Bose stereo replacement?
Discussion
While I'm happy enough with the sound from the Bose unit in my mk3 it's a bit annoying it has no aux in or
bluetooth. As a result I've decided I need a new stereo. I just have a couple of questions,
What stereo would you recommend to replace it? I certainly don't want worse sound as a result so I'm wary of going cheap. I'm tempted to go double din but if, for example a stereo costing 300 quid is much better at sound reproduction when single compared to double I'd go with the standard unit.
How would it be best wired up. The head units I've found/looked at are 4x whatever watts and my car has seven speakers.
bluetooth. As a result I've decided I need a new stereo. I just have a couple of questions,
What stereo would you recommend to replace it? I certainly don't want worse sound as a result so I'm wary of going cheap. I'm tempted to go double din but if, for example a stereo costing 300 quid is much better at sound reproduction when single compared to double I'd go with the standard unit.
How would it be best wired up. The head units I've found/looked at are 4x whatever watts and my car has seven speakers.
Your stock stereo will still have either 2 or 4 outputs, not an output per speaker.
If you swap the head unit will you need to also replace the speakers? I don't know on Mk3 but on a lot of Bose stereos the speakers are matched to the headunit and a hide-away Bose amp and can't run from an aftermarket head unit.
Can't you get an Aux-in that plugs into the back of the Bose?
If you swap the head unit will you need to also replace the speakers? I don't know on Mk3 but on a lot of Bose stereos the speakers are matched to the headunit and a hide-away Bose amp and can't run from an aftermarket head unit.
Can't you get an Aux-in that plugs into the back of the Bose?
SmilerFTM said:
Riknos said:
Yes, you can. I pick up my mk3 Sport on the weekend, and the previous owner has installed an ipod/phone input which has a socket for an aux input also.
any idea what type and/or where you can get one?Found this one
www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.php?productid=8&cat...
I might email them to double check compatibility but it sounds pretty good
www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.php?productid=8&cat...
I might email them to double check compatibility but it sounds pretty good
http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/audiolink-player-mazda-m...
or
http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/audiolink-ipod-mazda-mod...
or
http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/audiolink-ipod-mazda-mod...
Edited by MX-5 Lazza on Thursday 19th April 15:59
MX-5 Lazza said:
This is what is fitted to my car, not a bad little freebie 
Got my adaptor today, easy enough to install only problem is the stereo asked for a code when I plugged everything back in. Not knowing it I had a look online for factory set codes, none of these worked and it's got a Err message on it now. Found a way to get past that but it goes back to asking the code again. I then contacted the dealership it was originally bought from and it was sold without a code set-up and one of the previous owners have apparently put one in. Now at my local Mazda dealership to see if they cando done sort of master reset, if that fails I'll need to call the dealership I bought it from to see if they can contact the previous owner to get the code otherwise I'm screwed
SmilerFTM said:
Got my adaptor today, easy enough to install only problem is the stereo asked for a code when I plugged everything back in. Not knowing it I had a look online for factory set codes, none of these worked and it's got a Err message on it now. Found a way to get past that but it goes back to asking the code again. I then contacted the dealership it was originally bought from and it was sold without a code set-up and one of the previous owners have apparently put one in. Now at my local Mazda dealership to see if they cando done sort of master reset, if that fails I'll need to call the dealership I bought it from to see if they can contact the previous owner to get the code otherwise I'm screwed
Faaaaaaaaaack! That's a bit of a ball ache, not heard of a code for the stereo.. Currently left my head unit at a local garage who can 'normally' decode stereos and get them unlocked but he's struggling like hell to do it. If he fails I'm shafted and it's either a new Bose head unit (480 odd quid plus vat) from a Mazda dealership or I'm looking into a whole new stereo, amp and speaker set-up. Properly gutted
It was at the Mazda dealership the other day, they couldn't unlock it and told me 480 odd quid plus vat for a new head unit. Been in a local garage for two days now (who came recommended by a number of people) to try unlocking it and they are unable to manage it. Tempted not to pay the £570+ for the head unit and replace the whole lot with a new system. Christ knows how much that would cost though as I'd need 7 new speakers, a new head unit and a new amp and I don't want it sounding worse
SmilerFTM said:
It was at the Mazda dealership the other day, they couldn't unlock it and told me 480 odd quid plus vat for a new head unit. Been in a local garage for two days now (who came recommended by a number of people) to try unlocking it and they are unable to manage it. Tempted not to pay the £570+ for the head unit and replace the whole lot with a new system. Christ knows how much that would cost though as I'd need 7 new speakers, a new head unit and a new amp and I don't want it sounding worse
The dealer might be a bit thick... or they are seeing £ signs. I'd be amazed if Mazda UK didn't have a way to unlock it. What happens when they have to do any work on cars that come into the dealer? They will disconnect the battery for any major work so they must have a way to unlock the stereos. I'd bypass the dealer and give Mazda UK a call. (Or give Superhoop a pm 
)Finally got it back on, the code was written in the handbook along with a load of other numbers that made no sense other than they liked like the previous owner has been pricing something up. I then plugged everything back in, Err still showing on the display so I used the press 6, then AM and then a couple of other steps to be able to input the code once again and it worked. None of the (master) codes I found online worked so over the moon this one did.
Xcarlink bluetooth adaptor works a treat as well. Thank christ for that, thought for a while there it was going to cost me a fortune.
Xcarlink bluetooth adaptor works a treat as well. Thank christ for that, thought for a while there it was going to cost me a fortune.
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