Hi all,
Recently I hooked up my MTX amp and Infinity Sub in my 2000 SSEi'* factory system. I ran from the 6x9s to the high input on the amp. Now my problem is that when I turn the stereo up, the sub doesn't seem to get any louder...turn it down, and after about 2 seconds the sub suddenly gets a substantial vomume increase. I'm thinking it has to be something to do with the Bose system...does it decrease bass levels at higher volumes to keep from blowing the speakers?
Also, is there any way to eliminate this? It has plenty of bass, but doesn't hit very hard. With the same amp and sub in my '00 Intrepid ES, it hit about twice as hard, and I didn't have to turn the bass all the way up. Any ideas are appriciated.

Thanks,
-Mike

yah it is the bose system trying to turn the bass down at higher volumes so your speakers don't blow. the only thing you can do is adjust the bass levels. other than that you will have to go with an aftermarket headunit.

It'* your stock headunit'* fault.. This is the #1 reason why everyone with a 2000+ model all seem to replace their stock radio if they upgrade their stereo system..

would this problem happen with a 96?

you dont have the Bose system in your car you have the Delco with the Gain Slider

Thanks guys. I kinda figured that'* what it was. I guess I'll look into getting one of those EBC controls for my amp so I can turn it down from the driver'* seat. I don't really feel like spending the money on a new stereo. That money could be spent on modifications.

just for clarification, all 2000+ Bonnevilles and Aurora'* have this issue. It has nothing to do with whether it'* equipped with BOSE or not. They use the same head unit anyways, one just says "bose" on the front of it and the other does not. the delco system has the same excessive bass problem at low volume, and virtually none when you crank it.

sounds like a DAMN good reason to get rid of the crummy stock unit.

Anything Bose seems to do that..in an attempt to sound "crisp and clear"
The Alero has the optional Monsoon amplified system, trust me, it only gains bass, sounds pretty good, minus the rear speakers which aren't designed for the ammount of power they are fed oem

Are you listening to your Stock Bose/GM system and wondering why you can not get any sort of Bass from it. Well, its not your deck, not the Bose amp, in most cases it will be the Bose 6x9'* in the rear deck. The Bose 6x9s are worthless after a short while, they can not handle the output from the Bose amp under the Head Unit.

The cheap and easy fix is to replace the Bose 6x9 with a QUALITY (No wal-mart end cap specials) aftermarket 6x9s. The install is easy, just remove the rear grilles by pulling up and toward the front of the car. Remove the (4) hex screws holding down the Bose 6x9s, unscrew the harness from the Bose speaker, undo the connections and install the aftermarket 6x9s in the reverse manner. Remember to match the polarity on the speakers. You will be AMAZED by what you hear!

Ok, so you want to rattle some windows, but want to keep the Bose stuff because the imaging is good and the highs are not too bad. Plus you like the stealth look of the stock deck and the steering wheel controls. This can be acheived by using a aftermarket amp and quality subwoofer. Now you need to get the signal from the HU to the amp. You are going to need a line level converter for this. They can be gotten for $20 at a stereo shop.

Now, your first thought will be to tap in by the 6x9s. This will work, but the results will be disapointing. The Bose Dynamic Equilization pumps up the bass output at low levels to the 6x9s. This will cause the aftermarket amp to over amplify the low frequencys at low levels giving you bass that will not stop at low level. It is very annoying. Plus the output from the sub will be muddy and inaccurate. Adjusting the gain at the line level converters will NOT help this.

The solution is to tap into the outputs at the headunit BEFORE they get to the Bose amp. Remove the factory HU, and remove the large Black/White harness from the back of the head unit. Turn the harness so the wire side of the harness is facing you. The rear speaker outputs from the HU are the (4) wires in the cluster in the white section of the harness. There should be (from right to left) a brown wire, another brown wire, a blue wire and a black wire. The brown wire on the right is the (L+), the next brown wire to the left is the (L-) wire, the blue wire is the (R+) and the black wire is the (R-). Splice into these and then connect the converter respecivly. Now, the yellow wire next to the orange one at the end of the black harness will work as the amp turn on lead if you splice into it. Make all the connections to the amp and sub. Remember to use the correct sized wire and fuse.

Enjoy the sound!

Karfreek