Pope

I have a 2004 C240 with factory radio. (Not Bose), I do have 6 disc changer though. I was looking in my trunk and found the wiring and bracket for the Bose amplifier. So my question is, if i were to pick up a Bose amp and subwoofer from ebay or whatnot, will I be able to install it into my car easily, or will I run into issues?

samaritrey

LOL
It is actually way more integrated then just plugging in a bose amp and sub. The speakers are wired completely different and you would need to program the car to use the bose amp. The stock streo has speaker wires plug straight into the head unit. In the bose setup the sound goes from the head unit over the fiber network to the amp in the trunk and then out to each speaker.

jcnash

Just upgrade to an aftermarket setup like an AVIC. Youll get better sound than the Bose system and more options like bluetooth connectivity, navigation etc.

tommy

You should be tickled pink that you don't have to deal with the Bose sub. It's a serious POS. Do as JCN said; you'll be much happier.

LILBENZ230

Never understood the Bose hate, I think people say they hate Bose simply because it has became the "cool" thing to do on the interwebs. I've been more than satisfied with my Bose experiences both in cars and in home.

tommy

If you're given the choice between doing a Bose upgrade and going aftermarket, would you really go down the Bose way?

Glyn M Ruck

Bose makes lifestyle equipment, not quality audio gear. For car audio you can do a lot better than Bose. Bose is overpriced for very average gear.

If you are serious about sound don't buy Bose. It does not crack it. You can do a lot better out there for the money.

jcnash

To get more technical...I work in the aviation industry and Bose as you probably know is HHUUUUGE into aviation headsets because of their noise cancelling technology. They are also very popular, and in fact started off in life as a speaker manufacturer by developing the Bose 901 Series speakers. These employed Bose developed direct/reflecting speaker technology which drives 90% of the sound towards the wall as opposed to the listener and relies on sound reflecting off the wall ate carefully calculated angles to hit the listeners ears from all over, which helps them i guess produce a "immersed in sound" experience.
My home system is primarily Bose and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it...but in a car, the acoustics are very different from a house. Im not going to explain how as that should be fairly obvious. But Bose relies on the same technology as above for car systems which needless to say goes terribly wrong. Thwy were hoping that that the hype they had developed with home systems would carry over to their car systems and people would be wiling to pay an arm and a leg for the Bose badge in their car (and many not very tech savvy people do), but for an audio connoisseur, one listen to the sound quality of a Bose system should be enough for quick decision.

Glyn M Ruck

Especially in the home Bose have never even scratched the surface of high end audio. They remain lifestyle with serious audio flaws. But if you like them that's all that matters.

While many speakers could be used as an example I will pick one. Put a set of relatively cheap Magneplanar MG 1.7s in your room with reasonable upstream gear & they will blow the best Bose can do into outer space.

Put a set of MG 20.1's or even the new MG 3.7's in your system & you will find audio nirvana without having to spend $120,000 on a pair of speakers.

LILBENZ230

I am not that technical, and while I like music, I am not an audiophile. Bose has always sounded good to me as I suspect it does to most in the general population.

To answer Tommy's question, yes, I'd go with Bose.

tommy

Ugh.

I got it because I wanted to have something that would last throughout the warranty without having the dealership try to screw me out of warranty-related fixes, and $750 over a 5-year loan is really nothing, but I've never been happy with how the radio sounds. With the sunroof open and windows down, it's really pitiful. Volume is more critical in the ccoupe, as the sunroof really does suck the sound away.

LILBENZ230

Bose systems are not all created equal. They are really good in Infiniti and Nissan cars, it was really good in my 2002 Acura TL. But in a Pathfinder, it blows. So it really depends on the car.

jcnash

Ive always wondered about the Magnepans. With their seemingly flat design, they lok liek theyve been designed primarily with aesthetics in mind and not sound quality, but Ive heard from a few of my audiophile friends who have tried them out as well that they are terrific. How are they priced?

I have the Macintosh cube system (independent amplifiers in separate enclosures for each distinct channel) running Bose speakers in my 7.1 HT system. However, the Bose speakers are the Bose 901 Series 2 circa 1987, and they sound terrific. Completely agree with you in that Ive heard lesser reviews about the newer Bose speakers.

jcnash

Yep Ive heard the Bose system in a friends W203 and youre absolutely right..the sound is pretty bad. i think its because of the direct/reflecting technology. Only problem is the 90% of sounds that is supposed to be reflected doesnt get reflected and escapes from the cars body LOL.

