Radio Q's

["Al Powell" <APOWELL@agcom.tamu.edu>]

> From: feb@febsun.cmhnet.org

Wants to install German Bose-radio into domestic Non-Bose car.
[snip]
> My 95 A6Q does not have the Bose package.
> My car's rear speakers have external amplifiers, though,
> and so the rear speakers are working fine.  The front speakers do
> not have external amps and are thus not working.
> I'd like to get the front speakers to work, and if it doesn't
> cost as much again as what the radio did, I'd like to do it
> using the correct Audi parts.

If you use Audi parts, you bet it will!  You will have to buy new 
door panels, Bose speaker enclosures, and speakers.    In the Bose 
setup, there are NO dash speakers - only in the doors.  And though I 
haven't checked, I bet the stock door panels won't work.  You also 
would have to bolt or weld mounting studs for the Bose enclosures 
onto the doors.  BAG THIS IDEA.  It will be a nightmare.

What's more the Bose system is no more than adequate.  You can get 
much cleaner, more accurate sound with aftermarket gear.  Use an 
external amp mounted on the underside of the rear deck - run wires 
back to it, then run them forward to your speakers.  PITA but a clean 
way to do it.
 
> I've got the part numbers for the Audi/Bose speakers
> but what I don't know is whether the front speakers will include
> the amplifier or not.  I'd hate to blindly order expensive
> non-returnable speakers only to find out they don't have the
> amps with them.  I'd rather just order the right amps and install
> them, but I do not have part numbers for the amps.

There's a reason: the speaker enclosures and amps are ONE.  And you 
don't want them, for the reasons above.

> Where are the amplifiers for the front speakers in the Bose
> setup mounted:
> 	On the speakers?
> 	Under the dash in a relay panel?
> 	Behind the radio?

None of the above.  Built into the enclosure with the speakers.  AND 
- the amps in the Bose system are NOT standard line-level amps.  
There is EQ built into them.

> The front speakers in my car are mounted in the doors.
> There is an about 4" speaker element inside a molded enclosure
> down low, and a tweeter up higher about at the door handle level.
> It is easy to take out the speaker element from the enclosure.
> It would not be easy to remove the whole molded enclosure.
> The only harness I saw in the speaker enclosure was a two wire
> [brown and white] harness, with no sign of other connections
> [eg. power, ground, and switching lead] nor mounting room for
> an amplifier.

Then you don't have the right wiring.  And guess what - there is no 
documentation of the correct wiring.  It's not in the Bentley manual. 
 I say again, forget the Bose speakers in the doors.  It does sound 
like the lower enclosure might be *similar* to the Bose one, but I 
wouldn't bet a cyber-nickel that the Bose enclosures would fit.
 
> I have not looked around under the dash yet.  Will have to
> do that this week.

Don't bother.  Nothing from Bose goes there.  If you go Bose and 
spend hnundreds of dollars for no more than adequate sound, you will 
have to abandon the dash speakers.
 
> I think I've read on this list before that various people
> have been able to have the Bose package retro-fitted to
> their A6 or retro-stripped from their A6 by their dealership,
> so I am holding out hope that the A6 wiring harness is already
> setup for a conversion from non-Bose to Bose, 

It's not.  Your description of the wiring tells me.  Each Bose 
speaker enclosure has at least FOUR wires going to it.  You do NOT 
want to try to do this.

> I know there are lots of ways of accomplishing this using
> aftermarket parts, but I am principally interested in finding out
> what factory parts could be used to do the job.

NO.  Go aftermarket.  Bose and Audi have made this totally 
impractical, and the sound will NOT be as good as you can do on the 
aftermarket.

Your lowest cost  option is to TRY to get a standard aftermarket amp 
to work with that radio and use the factory speakers in the car.  Do 
NOT replace them with Bose speakers.  I say TRY because as noted 
above, the Bose "line-outs" are not conventional line outputs.  They 
MAY, however, work with a standard amp.  I would make D**N sure 
to prive this before I paid for the amp.  You could end up with a 
useless amp AND a useless radio.   Maybe you can borrow an amp from a 
friend for long enough to try it and prove it works.

My advice: discard the radio, buy a good Sony or other major radio, 
and set it up correctly.   Use the factory speakers, or just upgrade 
the speakers to go with your new radio.  You will come out HUNDREDS 
of dollars less than trying to go all-Bose...even if you throw that Gamma 
radio in the trash.

No offense meant, but a Bose radio is pretty totally useless without 
the speakers - and nothing outstanding with them.  Many of those on 
this list are trying to get AWAY from the Bose system and install 
something else.

BTW - if you MUST go Bose, you won't need the speaker mounts for your 
dash speakers.  If they  will fit on my 1990 200, I will be glad to 
buy them!  I want speakers there to get AWAY from the Bose speaker 
placements....

Al Powell                           Voice:  409/845-2807
107 Reed McDonald Bldg.             Fax:    409/862-1202
College Station, TX 77843           Email:  a-powell1@tamu.edu 
W3 page - http://agcomwww.tamu.edu/agcom/satellit/alpage.htm
"Baseball is 90 percent mental.  The other half is physical"...
...Yogi Berra.