[Yellow BB]

I have a 2017 2SS with the Bose system. I have a set of JBL 6x9 coaxials & a set of JBL 6" separates that came out of a car we traded in. I think I also have a set 2.5-3" dash speakers also. Someone told me that I cant just replace the factory speakers with these because Bose does weird things with the wiring. Is this true & if so, what do I need to do to make this thing sound better?

[RideWithDanger]

You need to either replace ALL the speakers, or none of them. The BOSE speakers have a very low ohm rating, and if you drop replacements in, it can really change (in a bad way) the surround sound and imaging.

I just added a subwoofer. To be honest, the bose system isnt all that bad, you can turn it up and its clear, its just nothing mind blowing.

[Yellow BB]

Originally Posted by RideWithDanger

You need to either replace ALL the speakers, or none of them. The BOSE speakers have a very low ohm rating, and if you drop replacements in, it can really change (in a bad way) the surround sound and imaging.

I just added a subwoofer. To be honest, the bose system isnt all that bad, you can turn it up and its clear, its just nothing mind blowing.

Thanks. Do you happen to know how many ohms the Bose speakers are? The JBLs I have are 4 ohms for the 5 1/4” separates & the 6x9 coaxials are 2.3 ohms.

[Zaqwert6]

Been a while since I've played with a Bose car system, but generally the speakers that they run are half ohm to 1 ohm speakers designed specifically to work with their bows amplifiers.

[red_johnny]

Originally Posted by RideWithDanger

You need to either replace ALL the speakers, or none of them. The BOSE speakers have a very low ohm rating, and if you drop replacements in, it can really change (in a bad way) the surround sound and imaging.

I just added a subwoofer. To be honest, the bose system isnt all that bad, you can turn it up and its clear, its just nothing mind blowing.

Truth! I wouldn't mess with it. You wont be happy with the sound. Back a few years ago I replaced my 2010's bose system and while slightly clearer the volume was less and the bass was not as strong. If you are going to do it you will have to add in a lot of equipment to make it sound right. You would be looking at around $2,000 and up. And even still you would have no guarantee that it would sound better. Personally, I am going to add in a amp and a sub and be done.

[17rsvert]

Originally Posted by red_johnny

... Personally, I am going to add in a amp and a sub and be done.

Are there kits or a wire harness available to make a sub install easier? Does adding sub mess with the Bose noise cancellation?

[red_johnny]

Originally Posted by 17rsvert

Are there kits or a wire harness available to make a sub install easier? Does adding sub mess with the Bose noise cancellation?

There are kits out there that make it easier. Plug and play then add in an amp. I cant remember who makes them though. I wont be doing this for at least another year.

[KirkH]

Originally Posted by 17rsvert

Are there kits or a wire harness available to make a sub install easier? Does adding sub mess with the Bose noise cancellation?

There are lots of threads on this. There are 2 units, PACAudio and NAVTV.

[drfeelgood]

Originally Posted by 17rsvert

Are there kits or a wire harness available to make a sub install easier? Does adding sub mess with the Bose noise cancellation?

Yes, I believe the sub thump would accomplish this if you JUST want to add a subwoofer

But, IMO, adding a sub without further amplifying the mods and highs won’t sound that great

[Yellow BB]

Thanks for the technical info. What I notice is the Bose system sounds good when the car is parked, but out on the highway, it all falls apart. Instead of changing out speakers & adding amps, I’m curious if doing some serious sound deadening would be much more effective? I have a tremendous amount of road noise at highway speeds, regardless of the road surface.

[ctrlz]

Originally Posted by Zaqwert6

but generally the speakers that they run are half ohm to 1 ohm speakers

I believe they are all 2 ohm drivers in the Camaro.
Just measure the voice coil resistance. Since all the speakers are single element, the impedance can never be lower than the VCR.
Unless you are adding amplification, I would not bother changing any of the speakers. The rear deck 6x9's are pretty hard to remove/replace in the coupe due to the window rake. And the 6x9's in the doors are the main woofers anyway.
I think the biggest problem with the Bose system is road noise. You've got loud run-flat tires, large resonant doors, plus the intake noise piped in via the sound tube.
I also thought the system sounded so much better when the car was parked, which is why I pursued the "reduce noise" approach.

[Yellow BB]

What did you use to quiet your car down?

[ctrlz]

Originally Posted by Yellow BB

What did you use to quiet your car down?

You are probably not going to like my answer.
New all-season tires (non run-flat) and removed the sound tube.
Probably could use some sound deadening material in doors, trunk, etc.
But I kinda decided it doesn't fit this car to make the cabin luxury car quiet.

I can see myself in a Corvette in a few years and I am looking forward to checking out the whiz-bangery they did with noise cancellation on that Bose system. That's what they should have done with the Gen6. The development money that went into the sound tube could have been funneled into more power and tech in our Bose amplifier.

[radz28]

I've used sound deadening products and depending on the content of the car prior to installing that stuff, I think you can find a fair difference in quality of the sound.

My rig was relatively well insulated to start with, but I added cheap deadener to the insides of the quarter panels and all door panels. I put a couple layers on the door panels just because I had so much. But the qualify of the sound almost made me think I changed the speakers, honestly. I mean - it's not like going from KRACO to Pioneer or something, but it was a nice gain. I also gained some more weight, too, which you'd likely do adding better speakers anyways. IMO - it's a great alternative to chopping into your car that's a good value, too.