Bose Bypass possible solution

[Int3grity]

::UPDATE::

Well someone sent me an email with some bit of information despite the claims made that you cannot bypass the bose oem pre amp withought cutting wires etc.. and or re-wiring the car. Pac Audio apparently already makes a plug n Play adapter that let's us replace the factory radio with any aftermarket one and still have all 9 speakers working while still using the bose amp.

http://www.pac-audio.com/oem1kits/roemresults.asp?mmSearch=Mazda&Submit=Search+for+ROEM-1+kits

http://www.shipsound.com/product_info.php?products_id=102827&osCsid=8c10fa1629e29d6312c3b3ac30604c68

 

[HIBUHIBU]

Bypassing the Bose Unit is hardly hard at all. Keep in mind that Bose Headunit is actually made by Clarion. Our units give out flat 2volts to the bose amplifier. All the processing such as Centerpoint as well as automoatic equalization is done at the Bose amplifier.
Knowing this, what you need to do is connect LOC(Line out converter) to input wires at the bose amplifier(the wires that come from CD Player to the amplifier). Cut it, connect the LOC and now yu have an RCAs to connect to your new amplifier.
Hope this helped.

 

[Int3grity]

Just curious if what your saying is a sure way then why has everyone else resorted to re-wiring the car.

 

[HIBUHIBU]

The pac loc will work fine.
Okay~
Let me clear up the confusions here that are floaing around in this forum.
1. You can get an aftermarket Head unit as long as you keep the Bose amplifier. You must use bose amplifiers if you are trying to power up all the 9 speakers.

2. Now if you are trying to get an Aftermarket Head unit and use it to power up all 9 speakers without Bose amp, then it is impossible.(even if you could, not worth the time and effort.) The reason is because Bose speakers are 2Ohms(resistance) and you will surely burn the built in amp of the head unit.
So the signal needs to go from Aftermarket Head unit to Bose amplifier to your speakers.


3. Another way to go is to keep the Bose head unit, and getting aftermarket amplifiers to power up front left, right, and rear left and right. Fairly simple, and all you need is LOC. So Stock Bose CD player to LOC to aftermarket amplifiers to your speakers.

Hope this helped everyone.

 

[CX-7owner]

I have an aftermarket H/U with a few speakers running at 2ohm, I have yet to experiance any problems. But someone here on the board has rewired their car, because it was the only route to go, that site says only up to 2002, so make sure it works.

 

[HIBUHIBU]

If you simply used a wiring harness, then your JVC unit is surely using your Bose amplifier. It is basically same as using LOC.

The only way you will burn Aftermarket unit's internal unit is when your new cd player is directly powering up the bose speakers(This requires rewiring indeed and quite time consuming) You probably would not burn the internal amp at the spot but it will surely and slowly burn the internal amps. internal amps are not 2ohm stable.

 

[CX-7owner]

I had the Standard radio, the speakers that I have that are two ohm are two infinity Kappa tweeters and Two 6x8 reference speakers, And I have the circuit city protection plan so its all good.

 

[HIBUHIBU]

I believe if you had a stock radio, it should not be a problem because I do not think the stock speakers will be 2ohms.(Dont quote me on it though)
You are most likely be fine.

 

[CX-7owner]

They are 4OHM, I think the only problems anyone would have with running 2ohm speakers would be with an external amp, I had these speakers connected with the stock unit and this unit, no problems to be had.

 

[HIBUHIBU]

You are fine because your speakers are 4ohms.
If someone with Bose units(2ohm speakers) try to run the bose speakers directly with internal amp of aftermarket unit, you will burn the cd player.

 

[CX-7owner]

Some of the speakers I have are 2ohm though, and CXrabbit, has done this hasn't had any problems as far as we know, she had her Bose speakers rewired to a Pioneer Nav unit.

 

[1sty]

I find myself asking...why?

What would be the point in installing an aftermarket head unit and bypassing the facotry amp and retaining all factory speakers?

This is a completely stupid thing to do. If someone is keeping the factory speakers, then keep the factory amp. The only real improvement will come from when the bose amp and the speakers are replaced with solid aftermarket equipment iclding not just speaker but also amplifiers. A standalone head unit and new speakers while bypassing the factory amp and not adding an aftermarket amp, will be a down grade. From a sound quality stand point there is no reason to replace the head unit.


