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Aftermarket Speakers for NSX

Joined
5 March 2000
Messages
11
Location
San Jose, USA
I need to change the speakers in door. They are starting to crackle under heavy bass. Will I be able to install an aftermarket speaker without modification, or will I have to use the factory Bose speakers? If I can use aftermaket speakers, does anyone know the exact size?

Thanks.

Brett
 
You cannot simply replace the speakers with aftermarket units. The factory speakers are really integrated speaker/amp boxes (each speaker has it's own amp).

If you want to go aftermarket you really need to replace speakers and add an amplifier.

The easiest/cheapest way to do it is mount an amp somewhere (behind a seat, in the trunk, etc.) and replace the door speakers with quality aftermarket units. Then disconnect the speaker/amps for the passenger footwell and the rear speaker between the seats (which also runs off the amp box in the passenger footwell).

If you want to get more elaborate you can put a subwoofer in the passenger footwell or try any number of other configurations.
 
I agree with Lud! My '92 speakers blew out one by one. Acura wanted $2400 to replace all three. I installed an aftermarket amp, two new speakers, two small tweeters in the doors, and a cd changer, all for about $1400. The amp and cd changer went into the trunk. I miss the space, but don't miss the Bose.
 
Originally posted by brett7:
I need to change the speakers in door. They are starting to crackle under heavy bass. Will I be able to install an aftermarket speaker without modification, or will I have to use the factory Bose speakers? If I can use aftermaket speakers, does anyone know the exact size?

Thanks.

Brett
 
The factory speaker is 4" but you have to use a factory bose speaker that has a 1 ohm resistance, aftermarket speakers won't work because they usually have a resistance of 4 ohm's. I might have a used one I can sell you. Let me know if your interested.
Originally posted by brett7:
I need to change the speakers in door. They are starting to crackle under heavy bass. Will I be able to install an aftermarket speaker without modification, or will I have to use the factory Bose speakers? If I can use aftermaket speakers, does anyone know the exact size?

Thanks.

Brett
 
There is only one 'woofer' and it's the one in the passenger footwell. But the amp that's part of that enclosure also drives the regular speaker between the seats so if the woofer amp is shot, fixing it will likely fix both issues. Briank repairs the BOSE amps.
 
If your Bose speakers/amps are failing, you might as well replace them with modern higher powered alternatives. The OEM 4" door speakers are way under-powered and they sound horrible. The sub is also very weak and extremely out-dated even for standards back in those days, you'll know what I mean if you ever remove them and see for yourself. Get yourself a good pair of tweeters, 6.5" door speakers, and a 10-12" sub with a compact footwell enclosure. Upgrade your headunit and get a sweet amp to power your new setup. I recommend checking out the SoS website, they offer some nice accessories to make things easier. Double Din consoles, Double Din mounting brackets, trunk mounted amp boards, door speaker mounting boards, wire harnesses, etc. I'm not sure what you intend to spend, but if you like to listen to crisp music and want more of a modern setup, then I say replace all the way rather than repair!
 
To switch out the factory Bose Speakers to aftermarket speakers (assuming you keep the factory headunit), you'll need the following items:

1) A wiring harness ~$30
factoryhead-after.jpg


2) Door speaker mounting panels ~$70 to purchase or make your own
speaker_panel_kit.jpg


3) Aftermarket Speakers ~$50 to $5,000,000 depending on which ones you pick

4) Aftermarket Amplifier ~$50 to $5,000,000 depending on which ones you pick

5) RCA cables, power cables, etc. ~$20-$75

6) Installation costs for the above ~$100 to $300 (or do it yourself)
 
I agree with what he said, just completed exactly that in my car and can't be happier minus $3500 I spent:biggrin:
If your Bose speakers/amps are failing, you might as well replace them with modern higher powered alternatives. The OEM 4" door speakers are way under-powered and they sound horrible. The sub is also very weak and extremely out-dated even for standards back in those days, you'll know what I mean if you ever remove them and see for yourself. Get yourself a good pair of tweeters, 6.5" door speakers, and a 10-12" sub with a compact footwell enclosure. Upgrade your headunit and get a sweet amp to power your new setup. I recommend checking out the SoS website, they offer some nice accessories to make things easier. Double Din consoles, Double Din mounting brackets, trunk mounted amp boards, door speaker mounting boards, wire harnesses, etc. I'm not sure what you intend to spend, but if you like to listen to crisp music and want more of a modern setup, then I say replace all the way rather than repair!
 
If your Bose speakers/amps are failing, you might as well replace them with modern higher powered alternatives. The OEM 4" door speakers are way under-powered and they sound horrible.
The problem with this statement is that because of the integrated nature of the BOSE design, it's difficult to confidently lay blame .. but it's nearly always a problem with the amp. I had the amps replaced twice over 10 years and each time, the sound quality was back to excellent .. but would then deteriorate. This time I just finished moving to a centralized amp design but kept the 20 year old OEM speakers and I'm back to excellent quality again .. and the sub is as good as it's ever been. Unless your just won the lottery, don't be too quick to throw bags of money at a 'rip and replace' strategy when you could be spending your money more wisely.
 
