97AcuraCL

I didn't htink this would get much attention in the audio forum because its mostly Gen2 guys in there so mod; if u dont mind please leave this post in this forum...

here's the thing. I've got a 1st gen 3.0 Premium. That means I have the stock bose system. I've already added 2 subs and an alpine amp to the stock system. However thats only temporary. I plan on getting rid of that and moving on to a 12" Infiniti Kappa Perfect with a comprable Alpine amp. I want to change out my stock bose headunit with a new Pioneer 8400MP head unit. But i was told that this was impossible because of my bose system. So my question to you guys; is it possible to change out my head unit and still keep my stock bose speakers; and those 2 12's and alpine amp??? I was told something about the compatibilty with the bose amp and any aftermarket head unit would be a nightmare.
Sooner or later I plan on getting:
Pioneer DEH-8400MP Head Unit
Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.5 compontents run on a 300x1 Alpine v12
Infinity Kappa Perfect 6x9 run off head unit.
Infinity Kappa Perfect 12.1 Sub run on a Alpine MRD-500 V12 amp.

So right now i'm a far way from being able to afford the speakers and that MRD-500 amp. So I figure i'm fine with my stock system and those temporary MTX subs; But i want to add a new head unit to the new stock system for looks; and MP3 capablity without getting into new speakers ...at this time...

guys i know htis is a lot to read; but i apprecate it if u've gotten this far already and thanx in advance for your help.

Nugs3

I was told the same thing so I never bothered shelling out all the money to get rid of the Bose.

djz

you have to replace the entire system. I did it, its not that difficult, just takes some time unless you have like 2 days to do it right. I ran 12 gauge wire to everything and 4 gauge power. still have a few little things to do to it but i have other things on my mind.

97AcuraCL

So you're saying its not even possible; or at least financially sensible to replace JUST the head unit? While still keeping the bose amp/speakers?? I know i'm porbably wrong but just asking away... if hte head unit has like 3 pre-amp outs or soemthing like that can't i connect one of those to the bose amp and have the ohter one run to the amp thats controlling my 2 subs and have it work that way??? Or am i totally off on this??

djz

the bose system works on a 2ohm load, normal car stereos work on a 4 ohm load.

unless you get a really fancy amp and cut up all the wires it wont work.

headunits always come in 4 ohm settings.

97AcuraCL

bro i appreicate the help; please forgive me if i'm sounding dumb. ur explaining it to me very well; but i'm slow so please forgive. but basically; yes or no... is it possible??? at all possible???

Vitamin CL

It should be possible. My friend had just replaced the stock head unit in my car with a Panasonic head unit early in the spring before I added a JBL amp, and a bandpass woofer later on. I'm not sure how he did it, but he did. I'll try to get an explanation from him later. I think he somehow got the stock amp to power the speakers, or somthing like that...

joeshmoe

It IS possible, just not practical. I'd wait until you change all the speakers. It just makes thing much easier. Plus, you'll most likely get a lot of interferance and it just won't sound good at all.

hougee

i think it is possible... i did a little surfing around cuz i wanted to do the same thing before i get my speakers...

u can get one of these ..

hg

97AcuraCL

Guys thanx for the help; please continue to post suggestions...

Vitamin I'd really appreciate if u did find out how he did this; and also if you could please inform me of how it sounds. it seems everyone is saying that there will be a lot of noise and distortion; and since you HAVE done this; what are your results??? PS... you have a 3.0 and I'm not sure if the bose came in all 3.0's or only 3.0 Premiums. Is it possible you didn't have the bose system?? and tahts why it was so easy to replace the head unit??? Once again thanx for your help everyone... please continue to post suggestions...

97AcuraCL

^bump^

hlp plz~! Gotta decide wether to just break down and get the whole system or wait for ChrisKelly5 to get us a kit; and If i can just get the head unit i'd be a happy camper!! :-)

djz

its not possible, you have to replace the speakers. The bose amp is not compatable with a different heat unit.

I told you a while back that its easy to do, and i can guide you thru the instulation of a new system.

