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How do I hook up a sub to the Bose system?

Kilroy

Kilroy

New member
I have the Bose system in my GP (amp in the trunk). I want to get a simple powered sub and add to my system, but what is the best way to wire this into the Bose system?
 


nos4blood70 said:
Line Output Converter.
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Wired into the system where? Can I tap the wires in the trunk? Do I have to get the Line output from the head unit? Since I will need both the left and right signal, how do I get said signal without tieing the left channel to the right channel?
 
Yes. You can use the Line input prior to the factory amp. I'm pretty sure I posted info and pics on this somewhere in here ages ago.
 
I have a whole pile of aftermarket crap wired up to my stock Bose HU. 3 amps, sub, 6x9's plus a harwired MP3 line input. A line convertor wont work well unless you run it off the front speakers, the rears are low and high pass filtered in the bose amp so there isnt anywhere to get a full audio signal for a line convertor. The easiest way is to tap into the low level inputs from the HU to the bose amp, solder RCA leads to them. I get weird issues where when I first turn the car on my HU wont turn on unless I hit the window down button and stuff though....
 
Anthony Smith said:
I have a whole pile of aftermarket crap wired up to my stock Bose HU. 3 amps, sub, 6x9's plus a harwired MP3 line input. A line convertor wont work well unless you run it off the front speakers, the rears are low and high pass filtered in the bose amp so there isnt anywhere to get a full audio signal for a line convertor. The easiest way is to tap into the low level inputs from the HU to the bose amp, solder RCA leads to them. I get weird issues where when I first turn the car on my HU wont turn on unless I hit the window down button and stuff though....
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So I can still tap into the system in the trunk as long as I use the INPUT to the amp? I kinda figured I'd have to use the input instead of the output. I don't suppose anyone has a wiring schematic of the Bose amp?
 


i've never had a bose in any of my cars but would it be wacky to just get a different head unit and run your own amp? or get a different head unit and run both amps. i don't know how the bose amp is connected to the head unit or if its straight to the battery for power. seems like you could run rca's out of a head unit to either amp. the bose on the 6x9s or the little sub it powers if it has one and the sub rca out to your aftermarket amp.
 
Kilroy said:
So I can still tap into the system in the trunk as long as I use the INPUT to the amp? I kinda figured I'd have to use the input instead of the output. I don't suppose anyone has a wiring schematic of the Bose amp?
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Yea pretty much, I dont remember the wire colors though. Also just to be clear, you dont hook the amp input wires to a line convertor. You just tap into them with RCA's and plug them into your aftermarket amp.
 
Anthony Smith said:
Yea pretty much, I dont remember the wire colors though. Also just to be clear, you dont hook the amp input wires to a line convertor. You just tap into them with RCA's and plug them into your aftermarket amp.
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This is great news! Now I just have to find out which wires to tap. One of my life rules, "Always know what you are tapping." :th_laugh-lol2:
 
Shiftingshaddow said:
i've never had a bose in any of my cars but would it be wacky to just get a different head unit and run your own amp? or get a different head unit and run both amps. i don't know how the bose amp is connected to the head unit or if its straight to the battery for power. seems like you could run rca's out of a head unit to either amp. the bose on the 6x9s or the little sub it powers if it has one and the sub rca out to your aftermarket amp.
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Please re-read the title of this thread, and then re-try to reply properly.
 


Kilroy said:
Please re-read the title of this thread, and then re-try to reply properly.
Click to expand...

Or you could have simply ignored it and saved yourself the time. I reread the title and still think it sounds silly. You want to power a sub with the stock amp?.......I thought the amp already powered a small sub mounted under the back window as is the case with the bose in my brother's maxima.

Regardless, I don't know why you just wouldn't run your own good amp and good sub:confused: But if you're using a stock head unit you probably don't care too much about sound--in which case get a crappy low rated sub and hook it with your 6x9's. It will power it for average listening--which is what you get with the stock head unit anyway. If the amp is hooked to the 6x9s and there isn't a sub then just hook the sub to the connectors on the 6x9s in the trunk. The amp will power both and I doubt it will hurt the amp if you aren't blasting it. Even without an amp this would work. I did it in two cars before I knew how to run an amp or sub--or anything--with a sub I was given for free. If it has a stock sub then you can still probably run another off of it hooked in either series or parallel (daisy chained) and there is probably a crossover built in factory?