The problem with this statement is that because of the integrated nature of the BOSE design, it's difficult to confidently lay blame .. but it's nearly always a problem with the amp. I had the amps replaced twice over 10 years and each time, the sound quality was back to excellent .. but would then deteriorate. This time I just finished moving to a centralized amp design but kept the 20 year old OEM speakers and I'm back to excellent quality again .. and the sub is as good as it's ever been. Unless your just won the lottery, don't be too quick to throw bags of money at a 'rip and replace' strategy when you could be spending your money more wisely.

Understood. My statement was mearly opinion rather than factual evidence and certainly left up to the preference of others. My disclaimer says it all...I wasn't entirely sure how much OP wanted to spend to either repair existing OEM setup or replace and upgrade/modernize. Anything inbetween would have been suitable enough depending on his needs. My personal opinion and experience with the OEM setup has been nothing short of complete disappointment. Although the system is made by Bose, I feel that for a 80-90k hand-built sports car, Acura should have and could have installed a better audio system. Again, my personal opinion is subjective, but I know for a fact that even in 2005, the last year of production, the Bose systems that were still getting installed into our NSX's were far inferior in comparison to the Audio technology of that time period. Simply because you chose to repair your amps twice within a 10 year time period and hold onto history, settle for out-dated Audio technology, doesn't necessarily mean that every other owner should do the same. Budget of course is always a concern, I just posted my personal opinion and experience so the OP can make an unbiased decision on his own.
 
Although the system is made by Bose, I feel that for a 80-90k hand-built sports car, Acura should have and could have installed a better audio system.
Considering it was designed in late '80s timeframe, it was probably one of a handful of audio vendors doing high end autos and maybe the only one claiming to be able to adjust the acoustics specifically to the car
.. even in 2005, the last year of production, the Bose systems that were still getting installed into our NSX's were far inferior in comparison to the Audio technology of that time period.
Don't disagree .. Acura updated other parts of the car but the audio was ignored. My '05 TL has 5.1 capability and DVD-A support so clearly they were spending audio money elsewhere
Simply because you chose to repair your amps twice within a 10 year time period and hold onto history, settle for out-dated Audio technology, doesn't necessarily mean that every other owner should do the same.
I didn't do it because I was trying to 'preserve history' .. I did it because I thought that it was the cheapest way back to decent sound versus spending thousands on rip and replace. I have headers and aftermarket exhaust so spending thousands on upgrades seemed pointless. However, I discovered that I was able to go the central amp route for under $500 and can still upgrade the door and sub speakers in the future. Not trying to say this is the best route for everyone .. just making sure people understand that upgrading to a centralized amp doesn't force you to abandon your existing speakers and wiring.
 
Considering it was designed in late '80s timeframe, it was probably one of a handful of audio vendors doing high end autos and maybe the only one claiming to be able to adjust the acoustics specifically to the car

This may be true, however, Acura had 2-3 opportunities to upgrade the factory Audio system to be more in line with the times. Especially during the final refresh within the 02-05 production years, they raised the price significantly just shy of 90k. But they didn't address what I feel is a major component of a fine car, the audio system?

Don't disagree .. Acura updated other parts of the car but the audio was ignored. My '05 TL has 5.1 capability and DVD-A support so clearly they were spending audio money elsewhere

Agreed. The average cost of an upgraded audio system seems to be anywhere between 3-4k if done right and without budget in mind. Acura could have spent less than half of that amount straight from the factory "if" they were to commit to it from the very beginning, even if it were only from 02-05. After all, it's the NSX we're talking about? What Audio manufacturer wouldn't want to be seen in this car even at a breakeven point or slight loss for them? Acura took a loss selling the NSX to begin with, why not spend a little more to modernize the Audio?



I didn't do it because I was trying to 'preserve history' .. I did it because I thought that it was the cheapest way back to decent sound versus spending thousands on rip and replace. I have headers and aftermarket exhaust so spending thousands on upgrades seemed pointless. However, I discovered that I was able to go the central amp route for under $500 and can still upgrade the door and sub speakers in the future. Not trying to say this is the best route for everyone .. just making sure people understand that upgrading to a centralized amp doesn't force you to abandon your existing speakers and wiring.

I understand your personal reasoning and don't judge you for it. You chose to spend more money on performance mods rather than audio mods. That's your decision and I respect you for it. I would rather keep my OEM headers/exhaust but make it rain when it comes to my audio setup. Again, just my personal preference, I love the way my custom system sounds and I love the way my NSX drives "as is" straight out of the factory and without any mods.
 
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