Problem with AVIC in ~Bose'ish C6
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,472
Likes: 38
From: Houston TX
St. Jude Donor '11
Problem with AVIC in ~Bose'ish C6
OK, when I got my car it already had an AVIC N1 installed. While ripping it out I was able to verify that I once had the Bose system installed. Rather than doing the N1 install right they hacked into the wiring harness coming out of where the Bose amp used to be in the passenger footwell. I am most of the way done installing a D1. Since I don't have On Star and didn't notice the chimes missing with the N1 I decided to go with the flow and use the same wires they did. So I have the constant power coming from the big fat power wire that would go into the Bose amp and I am using the big ground wire in that same harness for the ground(s) and parking brake. 
I haven't hooked up the illumination, reverse or VSS wires yet. My speaker outputs from the HU are going into the hacked up harness that would have come out of the Bose amp and seem to go to all four speakers.
There is no bass from this system at all. It is super tinny sounding. It's almost like the subs in the doors are being bypassed. I haven't cracked open the door panels yet but I was wondering if the speakers in the doors have their own amps and/or wires. Maybe I am only sending amped signal to the rear speakers and tweeters.
I haven't hooked up the illumination, reverse or VSS wires yet. My speaker outputs from the HU are going into the hacked up harness that would have come out of the Bose amp and seem to go to all four speakers.There is no bass from this system at all. It is super tinny sounding. It's almost like the subs in the doors are being bypassed. I haven't cracked open the door panels yet but I was wondering if the speakers in the doors have their own amps and/or wires. Maybe I am only sending amped signal to the rear speakers and tweeters.
Last edited by 5 Liter Eater; Dec 7, 2006 at 12:19 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,289
Likes: 16
From: Skippack PA
St Jude Donor '13
The problem is you have no amplifier! The C6 heads output a low level signal, not an amplified signal. Previous owner was using the N1's internal amp to drive the speaker. I have a buddy that has an N1 he got on the cheap and he says that head puts out decent power for a HU. For alot of folks that would be "good enough" and obviously that was the case for your previous owner.
Also, the Bose amp is what would do the crossover and send a signal on to the built-in, self-amplified subs in the doors. So you ain't gonna get any subwoofer sound.
You have a pretty big project ahead of ya.
Also, the Bose amp is what would do the crossover and send a signal on to the built-in, self-amplified subs in the doors. So you ain't gonna get any subwoofer sound.
You have a pretty big project ahead of ya.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,472
Likes: 38
From: Houston TX
St. Jude Donor '11
The D1 has an internal amp just like the N1 did (which didn't sound that great either but did put out some bass). My initial assumption was that the missing Bose amp was doing all the amplifying and using the speaker wires coming out of the Bose amp would suffice. It does make sense that if the door subs have their own amps and the crossover was done by the Bose amp then they are not hooked up correctly at all. Is it just the door speakers that are self amplified? Is the tweeter in the door a component of the sub with some type of crossover built into the door panel amp or does the tweeter have it's own wire going back to the Bose amp? I may be sending a full frequency range to the tweets.
I guess I could look into soldering the amp harness back together again and getting another Bose amp but I have heard that it is not all it is cracked up to be and it may be easier to just rip out the stock door speakers and mount some new components. Santa needs to bring me some speaker mounts and speakers...
I guess I could look into soldering the amp harness back together again and getting another Bose amp but I have heard that it is not all it is cracked up to be and it may be easier to just rip out the stock door speakers and mount some new components. Santa needs to bring me some speaker mounts and speakers...
Last edited by 5 Liter Eater; Dec 7, 2006 at 12:24 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,289
Likes: 16
From: Skippack PA
St Jude Donor '13
Originally Posted by 5 Liter Eater
The D1 has an internal amp just like the N1 did (which didn't sound that great either but did put out some bass). My initial assumption was that the missing Bose amp was doing all the amplifying and using the speaker wires coming out of the Bose amp would suffice. It does make sense that if the door subs have their own amps and the crossover was done by the Bose amp then they are not hooked up correctly at all. Is it just the door speakers that are self amplified? Is the tweeter in the door a component of the sub with some type of crossover built into the door panel amp or does the tweeter have it's own wire going back to the Bose amp? I may be sending a full frequency range to the tweets.
