Radio delete + Smartphone + Bose Amps

EZdoesIt · 6 May 2011

I've been using my Android phone which is interfaced into my factory Bose head unit for more than a year now. I'm very happy with using this for 100% for all my listening needs.

I plan to use the SoS wire harness or build one myself if i'm not too lazy but what are the rear RCA inputs for? What happens if I don't use this? If they're needed to power that dinky rear center speaker then can I simply bridge this to just have a L/R RCA inputs? Does the factory unit have built in gain adjustments so the rears don't come thru too loud?

Any thoughts would be great!

Here's why i'm going this route if anyone's interested.
* Save weight by getting rid of the factory headunit
* Use the space in the center console for gauges to support FI
* AM/FM, Pandora et al, Bluetooth, Navigation, etc available from my Android with sound thru factory speakers

Briank · 6 May 2011

The factory head unit has 4 outputs, one for the Left door, one for the Right door and 2 that go to the footwell. I think the left and right door are connected to the ballance control and the foot well 2 are just normal.

The center speaker is connected to the foot well speaker.

shawn110975 · 6 May 2011

trust me when i say that the factory head unit will def weight less than ANY aftermarket radio on the market.
LCD screens, flipdown plastics, gears, Cd player etc. tons of screws etc.
that shit start to add up.

if you look inside the OEM factory radio there isnt much to it.

shawn110975 · 6 May 2011

EZdoesIt · 6 May 2011

I should probably clarify a little. I plan to get rid of any head unit in the car... aftermarket, oem or otherwise.

I had planned to use my phone's headphone 1/8" output into RCAs. However, this is only stereo (i.e. Left and Right only). Therefore, I have to "bridge" the Front and Rear simply with Y-Adapters??? Seems a bit crude. Will I mess up the Bose Amps by bridging the front/rear signals leaving me with just Left/Right?

I suppose I could put a crossover in there but that seems like total overkill and adds weight.

I use this method in my other car which has a full array of amps but it's signal source comes exclusively from my phone. I can use the amps gain control to help normalize signal strength but there's no such gain adjustment on the Bose amps. Worse case, I might have to place a line driver to boost the .5-2volt signal in there... not sure.

btw.. Briank - that helps a lot! Thanks

Moses · 6 May 2011

EZdoesIt said:
I should probably clarify a little. I plan to get rid of any head unit in the car... aftermarket, oem or otherwise.

I had planned to use my phone's headphone 1/8" output into RCAs. However, this is only stereo (i.e. Left and Right only). Therefore, I have to "bridge" the Front and Rear simply with Y-Adapters??? Seems a bit crude. Will I mess up the Bose Amps by bridging the front/rear signals leaving me with just Left/Right?

I suppose I could put a crossover in there but that seems like total overkill and adds weight.

I use this method in my other car which has a full array of amps but it's signal source comes exclusively from my phone. I can use the amps gain control to help normalize signal strength but there's no such gain adjustment on the Bose amps. Worse case, I might have to place a line driver to boost the .5-2volt signal in there... not sure.

btw.. Briank - that helps a lot! Thanks

ha, this is what i've been working on.. you need a small 160w amp to adjust volume control, if you just hook it up to your phone you won't be able to hear much.....

audax · 6 May 2011

I've done pretty much the same thing, but with an aftermarket amplifier and speakers. I just have an iPod connected directly to an AudioControl Three.1 equalizer and crossover unit, then to the amplifier. The AudioControl lets me adjust the gain and do some EQ adjustments. It also splits the two channels from the iPod into two channels plus the subwoofer output.

The iPod just sits in the pocket right below the shifter and it's a mini jack connector so sometimes I'll plug it into my HTC Incredible and use Pandora.

CL65 Captain · 6 May 2011

If you want to get rid of the HU and go direct to the amp (non-OEM) this would work and still have a convenient volume knob.

http://www.ipodcarpros.com/iPod_Cables/c4/p469/iAMPcbl_-_iPod_to_Amp/product_info.html

If you use the volume on the ipod/touch/phone you could probably just use this for $10.

TURBO2GO · 7 May 2011

Jim pulling audio out of the 30 pin jack puts it in fixed mode and disables the volume control. I am almost certain of this. Only the headphone jacks are variable through the iphone's headphone jack.

CL65 Captain · 7 May 2011

TURBO2GO said:
Jim pulling audio out of the 30 pin jack puts it in fixed mode and disables the volume control. I am almost certain of this. Only the headphone jacks are variable through the iphone's headphone jack.

That sucks. Guess I'm going to keep my OEM HU and just lay off the donuts to shed the weight. :smile: Hate having the HU just to act as a pre-amp.

TURBO2GO · 7 May 2011

You can still use the headphone jack though, its not a big deal. You don't need a head unit.

I think the best way to get great sound and save weight is to use an ipod/iphone, delete the readio, the bose amps, the speakers, the subwoofer. Get a small digital amp like the 2-channel Alpine PDX which are tiny, run cool, fit almost anywhere (including the old subwoofer location), then get a set of kick-ass 6.5 speakers in the door. The right one with the door treated will pound out more bass than the factory bose subwoofer. The clarity will be ten times better. You will also save weight. Infinity makes some sets that use neodymium magnets on the woofers, they are small and light but very powerful.

Radio delete + Smartphone + Bose Amps

EZdoesIt

Briank

shawn110975

Suspended

shawn110975

Suspended

EZdoesIt

Moses

audax

CL65 Captain

TURBO2GO

CL65 Captain

TURBO2GO

Similar threads