Sound head units can handle a 2 ohm load. Others can for a short time, not that you are shortening th elife of the radio to do this and doubling the distortion output of the headunt. The individuals usage of the system will determin how fast it will fail. It is the electronics that are most likely to die in this situation, not the speakers.

Lastly, most all facotry systems are a bit of bulls*** in that they count individual drivers and speakers. Some aftermarket speakers have 2 or 3 drivers within them yet they count as a single speaker. So the factory will call a tweeter a speaker and the mid another one. Becuase of this most 9 speaker systems are really 5 speaker systems.

 

[1sty]

Some of the speakers I have are 2ohm though, and CXrabbit, has done this hasn't had any problems as far as we know, she had her Bose speakers rewired to a Pioneer Nav unit.

what he is saying is that the facotry bose amp is still in line. so they are not running off the pioneer. The poineer is just feeding signal to the amplifiers. There would be no point in bypassing the amp.

 

[CX-7owner]

what he is saying is that the facotry bose amp is still in line. so they are not running off the pioneer. The poineer is just feeding signal to the amplifiers. There would be no point in bypassing the amp.

No, the amp is completely out of the picture, the pioneer H/U is driving the speakers, as far as I know.

 

[1sty]

No, the amp is completely out of the picture, the pioneer H/U is driving the speakers, as far as I know.

I highly doubt it, and if that is the case, whoever did it/ask for it should have their head checked as they like wasting time and money on down grading things.

 

[CX-7owner]

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123676143

We didn't use a harness to tap into the Bose Amp (I didn't do Amp and Speakers at this point). He rewired the car and went straight from the radio (high powered output) to the Bose speakers. They sound excellent. No, I'm not getting "boom boom" down the road loud, but you get plenty of good CLEAN loud. The door subs definitely provide enough base. I'm nearly 40 years old, so I don't need teenager boom boom. LOL. My husband is an audio engineer and he thinks is sounds very good.

 

[HIBUHIBU]

Everything that 1sty has said is completely true.
Yes, by using 2ohm, you can double the output of the amplifier and also distortion as well. Most headunits do handle 2ohms for sometime but they will die out shortly due to the fact that it will heat up more since it is giving double the output. Yes the speakers will be fine but not the internal amp of the head unit.

Like me and firsty said the only beneficial way to put aftermarket head unit is by keeping the bose amp or go completely aftermarket. The idea of directly powering up the 2ohm speakers with internal amp of Headunit is not recommended.

I do not want comment on CxRabbit's audio install since I do not know how they wired up everything. But for sure, they should have kept the Bose amp. Otherwise, it will probably die or go bad in less than 6 months.

Hope this helped.

 

[CX-7owner]

Maybe, you didn't read what I said, and quoted, they did Not use the Bose amp. Also When I was purchasing the speakers all said it would not be a problem, Crutchfield, Circuit City, etc.. Because I know the possible dangers of running a low impedance speaker set up. I'm not doubting anything 1sty said about the what might happen. But I don't agree however that the new head unit was a downgrade, the BOSE is horrible from what I hear.

 

[Int3grity]

Well to answer anothers members question here as to why would I be interested in using the existing 9 speakers is number running only 4 speakers with no where for the high notes to be directed would sound like s*** anyday.

I been to sema before and audio engineers demonstrated this with infinity kappa series.I just want to be able to use my alpine head unit because #1 my existing bose radio does not support mp3 #2 the alpine has back up camera #3 it integrates with my phone #4 it has dvd player $5 better nav option then mazda #6 I can run a game console to it $6 it can control multiple video outs where one person can watch a dvd in the rear and the other can be watching sat tv lets say. Hope this has covered all the reasons why oh I forgot a huge factor I can listen to XM opposed to this piece of s*** sirius crap that the signal fades in and out.

 

[1sty]

Its a simple matter, if you keep the speakers, keep that amp. They are built for one another. The speakers are just as lacking as the amp but they compliment each other nicely. Replacing only part of the package is a downgrade.

Replacing the headunit alone will yeild no sound quailty advantage, only enhanced features. Not to mention, if you are using mp3, ipod, and/or sat radio, then SW is irrelavent as the source is pure crap, the CD of the stock system will be better then anything aftermarket playing an MP3.

Replaceing the headunit and retaining the speakers but not the amp will be a down grade as the speakers are just as lacking as the amp but again the amp accounts for this in its design. Also the bose amp has far more power then any headunit so you are loosing output as well.