Does anyone have a step by step guide on how I would connect an active (built in amp) sub to the current bose sound system. It is a 55 plate UK right hand drive model.

I know roughly how to connect a sub to an aftermarket headunit.. But since i'm not changing the unit, I would like to know how I would be able to connect it up.

I need to know EVERYTHING...
Like where I would put the live wire from the battery through to the inside of the car, and how i'd hide the wires around the car, and where to connect the RCA wires to the car, and if i'd need a line output converter and how i'd connect it. And anything else i'd need to know..

I'd really appreciate any help you guys could give! =]

btw, HELLOOOOOOOOOO FELLOW RX8 OWNERS! I GOT MINE 2 DAYS AGO AND IT IS THE BEST THING EVER! BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

Here's a link to the powered sub

As I said, the FAQ thread should answer a lot of your questions. I assume getting through the firewall would be the same, just reversed for right hand drive.

I've heard talk on here of some people without that accessory plug. Must be a US thing. Do you have the Bose system? If so, the pink/black and yellow/white wires on the Bose amp could be used for a remote turn on lead. If not, you'll have to hunt down a 12V ignition source. Hot only when the key is on. Fuse box should be fine.

See the little connector on the back of your box that says "high level input"? That's all you need. It should have came with a little connector to plug in there. 4 wires. One pair to the left rear speaker and the other pair to the right rear speaker. I believe green/orange is left rear positive and grey/red is right rear positive. You can tap right at the speakers or you can tap in the Bose amp harness. The Bose amp is in the boot right next to the right rear speaker.

View this thread in regards to tapping into factory wires.

Should be all you need man. If you can't get it from here.... better take it to a professional. lol

 

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo! My sub didn't fit through the actual opening of the boot!!!! Bloody hell! Time to buy a new sub ¬_¬

 

There used to be an adapter for the bose unit that plugged into the OEM Bose stereo and adds the RCA and remote 12v so you don't have to tap into anything. Don't remember the name of it but it works great. I use the Bose amp to power the tweeters, then I installed an aftermarket amp to run my 4 subs, 2 6x9's and 2 6.5"s.

The RX8 is a very easy car to run and hide audio wires.

 

Hey my bose amp is dying out and im thinking of installing an aftermarket amp. would i have to change the bose speakers or can i use them on an aftermarket amp?. Any help would be appreaciate it, thanks

 

No you can't use the big bose speakers with the average aftermarket amp. IIRC the door speakers run on 0.5 ohms and most amps are designed to run either 4 or 2. The only amps I've seen than run lower ohms are stickly for subwoofers.

 

I just got on of the integrations and it works perfectly. Just search pac oem mazda. It'll look something like this...

 

I was JUST looking at those modules. That would obviously work fine, but it's just a line output converter wired to a Mazda harness. It's no different that using any random LOC at the Bose amp inputs. If you're dead set on not replacing the factory headunit, I'd much rather not even touch the factory radio, nor run RCAs through the car. Just do all your work in the trunk and you're set.

On a related note, that module can also be used for Bose users to replace their factory headunit. No RCA splicing. No wiring resistors together by hand. The minor issue is that you'd need to replace the connector with RCAs with this one. Then you'd have to snip off the white plug in this picture and wire it up to the Metra kit. It would work...... but maybe that's more trouble than most people are willing to go through?

Or if these damn Chinese parts distributors stopped screwing me over, I'd have a simple interface built for us by now. Maybe I would have been better off spending 5X as much and just going to Radio Shack.

 

I bought a cheap LOC from best buy. I tapped into the wires going to the rear speakers (after factory bose amp). That setup worked flawless for 3 years.
It was removed only because I ditched the Bose and the new headunit had the outputs.
The Bose is sufficient, especially complemented with a couple 10"s and a lot of dynamat.
But certainly not superior in car audio performance.

 

You didn't mind the muddy mid frequencies that they bose amp puts to the rears? Or did you manage to EQ it out? With a proper amp, EQ, and speaker setup the Bose head unit sounds just as good as any aftermarket system I've used in any previous car I've had but I also don't spend 2k on a audio setup.

 

Going to the rear speakers after the amp worked out a lot better than I thought.
Givin my amp has a lot of fine tuning available on it, it still required some adjustment between some music styles to weed out some of frequencies.
I'm not saying that's for sure the best route, but I have a preference for quality audio, and this worked well for me.

Aside from that... be sure to remember the "RattleHunt" thread in here. With or without subs, every car typically develops some annoying rattles, but in our cars with an added sub(s), you'll be surprised how many things start rattling around and other things coming loose.
Personally in 2 previous cars (mazda mx-6, nissan 240sx) the window brackets rattled loose and the window dropped down into my door frame, once when I shut the door, the other when I hit a bump on a driveway entrance. Didn't break the window on either occasion, however was stuck with my window sitting loose at the bottom of my door until I could get home.

As far as going aftermarket, go high-end components or stay with the bose...
Again the Bose sounds great for a stock system.
Basically if you can justify spending the money for more performance, there's always room for it.

 

Going to the rear speakers after the amp worked out a lot better than I thought.
Givin my amp has a lot of fine tuning available on it, it still required some adjustment between some music styles to weed out some of frequencies.
I'm not saying that's for sure the best route, but I have a preference for quality audio, and this worked well for me.
Aside from that... be sure to remember the "RattleHunt" thread in here. With or without subs, every car typically develops some annoying rattles, but in our cars with an added sub(s), you'll be surprised how many things start rattling around and other things coming loose.
Personally in 2 previous cars (mazda mx-6, nissan 240sx) the window brackets rattled loose and the window dropped down into my door frame, once when I shut the door, the other when I hit a bump on a driveway entrance. Didn't break the window on either occasion, however was stuck with my window sitting loose at the bottom of my door until I could get home.