Bose Upgrade ??

How do I upgrade the Bose system in the tahoe. I have heard so many rumors and concerns that the bose system is tied into the navigation, onstar and evrything else that make the radio go. I have search web and the forum a bit and Im in need of some guiadance.
Okay i want to add some JL components to the doors and add a better Sub woofer and some a amp(s).
I see that JL Audio makes a Sub replacement (W1) for the Bose Sub. But do you need to upgrade the amp too. I think the price is a bit high too for a W1 Sub.
Do i need the Clean sweep?

Thanks

How much of an upgrade do you want to do? What sort of budget? Are you going to keep the stock head unit?

The Bose amp is tied into the OnStar, chimes, etc. But there are adapter harnesses you can get to allow you to replace the amp and retain all the functionality. If you are wanting to replace all the speakers and sub, then you'll need new amp(s). You can either replace the Bose amp or leave it in and tie it into the mods.

I'm leaving the Bose amp and tying it in with my audio upgrades. You don't necessarily need a Cleansweep or RF 3Sixty, but using one should give better results.

Okay! Im guessing the "harness" is the quick and easy way to upgrade with good results amd the OEM intergration units (Clean Sweep, and 3 Sixty) will result in a better overall sound and quality.

What is the name of the harness that i would need?

Im plan to add:
JL ZR650 speakers (front doors)
JL XR650x " (Rear doors)
JL 1000/1 Amp under rear left capt seat
JL 450/4 Amp under rear right capt seat
JL 12 W7 ???

Hopyfully i can pull this off.
Open for tips and advice. Thanks!!

A good set of audio upgrade components you've got there.

There are two questions that you'll have to ask your self. Are you going to keep the OEM head unit? Are you going to keep the OEM amp? These questions somewhat dictate the available paths. If you are going to replace the OEM amp then there are adapters here http://www.pac-audio.com/ that allow aftermarket amps with the OEM head unit and you don't need a Cleansweep or 3Sixty. If you are keep the OEM amp and head unit, then you don't need the adapter harness and a Cleansweep or 3Sixty is a good way to go.

since we on this subject. what do i need to do to add aftermarket sub but keep the stock bose speaker? i want to keep everything oem except the sub. i want to add 2 jl audio tw5 with a alpine pdx 1000watt mono amp.

I remember reading a post somewhere, I can't remember off hand, where the person talked to the Bose auto group asking if an aftermarket sub will work with their speakers. Their answer was that aftermarket subs won't work with the Bose speakers. What I've been able to gather is that the Bose speakers are specially wired to work properly with the Bose amp.

DofD said:

A good set of audio upgrade components you've got there.

There are two questions that you'll have to ask your self. Are you going to keep the OEM head unit? Are you going to keep the OEM amp? These questions somewhat dictate the available paths. If you are going to replace the OEM amp then there are adapters here http://www.pac-audio.com/ that allow aftermarket amps with the OEM head unit and you don't need a Cleansweep or 3Sixty. If you are keep the OEM amp and head unit, then you don't need the adapter harness and a Cleansweep or 3Sixty is a good way to go.

Click to expand...

I need the PAC if i want to keep the bose amp?

I plan to get rid of the Bose amp and go aftermarket fully. I was told that the Bose amp will not work with any aftermarket speakers.

If you're going fully aftermarket, then yes, you'll need PAC harnesses to connect OnStar, chimes, steering wheel controls, etc.

The Bose amp will work with aftermarket speakers, but not all that well.

oh i see.
I guess it doesnt make sense to buy $800 speakers to have it powered by the bose amp. Ill just use the clean sweep. With the sweeper thing, will my Onstar, Chimes, etc work.
okay thanks!

Yes, putting in good speakers with the Bose amp is a waste of money.

Yes, using the Bose amplifier with a Cleansweep, routing to an aftermarket amplifier will retain all the chimes, OnStar, etc.

The only issue is that the chimes, turning indicator sounds, OnStar audio signals will also get amplified via the new amp rather than being at a constant volume. I'm currently trying to find a workable solution to keep the chimes, etc from going through the aftermarket amp in order to retain stock volume levels.

riverst said:

Im plan to add:
JL ZR650 speakers (front doors)
JL XR650x " (Rear doors)
JL 1000/1 Amp under rear left capt seat
JL 450/4 Amp under rear right capt seat
JL 12 W7 ???

Hopyfully i can pull this off.
Open for tips and advice. Thanks!!

Click to expand...

Honestly if you are going to buy all of that then I would ditch the idea of integration and just get a new Head Unit. That equipment is awfully nice for keeping your OEM head unit. My stuff isn't/wont be nearly as nice as that when I'm done and even I still invested in a good HU. Good head units have far more features than OEM and will help generate better sound.

No point in spending a couple grand on JL stuff just to integrate it into your stock HU which isn't nearly up to par with what you intend to link it to.

DofD said:

......aftermarket subs won't work with the Bose speakers. What I've been able to gather is that the Bose speakers are specially wired to work properly with the Bose amp.

Click to expand...

That's incorrect. The sub signal is generated inside the Bose amp and routed out on the connector as a line level signal going to the sub enclosure. If you desire, you can take this signal and send to any aftermarket sub. I doubt the new one will fit in the console but....


About the speakers. The Bose amp is design to work with 1 and 2 ohm loads. This is an extremely low impedance, and is the reason the little book-sized amp can generate all those channels of amplification. If you replace the OEM speakers with aftermarket, they will probably have 4 or perhaps even 8 ohm voice coils. This higher load will reduce the audio level produced by the amp, and confuse the clip detection circuit as well.

If you're going to do it, I'd go with a full speaker/amp upgrade. Leaving one or the other in is going to produce less-than-favorable results. Personally, with the program material I listen to (actual music), the system is perfectly adequate especially considering the price point of it. There's a nice sound stage set up in the middle of the dash, and at 70mph with the sun roof open, who's going to do critical listening?

I agree with a whole new system... I completely removed my bose system, and went with new headunit, new alpine components, amps and subs...... easier to just do it once, rather than do one upgrade, be dissapointed, then do the rest of the system