[hhoang]

I have a 94 Gs with the Premium Bose system. I also have a PPI amp. Can I hook up the PPI amp to the factory headunit? I will be running 4 MB Auart speakers with the amp.

I've heard that you can't hook up an aftermarket amp o the bose head unit and I've heard that you can, but it sucks.

Can anyone help me out?

Thanks

 

[andwhat03]

go hear

http://www.linkmeup.com/

 

[csamos2]

go hear

http://www.linkmeup.com/

I just checked the website you recommended. Looks good, but I am a little confused.

I want to add an aftermarket amp and speakers. The speakers I know I can do with no problem. But I hear the amp is a ***** with the Bose head unit.

1. Have you used their products to add an amp?
2. If so, what items do you need from them?

 

[WhiteLegend]

I just checked the website you recommended. Looks good, but I am a little confused.

I want to add an aftermarket amp and speakers. The speakers I know I can do with no problem. But I hear the amp is a ***** with the Bose head unit.

1. Have you used their products to add an amp?
2. If so, what items do you need from them?

Adding an amp and new speakers to the premium system is doable, I've done it. But it was a ***** to do, there's a lot of wiring involved, biggest problem is to convert factory signal wires from the headunit into RCAs.

 

[csamos2]

Adding an amp and new speakers to the premium system is doable, I've done it. But it was a ***** to do, there's a lot of wiring involved, biggest problem is to convert factory signal wires from the headunit into RCAs.

I dont have the premium system, just the regular Bose on the 91 LS sedan. Any difference?

 

[WhiteLegend]

Not really, the only difference between the Premium system and the 91-92LS is that the premium system has a 200W amp behind the rear seats, the 91-92LS has a 80W amp behind the rear seats. Otherwise the wiring and the system configuration is identical.

 

[92LS]

biggest problem is to convert factory signal wires from the headunit into RCAs.

Whitelegend-

So how did you convert the signals?

 

[andwhat03]

I don't feel that converting the lead to RCA ends is your biggest problem, just go to Radio Shack for the ends and soldier it on. Your main concern is how many volts the preamp outputs on the head are. The head unit is preman to connect to the Bose amp which inputs a specific voltage. I'm assuming that the voltage is quite low because the speakers Bose uses are only 2 Ohm. The quality of amplification will be below my level of appreciation and I would recommend installing a high/low converter off of the highs or just change out your head. I installed an Alpine 7894 flush with the dash and it looks great, not factory but looks beautiful. It has a internal 200w amp, which I’m not using. Instead I hooked it up to an Alpine F200 with the stock speakers. The F200 is 2ohm stable as well as the stock Bose speaker. I have the amp gained all the way down and it's still allot of power for the speakers. NEways, aftermarket head to the aftermarket amp to the stock speakers sounds 10 times better than the stock setup. When you get the cash, do it man, it sounds good. In the mean time don't use the lows from the head into an aftermarket amp, get a hi/low and tap off the rear deck, it'll sound better, trust me, I've gone this route, I’m middle class.

 

[WhiteLegend]

I don't feel that converting the lead to RCA ends is your biggest problem, just go to Radio Shack for the ends and soldier it on. Your main concern is how many volts the preamp outputs on the head are. The head unit is preman to connect to the Bose amp which inputs a specific voltage. I'm assuming that the voltage is quite low because the speakers Bose uses are only 2 Ohm. The quality of amplification will be below my level of appreciation and I would recommend installing a high/low converter off of the highs or just change out your head. I installed an Alpine 7894 flush with the dash and it looks great, not factory but looks beautiful. It has a internal 200w amp, which I'm not using. Instead I hooked it up to an Alpine F200 with the stock speakers. The F200 is 2ohm stable as well as the stock Bose speaker. I have the amp gained all the way down and it's still allot of power for the speakers. NEways, aftermarket head to the aftermarket amp to the stock speakers sounds 10 times better than the stock setup. When you get the cash, do it man, it sounds good. In the mean time don't use the lows from the head into an aftermarket amp, get a hi/low and tap off the rear deck, it'll sound better, trust me, I've gone this route, I'm middle class.

That's what I meant, solder RCA heads onto the output wires of the headunit. The voltage is not a problem, it's high enough. I've done this and worked very well. You alpine headunit might be 2ohm stable, but the Bose speakers are not designed for a lot of power, use them for a long period of time with a aftermarket deck, the speakers will blow. Beside, most people like to keep the factory deck because of the OEM look, not because of money. I like the OEM look, I kept the OEM deck untit it crapped out on me

 

[csamos2]

That's what I meant, solder RCA heads onto the output wires of the headunit. The voltage is not a problem, it's high enough. I've done this and worked very well. You alpine headunit might be 2ohm stable, but the Bose speakers are not designed for a lot of power, use them for a long period of time with a aftermarket deck, the speakers will blow. Beside, most people like to keep the factory deck because of the OEM look, not because of money. I like the OEM look, I kept the OEM deck untit it crapped out on me

My sentiments exactly. While audio quality may be improved by installing an aftermarket head unit, I dont like the looks of aftremarket units in our rides---I like the original, OEM double din Bose deck look. Besides, I'm dont need to crank my system to very high volumes for enjoyment--moderately loud is good enoufg for me--I just need good sound quality---deep rich bass and crisp highs.

