Alright I'm not sure if anyone has tried this or not, I searched, but didn't really find anything.

My rear Bose unit went bad. I know the Bose system has an individual amp for each speaker so I wasn't sure if the unit wasn't working because of speaker or the amp.

Well, I really want to keep the Bose system. Why? Well hell, I don't want a big-bumping system, but I still want a good sounding stereo. I like the way the acoustics sound with the stock Bose system, and also my car has a trunk cover / trunk carpet for the rear unit (and I don't want to waste money swapping them out).

I took out the rear Bose unit and tore it down. I've never seen the inside of this thing...very strange.





The unit actually has two amps and two speakers (left & right channel). The amps are mounted on the outside of the driver's side section, and the speakers are facing each other, pressed together. Pretty smart Bose.

As you can see, the speakers are pretty much just standard 6.5" speakers.









Once I had the speakers out I went out to find some replacements. I picked up some speakers at BestBuy (good return policy just incase). I hooked up the new speakers to the Bose amps. Tried to play some music...sound, but crackling, very quiet sound - no real music. Damn, obviously the amps were bad. I hooked up the stock Bose speakers to amplified outputs on my Alpine headunit, and the played fine.

If it had been the other way around, I could have just installed the new speakers. Bummer. Since the amps are the problem, I need new a new amp.





The 6.5 alpine speakers are almost the same size as the bose speakers, with a similar size magnet. They fit really well in place of the stock speakers, but they are slightly smaller in diameter so I used some carpet padding to make them nice and tight in the housing.





After wiring them up, I closed the unit and bolted it back together.



After putting the whole unit back together, and placing it in my trunk, I hooked up the speakers to the rear amplified lines on my headunit. Fired it up and tried it out. Sounds like regular old speakers, not subwoofers. Duh - not hooked up to a subwoofer line...just rear speaker outputs.

Tomorrow I'm going to get a small amp and I am going to connect it to the subwoofer RCA output on my headunit. By hooking it up to the actual subwoofer connection and using an amp, I think I'll be able to achieve the lower frequency sound of the original setup.

I actually might use the 6.5" Alpine speakers in the doors (waiting for the speaker mount adapters to come) and order some real 6.5" subwoofers, but I want to try these speakers in the rear unit first.

Updates tomorrow hopefully.

 

Good info, I was curious about the same thing. Mine are starting to crackle, but I want to keep the BOSE. It looks kinda cool

 

I have also been very curious about this. Mine still sound good but I would like to get an additional 50%-100% increase out of them and I don't really want to put in a different bass setup. Everyone I have talked to about it don't think its worth the effort but I do. Do you think that if I were to get some stronger/better subs then it would add a lil bit of ooomf to the tube setup? Or would it be better to upgrade the amp. I also was hoping to be able to stick the amp in the same spot and that is a very small amp, where would I find another small amp like that?

 

theorie--- great job on the write up, it's been so long since my rear units have when out and had the head unit less FD. I just might pick the some new 6.5 and do the install myself. Good job and best of luck.

 

I have seen several threads on this subject. Each time the writer was directed to do a search on this site.

Appearently there are written instructions on this web site that spell out exactly what you need to do.

Good Luck

Super77

 

i've been on this site since 2000, (had a different username then), ive had 2 FD's, seen the inside of just about every single part on these cars - but i've never seen the inside of the bose unit. i figured if i haven't then others haven't either.

the threads i found were really lacking information / photos, so i started a new one.

sorry for the repost maybe you want to post links to the several threads and instructions instead of making pointless contributions to the thread.

 

You have to remember that the Bose speakers are mid bass drivers, and if you put in full range speakers like you have done, sound will be full range. Also, I think the Bose system uses a weird ohms on the speakers. Lastly make sure you wired the speakers up isoberic.

Eddie

 

^^ That is what I was thinking as well. Using a full range speaker even though it is on a sub channel may not get the sound you are after. You may try using a speaker filter or a low pass crossover. I know the "sub channel" has a low pass crossover but usually the head unit is not sufficient to get what you are desiring. The filter on the amp may help as well. I am just thinking out loud here..... Let us know what happens. I would really like to see/hear the end result.

 

HIS factory amps is blown and should not matter far as using full range speakers. Theorie--are you not going to connect the new speakers to a after market amp now as stated above.

BTW::: regarding the repost who F in cares. He took the time and posted after he searched(successfully or not). people who post the same subject matter getting
shot down is F in silly. This is his experience and should be allowed to post what ever he feels like.
nice pictures man. Never looked at one from the inside. Good luck!!!!!

 

from the picture it looks like he bought a set of components and just seperated the mid bass driver from the set and used that. Maybe I'm mistaken though.

I'd be interested to know the ohm rating on the stock speakers to see if it could be done with the factory amp, but in his case where he intends to go aftermarket anyway I don't think it'll be an issue.

 

lil update...

i'm in the shop now but i just finished everything.

ended up using the stock speakers in the bose unit, powered by a small 4 channel amp mounted to the back of the cabin/trunk divider piece. sounds great so far...

photos to come...

 

so since the amp was bad you ended up returning the alpine units and hooked it up to some amp ??? need pictures man. need pictures. How clean does she look.

 

He didn't say he returned them, but he did say earlier in the thread that he might use them in the doors.

 

yeah yeah, updates updates.

anyway after playing with the settings on my headunit i got everything to sound real nice. it's definitely not super high end sounding, close to stock i would say, which is what i was aiming for. i still don't have the "full-effect" yet because my driver's door speaker is still blown (going to install some alpine 6.5" into the doors, waiting on the adapter-mounts to come).

but anyway, here are the pics. i decided to install the amp on the back of the cabin/trunk divider like i mentioned before. i did this because 1) i plan to use it for the door speakers so it will be easier to run the lines, and 2) if i decide to put the spare back in, i can't have the amp in the way.

doesn't look too bad i guess.



before:


after:


current config:

HEADUNIT SUB RCA OUTPUTS -> AMP -> SPEAKERS IN BOSE TRUNK TUBE

once the adapters come for the doors, i'll put the alpines in the doors and run them off the amp also.

 

another thing to check (I'm sure you did, but maybe someone else reading this thread hasn't) for more volume out of the bose unit is to make sure that all the screws are tight and all the gaskets/seals are perfect. I did this on my old FD and it made a WORLD of difference.

 

Updates?

 

up dates?? ttt

 

That's some silly ****. Running full range speakers through that Bose snake while talking **** about acoustic engineers.