I guess I could look into soldering the amp harness back together again and getting another Bose amp but I have heard that it is not all it is cracked up to be and it may be easier to just rip out the stock door speakers and mount some new components. Santa needs to bring me some speaker mounts and speakers...
I guess I could look into soldering the amp harness back together again and getting another Bose amp but I have heard that it is not all it is cracked up to be and it may be easier to just rip out the stock door speakers and mount some new components. Santa needs to bring me some speaker mounts and speakers...
The D1 sounding tinny isn't a surprise, the ONLY thing you're driving in that car with that setup are the 3.5" drivers up front and the 5.25's out back, there ARE no tweeters in that car stock.
I would definitely not waste money installing a Bose amp. You'd be WAY better off putting in an aftermarket amp and speakers. Consensus around here seem to be grabbing a 4 channel amp, putting good speakers in the door and driving a sub with the "rear" channels of the amp, foregoing rear speakers. That sound is not to everyone's taste, but most find it acceptable.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,472
Likes: 38
From: Houston TX
St. Jude Donor '11
Gotchya. I was assuming the doors had the 10" subs and then some tweets based on the pics I have seen of the southerncarparts speaker mounts. Again, I have yet to take the doors apart. I think I will start with some mounts and a 6.5" component system up front and see what that sounds like with the AVIC-D1 driving them and the rear 5.25's.
Thanks for the help!
Thanks for the help!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,289
Likes: 16
From: Skippack PA
St Jude Donor '13
Originally Posted by 5 Liter Eater
Gotchya. I was assuming the doors had the 10" subs and then some tweets based on the pics I have seen of the southerncarparts speaker mounts. Again, I have yet to take the doors apart. I think I will start with some mounts and a 6.5" component system up front and see what that sounds like with the AVIC-D1 driving them and the rear 5.25's.
Thanks for the help!
Thanks for the help!
Here's what the door looks like with the panel off:
Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 432
Likes: 49
From: Southern Maryland
I have an AVIC-N1 in my C5. When I first installed it, I had the same problem (no subs). I had to go into the audio setup of the AVIC and turn the subs on. I'm guessing that the AVIC-D1 has the same equilizer and audio setup as my AVIC-N1. Just a thought. By the way, keep your expectations low. I'm not satisfied with the sound of my system. An after market amp and new speakers will be my next mod.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,472
Likes: 38
From: Houston TX
St. Jude Donor '11
I tried playing with the subwoffer settings and can get it to sound marginally better but I think Komoman is right. The only thing I am driving in the doors is the 3.5" full ranges. The 10" subs are not. Speakers are definitely in my immediate future and if that doesn't do the trick perhaps an amp.
And to think my stock Bose system was just fine for me in my C5...
And to think my stock Bose system was just fine for me in my C5...
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,289
Likes: 16
From: Skippack PA
St Jude Donor '13
Originally Posted by 5 Liter Eater
I tried playing with the subwoffer settings and can get it to sound marginally better but I think Komoman is right. The only thing I am driving in the doors is the 3.5" full ranges. The 10" subs are not. Speakers are definitely in my immediate future and if that doesn't do the trick perhaps an amp.
And to think my stock Bose system was just fine for me in my C5...
And to think my stock Bose system was just fine for me in my C5...
After that, if you want some thump add a 10" sub (there are a couple of choices for coupe boxes now) with an amp. However if you get to the point where you're mounting an amp, you probably should use a 4 channel amp using 2 channels to power the fronts and bridge the other 2 channels to power the sub.
Slippery slope, ain't it? Welcome to the dark side!
