BOse HU replaced with BAse HU
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Whats that beeping noise?
Joined: May 2005
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From: Orlando, FL
BOse HU was replaced with BAse HU??
Purchased my 8 with GT Package 2 weeks ago. Wanted Sirius installed. Dealer installed Sirius past weekend and replaced my HU with one that has the SAT button. However, my new HU is not a Bose. It has the ALC 1, 2, 3 and a MID level now instead of the AudioPilot it had when I drove the car off the lot. It kinda sounds better than it did with the Bose HU, but I really haven't had the car long enough to know 100% if it sounds better. Since I am not an audiophile I do not know the difference in the power coming from the Bose HU vs. the Base HU and the Bose amps in the doors/and rear. Question: Did I lose any power (300 watts) with the Base HU? If I didn't lose anything, I will leave as it is, otherwise I will make the dealer swap it out with a Bose HU like they should have in the first place.
Last edited by cosmicenergy; Jun 7, 2005 at 10:22 AM. Reason: changed title
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From: Denver
There are so many other things to take into acct rather than lost power. Most people on this forum don't like the sound of the Bose system (hence the saying "no treble and no bass - must be Bose"), and the nonBose system is far easier to upgrade the speakers than the Bose system. If it sounds better or just as good at the volumes you like to listen to, than it should be fine. If you ever want to upgrade the speakers, you should keep this setup. One question though, the Bose system has is own special amps and speakers, so if they changed out the Bose system, they replaced alot more than just the HU??
Thread Starter
Whats that beeping noise?
Joined: May 2005
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From: Orlando, FL
As far as I know they did not replace the AMP or the speakers. My understanding was all they had to do was install the Sirius kit and give me a new HU with the SAT button (since the HU in the car when I drove it off the lot didn't have the SAT Button. Just trying to figure out if I should go back to the dealer and make them put a Bose HU back in the car or leave it as it is without the Bose HU (even though all the Bose Speakers and amps are still in the car).
RX-VIII
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From: Sunnyvale, CA
Originally Posted by djgiron
There are so many other things to take into acct rather than lost power. Most people on this forum don't like the sound of the Bose system (hence the saying "no treble and no bass - must be Bose")...
~ Matt
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From: SF Bay Area, California
This seems to imply that there is no difference between the "Bose" and the base head unit as far as signals to the amp go... or am I wrong? (not talking about the audiopilot as an obvious difference)
What is then with all the talk about the Bose head unit's signal being "differential" and the base not?
I suppose if they weren't the same, the Bose amp wouldn't work properly with the base head unit.
What is then with all the talk about the Bose head unit's signal being "differential" and the base not?
I suppose if they weren't the same, the Bose amp wouldn't work properly with the base head unit.
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From: NY
You do run the risk of damaging the HU,amps or both by running a "pre amp" HU to a Bose amp. You are sending 6-7 volts speaker output (high level) to the external amp that would like to receive 4-4.5 volts (low level) speaker input.
They Come At Night
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From: Nashville, TN
some people just don't realize what clarity is and would rather have their speakers colored by bass that just isn't in the recording. How many of you have sat in multi million dollar mastering studios and listen to what the mastering engineer is striving for? If anyone coming to the Nashville area would care to hear my home Bose speaker system with Sony amp/receiver please make an appointment and I'll make a believer, no highs no lows, such BS. I do agree that the headunit in the 8 should be different, and I would love an EQ or a least a mid range adjuster.
I do realize that most people don't have a clear understanding of clarity versus massive bass distorting the rest of the mix, but most people are idiots anyway.
I do realize that most people don't have a clear understanding of clarity versus massive bass distorting the rest of the mix, but most people are idiots anyway.
Thread Starter
Whats that beeping noise?
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 26
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From: Orlando, FL
I like the ALC adjustments also - didn't notice any difference in the AudioPilot. Just trying to figure out if I will have any power loss to the speakers, or suffer any damage (to the HU or Amps) by having a non-bose HU when my car is setup/wired with the Bose System. My car is a lease so I don't plan on doing any modifications to the audio system, except maybe something that I can easily add on to improve performance.
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You are gonna find a million opinons here on the Bose/Non-Bose topic...it comes up almost once a week. I would be more concerned with the fact that the cost of the Bose system was factored into the GT package and now you have paid for it and dont have it. I havent heard the non-bose system, but I dont dislike the Bose HU like most people do. There is better out there, but for factory, its not that bad. The definition of what sounds good is going to vary. I would rather have a good sound stage and clarity over, booming bass (but the system could use a lower freq. sub). People have constantly said that this system has no highs. If you listen to the Bose system at around 18+ volume w/ Treble set to 4 or 5, it has good high freq response. Maybe some people want their ears to bleed, i dont know, but the bose system (in my opinion) has good highs, but does lack lows. I consider myself an audiophile and my stereo at home consists of Rotel/B&W, two companies most mainstream people have never heard of, but it will rock the socks off of just about anything you can buy at your local mass market retailer. Could I put better in the 8, yes! If I were you, I would want some sort of compensation from Mazda for pulling out what they consider a premium audio upgrade and replacing it for the base level audio system. Whether people here agree or not, Bose is considered by Mazda to be superior to the stock system...and you paid that premium and now you dont have it....
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From: Houston
Cosmicenergy,
Many if not most people turn the Audio Pilot off. I don't think you are losing a thing by having the non-Bose HU.
In fact I think the ALC is probably a better way of accounting for road noise anyway. In principle it makes sense - add more Bass and volume as you go faster. How it actually works I don't know. It is possible that it uses a narrow band bass boost like the Bose HU instead of a shelf type boost.
