How to add a signal processor to a bose system

[Bigrick31 10+ year member]

I have an 04 escalade ext. It has factory navigation 6 disc changer bose ect. I want to add an aftermarket amp and subwoofer to the bose system and after doing some research I concluded that the Rockford Fosgate 3sixty.2 would be my best bet. I would have changed out the stock HU but the cost of a new navigation plus the cost of all the adapters I would need to retain factory controls just wasnt worth it to me also I set a budget of $800 for building materials and audio gear. Ill probably upgrade the bose speakers and add an amp to power the new speakers but for now I want to leave the stock speakers powered by the bose amp and just add a subwoofer. I was talking to the reps at crutch field and all they could tell me was I needed to cut the speaker wires that go into the bose amp and run them to the 3sixty.2 but thats where im lost. If I cut the wires and run them to the 360 then how is the bose amp going to power the speakers? I asked if there were any adapters or harnesses I would need or could buy to simplify the install and they said that none existed. Has anyone installed a Signal processor such as the 360 to their factory bose system, If so was there any extra accessories you needed for the install? Were you able to have the bose amp power the stock speakers? How did you do it? Anyone have a wiring diagram for the bose system so I can identify which wires I need to mess with?

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[x1le 10+ year member]

I don't have much experience with signal processors, but personally I would just use a regular old line out converter if all you want to do is add an amp for a sub. If your escalade comes with bose, I'm assuming it has a factory or a couple of factory subs? If so just tap into one pair of the wiring after the bose amp, not before it. And you don't have to cut the wires, just splice into them, this is where a pair of good sidestrippers come in handy.

 

[Bigrick31 10+ year member]

Seeing as Ive already ordered the 3sixty Id like to use it. I didnt just buy it to run a sub but also because of the awesome EQ it has plus like I said it will set me up to replace the door speakers later but thanks for the reply.

 

[x1le 10+ year member]

As for using the 360.2 with your factory amp, I don't think it's really a possibility to be honest. If the 360.2 had speaker level outputs it would be, but seeing as how the outputs are strictly rca don't think you'd be able to unless you were to creat some rca inputs on the bose amp somehow.

 

[Bigrick31 10+ year member]

Taken from the Rockford Fosgate website

"OEM Integration: This feature allows integration with a factory radio and amplifier, if present."

Not sure how its done but they say it can do it.

 

[Bigrick31 10+ year member]

Got someone at crutch field that knew more than the last person. What they said to do was take the wires that run from the bose amp to the speakers and tap into them basically making a Y or T tap so that your wires now go from the bose amp to a Y where one end of the Y goes to the speakers and the other go to the 360. Now on a Bose system you have a set of wires for the tweeters in the pillar a set for the front door speakers and a set for the rear door speakers. Heres how Rockford Fosgate recommends connecting the wires to the 360

Run:

tweeters into the 3Sixty FRONT channels

mids into the 3Sixty REAR channels

(optional) rears into the sub/center channels

When running OEM integration, choose YES to sum the inputs, 3Sixty will handle the rest.

Note: The 3SIXTY should be wired to constant 12V power only. Some 3SIXTY owner's manuals indicate wiring to switched power, but this is incorrect.

 

[pentavolvo 10+ year member]

ok ive done this before so here we go

first off this really isnt designed to be used as an eq for ur factory amp/speakers, its designed for aftermarket but it can be done how well will it work hard to say

ur oem bose radio puts out line level signals (ie rca level) so you have to break the connection between the radio and the amp and splice rca connectors in so you can run it in and out of the 360

you do not want to use a line out converter as u have clean signal before the bose amp, i woudl return the 360 if u can its totally gonna be a waste in my opinion

 

[Bigrick31 10+ year member]

ok ive done this before so here we go
first off this really isnt designed to be used as an eq for ur factory amp/speakers, its designed for aftermarket but it can be done how well will it work hard to say

ur oem bose radio puts out line level signals (ie rca level) so you have to break the connection between the radio and the amp and splice rca connectors in so you can run it in and out of the 360

you do not want to use a line out converter as u have clean signal before the bose amp, i woudl return the 360 if u can its totally gonna be a waste in my opinion

They market it as a way to not only add aftermarket amps/speakers to your vehicle but also to be used as an EQ for your stock system. From what ive read the signal is the same weather taken before or after the bose amp. They say that the 360 only needs to borrow some signal which is why you can T tap the wires going from the amp to the speakers there isnt an in/out for the speaker wires only an input so again in order to keep the bose amp working it would have to be T tapped. If I were only wanting to add an amp to my truck there are cheaper ways to go about it even the cleansweep is cheaper but the amazing EQ and the fact that it can connect to a laptop and be dialed in is what also caught my attention because it has options that I can use later when my budget permits.