Help me understand..
 

EDIT: Below relates to Bose + Nav.

I've been scouring the forums on this topic, and read through the Bose topics on hand, but there's a couple of things that I don't get.

Now, to preface this, I am an audiophile. Like not just a little bit of an audiophile, but audio / mastering engineer + hifi nerd audiophile plus PA speaker builder etc.

Now.. I seem to read that the popular opinion is that the Bose speakers would have inline crossovers somewhere along the path of the cable runs, however not where the speakers are. That doesn't really make any sense whatsoever from a maintenance POV, nor cost efficiency.

Has someone actually found the crossovers? Any :pics:?

When I get my Z this summer, the first thing I do after I drive it home is install a Dynaudio system in it, and I'm trying to wrap my head around why I couldn't just cut the cables before the Bose amp, wire them into a processor and to amps.

And the above is where the first part comes in. What would make sense, is that the crossovers would be integrated in the Bose amp, not inline somewhere along the path. But I digress, as I don't have experience with this car.

Anyway, can anyone confirm 110% certain, that the crossovers are indeed inline, and possibly even know where they are located?

Thanks a bunch if anyone knows! :tup:

The AV section of the FSM should have that info.

Edit: I took a quick look at the Bose+Nav wiring diagram and it doesn't show any crossover modules. I assume that means the x-over is built into the speaker or not required.

The BOSE crossovers ARE built into the BOSE amp.

Front R/L signal in, Front R mid / Front R tweet, and Front L mid / Front L tweet signal out from BOSE amp behind your seat.

Superdave is right on the money here.. And you can certainly cut the amp inputs, and run into a processor, or amp.

Correct sir

Ok, thanks for the replies!

Is there something else I should be aware of when it comes to keeping steering wheel functionality etc.?

If I understand correctly, I should be able to remove the BOSE amp entirely from the signal chain, and still use factory cabling?

Put in new cable, the wire that is in the car is very small, for an "audiophile" that shouldn't even be a question.

Gotcha.

Didn't know the cable was just that thin in the Z. As said, I haven't had the chance to take a closer look at the cabling in a Z yet.

Anyway, thanks!

Put new cable in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, I will do a full rewire job. Wanted to avoid it due to the amount of work it takes, but if the wiring in the Z really is just that bad, I'll just do it.

Anything else I should be aware of when going the route of clipping the wires before the BOSE amp and doing a full rewire / rebuild from there?

BTW: In car audio, I don't subscribe to the "buy 300$ cable" team. I've done more than enough testing of cables in a controlled studio / anechoic chamber enviroment to know that in a car where noise levels are insane to say the least, especially in the case of the Z, apart from adequate shielding and load handling capability, the wire you use har very little impact on the perceived sound. This of course when using somewhat reasonable quality wire, instead of the cheapest radioshack wire.

But oh well, there are those people too who buy 300$ HDMI and other digital signal cables, who believe it will somehow keep their ones and zeros in better shape. :P

Zip cord works well, is easy to fish through tight spots, and is available up to 02AWG (bigger than 10 can be hard to find).

You're alright for an "audiophile". Some of my friends just don't get it...........

Tell me about it.

I've heard so many funny things relating to digital signal cables, they would be enough to fill a thread.

Best one would be this one time though, where a certain up and coming young metal band named a certain Nordic opera-metal band that some here may have heard of as their reference as to what sound they were going for.

Later that night, we decided to connect the keyboardist's synth through an S/PDIF cable, and the guys didn't like my cables.

What was funny though, was that those exactly same cables, literally, probably that very same cable, was used in recording 3 of said reference band's albums. :P

Aaaanyway. I guess this topic has fulfilled it's role.

If there aren't any other things I should be aware of, I'm just going to go for the build and see what happens.

Thanks a bunch for the replies everyone!

uhh audiophile engineer type never heard of bi-amp? :ugh: lol

Not really sure where you got the idea that I would've "never heard of bi-amp".. Since I never said anything about what I was planning on putting in the car, apart from Dynaudio speakers, processor and amps (note: amps = plural)