Non Bose to Bose?

[slopoke]

I did a quick search but came up with nothing? Can i buy a bose symphony head unit and speakers from a wreck and swap it all into my my POS concert... This radio blows i am truly disappointed that Audi would even use this... I really dont want an aftermarket headunit they just look cheap to me...

A little side note i got a ride in a 2001 stage3 s4 the other night and he had a b7 nav/sat system THAT WAS SIQQQ but i dont even wanna know what that cost...

[keeganhartman]

You will need to get the following(and maybe more):
Head unit
Speakers
Factory Bose Amp

I think it will be more trouble than it's worth,and it will take a lot of wire tracing.

[djwimbo]

IIRC it's a different harness as well.

Next question, why? Stock Bose sucks. I have it and it sucks. If I still had the amp, I'd sell you all the speakers and amp for cheap.

[bass_lover1]

It would probably be more cost effective to go with an aftermarket component system and an amp.

You can still retain the factory radio (if you want to keep it that is) and use a line-out converter, or use an amp that accepts high level inputs.

[Mooseimage]

Honestly, in any car, when they have an option to upgrade the speakers from stock to bose, or pioneer, or whatever audio brand they offer when they first make and sell the car, it's not actual (insert audio company name here) speakers and such. All it really is is the same stock speakers, tweeters, amps, whatever the car comes with, it has just been tweeked by the audio company worker to sound slightly better and place on a larger price tag and audio "upgrade" brand name.

If you want a better sound system, just get aftermarket. As far as the head unit is concerned, if you wanna keep the car looking stock, keep the original or get the symphony head unit if you can find for dirt cheap, like $50 (just throwing a price out there).

[dubbin.t.rex]

BOSE sounds good I have no idea what the hell you people are talking about, my friend has all alpine components (nice ones too, not type e) and my system sounds way better even without my 12" Type r sub in yet. The shit ass paper cone BOSE front door speakers our cars come with do blow all the damn time, had my car for two months, one was already fucked and the other got fucked when I installed my headunit and didn't have the internal amps turned off (it was already a little fucked and the headunit install was the final blow). If your looking for speakers eBay BOSE speakers and replace them off the measurements of the magnet diameter and screw to screw distance, BOSE put the same speakers in all sorts of random shit (I got one from an A6 and two from a Q45, and all three have a kevlar cone). If you go stock headunit make sure to get the radio code, I tried to replace mine only to find out I now have two that don't work (I think the one I bought was hot cause the dude wouldn't call me back with the radio code). If you go aftermarket, which is honestly a hell of a lot easier if you want to do full speed iPod and sub, eBay your headunit and an recessed adapter should come up. I found this out after I ordered the one from Crutchfield, which I butchered and wound up adapting to the trim (looks like shit, once I replace the trim I'm ordering the recessed din adapter). If you need any help pm me, I've been trying to get my stereo set up for so fucking long.

[slopoke]

A friend of mine also just bought a factory bose B5 and his sounds amazing and i have been around the auto audio world for quite some time.... I was really impressed... But yes i would like to keep my stock headunit is the bose one any better can i retain my 6disk with it?

[Seerlah]

Why would you want to upgrade from one crappy system to another? My car came with the Bose and I think it sucks. If anything, do the entire car. If you want to use a symphony head unit, then do so (I would personally upgrade the deck also). Get a 4 channel amp, and hook them bad boys up to whatever set up you choose. But the stock Bose sucks.

I already placed 2 10" subwoofers in my trunk and will eventually replace the stock speakers. The deck is here to stay though, unless I go double din.

[JaVa]

sotkc bose is OK but thats it. if you want to use the stock HU thats fine it has lin level outs for a after market amp, this is what i have done and it works fine, if you want to just swap in bose you will ahve to get the rear door panels or cut holes in your for the rear speakers.

[keeganhartman]

Honestly, in any car, when they have an option to upgrade the speakers from stock to bose, or pioneer, or whatever audio brand they offer when they first make and sell the car, it's not actual (insert audio company name here) speakers and such. All it really is is the same stock speakers, tweeters, amps, whatever the car comes with, it has just been tweeked by the audio company worker to sound slightly better and place on a larger price tag and audio "upgrade" brand name.

Wrong, at times this may be true but there is a large difference between the bose system and non-bose in our cars. Bose in cars has never really been anything super high quality, but it's the acoustics and tuning that makes them sound like they do.

[somebody5788]

I dont understand what people dont like about the Bose system I LOVE IT.

[slopoke]

Hmm like i said my buddy's sounds amazing im starting to wonder if he really has the stock bose speakers/amps he just picked the car up... Im gonna go tear off his door panels later haha

[JaVa]

I dont understand what people dont like about the Bose system I LOVE IT.

cuz you havent heard anything that is really good

[tdn]

Agreed, people who think the Bose system is great are missing out... but, the Bose system with the easter egg tweak is good for the majority of people imo. Not everyones an Audiophile.

[kastro]

hey!! jacking a bit.. or trying to understand.. my headunit says symphony.. my speakers dont have bose anywhere on them.. and its like 5 speakrs 4 tweeters and a sub.. NOT BOSE? not sure.. /.????

[Jared71482]

The bose stereo in the B5 is OK, but nothing more. It would be a wasted effort to "upgrade" to the bose stereo. You'll need the entire harness (good luck finding that!), the amp (a whole 10 watts a channel or so) and all the crappy paper speakers. The head unit could remain, it would just have to be reprogrammed for bose use (using vag-com).

Its all a gimmic, bose ALWAYS uses bottom of the line, cheap drivers and uses acoustics and equalization to make them sound good... then tacks a HUGE price tag on them.

Either stick it out with what you have, or get a 4-channel amp and new speakers front and back... run them off the stock deck. The blaupunkt pre-out cable works great for adding an aftermarket amp to the stock deck, gives you front and rear pre-outs... just plugs in.

[Jared71482]

hey!! jacking a bit.. or trying to understand.. my headunit says symphony.. my speakers dont have bose anywhere on them.. and its like 5 speakrs 4 tweeters and a sub.. NOT BOSE? not sure.. /.????

There are some cars without bose (lucky bastards).

If its a bose equipped car, the speaker grilles on the doors say bose and the radio will display bose for a second when its turned on.

[somebody5788]

I have Polk speakers but is that enough to make the Bose system sound as good as I think it does? I mean I can tell the head unit isnt that great because it is missing a lot of tuning features I would like and doesn't have enough highs in radio mode. When I plug my ipod into it though the equalizer from the ipod makes it so much better. Also I have never heard another car with as nice of a stock system. At least not in any Mercedes or BMW or Lexus.

[Jared71482]

upgraded speakers will make it sound better... for the most part. The stock amp is tuned to the stock speakers... changing the speakers changes the sound.

bose stereos tend to cut bass and trebble at higher volumes... this keeps it from distorting and saves the speakers a litle.

The new chrysler vehicles with the Boston stereo sound really nice... but those stereos use good quality speakers and a pretty potent amplifier... too bad they're in chrysler vehicles...