I think I may just start by installing teh speakers and see what kind of a difference that makes. If I'm still starving for more power, then I'll get the amp put in.

Still, no on has given me any feedback about www.linkmeup.com, who apparently sells interfaces to make Bose system upgrades much simpler and cleaner.

 

[ChrisK]

I believe, but can't confirm so I wont take credit for it, that I was the first, or at least among the first to use the stock LS/GS BOSE head unit and aftermarket amps and/or speakers. I did it the same way WhiteLegend did his and bought an aftermarket headunit wiring harness for Honda/Acura cars, only added RCS connectors to that and pluged that into the connector leading into the BOSE amp at back. That made it completely reversable. From there, it went into my PPI Precision Power PC 4100 amp. Using it with my stock BOSE speakers, it sounded marginally better. Using it with my aftermarket speakers, it sounded much better. While I am not a true Car Audio Competition personal, I do like high end audio. I am more of a Home Audiophile with some pretty good home audio eqipement from Meridian Ditial Audio, so I think I understand what good audio supposed to sound like. My friend also owns a high end Home Audio/Theater shop, so I've heared state of the art sound systems first hand as well. Also, back in the late 80s and early 90s, I was heavy into car audio and many of my friends installed, or worked for audio and audio repair shops. Anyway, done right, using the stock headunit is more than enough to compete with about 90-95% of aftermarket headunits in a well done system. The only thing I completely hate about the stock BOSE headunit is its lack of a true fader and balance. No real problem in its centered position, but the fact that you can't do a true fade or balance is irritating.

 

[WhiteLegend]

I believe, but can't confirm so I wont take credit for it, that I was the first, or at least among the first to use the stock LS/GS BOSE head unit and aftermarket amps and/or speakers. I did it the same way WhiteLegend did his and bought an aftermarket headunit wiring harness for Honda/Acura cars, only added RCS connectors to that and pluged that into the connector leading into the BOSE amp at back. That made it completely reversable. From there, it went into my PPI Precision Power PC 4100 amp. Using it with my stock BOSE speakers, it sounded marginally better. Using it with my aftermarket speakers, it sounded much better. While I am not a true Car Audio Competition personal, I do like high end audio. I am more of a Home Audiophile with some pretty good home audio eqipement from Meridian Ditial Audio, so I think I understand what good audio supposed to sound like. My friend also owns a high end Home Audio/Theater shop, so I've heared state of the art sound systems first hand as well. Also, back in the late 80s and early 90s, I was heavy into car audio and many of my friends installed, or worked for audio and audio repair shops. Anyway, done right, using the stock headunit is more than enough to compete with about 90-95% of aftermarket headunits in a well done system. The only thing I completely hate about the stock BOSE headunit is its lack of a true fader and balance. No real problem in its centered position, but the fact that you can't do a true fade or balance is irritating.

Yes Chris, you are the first to do that. I did mine after getting numerous advice from you 2 years ago, but then I had a defective stock headunit, which made me install a aftermarket deck.

 

[92LS]

ChrisK and/or WhiteLegend-

Can you walk me through on how install an aftermarket amp while keeping the OEM headunit. I know how to run power, ground, and remote. I think my biggest confusion is how to make RCA plugs work with the stock setup.

 

[WhiteLegend]

ChrisK and/or WhiteLegend-

Can you walk me through on how install an aftermarket amp while keeping the OEM headunit. I know how to run power, ground, and remote. I think my biggest confusion is how to make RCA plugs work with the stock setup.

Go to radio shack and buy some RCA heads, they look just like regular RCA plugs, but just no wires. This is how the RCA plug work. The middle pin of the RCA is positive and the outer shield of the plug is negative. So you can just take the positive and negative wires for each channel from the Headunit and wire them to 4 RCAs, and there you have 4 channel RCAs.

Go buy the RCA heads first, they're only like $3. You'll see what I mean when you get the heads.

 

[92LS]

OK I can do that. But I thought because it was a low level signal you couldn't convert them. Or does that mean thatI just can't use a line converter? Oh, and if I just use the RCA heads should they be female so I can run male RCA plugs to the aftermarket amp from their??

Thanks for the help.

 

[ChrisK]

OK I can do that. But I thought because it was a low level signal you couldn't convert them. Or does that mean thatI just can't use a line converter? Oh, and if I just use the RCA heads should they be female so I can run male RCA plugs to the aftermarket amp from their??

Thanks for the help.

A Line Convertor (LOC) takes an amped signal (Speaker level/High level) and converts that signal back down to preamp level(Low level) signal. Therefore, you don't need to convert the signal because it is already what you need.

 

[D_Nyholm]

Sorry to dig this up from the dead, but can i just wire the RCA heads from the wires going to the factory bose amp (obviously disconnecting the amp)? THen i'll just have 1-2' of RCA's from there?? Or do I have to do it all the way at the head unit and run full RCA's all the way back?

 

[DevanTheDude]

D- Yes you can...In fact at the Bose amp on my 91 coupe I was able to use an aftermarket harness Bestkits model #bha1720. I soldered rca ends onto around 1.5' extension wires and plugged them into my Xtant amp. No need to run wires all the way from the headunit back. Just grab what you need at the Bose amp behind the rear seat {including remote turn on}.The Helms manual will give you the wiring colors you need. The Bestkits harness is nice because you can always go back to factory easily and just plug the Bose amp back in.