Aftermarket HU w/ Aftermarket Speakers

[Meccanoble]

I'm looking to upgrade my speakers and want to make sure they get power from the aftermarket HU and not the bose amp. How can this be wired? I know a lot is going on under the cup holders. Any details on wiring and how to disable the stock subwoofer or limit how strong it plays? Any pics?

I believe the truck has 2 sets of components (A pillar, front doors) (D pillar, rear doors). How should the crossovers connect to the stock wiring?

 

[NathanJax]

Run new wires from back of head unit to each door. you can tap into the speaker wires going to each door as long as you don't send any sound/signal from the head unit to the factory wires to the factory amp.

 

[Meccanoble]

I was hoping to use the stock wiring to avoid running wires all over. The stock amp was never disconnected. Does that mean speakers are still powered by amp and not head unit? I was hoping to keep all wiring and some how bypass amp. Maybe connect speaker wires before amp involvement into speaker wires after amp bypassing amp and adapters in-between. Just not sure how it looks down there. I guess all wires match.

Also how can you control sub? Since no rca set up, there is no way to separately control it's bass without impacting door speaker bass?

 

[Meccanoble]

Just realized if I plan to connect aftermarket amp, I will needed to run wires from speaker to amp. Would that mean speaker harness setup is useless when you get aftermarket amp? All that matters in communication is rcas right?

 

[NathanJax]

Does that mean speakers are still powered by amp and not head unit?

yup

I was hoping to keep all wiring and some how bypass amp. Maybe connect speaker wires before amp involvement into speaker wires after amp bypassing amp and adapters in-between. Just not sure how it looks down there. I guess all wires match.

Would be much easier to do what I said.

Also how can you control sub? Since no rca set up, there is no way to separately control it's bass without impacting door speaker bass?

since you have an aftermarket head unit, just use the sub output...

This is something people use for factory head units to get a sub output...

https://www.amazon.com/PAC-SNI-35-Variable-Line-Converter/dp/B001EAWS3W


However, if you're going through the factory amp, the louder you go, the less bass output there is... The factory system does that and the only way to get around it is aftermarket headunit and wiring.

 

[Meccanoble]

Thanks for all the responses Nathan. For now, since I have aftermarket head unit with stock speakers and my head unit is connected to stock harness, all I have to do is disconnect stock amp and the power will come from the head unit? I'm thinking the amp is the middle man so when its disconnected, communication ends between head unit and speakers. Would I have to run wires bypassing amp or can I just disconnect a harness? Any pics of what to disconnect?

I currently have aftermarket head unit. I would still use that PAC converter right? I would connect RCA's from back of aftermarket HU and into converter and splice certain wires into wires coming out of sub harness?

Trying to imagine how it looks under there. There is 1 big silver amp and 2 harnesses that go into it, 1 for the sub and 1 for the remainder of system? Or 1 big harness and you use converter to splice into just subwoofer wires and RCA into aftermarket HU.

 

[NathanJax]

For now, since I have aftermarket head unit with stock speakers and my head unit is connected to stock harness, all I have to do is disconnect stock amp and the power will come from the head unit? I'm thinking the amp is the middle man so when its disconnected, communication ends between head unit and speakers. Would I have to run wires bypassing amp or can I just disconnect a harness? Any pics of what to disconnect?

You'd have to bypass the amp with some kind of harness. Not sure if they even make something like that. Maybe search GM Bose amp bypass...

I currently have aftermarket head unit. I would still use that PAC converter right? I would connect RCA's from back of aftermarket HU and into converter and splice certain wires into wires coming out of sub harness?

No. Just use the Sub out RCA on the aftermarket head unit to a sub amp.

Trying to imagine how it looks under there. There is 1 big silver amp and 2 harnesses that go into it, 1 for the sub and 1 for the remainder of system? Or 1 big harness and you use converter to splice into just subwoofer wires and RCA into aftermarket HU.

Google search "tahoe bose amp"

 

[Meccanoble]

You'd have to bypass the amp with some kind of harness. Not sure if they even make something like that. Maybe search GM Bose amp bypass...






No. Just use the Sub out RCA on the aftermarket head unit to a sub amp.




Google search "tahoe bose amp"

I wouldnt have a sub amp yet. Is there a way to control the sub amp with aftermarket HU? The thing you recommended earlier looks like it would work since it creates RCA's. Also, since everyone gives feedback that stock system sounds great with the upgraded bose amp, it leads to believe that the stock speakers (including sub) sound good when properly amplified. What kind of power can stock bose sub take if I wanted to connect an amp to it?

 

[NathanJax]

I wouldnt have a sub amp yet.

To have a sub, you must have a sub amp. The stock Bose amp is an amp for the stock sub

Is there a way to control the sub amp with aftermarket HU?

The sub amp? Aftermarket, yes, through the setting in the head unit. There is no stock "sub only" amp. It's all one amp.

Any way to control the stock sub?

Only to increase the low end frequency in the EQ settings. but that goes through the mids as well.

The thing you recommended earlier looks like it would work since it creates RCA's.

You should already have RCA's on your aftermarket head unit for a sub output

Also, since everyone gives feedback that stock system sounds great with the upgraded bose amp, it leads to believe that the stock speakers (including sub) sound good when properly amplified. What kind of power can stock bose sub take if I wanted to connect an amp to it?

The Bose system works on a weird ohms load. To make a stock system sound better, replace the factory head unit and continue to use the Bose amp/speakers. Next, you would bypass the Bose amp AND replace all the speakers.

 

[Meccanoble]

Thanks for answering all the noobie questions. I was hoping to use stock bose sub powered by amp but controlled by head unit but you confirmed that wont work.

My lowest eq setting shows 50<. Was hoping that would only be sub frequency and I can adjust it but dream crushed .

Looks like your original recommendation works. Replace HU, speakers and run wires directly to speakers. Bypassing speaker wires in harness would also work I guess? But when its time to add amps, I'll have to run wires anyway.