Hey club are there multiple versions of the BOSE system? I had my 2006 GT in pieces for a long time, re-assembling now and my door speakers don't work. Searching/troubleshooting and some people refer to the amp in the door going bad ... but I don't have a door amp? Maybe I misplaced it in the shop but I don't see anything unplugged...I have Bose markings on the doors and speakers and have an all in the trunk, so I'm sure I have the Bose kit. But I'm seeing a few different versions of door panels online... Some with an amp and some without, any ideas where to start troubleshooting my issue? I don't see anything unplugged.... My pic first... red are both different pictures I found online of a GT and R3 apparently

 

The amp relays in the door are a known problem.
Maybe this will help.
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-int...s-dead-214653/

 

There seems to be two types of BOSE and the common fix is described for the first type. This post from that article speaks to it... and also mentions "The amp being discussed in this thread is from the first picture. And a small amount of people have this design" . I of course have the second type.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-int...2/#post4679155

I also got some other guidance on the RX8club facebook group .. not sure if this link will actually work


Your amplifier is attached over the speaker and not the square box style.
If both door speakers stop working, it is usually the amp in the boot,that sends them signal, needs to be replaced.
Me: If the amp in the trunk failed... would the rear trunk speakers still work?
yes, the rear speakers will still play but the amp stops sending signals to the door amps. It’s a common problem.

So potentially looking at replacing both door speakers if it is the first issue...... or looking at replacing the rear amp if its the second issue (not sure if they can be disassembled but the amp is not as described in other threads). I'd love to be able to identify where the issue lies....multimeter ready if there is any way to test this?

I just finished a 2yr restoration of my car and feel like I just can't catch a break getting it on the road..

 

Pulled an amp out of this old girl at the wrecker... She's given me a few things over the years and the Bose amp works like a charm.

To be noted.... The car at the wrecker had the door amps so it was the "other" type, but the main amp still works with my type

 

Just replaced my Bose tweeters and it sounded better for about a day. Now there is no sound coming from the lower door speakers. I assume the issue is with the door amps as described above. I am not too impressed with the system as a whole but the tweeters helped. Not sure if I should try to restore the Bose stuff with a new amp or replace.

Can I just scrap the Bose door amp and speaker and replace it with aftermarket? Can I use the primary dash amp and factory wiring to drive a passive speaker?

 

I am not a car audio expert so take this service with a grain of salt...

From what I've read mixing and matching components with the Bose system/amp doesn't work well, issues with audio distortion or feedback. If you google for "rx8 replace Bose" you'll find lots of good technical info on the topic, as well as some folks who have done a "full replacement" of the Bose system.

IMO for a stock car audio system I like them Bose. I'm not a car audiophile but I am a musician and have spent many hours in recording studios, so not necessarily a dead ear either. The RX8 has better sound than pretty much any other stock car I've been in. Tough to compare with aftermarket stuff but for a 15 year old car she ain't too bad

 

Thanks for the feedback. It seems like the door amp is shot. The fix was to re-solder the relay contacts. However then the relay occasionally sticks, so it really needs to be replaced. Right now the lower door speaker works 80% of the time.

I did research replacement, and found it somewhat involved to scrap the whole bose system. The tweeter upgrade was a huge improvement because before it was nothing but mud. Now it is mud with clarity. Establishing some upper end clarity gave the lower end some more definition. Certain pop songs that stay in the really low, and really high notes sound pretty damn good. However other music exposes a large hole between the factory 9" bose woofer and the Alpine tweeter I used. I went with a alpine S10TW which covers as low as 1k Hz. Probably the best I can do with just replacing the tweeters.

You can help it along by going negative on the treble and bass and by mixing in some rear speakers. For SQ it kind of is what it is, and I don't feel like overhauling the whole system. Next up is to wire in a BT/AUX input into the factory system.

 

You go negative on bass and treble!? Really... I do +3 bass +2 treble and at about 15 volume is where things sound best lol... Mostly listen to rock, but i'll have to try your tricks!

I have a Bluetooth/Aux kit plugged into the back of the factory stereo, works great. Picked it up on Amazon it is YaTour brand

 

With the oem tweeter, I was running +3 on treble and flat on the bass. However, I do agree with a typical rock station you have to boost the bass a little. Pop stations seem to push up that bass frequency the Bose is actually pretty good at. Maybe around 120hz or so.

Thanks for for the tip on the adapter. That is next. If you think you need a sq upgrade try replacing the factory tweeter. Made a big difference on my car, but maybe mine were just shot.