Bose System with Aftermarket H/U

[DaViper]

I know that this has been discussed before, but I cannot find a definitive answer on this. Will the stock MS3 Bose system (in a 2009 MS3 GT) work with an aftermarket headunit without a special adapter for the bose system? I purchased the shokits piano black dash kit, but didn't buy the bose adapter on that site (it's quite pricey). I ordered a wiring harness from Crutchfield, and crutchfield didn't mention anything about needing another adapter (and I had selected my stereo as an 09 with bose w/o navigation).

I want to install my IVA-W205 tonight when my crutchfield wiring harness arrives. Can anyone confirm I'll be okay without the shokits bose adapter?

 

[Rudeboy3]

Don't Need It

I made the mistake of buying the "translator" and it really only clutters up the already tight console area. The adapter uses the Base amp instead of the aftermarket one. The Shokits kit comes with its own harness btw.

 

[DaViper]

I made the mistake of buying the "translator" and it really only clutters up the already tight console area. The adapter uses the Base amp instead of the aftermarket one. The Shokits kit comes with its own harness btw.

So it works fine without the "translator"? I got the shokits adapter but had already ordered the one from crutchfield before I realized it came with the kit, so I'm just going to use that one.

 

[DaViper]

I installed the system without the translator and everything is working fine. What I imagine the translator does is reduce the signal going to the bose amp. If you hook the aftermarket harness up to the stock harness, you're double amplifying the signal (the head unit amplifies it, then the bose amplifies it). What this means is that your audio is much louder at low levels on your head unit. So far this seems to be okay for my day to day driving, but I am really only using volume levels 1-10 on my IVA-W205. I haven't tried really turning up the volume yet to check for distortion, but I'd imagine there will be a lot if the h/u is turned up past volume level 10 (when I had my amp in my old car I would usually listen between 16-20). I'm just leaving this the way it is temporarily, until my amp and speakers come, then I'll be replacing the fronts and leaving the rears stock. I'll likely need the translator for the rears as a result.

 

[DaViper]

I ended up deciding I won't be changing the system. All I listen to is Sirius satellite radio, and the sound quality of satellite radio won't be much better on aftermarket speakers over the stock bose ones (and this will save some money and installation time). I might be imagining things, but I think the sound is even better with the aftermarket head unit powering it, so perhaps I won't even get the KANATECH sound translator adapter.

 

[Kain]

I'm no audiophile, but the stock Bose system is capable of handling highs and mids just fine. One problem is that the door speakers are jack-of-all-trades-ing and dipping into the lows when they shouldn't. I'm just going to throw a 10" and mono amp in the trunk and be done with it.

 

[carpcandaccessories]

aftermarket head unit compatible with Bose system

Our aftermarket unit can be used with Bose system. We have to make some modifications to get it working.
The sound is better with our aftermarket MZ3D head unit "http://www.caradvanced.com/products/Mazda3-Digital-Touch-Screen-with-GPS%2C-DVD-player%2C-bluetooh%2C-Ipod.html"