97AcuraCL

Dude its not that; its just that right now I dont have the cash to buy the infiniti kappa speakers; especially since i'm still waiting to see waht teh sketches look like from ChrisKelly's body kit deal. If i want in on that I dont have the cash to get speakers and an amp; just a head unit. It'd be a waste of money to and i dont know but i think go buy temporary crappy speakers for now just to get the head unit tehre. I dont have the money for an amp to drive the speakers either; so even if i ran some decently crappy speakers off of the new head unit; would it have at least as much power or be as loud as the current bose system???

97AcuraCL

what if i get some cheaper stuff like this and run it off the head unit.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1363752519

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1363753058

would they sound AT LEAST as good as the stock bose system off of the head unit??


even something like this....??
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1362641485

Bitchin' CL

sorry if i'm a little late on this one, but.......I've got pretty much the same setup as you; i got the stock bose stereo w/2 12's. The sound is awesome, and i love it. One thing youhave to think about is that once you replace your stock system, you will loose the steering wheel controls (assuming you have a 98 or above model), your sound quality will suck compared to stock (unless you replace all of your speakers), and you will have to rewire your subs.
it sounds kinda discouraging, but if you go through with it, your stereo will sound bomb . Hope you get everything worked out.

97AcuraCL

No worries bout being late; thanx for the input anyway. But i've got a 97 so i dont have those steering wheel controls. But the new head unit will have a remote; with optional cteering wheel controls (that i dont care for as long as i've got the hand held remote) but I'm now considering just getting cheaper aftermarket speakers even used ones that will work just AT LEAST as good as my stock bose speakers temporarily till i can afford the reall deal sometime in the fall. thast why i recommended the ones off of e-bay above; but i'd still need some oppinions to see if they are decent enough to be run off head unit and still be powerful enough to perform at least as good as stock.

97AcuraCL

^bump^

help!


...plz...

97Cl22

If you want just a new HU consider this...the new HU will have an amp of its own, so just rip out the stock amp and wire the speakers directly to the HU. Odds are the sound wouldn't be quite as loud, but IMO it would be better quality. And you can buy a new amp later on when you save up some cash. Hope this helps! If you need help on how to do this send me a PM.

IEILAINI

GO TO CIRCUT CITY AND ASK FOR A FAI-3 THAT CONNECTS AN AFTERMARKET HEAD UNIT TO THE BOSE STOCK SYSYTEM. i DID IT IN MY 3.0 CL. I have a sony head unit and it sounds amazing with the stock speakers

97AcuraCL

awesome sounds good; how much will this FAI-3 Run me????


97CL22~ > Thanx for the input as well; but i've got a question for ya; won't the new head unit OVERpower the speakers??? Also DJZ said taht the fact that our speakers are 2ohm and the head unit is amplified @ 4ohm that it wont work.

can anyone shed some light on this for me???

thanx 2 all who replied :-)

hougee

i think the FAI-3 is some sort of attentuator.. so u can tune the stock input down so u won't over power the 2 ohm speakers... or something like that...

i was gonna attemp this too.. but decided to go with the full setup to save the headache and trouble...

just try hooking it up 1st.. the result is diff with every amp and deck cuz they all ahve different outputs and stuff...

just turn it up real slow and see what happens... be careful tho....

good luck

hg

97AcuraCL

well definitly thank you for the idea; but i'm too scared to blow the speakers that way. I'd rather buy the fai-3 and get it done correctly. So I should just walk up into Circuit City and say 'gimmie an FAI-3 to connect a head unit to a stock bose system' and they should know what I'm talking about???? also; any idea on the cost of such a piece???? thanx again guys.

mikeonay

Dude. it IS possible to replace just the head unit. that's what i did for the longest time, and i still have my stock front components. it sounds fine. don't trip or let people tell you it won't work. it sounds a lot better than stock, also

97AcuraCL

well dude???! tell me how its done!!! :-) plz!? I mean did u buy that FAI-3??? Did you just hook the speakers directly into the head unit??? What'd ya do????

mikeonay

for me. i just hooked up the deck to the wiring harness, connected the harnesses. did not buy any special attenuators or any of that shit. just matched the wire colors, put the fuckin deck in, and VIOLA!! maybe my car is special, because everybody else seems to have trouble grasping this idea of a "plug and play" deck in the CL. geez... at least try to hook the mutha-fucker up, and post your results

97AcuraCL

so you just hooked the stock amp; right to the head unit???? or ya just hooked up the stock speakers to the head unit bypassing the amp??

