Basic sound system using the Bose snake
03-25-19, 12:37 PM
#1
Basic sound system using the Bose snake
Greetings!
I’ve been spending quite a bit of time lately trying to get the old Bose system up and running again. I had an itch to listen to some of my old cassettes but realized after testing all the components realized they would all need to be reconditioned including the head unit.
Audio control makes a really nice line out converter that I thought would work well with the original head unit and external amplifier and bypass all the amps but could not get it to work. This would have maintained a nice stock look.
So I changed direction and went a more modern route. I wasn’t looking for anything fancy but wanted a basic sound system using the snake to keep the car as factory looking as possible (with Bluetooth streaming!).
I changed the door speakers for some infinity 6.5 reference speakers with custom templates. Changed the head unit for a basic JVC media player (KD-X350BTS) that has built in crossovers and subwoofer output and added a alpine power pack (445U) that fit nicely under the head unit. The best part about the head unit is that it is not as deep as a standard unit so there is plenty of space behind. My previous radio was a tight fit due to the wires being jammed against the supports in the back. Colors can be changed to match the stock lighting as well.
The amplifier is wired directly to the door speakers and Bose snake with fresh wires. Subwoofer pre-outs are sent to the rear channel in the amp and front pre-outs to the Infinity speakers. Center channel was removed and substituted with a microphone.
I set the low pass filter for 180Hz and the high pass filter at 90H and gave it a try. Bottom line is that it sounds pretty decent! I never had a chance to hear the Bose system running properly so I can’t compare but the system produces enough mid bass to keep me happy. The Alpine power Pack is pretty clean and can get loud enough to hear the music on the highway which was what I was looking for.
Definitely not a high end system but is usable and was able to make some use out of the snake which has not been used since I bought the car. Aside from the head unit the rest looks original.
Just wanted to share in case someone else is thinking of doing something similar. With the road noise that FD’s produce having a high end system is probably not worth it so I thought this would be a reasonable approach.
Neil
I’ve been spending quite a bit of time lately trying to get the old Bose system up and running again. I had an itch to listen to some of my old cassettes but realized after testing all the components realized they would all need to be reconditioned including the head unit.
Audio control makes a really nice line out converter that I thought would work well with the original head unit and external amplifier and bypass all the amps but could not get it to work. This would have maintained a nice stock look.
So I changed direction and went a more modern route. I wasn’t looking for anything fancy but wanted a basic sound system using the snake to keep the car as factory looking as possible (with Bluetooth streaming!).
I changed the door speakers for some infinity 6.5 reference speakers with custom templates. Changed the head unit for a basic JVC media player (KD-X350BTS) that has built in crossovers and subwoofer output and added a alpine power pack (445U) that fit nicely under the head unit. The best part about the head unit is that it is not as deep as a standard unit so there is plenty of space behind. My previous radio was a tight fit due to the wires being jammed against the supports in the back. Colors can be changed to match the stock lighting as well.
The amplifier is wired directly to the door speakers and Bose snake with fresh wires. Subwoofer pre-outs are sent to the rear channel in the amp and front pre-outs to the Infinity speakers. Center channel was removed and substituted with a microphone.
I set the low pass filter for 180Hz and the high pass filter at 90H and gave it a try. Bottom line is that it sounds pretty decent! I never had a chance to hear the Bose system running properly so I can’t compare but the system produces enough mid bass to keep me happy. The Alpine power Pack is pretty clean and can get loud enough to hear the music on the highway which was what I was looking for.
Definitely not a high end system but is usable and was able to make some use out of the snake which has not been used since I bought the car. Aside from the head unit the rest looks original.
Just wanted to share in case someone else is thinking of doing something similar. With the road noise that FD’s produce having a high end system is probably not worth it so I thought this would be a reasonable approach.
Neil
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