Bose amps (was NAC! Fwd: Bose radio "possessed")

[William Ng]

> --__--__--
>
> Message: 10
> Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 22:00:48 -0500
> To: quattro at audifans.com
> From: Kent McLean <kentmclean at mindspring.com>
> Subject: Re: Bose amps (was NAC! Fwd: Bose radio "possessed")
>
> Since bitching about the Bose speakers and amps
> seems to be a recurring theme, I'd like to pose
> some general questions regarding the beasts. If
> we need to be specific, let's take my '89 200 TQ
> as an example...
>

And a well-deserved bitch slap should go to Dr.Amar Bose for the product
we are saddled with in our
200s. Since I'm in the middle of overhauling the Bose system in my '90
200q, I have some relevant
findings and info should you consider replacing yours.


> 1. Exactly how many watts of power do the amps
>     provide?  Per speaker or system total? Are the
>     fronts different from the rears?
>
About 20 watts per speaker. After inspecting the circuit boards, I believe
the fronts and rears are
the same.

> 2. Given the age of "our" systems, are the stock
>     speaker/amps so good that they warrant replacement
>     with either factory units or rebuilds (assuming
>     the head unit is OK)?
>

No, the stock speakers are junk. Front drivers are 4-4.5" standard Bose
single cone.
Rear is a 6x9 cone. Construction is pressed paper with a cloth surround.
The rears were pretty dry
and brittle. Cloth surrounds were deforming.
(This was also discovered in a coworker's '94 Acura Legend Coupe's door
driver. It was a Bose
system).
Unless you crave the Bose system's performance, I'd drop them in a
heartbeat.

> 3. Is the stock head unit so good that it warrants
>     replacing it with a factory head unit (also
>     assuming the speaker/amps are OK)?
>

Head unit is a Blaupunkt radio. They are not the most reliable brand on
the market. Mine required
factory repair by the PO. The Delta's only redeeming features are dual
diversity antenna tuning,
and interfacing with the AUTOCHECK display (if you like that feature).
Compared to CDs its cassette
performance is unremarkable. Quite frankly, with the availability of
CDRs/CDRWs, there's no reason
for analog tape from an audio performance perspective.
Given the pricing of current head units on the market, even a
mid-fi($100-$175) CD deck will
perform better and be more configurable.


> 4. How "premium" were the sound systems from circa
>     1990 v. what the aftermarket can provide today?
>

What is out there in the aftermarket would be magnitudes better than the
Bose system in our cars.
The coworker's Acura above, had it's Bose system replaced by a 'slightly
better than standard'
system with premium components. An Eclipse head unit, MB Quart 6.5"
coaxials in the Bose door pods,
and 6x9 coaxials in the rear deck Bose enclosures(stuffed with Polyfill),
Soundstream 4 channel amp
powering front doors, and 2 JL Audio 10" subwoofers in an acoustic
suspension box. 6x9's were
powered by the head unit. Sound quality, staging, and bass response was
superb.
A more modestly priced system like the one I'm working on would still
sound superior.

> 5. Finally, if you had $1000 (more or less) to spend
>     to "fix" your system, would you:
>     a) replace just the speakers (and amps),

The Bose system's door mounting is very proprietary. There is no easy
front stage replacement,
unless you abandon them for the dash mountings. 4" drivers can fit in
there. Rear speakers are a
bit easier as aftermarket 6x9s will fit onto the Bose adapter plate.
Original rear shelf cut-outs
are for a German 6.5" speaker with a frame resembling a standard 5.25"
speaker, but oversized. I
belive ADS makes a system for this configuration. Otherwise adapters are
needed to mount standard
aftermarket sizes.

>     b) replace just the head unit (with appropriate
>        wiring for the unique Bose ohmage),

Bose ohmage doesn't apply here, only if you replace the Bose drivers and
retain the Bose
amplier/equalization. The factory head unit is simple low-level output to
the Bose pods. An
aftermarket head unit could be installed if wired properly.

>     c) replace the system with stock Audi units,

Not worth the $$$ and effort for the same results.

>     d) rip it out and put in good aftermarket head unit,
>        amp, and speakers?
>

(D)
Depending on your level of involvement and expertise...$1000 can go a LONG
WAY.
If you can't install the system yourself, then most of that $1000 will go
towards labor for a
'better' system.
I've been installing systems into my cars and for others for the last 18
years. I enjoy it as a
hobby and flexes ones creativity when an installation challenge arises.
You get that same
satisfying feeling when you fix the 'beast' and get her running for a few
more weeks.
:-)
If you shop wisely, a lot of hi fidelity and quality components can be
found rather cheaply.
There is a lot of New-Old-Stock inventory floating around that can be had
for a fraction of
original dealer price. ie:
Price breakdown of system I'm putting in now....

NOS Eclipse 5332 CD head unit: $155.(dealer retired from business)
New Cambridge Soundworks 5.25" 2-way component system: $49.95 ea
(when Creative Labs bought Cambridge Soundworks, they liquidated the car
audio line)
New Precision Power 4240 30Wx4 amp: $128. (eBay dealer liquidation).
NOS Proton 30Wx2 amp: $45 (Crutchfield closeout)
NOS Jensen 10" subwoofer and sealed enclosure: $39 (mcm electronics
inventory clearance)
New JBL GT 10" 4ohm subwoofer to replace above driver: $45 (Crutchfield
clearance)
MonsterCable car speaker cable: $4.90/50ft. and 12GA speaker cable:
$0.29/ft(parts express)
MonsterCable RCA interconnects: $5.99/12ft.(mcm electronics)

Everything under $600.

My other car has Nakamichi component speakers, and Carver amps and signal
processors found at
similar savings. That one will get an in-dash MP3 player from JVC, which
will be the most expensive
piece in that higher end system.



> For the record, I replaced my head unit for $100 when
> the radio station would jump to button two's preset
> whenever I hit a bump. It holds the station, but it
> still sounds "muddy" (for lack of a better term to my
> untrained ears). But I can crank it when "Smoke on the
> Water" is aired.
>

It's 'muddy' because the Boses' achieve their performance through a lot of
equalization and
phasing. Those drivers don't have a lot of upper range response.

The Bentley doesn't have the correct wiring diagrams or desriptions for
the Bose. If you, or anyone
else needs wiring info for an installation, email me. There isn't much out
there and I didn't get
much help here when I started. But my system is whine free, with clear FM
and AM reception, and
plays with the ignition off, but shuts when the key is removed.
Some technological feats for a type-44.

> Mr. Sulu, raise the shields...

Shields raised, in case some audiophiles feel like taking pokes at my
componet choice.
:)



=====
--
William Ng
1990 200 quattro
audi200quattro at yahoo.com    willng at netzero.net

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