Mazda 6 MPS (bose) Stereo Upgrade

So I am eagerly anticipating delivery of my '06 MPS and planning how to spend more money...

I would like to retain full factory look and integration. Head unit upgrade may occur down the line, but first step is to remove the cheap as toy "bose premium" pack...

1. Replace Amp (alpine 5 channel) using factory under seat location and wiring (speaker level inputs)
- has anyone done this? is there room under the seat for an upgrade?
- can I replace only the amp at first and run the 2ohm bose speakers for a few weeks?

2. replace speakers - thinking 6.5" alpine speakers in the doors (with mdf spacer)
- can I keep the factory tweeters (after doing the capacitor upgrade)
- can I keep the Bose grills in place?

3. replace factory parcel shelf sub with Alpine unit
- what size sub to fit the existing hole with zero mod to parcel shelf?

Appreciate all comments and suggestions. My budget is about $400 on the amp $400 on (4x) speakers and $300 on the sub.

Cheers

Depends on the size of the amp. Get a measuring tape and measure it out. Although to be honest, under the driver's seat where the BOSE amp is, you're not going to have much room even after taking it out.
Either under the passenger's seat, or in the boot would likely be better options. My 4ch Focal amp could have just squeezed in under the passenger's seat, but it would have been a tight fit, so it went in the boot.

Putting new 6.5" splits in the front isn't too hard, although finding places to mount the crossovers can be tricky. I'd definitely go new splits over just throwing in new 6.5" speakers and keeping stock tweeters. Bose grills are fine how they are, although I didn't use any spacers.
I haven't even bothered with the rears, but don't spend much there.

As for the sub, good luck finding a sub that will work well in the rear deck, i've asked around and no audio place has any clue about subs that would do well in that situation, especially since you can't really go above 8", and even then it's necessary to add a bracket to mount a new sub anyway. - Bose subwoofer replacement - Mazda 6 Forums : Mazda 6 Forum / Mazda Atenza Forum - this is the only link i've found that has been helpful with the sub but the sub the guy used isn't made anymore as far as I can tell.

Alrighty, thanks for that. Food for thought. Can I keep the bose amp if I install quality 6.5" Splits in the front?

Removing the stereo - how to's on youtube are for left hand drive vehicles. They show a 10mm bolt that needs to be removed in behind the glovebox. On right hand drive vehicles, is this bolt moved to the lhs or still on the rhs ?

Another question that arises from the subwoofer replacement thread posted - so the underseat amp does not drive the sub - it actually has it's amp attached?
So would the inputs at the sub be line level or speaker level ?

That bolt is on passenger side on our cars

I have replaced the bose amp with an alpine 5 channel (off memory a PDX v9). It fits fine, I just put velcro tape on the bottom, hasn't budged. Gets warm (its a powerful amp), but no issues with it after 9 months or so.

Fronts I have 6.5 inch speakers, didn't need spacers, and they are DEEP speakers, I was surprised. Retained the factory bose grills, looks stock. I removed the factory tweeters, and with a little cutting, got the new tweeters into the stock position. works really well.

Rears will have 6 inch speakers, but yet to find the time to finish installing them, but test fitting showed no issues. stock bose in there currently but turned right down so I don't blow them out (not really a concern but figured I can wait till its properly balanced).

I removed the stock bose "sub", its really just a bit speaker, and am running a 12 in the boot.

Kept the factory head unit, but have a tablet in the dash pocket running into the stock head unit (aftermarket facias looks like balls, and the 05 mps6 doesn't do mp3). I have the sat nav unit I have pulled to bits that the tablet will eventually mount in, and then will look a heck of a lot cleaner than the currently tablet setup. Works a treat.

Only issue was the CNUTMUSCLE of a time working out the wiring for signal into the amp and then out to the speakers. I found 3 different bose wiring diagrams, all off them were different to what mine was. Go consistency mazda... Took a few hours, but got it nailed.

why they didn't just run a simple signal line into the factory amp I have no idea...

