Okay, I've got a 95 Z with the factory Bose system in right now. In my room I've got a new Kenwood head unit, two Rockford punches (10s), and some 400 watt amp my friend gave me. I go to get a quote on an install and the guy at the audio shop says "each of my speakers are amplified so the car will have to be rewired and the factory speakers won't work with the head unit".

He quoted me $250.00 for the install ! What does all the stuff mean. Is he full of it.

So do I need to replace the factory speakers or not with the new head unit. Rewired?! What the he11 does that mean? Thanks.

 

With the Bose system, each speaker has its own individual amp (the factory HU has no preamp). Also, the speakers run at some crazy resistance like .5ohm I think.

I would strongly recommend that you swap out those speakers if you're going with your own HU, because there's a possibility of you killing your HU since it will want to run 4ohm at its preamp.

I can't remember if there's an adapter for those speakers or not for use with an aftermarket HU -- someone else who's done this recently will be able to tell you.

In either case though, I'd still recommend swapping out those speakers.

Hope this helps..

 

Hey thanks, so by swapping out you mean buy like Rockford 5s, 3s, and 6X9s (or whatever the factory sizes are), and put those in where my stock speakers are?

 

HU's do NOT run anything at their "preamp". Power amps run the speakers, not the preamp.

You can connect an after-market HU and/or amp to the BOSE system by using a PAC OEM-1.

 

Sorry for the dumb question but what's a PAC OEM-1?

 

The PAC OEM-1 is a plug and play LOC (line output concerter). It uses harnesses that plug directly into the factory wiring harnesses so there are no wires that need to be cut and spliced.

Go to PAC and learn all about it and the wiring harnesses you will need for it.

 

okay one more question:

which is better quality wise:

getting the PAC OEM-1 and leaving the factory speakers, and hooking up the subs,

or replacing all the factory speakers with aftermarket ones (remember I have that Bose 5 setup).

Thanks again.

 

There's always going to be a step down in sound quality whenever you use an LOC. But since you're only using one to add a subwoofer you should be OK. It would be more of a sound quality problem if you were using an LOC on the mids and highs. In the end though the BEST thing to do is replace the entire stock stereo.