spyysee said:
Has anybody tried this?
seems an easy way to upgrade the stereo system to include a cd player.
My amps and speakers seem fine, but the radio "locks up" and freezes sometimes.
http://www.madvet.com/shop?frame=3.4040
I have been trying to decide what to do about my system for a while now but did not want to replace the head unit with anything that did not fit right. I also wanted to keep the original wiring in tact. I decided to go with the Pioneer direct fit unit from Mid-America Part Number 611-152-C.
http://www.madvet.com/shop?frame=1.665
It is also pricey when you compare this model number to the same unit sold by crutchfield. The only advantage that I can see is that Mid-America sends the units out to have them re-wired for Bose systems. This basically amounts to taking the high-level outputs from the head unit and running them into a "knocker downer" box so that the level seen by the Bose amps is correct. I suppose there is also some impedance matching going on in the supplied box as well. The adapter box also allows you to tune the output level of each channel although I did not find this necessary.
It would be up to you to decide if this wiring/adapter work done up front is worth about $200 bucks since you can get basically the same unit from Crutchfield for about $250 - $300. When I talked to Crutchfield they did not show this unit as a direct replacement probably just because of the Bose re-configuring and additional components.
I have to admit the fit was very nice, I used all of the mounting hardware from the original unit and the plugged the unit right in. About a 2 hour job.
This thing is not going anywhere. Even the back support mount fit on this unit. Normally there is some modification involved in this area.
Overall I am happy with the unit and it is much more versatile than the original head. I can add changer down the line and it also has low level subwoofer outputs. I do plan to add a sub later as well. Keep in mind audio technology has come a long way and although you would be getting the improved sound of the CD player you would be missing out on a lot of new features offered by more modern head units.
The unit is very configurable and although I have certainly heard better systems it does sound pretty good. I also went ahead and replaced the 4 Bose drivers (speakers) since they were only about 30 bucks each and mine had over 14 years on on them. My amps were fine.
As I said I am sure there is a "cheaper" solution but if ease of installation and a nice original look are what you are looking for this is a good choice.