Yeah the wiring for the BOSE amp is a gigantic pain in the dick. I got confused and accidentally cut the wires for one of the rear speakers when I was installing my fronts =(

My first step is to replace the sub. I see the bose sub has a built in amp. That'll make wiring up the new amp easy on the parcel shelf (underside)

But are the factory inputs at the sub high or low level?

There is a write up somewhere on how to patch into the sub line in the boot using some buggerised twisted pairs all cut up and re-soldered. It can be done. However my method just removed the whole thing so I am afraid I can't offer more other than that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FletchQLD

My first step is to replace the sub. I see the bose sub has a built in amp. That'll make wiring up the new amp easy on the parcel shelf (underside)

But are the factory inputs at the sub high or low level?

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if anything like the 3 than high level inputs for the headunit to the amp hence why we need to mod the eonon units on the 3

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fizzy

There is a write up somewhere on how to patch into the sub line in the boot using some buggerised twisted pairs all cut up and re-soldered. It can be done. However my method just removed the whole thing so I am afraid I can't offer more other than that.

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The use of buggerised rca leads suggest the inputs at the factory sub are line level. I'll check voltage to be sure but sounds good.
cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FletchQLD

My first step is to replace the sub. I see the bose sub has a built in amp. That'll make wiring up the new amp easy on the parcel shelf (underside)

But are the factory inputs at the sub high or low level?

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Something like so? (hopefully a bit neater though, this was a temp board =P)

http://i.imgur.com/d1DMbcM.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kyreen

Something like so?

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Absolutely like so. I have purchased a Kenwood KFC-XW800F 600W 8" Sub and a Boss monobloock amp. But - mmmmmm focal = nice!

Nice. Mine's a 4channel, it currently only powers the front splits.

Let me know how the sub replacement goes, might convince me to get myself an 8" sub to throw in the shelf and finally make full use of the amp =P.

reviving this.. this is a noob question . can a sub be mounted up side down ? like the speaker facing into the boot? lol... i want a bigger sub but dont want to eat up my boot space...

Are you talking about the stock position for the sub?

yea man

@skeetskeet it should be possible, subs are pretty much non-directional- they spew sound in every direction.

Have a search on DIYmobileaudio.com (I have found it's like the MSF of car audio - very technical) as there are lots of builds with subs facing in all kinds of directions.

If you are putting it in the parcel shelf (I assume that's stock for the 6?) and not using a box, you will want to read up on infinite baffle as it will take a bit of effort to make it work (sealing the boot and getting the right sub), as subs are not like normal 6.5 drivers- you can't just bang them anywhere and expect them to work properly. End rant. Ha ha

^^ what @Lachlan said...

Yeah a sub with infinite baffle would be your best bet, but then it compromises the sound somewhat (that is to say, it's not as good as baffled sub).

You could look into a bass tube or something like that and hide it in a corner... or look at low profile subs and design a box to suit that would sit low profile into the rest of the boot.

@spooon I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with IB, but it requires lots of work to make it good. Probably gets a bad rep from people just chucking a sub in and wondering why it sounds crap, then blaming IB rather jam their crappy install! A sealed sub is much easier to set up well and harder to screw up.
@skeetskeet what's the 6 spare wheel look like? I did a 12" in the spare of my gen2 (fibreglass box hidden under the carpet) that worked well. Good option if you don't mind the stank of fibreglass resin!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lachlan

@spooon I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with IB, but it requires lots of work to make it good. Probably gets a bad rep from people just chucking a sub in and wondering why it sounds crap, then blaming IB rather jam their crappy install! A sealed sub is much easier to set up well and harder to screw up.
@skeetskeet what's the 6 spare wheel look like? I did a 12" in the spare of my gen2 (fibreglass box hidden under the carpet) that worked well. Good option if you don't mind the stank of fibreglass resin!

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Totally agree, but I was kind of assuming that it was just a direct swap for the stock sub and sealing the boot up and such wasn't going to happen :P

A properly installed IB is a good thing though - but to be honest I'm an audiophile but I've long given up on car audio after the NVH in my car got to the point of "why am I even bothering" so I just upgraded the 5x7s in the doors and put in a jaycar amp :P cheap and cheerful