Re: Fwd: Bose Stereo on 98 GLX

[Bruce Stapley <bstapley@megsinet.com>]

On Thu, 6 Aug 1998 23:51:12 EDT, MRobT@aol.com wrote:
> Subject: Fwd: Bose Stereo on 98 GLX
> 
> I was told that if I wanted to replace the deck (Bose), I had to replace all
> the speakers too, because Bose uses a non-standard speaker that only works
> with their decks  (I think the guy told me that Bose speakers are 12 ohms or
> something weird like that).  I'd really like to replace the deck and amplifier
> in back, and then replace the speakers later on when I have more cash.  Did I
> get bad info?  I was told this by a installer at a high-end stereo and alarm
> store.
> Thanks,
> ROB
> '97 GLX
> Sequioa Green
> Beige leather
> Bose 10 speaker system
> 
(One assumes the sales weasel was gambling he could get you to go for
speakers you didn't need, but let's give him the benefit of the doubt.) 
If the nominal impedance of the Bose drivers is really low -- say, 2
ohms -- then if you installed a head unit which is not rated to deliver
its maximum output voltage into a load that low (a typical car stereo
rating is more like 4 ohms), then if you turned the volume up *really,
really loud* you'd be asking the output stage of the head unit's amp to
provide more current than it's rated for, and you could blow it up. 
Therefore, as long as you kept the volume level under 11, everything
would be tits and giggles.  (Also, you don't care about the impedance of
any speaker driven by the rear amp, only the actual input impedance of
the rear amp.)

Of course, the whole premise that the Bose drivers' impedance would be
that low is based on another premise:  That the stock Panasonic head
unit is capable of driving a load that low at high volumes.  (Well,
either that would be the case, or we'd have already seen a **LOT** of
blown up stock systems.)  This is, at best, less likely than Bill
Clinton keeping his dick in his pants.  And even in a universe where
President Bill passes on schtupping Elizabeth Ward Gracen and Matsushita
makes lots of OEM head units which push a 2 ohm load, one could take
advantage of the fact that several mfrs offer amps which are rated to 2
ohms.  Also, one can always fuse the speaker leads as they come out of
the amp so that "too much" current will never be drawn.

I've got an aftermarket head unit in my GLX, pumping into the stock Bose
speakers and through the rear amp, and I love how much better the Boses
sound now that they're being driven by a real stereo.  I'm tremendously
impressed with what the stock speakers can do (and I've always hated
Professor Amar's home products).  And even if my head unit is driving
into impedances which are lower than it likes (which I doubt), I'm not
worried, because since my ears start bleeding by the time the volume
gets to halfway, I'll never get it loud enough to melt my amp.  I'm old,
though; your results may vary.

Bruce Stapley
98 GLX