IEILAINI

The fai-3 that circuit city sells to connect an overstock head unit to the bose system has adjustments so that u dont blow the actory amp or the speakers. Hooking it up wore to wire is possible but your risk blowing out the system. Best thing to do is to buy the piece for 40 bucks, trust me it might save you alot of money in the future. The fai-3 goes in between the new head unit and the wiring on the car. It has pretty clear instructions if youve changed a head unit before it shouldnt be that hard. I have a sony explod head unit and after i adjusted it correctly it sounds amazing! 10 time better than the stock bose radio.

jerry_Holland

Replacing the head unit doesn't require anything other than buying the connector for your new deck. Match the wires and done. That is all that I have done to my stereo so far, and it has increased the sound in my car bigtime. Still need to change the speakers, and add a sub. However, it sounds really good right now with just having the deck replaced.

97AcuraCL

Guys I'm very thank ful for all the help I've recieved. But I'm going nuts. lol FAI-3; no FAI-3; Bypassing the bose amp; matching up wires and hoping it doesn't blow. I mean too many options here; I need to know which is the best one. I do GREATLY apprecaite everyone's contributions and thier sucess stories. But I still dont know what to do; which is right which is best. Please excuse if i'm being an ass here. I do apprecaite all teh help; but really I'm still not sure which route is the best one. At least now I know it IS possible to have a new head unit without teh speakers. but still; wahts best???

PnoySport

aight check this out.... if u wanna keep ur bose system u can and still run the aftermarket and and subs. i do car stereos for a living so heres the deal. u can get this piece called an OEM1 from peripheral electronics. it's an interface company based in san diego. well u gotta get that OEM1 and a couple other cables. u said u wanna go pioneer so theres a cable that connects the pioneer deck... (they're alot of different pioneer pin configurations so if u do this make sure to get the right one). then another cable that goes from the OEM1 to the Acura/Bose system. the few we did were ok but not too many shops carry anymore so check to see if they had any problems. here's a question tho, u gonna run some top knotch epuipment... funny coz it's what i wanna run. i'm gonna do the pioneer dehp940mp and some infinity perfect 12 but that's another story. why would u wanna keep the bose stuff if u gonna get top of the line gear like that. might as well just spend the extra and get some good highs and mids... infinity kappa perfect... and a decent amp. that's what i would suggest.

97AcuraCL

I get ya; but I dont have the cash for all of that. Yes the plan is to get that some day. But i've got enough cash for my MP3 capabilty and remote head unit. Thats teh reason i wanan add a head unit. At some point when i can afford the amp and speakers i mean lets face it infinity kappa shit is n't cheap thats at least a grand for all of that stuff. I'd rather wait around to see if ChrisKelly5 coems through with the body kit. Use the money for that for now. The stock bose sounds perfectly fine with the 2 Mtx 12's that i've got right now. I just wanna do Mp3's for now as well. Spend the money on the body kit and then later on go for the system. Thanx for the help man. But now I have yet ANOTEHR OPTION; an OEM-1.

So we've got... OEM 1/No OEM1; FAI-3/No Fai-3; Run amp to head unit/bypass bose amp str8 to head unit. Still no clue which is the best. Come on guys; help me out here plz. Thanx again...

97AcuraCL

^bump^

hlp plz!

:'(

Broke_Ass_CL

Hey 97AcuraCL do you by any chance want to sell the bose head unit. im trying to sell my car and the face plate cracked so i need a new factory head unit... any help would be greatly appreciated..

Hobo

ok..

this works. i promise.

Chop out the stock pos, buy a nice new HU, attach the speaker inputs directly to the outputs of the HU, bypassing the stock amp.

There is a table of wire colors here somewhere, search. Just connect the wires that would normally go from the speakers to the stock amp to the output of the new HU.