I like my Bose in my 00 SSEI but wanted to find out if anybody tried to boost it up. It'* just not LOUD enough! Was wondering if adding an amp might do it. BTW where is the factory amp located or is there none.

i'm sure TaylorD will jump in here and set you straight. I think the amp is on the back of the backset but im not sure.

Do you want your factory to be loud or you want aftermarket stuff? Have you tried setting the eq to your request?

I want to retain the factory system. I did set up the EQ to my bass and treble likings but still no loud enough.

Yes you can replace the amp or add another and subs if you want. If you check out JHE757 post in audio there is some info there, he installed an amp and subs.
I also have the diagram for the amp which is located at the back passenger area, the diagram I have is large (3mb) but I can email it if you need it.

The only way to get louder is with aftermarket really. There may be ways to retain the factory deck though.

Simply pushing all the EQ sliders to full will not give you more volume, infact it'll limit it more, because of all the distortion.

I had the same complaint on my Y2K SSEi BOSE stereo...and finally got it sounding the way I wanted.... keeping most of the factory stuff.

First, before going the subwoofer route, you might first try replacing your rear 6x9 Bose speakers with something better. The BOSE units have developed a reputation for unsatisfactory sound. I put in a pair of $150 Pioneer 4-way TSA6980 '* that I found online for about $55...made a world of difference.

If you decide to go ahead and add a sub, it'* an easy job to add a second amp and a subwoofer to the stock BOSE system...at least on the 2000+ Bonnie. The result will be a much stronger bass response...and a much louder sound overall.

If you decide to add a sub and amp, you need to get power to it. Since the battery and a ground point are located under the rear seat, it'* a snap to run power into the trunk.

The BOSE amp is mounted against the left rear wall of the trunk against the back seat. It'* easy to reach, and easy to tap into the pre-amp speaker wiring to feed a sub amp. All you need is the color-code schematic that Pontiac Dad provided me (Thanks again Dad!).

Instead of tapping the pre-amp signal, you can take the "easy way out" and get your subwoofer signal directly from your rear speakers, IF your amp has a high-power input (not all do). However, since this signal has already been amplified by the BOSE amp and processed by the BOSE crossover network, you won't like the results. It'* a bit overpowering.

If you want more of a "step-by-step" on how to wire the subwoofer system, let me know and I'll be glad to provide.

Jim

thanks alot, Jim. I'll try to replace the 6x9'* first and see how I like it and might add a sub. BTW did you leave the door speakers and pillar speaker original? will they be able to handle twice the wattage? Mine is GREEN

Yes, I left the door speakers and the little pillar tweeters (they're pretty good speakers for the high and midrange freqs). I'm not sure if they can handle extra wattage or not. But remember if you add a subwoofer amp, it will only drive the sub...not your existing door and deck speakers..

I guess if you really want to make a bigger change you could toss the BOSE amp and replace with something more powerful...not sure how the factory speakers would hold up under that setup.

You can find out a lot more on steero stuff over on the Audio board.

Jim

If I only replace the 6X9'* what/how much in your opinion will I gain in sound quality and loudness? cause I acctually don't mind the sound quality now just isn't loud enough.