Regardless, after monkeying with audio pilot for too long, I have learned that it just doesn't work well so you have lost nothing IMO by having a non-Bose HU.
If I upgrade to Sirius, I will buy the non-Bose myself.
Enjoy.
-Mr. Wigggles
Many if not most people turn the Audio Pilot off. I don't think you are losing a thing by having the non-Bose HU.
In fact I think the ALC is probably a better way of accounting for road noise anyway. In principle it makes sense - add more Bass and volume as you go faster. How it actually works I don't know. It is possible that it uses a narrow band bass boost like the Bose HU instead of a shelf type boost.
Regardless, after monkeying with audio pilot for too long, I have learned that it just doesn't work well so you have lost nothing IMO by having a non-Bose HU.
If I upgrade to Sirius, I will buy the non-Bose myself.
Enjoy.
-Mr. Wigggles
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From: Houston
Originally Posted by mazradiodoc
You do run the risk of damaging the HU,amps or both by running a "pre amp" HU to a Bose amp. You are sending 6-7 volts speaker output (high level) to the external amp that would like to receive 4-4.5 volts (low level) speaker input.
The outputs of the non-Bose HU are BTL opperating in approximately the same voltage range. In essensce the Bose system takes in speaker level signals (without as much current draw.)
-Mr. Wigggles
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From: Houston
Originally Posted by djseto
You are gonna find a million opinons here on the Bose/Non-Bose topic...it comes up almost once a week. I would be more concerned with the fact that the cost of the Bose system was factored into the GT package and now you have paid for it and dont have it. ...
(I am assuming that the new headunit is not turning on the Audio Pilot. It might be the other way around. It could be leaving it on. The Audio Pilot mic is wired straight to the main Bose amp.)
-Mr. Wigggles
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From: Denver
Astor, If you ever are in the Denver area, you are welcome to visit my home and listen to my KEF/Yamaha system, so you can see what musical clarity really is. Mybe try taking a reference CD that will run through all the frequencies from 10-45k and see just how much is actually missing, you will be surprised. Or better yet, take the time to go to a high-end audio store (which probably won't be sellng Bose) and listen for yourself. I took the time to listen to several multichannel, Analog, Digital recordings on several different speaker systems, and for the money nothing was as clean as the KEF system, and it will cost less than the Bose. Take your favorite cd and I promise you will hear details in the music the Bose is incapable of reproducing simply due to the design of their systems. Bose was the first to create big sound out of a small package, but they forgot to continue innovating and the rest of the world has passed them by.
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I would not miss the autopilot at all. I just keep it off at this point. As far as car audio, I think the Bose system does an okay job. I don't do too much critical listening in the car and don't notice the limitations too much.
I have a paradigm surround system at home run through an outlaw receiver and a parasound amp. It beats any bose system that I have heard by a significant margin.
The only time I am really disapppointed with the RX-8 audio system is when I take off my Grado 325i headphones and head right into the car. I usually turn on some AM sports radio because music sounds so flat and dead for a while after wearing the headphones.
I have a paradigm surround system at home run through an outlaw receiver and a parasound amp. It beats any bose system that I have heard by a significant margin.
The only time I am really disapppointed with the RX-8 audio system is when I take off my Grado 325i headphones and head right into the car. I usually turn on some AM sports radio because music sounds so flat and dead for a while after wearing the headphones.
National Beer of Texas
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From: Deep in the heart of...
Listen to djgiron...
Bose is pure marketing... hell... just physically looking at how poorly constructed the speakers are should give you a clue... 1960's paper cone technology, with a TEE TINY amp thats proprietary so you are forced to use their stuff....
Bose exists SOLELY due to name recognition and ignorance of its customers...
Bose is pure marketing... hell... just physically looking at how poorly constructed the speakers are should give you a clue... 1960's paper cone technology, with a TEE TINY amp thats proprietary so you are forced to use their stuff....
Bose exists SOLELY due to name recognition and ignorance of its customers...
IstanbulNotConstantinople
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Fontana (but in the good part, by Rancho), CA
Originally Posted by Longhornxtreme
Listen to djgiron...
Bose is pure marketing... hell... just physically looking at how poorly constructed the speakers are should give you a clue... 1960's paper cone technology, with a TEE TINY amp thats proprietary so you are forced to use their stuff....
Bose exists SOLELY due to name recognition and ignorance of its customers...
Bose is pure marketing... hell... just physically looking at how poorly constructed the speakers are should give you a clue... 1960's paper cone technology, with a TEE TINY amp thats proprietary so you are forced to use their stuff....
Bose exists SOLELY due to name recognition and ignorance of its customers...
Well, here's my experience with the Bose.
I changed my rear 6x9's for some JL 6x9's. It sounded incredibly better.
I went back to the stereo shop the next day and bought the front speakers.
Now, I'm going to change the HU this weekend.
In order to get this done now, I will have them install it in the glove box. They won't charge for installation if it goes in the glove box. Hopefully in a few months, I'll have it mounted correctly with a new face panel made. But, for now, the improvement in sound is worth much more to me than the ability to see the song title on the display.
- Cesar -
脾臓が痛みました
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Land of Peaches, Pecans, and Peanuts
you do realize there is some a/c integration through the stock hu setup, right?
not exactly sure how it works/integrates, but i've read here that it is a pretty significant hurdle in changing out the hu to an aftermarket hu.
not exactly sure how it works/integrates, but i've read here that it is a pretty significant hurdle in changing out the hu to an aftermarket hu.
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