Dumped the Bose yesterday
08-20-2009, 12:06 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
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Dumped the Bose yesterday
Yesterday I took the 1991 coupe down to the local car radio shop. They removed the Bose radio head and speakers and put in a Kenwood AM/FM/CD player that will also let my 20 year old daughter hook up her MP3 player or a flash drive in the USB port, with 4 new speakers. Everything was less than $ 600 and it sounds much better than the old Bose system, which was still working on all 4 speakers. I did not get separate amps and subwoofers as I do not need for the people 4 blocks down the road to hear me coming. Just a basic, low cost new system that sounds good.
08-20-2009, 01:48 PM
#4
Safety Car
That's what I did. Although I went for a nav head unit and Boston Acoustics speakers ... and a separate amp ... so didn't really end up saving much money, but oh well!
08-20-2009, 03:53 PM
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what did u do with your old speakers
08-20-2009, 04:06 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
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I am keeping everything that was taken out so that in 25 years when the car is a collectible it can be put back to stock. Or if someone needs them I may consider selling or giving them away.
08-21-2009, 01:12 PM
#10
Race Director
For their time, the Bose was a good factory system, albeit overpriced. Factory radios in the early-mid 80's weren't known for their high quality sound. Compared to most of what was available at the time, the Bose in it's day was a sonic marvel.
By today's standards, a $49 off brand CD player at Pep Boys will outperfrom them. A $100 Pioneer head unit from Wal-Mart coupled with another $100 worth of speakers from the same fine retailer will run circles around the Bose.
By today's standards, a $49 off brand CD player at Pep Boys will outperfrom them. A $100 Pioneer head unit from Wal-Mart coupled with another $100 worth of speakers from the same fine retailer will run circles around the Bose.
08-21-2009, 06:04 PM
#12
Drifting
08-22-2009, 09:14 AM
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I love listening to my turbo muffs most of the time and with the top down the radio don't sound so good, but for those long trips, I dumped Bose crap and had complete Alpine system installed. Best $ 800 bucks I spent in years.
08-22-2009, 09:32 AM
#15
The issues I saw with the Bose system:
Small speakers which relied on a ported enclosure.
Small amplifiers.
Carpeting over the speakers.
makes me wonder what their engineers where thinking.
its the same problem with their home systems...tiny cube speakers which can't move a lot of air and rely on reflection off the walls..which is exactly what you don't want.
Small speakers which relied on a ported enclosure.
Small amplifiers.
Carpeting over the speakers.
makes me wonder what their engineers where thinking.
its the same problem with their home systems...tiny cube speakers which can't move a lot of air and rely on reflection off the walls..which is exactly what you don't want.
08-22-2009, 03:17 PM
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As an installer there was nothing I loved more than taking out a crappy bose system and replacing it with some high quality stuff.
When I was a road shop manger for circuit city we did a 94 or 95 C4. It was a friend of my sales guys fathers that was a dr. He had just picked up the low mileage gem and was sick of the stock bose system.
We did a Pioneer 6000 with the I pod cable in the center console, Polk 4" speakers up front, polk 6 1/2" components in the back mounted under the stock grills, a custom fake floor with amp rack on the back wall, Kicker 4 channel on the speakers, kicker sub amp and kicker 8" sub flushed into the false floor in the back with a small box under it that went down in to the jack area (jack still acessable). The only thing I would say that would suck for your average DIY was making the amp rack on the rear of the hatch, my recommendation would be to just make a simple rectangular false floor and cover it in carpet/vinyl.
That car sounded very very good. I would have preferred to put the 6 1/2" components up front but not much you can do in the c4 with out getting crazy. Maybe also ditching the jack and jumping up to a 10" sub.
When I was a road shop manger for circuit city we did a 94 or 95 C4. It was a friend of my sales guys fathers that was a dr. He had just picked up the low mileage gem and was sick of the stock bose system.
We did a Pioneer 6000 with the I pod cable in the center console, Polk 4" speakers up front, polk 6 1/2" components in the back mounted under the stock grills, a custom fake floor with amp rack on the back wall, Kicker 4 channel on the speakers, kicker sub amp and kicker 8" sub flushed into the false floor in the back with a small box under it that went down in to the jack area (jack still acessable). The only thing I would say that would suck for your average DIY was making the amp rack on the rear of the hatch, my recommendation would be to just make a simple rectangular false floor and cover it in carpet/vinyl.
That car sounded very very good. I would have preferred to put the 6 1/2" components up front but not much you can do in the c4 with out getting crazy. Maybe also ditching the jack and jumping up to a 10" sub.
08-22-2009, 03:21 PM
#17
As an installer there was nothing I loved more than taking out a crappy bose system and replacing it with some high quality stuff.
When I was a road shop manger for circuit city we did a 94 or 95 C4. It was a friend of my sales guys fathers that was a dr. He had just picked up the low mileage gem and was sick of the stock bose system.
We did a Pioneer 6000 with the I pod cable in the center console, Polk 4" speakers up front, polk 6 1/2" components in the back mounted under the stock grills, a custom fake floor with amp rack on the back wall, Kicker 4 channel on the speakers, kicker sub amp and kicker 8" sub flushed into the false floor in the back with a small box under it that went down in to the jack area (jack still acessable). The only thing I would say that would suck for your average DIY was making the amp rack on the rear of the hatch, my recommendation would be to just make a simple rectangular false floor and cover it in carpet/vinyl.
That car sounded very very good. I would have preferred to put the 6 1/2" components up front but not much you can do in the c4 with out getting crazy. Maybe also ditching the jack and jumping up to a 10" sub.
When I was a road shop manger for circuit city we did a 94 or 95 C4. It was a friend of my sales guys fathers that was a dr. He had just picked up the low mileage gem and was sick of the stock bose system.
We did a Pioneer 6000 with the I pod cable in the center console, Polk 4" speakers up front, polk 6 1/2" components in the back mounted under the stock grills, a custom fake floor with amp rack on the back wall, Kicker 4 channel on the speakers, kicker sub amp and kicker 8" sub flushed into the false floor in the back with a small box under it that went down in to the jack area (jack still acessable). The only thing I would say that would suck for your average DIY was making the amp rack on the rear of the hatch, my recommendation would be to just make a simple rectangular false floor and cover it in carpet/vinyl.
That car sounded very very good. I would have preferred to put the 6 1/2" components up front but not much you can do in the c4 with out getting crazy. Maybe also ditching the jack and jumping up to a 10" sub.
I modded my 92 vert's front pods to fit 6 1/2 speakers. Wasn't too hard, just hogged out the hole and fiberglassed the port shut, then reinnforced the hole with some more glass. Incredible improvement over the 4 inchers. The rear bass tubes are also unique, never seen anyone else do them, didn't even bother with rear speakers, no need.
08-22-2009, 11:08 PM
#19
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Personally, I like the Bose. Especially with a really great CD. I've had people ask me if I had boosters. It sounds really sweet, and it keeps the car original. I don't like the looks of the new systems in these cars. Doesn't look right and for the space involved, the Bose is plenty of jam for the ride.
But, to each his own!
Teal Jewel
But, to each his own!
Teal Jewel
08-23-2009, 03:41 AM
#20
Safety Car
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Personally, I like the Bose. Especially with a really great CD. I've had people ask me if I had boosters. It sounds really sweet, and it keeps the car original. I don't like the looks of the new systems in these cars. Doesn't look right and for the space involved, the Bose is plenty of jam for the ride.
But, to each his own!
Teal Jewel
But, to each his own!
Teal Jewel
I can find a lot of better places to spend 500.00 to 800.00 bucks!