But whatever:th_peaceout:
 
Honestly ive been thinking of doing the same to mine. i have the Bose system in my GT and its a pain in the ass. I want to replace the HU, but if i do i need a proper HUmount (because i refuse to use that tacky looking Scosche bull****) and i would also need the steering control adapter... too much money for now. On top of that, a proper wiring diagram for the trunk amp harness is almost impossible to find.. so i may just end up having to say fk it and end up replacing it after all. If anyone has a good diagram of the trunk wiring both me and Killroy would be appreciative. The only info i have is that the PINK wire on the harness going into the Bose amp is the remote turn on. Havnt been able to verify that myself, though.

The cheap way is a pain in the ass and the expensive way is, well, expensive.


Though you specified that you didnt want to replace the HU or anything, here are the parts that im going to use in my GP when i do mine. Maybe they will help you out if you ever decide you want to go this route.
HUmount:
Grand Prix 1992-2003 - $65.00 : Humount, Quality Mounting Brackets

Steering interface:
AXXESS® ASWC - Pontiac Grand Prix 1997-2008 Custom Radio Steering Wheel Control Interface
 
Last edited:
USFrozen:AI - Aftermarket Stereo Mounting Kit #

Did you know about this for an aftermarket HU? I've never used it but its only 10 bucks.

I have the best buy one in my car and I had to rig it up to actually work. the sochee one was just as bad. Or maybe its the other way around. I stumbled on this guy after I was already done.
 
Just rip the stock bose headunit out, its crap, then Replace with a after market and it will have a sub output, plus even the speakers will sound better due to not having the stupid bose equalization .
 


I really dont like the little cubby hole below the HU in that type of mount, plus i know that the HUmount i want will fit with no issues. plus, i want to get it backlit in white to match my car. Plus... unless you are on this type of site you almost never see those custom mounts like that.
 
i just had to replace my fuse for my amp power wire, long story short previous owned blew it while removing his system.
finally get my shizz semi set up (need a humount) and unfortunately it sounds like crap!
i have little to no bass untill i crank the volume so high that the non bass part is too freaking loud...
or maybe its supposed to be that way? its the same head unit and amp/sub i had in my tbird. i feel like something is amping up the speakers.
when i spliced in my head units harness, the guy told me to put the amps remote wire and another blue wire to the remote wire on the harness.
could the mysterious 3rd wire possibly be the bose amps remote wire?? i want to keep the bose speakers without having to rewire them to the head unit, thats not an option i refuse to do that a 4th time hah. if there was some way for me to just cut out the bose amp/sub from the factory and then keep the rest the way it is thatd be great...
 
jjmitch87 said:
i just had to replace my fuse for my amp power wire, long story short previous owned blew it while removing his system.
finally get my shizz semi set up (need a humount) and unfortunately it sounds like crap!
i have little to no bass untill i crank the volume so high that the non bass part is too freaking loud...
or maybe its supposed to be that way? its the same head unit and amp/sub i had in my tbird. i feel like something is amping up the speakers.
when i spliced in my head units harness, the guy told me to put the amps remote wire and another blue wire to the remote wire on the harness.
could the mysterious 3rd wire possibly be the bose amps remote wire?? i want to keep the bose speakers without having to rewire them to the head unit, thats not an option i refuse to do that a 4th time hah. if there was some way for me to just cut out the bose amp/sub from the factory and then keep the rest the way it is thatd be great...
Click to expand...

The speakers are amped with the bose amp. There is no stock subwofer, if the bose amp was wired incorrectly then u would have no sound.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2
 
OK awesome. After its been in for a few days it doesn't sound bad. Maybe I had to get used to non amped up speakers like my tbird haha
 
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