2004 w/bose system audio options

[Cryptothedog]

Hey everyone. I have installed many aftermarket radios but I am trying to way my options on the most cost-effective way to do this.

I am considering adding an aftermarket double din unit. Basically from what I've read I have 2 options.

1. Buy the adapter that hooks into the bose system and keep the bose amp sub/speaker wiring setup. I have read that one of the negatives of going this route is that the bose amp doesn't sound well hooked up to an aftermarket radio and you would actually get better sound to the speakers using the aftermarket head unit amp. Also that pac interface is expensive when also considering the cost of the head unit and install kits. One option I guess so that I don't lose out on the low's that the sub provides would be to run the adapter to keep the amp/sub but then run separate wiring to the speakers to allow them to run off the head unit's amp. Has anyone ever done this?

2. The other option would be to bypass the bose system but then I would lose out on the lows the sub provides and would need to install a separate amp/sub to compensate for those.

3. The third option is to keep the factory bose in tact and use a wired fm modulator to be able to hook my phone up for bluetooth music/calls. Doing that only allows me to retain the volume steering wheel buttons though.

 

[setconstr]

I have a pioneer double din I changed the speakers to pioneer with tweeters still running on the Bose system sounds Great I did add a MTX subwoofer with pioneer mono amp but it sounded Great with just front Bose console subwoofer. It was all easy to do also did steering wheel controls and Sirius radio easy

 

[Fless]

I'm using the PAC RP5-GM11 with a Kenwood single din head (KMM-X503) on my '04 with Bose and it sounds fine, no issues with the sound quality (but I am an older guy, LOL). I did replace all of the door speakers with 4 ohm units. Your design may depend on how much power you want to use to drive everything, or how much of an increase in volume (without distortion) you're targeting.

 

[Cryptothedog]

I have a pioneer double din I changed the speakers to pioneer with tweeters still running on the Bose system sounds Great I did add a MTX subwoofer with pioneer mono amp but it sounded Great with just front Bose console subwoofer. It was all easy to do also did steering wheel controls and Sirius radio easy

Thanks for the input. Did you end up going with the pac interface or did you totally bypass the subs amp?

 

[setconstr]

I used the pac interface but never bypassed the Bose subwoofer it still works I have separate control for the MTX

 

[03greenZ71]

I have the Sony xav1000 dd head unit with the Crux interface sold by crutchfield and it works and sounds great. Steering wheel controls work fine and speakers and sub sound great.

 

[bigdog9191999]

an option could be like we do, we have a $15 Bluetooth adapter ( cigarette lighter) but there are other options like the wired isimple and others. but I am keeping the stock system and have a harness to add aftermarket subs to it. if you want to go full aftermarket there are a few options out there ( not all of them are cheap) to add an aftermarket sub and not take up any additional room inside also.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I ripped out the entire Bose system and replaced it with an aftermarket system, as the Bose system does not produce a sound reproduction spectrum that I like.

Please note that the impedance of Bose speakers are less than the standard aftermarket speaker impedances, which typically are 4 ohms. This may or may not be an issue, if you directly connect them to an aftermarket head unit, which is most likely tuned for a 4 ohm speaker.