How hard is it to upgrade/downgrade from the Bose system to a regular AVIC? If its not going to be too intense, I would definitely recommend it. Even a good head unit attached to the stock speakers sounds pretty good!!

jcnash

Matt...completely true! I think some BMW's had them at one point as well, and I remember someone telling me they sounded good. In the end its all about what you like...some people like lots of volume, others like tons of bass, others vocal quality etc etc etc. I dont mean to put-down your Bose system...if you like it, thats all matters!
Im just saying that the technology that Bose systems are based on wouldnt work well in a car IMHO.

Glyn M Ruck

Maggies biggest problem is WAF. They are not the prettiest things & are large & women don't want them in their lounge unless they also love music. I built myself a separate audio/theatre room to keep the audio gear out of the rest of the house. A pair of MG 1.7's will set you back $1900 and have to be the biggest bargain in the high end.

I run 20.1's & 3.6's in a full surround array with 4 Velodyne subs for HT only not serious music.

MG 3.7's are $5800 a pair & MG 20.1's are $13000 a pair in the US - you lucky guys.

I like the wood surrounds but I'm a traditionalist & have owned many generations of Maggies & other speakers like top B&W's. If you don't like light oak or cherry etc you can now have aluminium in different colours with a variety of cloth colours.

LILBENZ230

BMWs have always had HK, never Bose. I don't personally have a Bose system anymore, though I was pleased with it in the past.

jcnash

No go on the attachments. Cant see the pics.

Glyn M Ruck

Should be fixed now.

jcnash

Wow those look amazing!!
I would say that these look way better than most other speakers in a lounge, but I guess the size skews that a bit LOL.
I love the cherry finishes myself...I had my Bose 901's from the 80's re-panelled with a cherry finish. They were originally regular wood color. I might have to try out the MG's with my Macintosh setup after seeing those pics!! Unfortunately I live in a loft. Not much room for big speakers (or garages for auto DIYers) in these tiny units

BTW...I live in Canada...where we pay 2.5x the prices in the US on everything from toothpaste to BMW's LOL. Im sure its the same with audio equipment.

4 Velodyne subs??? How big is your theater room?

Glyn M Ruck

Not big - about 24 feet by 19'. Maggies are very fast speakers and even the best servo subs can sound slow if you drive them too hard. So I use more of them running unstressed. It also allows me to achieve a flat response in my room with a minimum of equalisation.

Only warning with Maggies is that they need amplifiers with decent current capability. They are otherwise easy to drive as they are a purely resistive load.

jcnash

Here are the specs on my SA-9800 Pioneer amp:
Power :2x 100W (4 Ohm, 10Hz...20Khz)
2x 100W (8 Ohm, 10Hz...20Khz)
2x 185W (4 Ohm, 1Khz, DIN)
THD : less than 0,005% (full power, 1Khz, 8 Ohm, DIN)
Frequency response : 5Hz - 100Khz (+0 / -1dB, AUX input)
S/N ratio : > 90dB (phono MM)
> 72dB (phono MC)
> 110dB (lines)

It has a special DC non-switching circuit to prevent relay lag and switching distortion. That should do a pretty good job I think.

tommy

AFAIK, the car would have to be rewired to get rid of the fiberoptic crap; I've priced it out, and would probably run about 1900-2200 total. I had been holding onto an old Eclipse unit (my favorites), but had to throw that in the CRX when that car's Eclipse HU died this summer.
If it weren't for the repairs, I would have had a new h/u in my car by now, but now, I don't feel like throwing that much into it; that would be a good chunk on the down payment for my next car. And at this point, it's almost cool enough to keep the windows up, which means that a b1chin' stereo isn't really needed until April/May.

Glyn M Ruck

The Pioneer is going to battle a little. It is not a high current amp. At least it can tolerate a 4 to 5 ohms load as that is what Maggies are. It's far from ideal but could be a starting point. Maggies IMHO always sound best with Audio Research tube amps or Bryston solid state - They also work well with Parasound if one is trying to save some bucks. They are always demonstrated on shows with one or the other & have a long relationship. You live in Canada - home of Bryston. You should keep your eyes open for a good Bryston deal even if it is secondhand. They are bullet proof & have a 20 year warranty. Decent amplification will really make them sing.

Good luck!

johnand

I used to be a huge car audio nut. I tore apart many vehicles and spent a ton of money trying to get a perfect sounding vehicle. Several years ago, I finally came to the realization, that it is impossible to get perfect sound in a vehicle. Cars are terrible sound rooms. That is why I migrated to home theater for my audio bliss.

To the OP, I would go aftermarket. It is much cheaper and easier to get decent sound quality. But, you can't beat OEM for aesthetics.

Glyn, I have had the pleasure to listen to several varieties of MG's, and I have always been impressed