i have a problem the bose gold unit and speakers amps works great (for now ) but cd's are not playing... any idea or tricks should i try a cd cleaner or i do have to replace the head unit with the one refurbished from e-bay

 

First, please read the C4 FAQ's at the top of the section. Then remove the radio and send it to Dr Don's. Cheaper then a new radio, and he can make it be able to play home made CD's.

 

Dr. Don charges $150 to get it back to stock, and extra $300 to get it to play MP3/WMA/CD-Rs... I know, because I had read your post, and decided to check it out... The fact is, this is NOT a cost-effective solution.

I just scored a Sony CD deck (2 years old, still in new condition, with remote, plays CD/WMA/MP3, plus aux. in jack) for $50, off Craigs list. A decent new Sony can be had for only $100!!!

Toss the "Blose" system, get a deck that has contemporary features, for cheap. Keep an eye on Craigslist, Ebay and even Amazon.com, for deals on used decks, and you'll do well. Considering the amps that are at each speaker eventually fail, there's only reason to keep it bone-stock, is if it's an extremely rare model. With adapter kits for the harness and faceplate, plus some good speakers, you can have a completely new system that'll blow-away the factory one, for maybe $300! In my case, that'll be more like $150!

If you REALLY have a collector-car, you can keep the stock deck with the car, to give someone else later.

 

If you just want a Quick solution to fix the problem, the refurbished ebay unit would be good.
If you want a Permanent cost effective solution to the problem, replacing the complete Bose system is recommended.

Remember, "You never have the time to do it Right but, you always have the time to do it Twice"!

 

How much money you spend is up to you. Budget builds and not for everyone. I depends on how you use the car and what you want it to do. If you read the "What do you run" sticky at the top of the section, you will see that some people spend a lot of money on there cars. My first build was a budget one, and while it sounded better then what I had before, it was not what I wanted. So I hung around here and over at DIYMA and learned a bit about installs and what does what and so on. I bought a new Eclipse hu w/ EQ, so I can tune the system, Focal componant speakers for the front stage, and eD 8" subs for the rear, w/ a Zuki Eleets amp to drive it all. I have about $1000.00 bucks in the equipment, but the difference is amazing. I can hear the system loud and clear w/ the windows down, which was the goal. I still have to tune the system, which I'm sure will take a while, but this is the fun part.
What ever you decide to do, let us know, we are here to help.

Randy

 

True enough. I've spent several years studying audio systems, and one of the first things you learn, is that (like speed) it's simply a question of how much money you want to spend!

For example, my last stereo install, was in the following car:



What was interesting about this car (besides the build, paint and body mods, etc.) was that I put a full stereo system in it, with its own wiring harness that was custom-made. So, when I sold the car, the buyer was amazed that I had the FSM with it (complete with electrical schematics), a second schematic for the remote doors and trunk, and a third schematic for the entire sound system. The car featured a single JL-Audio 8" woofer firing through the grille between the two rear seats, and a 6-channel amp driving everything. The woofer was *extremely* tricky, because the hump over the rear differential left an area only 10" tall under the rear package tray, and the face had to be seat at a 30-degree slant back. Everything except the deck was hidden up front, but I carpeted the trunk, did a "sexy" mounting of the amp and woofer, so that you had no idea... It didn't "pound" your ears, of course, but the single 8" woofer was enough to give the car the right balance for all music played, without the booming that you hear from so many systems.

I find it ironic, that when I measure the T-S specs against the recommended enclosures by the manufacturers, I find a significant disparity between what gives you a flat response-curve versus what they recommend.

Clearly, a good stereo system must be well thought-out, and woofer enclosures calculated carefully, to give you what you *really* want.

The great thing is, the prices have come down so much, that stock systems are a poor choice, when it comes to replacing faulty components. My install kit (ordered from Crutchfield) cost $36. I'll do a write-up on it, when I go to pop everything in.