the factory HU.

My car is brand new (like 2 weeks) and I just tried out my MP3 player/amp combo. By adjusting the fader and extensive eq setting on the player (Cowon S9) the sound really isn't too bad. But it certainly isn't premium either. For now I will probably stick with what I've got considering I just shelled out some serious bucks for the car!

BTW, did you do all your own install work? I have done lots of car stereo work myself but frankly I'm tired of it and I would pay someone to do it. Do you have any pics?


Thanks again.

[reunited]

My Z is only 40 days young. I had a company do the installation ...it was really in for sound dampening (Stinger Road Kill) and I told them that while evrything was apart they might as well do the audio as well. I kept the HU as I want the car to look bone stock, which is why I did my own sub enclosure as opposed to going with the wicked CAS unit. Pictures will be in the DIY but here is one as I was finishing the enclosure:

Bill

[Old Dude]

I just got back from driving it and the Bose system is growing on me. I like the factory look as well plus the steering wheel volume control.

One more question: Is an amp necessary when replacing the front speakers? I thought I read a post about some Polk speakers that were replaced without an amp and it seemed to work. On the other hand, I've heard that the Bose speakers are very low resistance and thus replacements might be seriously underpowered.

Now the only thing I can complain about is the herky-jerky accelerator pedal. I might need to get one of those Sprint Boosters I've been reading about.

Sheesh, and here I thought buying the car was enough!!

[bigaudiofanat]

Originally Posted by Old Dude

I just got back from driving it and the Bose system is growing on me. I like the factory look as well plus the steering wheel volume control.

One more question: Is an amp necessary when replacing the front speakers? I thought I read a post about some Polk speakers that were replaced without an amp and it seemed to work. On the other hand, I've heard that the Bose speakers are very low resistance and thus replacements might be seriously underpowered.

Now the only thing I can complain about is the herky-jerky accelerator pedal. I might need to get one of those Sprint Boosters I've been reading about.

Sheesh, and here I thought buying the car was enough!!

Yes you will need a new amp when adding new speakers and you will need to add new speaker wire to the new speakers as well.

I recommend going with the stock system as it is much easier to do upgrades in stages as aposed to with the bose system.

[90 ST]

Originally Posted by Old Dude

I just got back from driving it and the Bose system is growing on me. I like the factory look as well plus the steering wheel volume control.

One more question: Is an amp necessary when replacing the front speakers? I thought I read a post about some Polk speakers that were replaced without an amp and it seemed to work. On the other hand, I've heard that the Bose speakers are very low resistance and thus replacements might be seriously underpowered.

Now the only thing I can complain about is the herky-jerky accelerator pedal. I might need to get one of those Sprint Boosters I've been reading about.

Sheesh, and here I thought buying the car was enough!!

A lot of people have just add speakers to the stock NON bose system, with bose you have to change it all.

[toplessdottie]

Hey man! I too have the bose with Navi.

I just finished adding 2 10" subs. It's a relativly easy job. Amp, subs, enclosure, and LCi6 with the channel 3 controller (along with needed wires) was all that was needed.

Now I can get most of the bass through the subs and use my crappy bose speakers for highs and mids. The sound "seems" to be crisper. The subs provide a really rich sound.

EDIT:
I bought the LC6i in case I wanted to replace the speakers in the future.