i have an 03 TL-S... the sound system is completely stock and i want to add an aftermarket sub and amp. what i am wondering is, what has to be done in order for it to work right? i am not doing the install myself but i want to make sure that wherever i take it, they do it right the first time and the best possible way. any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

Sorry I don't have an answer,but I want to do the same and install myself. I would just buy a line output converter but I don't think that it will work if I need a special harness to by-pass the factory sub and amp.

I'd like an answer too your question also.

 

really all you have to do is tap the signal wire before it gets to the sub amp.. solder some rca connectors on it.. feed that into the aftermarket amp.. run speaker wire to the new sub.. how power ground and an amp turn on lead and you are good to go... you might want to try using the search function cuz i know i have seen this topic discussed in depth on other threads...

 

i've participated in a number of threads on this, you should find them by doing a search with my name.

you don't even have to solder rca's onto anything though. buy a line out converter (LOC) and tap into the speaker wires (the diagram can be found in another thread, you should find it when you do the search). plug an RCA cable into the LOC and connect to amp. voila!

of course you have to run the power cables and all, but thats really easy. if you have any experience at all with this then you can most likely do it yourself.

when i bought my TL lines for a sub were allready run because the previous owner had an aftermarket deck. he had the remote on/off line tapped into the same fuse as the moonroof/seat heater/instrument gauge fuse. easy enough to do i guess. i will try to grab a photo of this for you if i remember tonight. but there are other lines you can tap for a remote. this one just happens to only be on when the car is running.

good luck!!

 

cool, thanks for the info satin. my cousin mentioned soldering a line out converter into the speaker wires. i guess he does know what he's talknig about

 

now why would you want to take a signal amplify it then put a line out converter on it to bring it back to low level input for an amp to re amplify it.. when you could easily grab the signal before it hits the stock sub amp and just solder some rca connectors on it and plug that right into your amp...

 

is there a thread that explains this in more depth? not sure what to search under. my cousin mentioned that if they tap in to the speaker wires, in order to connect the sub and amp, that it wouldnt be as effecient... ( and i lost him after that).

 

i am sure there is i am not exactly sure where it is but i know there are people here that have done it..

 

thanks for the info. i'll have to look a little more than.

 

speaker level signals and rca signals are not the same. the rca is a 'line level' input. the speaker is considered 'high level' or sometimes it's just called 'speaker level'. i should have clarified by saying he should tap the line directly from the subout lines, not the speaker lines. you are right in saying you don't want to tap the speaker lines and then re-amplify them, it generally destroys the sound. sorry for the confusion.

SSTS

 

well if you tap into the line level signal than there is no need for a loc (line out converter) since it basically changes a high level (amplified signal) into a low level (unamplied signal)...

 

true, i'm just not a fan of cutting up RCA cables if you may want to remove them later. either way is acceptable, just a matter of preference.

using a line out converter will also allow you to attenuate the signal if your getting distortion, whereas all you have the other way is the amp gain. i'm honestly not sure what the normal voltage is in the bose system though, so this may not be a relevant point.

 

i see where you are coming from.. yeah those rca's can be expensive.. lol..

 

yeah, you're telling me. especially if you want them gold plated or whatever. you have to sell a kidney