Bose Audio Systems

[dreisenauer]

I just bought a 25 Sierra SLT.  Do these still have the sub in the center console with the Bose audio system?  I can't detect noise or vibes in the center leaving me to think it's been cost reduced out or not hooked up.  I had a 16 Sierra with the bose that thumped way better.  I have a 21 Yukon now currently that sounds a lot better with significantly more thump.  

[DubVBenz]

The standard Bose system is apparently a lot worse than on earlier and pre-refresh models.The Denali and AT4 get a better version I think. Most people buy a subwoofer and put it under the seats. I have one but haven't gotten around to wiring it up yet. Lots of posts about that on this and other forums.

[dreisenauer]

Well that's disappointing.  

 

The other Bose systems have been always just good enough I didn't bother to upgrade. I found  a few options on other forums to investigate.  I'm not wanting to take up storage space under by back seat with a big sub box.

[redwngr]

Better bose  - UQS - is standard and only available on AT4X and Denali Ultimate (not available on AT4 or 'regular' Denali)

 

On 2025 SLT 1500

UQF is standard

UQA is the bose option

 

[dreisenauer]

Thanks redwngr.  I should have the UQA 7 speaker option.  If a richbass woofer exists, it's not hooked up or very weak.  

[Juicedgsr95]

I just added an Alpine PXE-C80-88 DSP/Amp.  replaced door and dash speakers, added a JL 10TW3.  The factory sub is there (I am running it off channel 7 on the amp for a front sub). It actually does pretty well when it has power and good crossover points. 

 

24 Silverado with UQA radio. 

Edited February 17, 2025 by Juicedgsr95

[MTY55]

18 hours ago, dreisenauer said:

Thanks redwngr.  I should have the UQA 7 speaker option.  If a richbass woofer exists, it's not hooked up or very weak.  

Its very weak. The bass on my 20 SLT with Bose system completely blows away the Bose system in my 23 Denali

[asilverblazer]

This kind of question always leads me down the 'why isn't my next truck a base model' road. 

 

Things that are a must vs. things aftermarket does better, looks...

 

1. Leather - easy to clean.

2. Climate control - handy.

3. Heated steering wheel - stupid, but by far one of my favorite options.

4. Leather wrapped steering wheel - its the one thing you touch every minute you're in the truck.

...not far from base model.

 

I hate to say I'm an apple fanboy but carplay entertainment is clean and simple and works. All I need on my  dash is a well integrated screen to mirror my phone. 

 

The stereo in my current truck isn't my favorite, sound quality, but I can't justify spending the thousands to get it where I want plus the compromises on how the current double-din units look in the dash of my truck.

 

Conveniently, I'm in the process of learning my new Android based head unit, yes, the cheap ones on Amazon.

Reason, one, my current screen would sometimes cut out. I'm fairly certain it was just the display because touch functions would still work along with everything else. You just couldn't see it. Cost for replacement part $150-200. Cost for the Android thing I bought $200 (Great) but it required a $200 Bose adapter to work (Yikes). Its a 10" tablet, and fits the dash better than the 8" with antiquated CD player.

 

Point of all this, maybe building a sound system independent of the truck is the easiest thing, if you can resolve the screen integration in a way you like. 

 

In my case I could now go out of the Android thing to any aftermarket audio devices I wish. A set of amplifiers, speakers, etc. (avoiding the $200 adapter in the process.) The head unit I have has a robust equalizer, some other settings for cross over and sub woofers that aren't helpful with Bose and based off my previous experience with aftermarket higher end units like Kenwood, I think this unit could produce comparable sound quality with enough fiddling. In other words for $200 Kenwood, Pioneer - aren't even close to competing. If their trying to win high end (audiophile) crowd their going to have to figure out how to get past the double -din box they've got themselves in. (Example: Buddy needs a head unit in his Nissan Altima - the display is bad. Nothing from Crutchfield for under $600. We're going to put an Android in his too with a bigger screen.)

 

[redwngr]

12 hours ago, asilverblazer said:

This kind of question always leads me down the 'why isn't my next truck a base model' road. 

 

Things that are a must vs. things aftermarket does better, looks...

 

1. Leather - easy to clean.

2. Climate control - handy.

3. Heated steering wheel - stupid, but by far one of my favorite options.

4. Leather wrapped steering wheel - its the one thing you touch every minute you're in the truck.

...not far from base model.

 

I hate to say I'm an apple fanboy but carplay entertainment is clean and simple and works. All I need on my  dash is a well integrated screen to mirror my phone. 

 

The stereo in my current truck isn't my favorite, sound quality, but I can't justify spending the thousands to get it where I want plus the compromises on how the current double-din units look in the dash of my truck.

 

Conveniently, I'm in the process of learning my new Android based head unit, yes, the cheap ones on Amazon.

Reason, one, my current screen would sometimes cut out. I'm fairly certain it was just the display because touch functions would still work along with everything else. You just couldn't see it. Cost for replacement part $150-200. Cost for the Android thing I bought $200 (Great) but it required a $200 Bose adapter to work (Yikes). Its a 10" tablet, and fits the dash better than the 8" with antiquated CD player.

 

Point of all this, maybe building a sound system independent of the truck is the easiest thing, if you can resolve the screen integration in a way you like. 

 

In my case I could now go out of the Android thing to any aftermarket audio devices I wish. A set of amplifiers, speakers, etc. (avoiding the $200 adapter in the process.) The head unit I have has a robust equalizer, some other settings for cross over and sub woofers that aren't helpful with Bose and based off my previous experience with aftermarket higher end units like Kenwood, I think this unit could produce comparable sound quality with enough fiddling. In other words for $200 Kenwood, Pioneer - aren't even close to competing. If their trying to win high end (audiophile) crowd their going to have to figure out how to get past the double -din box they've got themselves in. (Example: Buddy needs a head unit in his Nissan Altima - the display is bad. Nothing from Crutchfield for under $600. We're going to put an Android in his too with a bigger screen.)

 

 

Are you talking about the vehicle(s) in your signature or are you talking about the a T1? 

 

If a T1, is it the pre or post refresh?

[asilverblazer]

3 hours ago, redwngr said:

 

Are you talking about the vehicle(s) in your signature or are you talking about the a T1? 

 

If a T1, is it the pre or post refresh?

I'm just talking...

...anything specific would be to my 18.

[Ryan Tierney]

Only way for it to sound decent is to open your rear window if you have one. GM really screwed up on the 22 1/2+ Bose systems. Even if you upgrade for the OEM hide away sub the systems still pathetic. Just don't understand how Bose systems from the 90's sound better then ones being produced in 2025.

 

My guess is Bose cut corners during the pandemic on production of their speakers. Somethings just missing for this to be a premium system. I have 2 other gm vehicles produced in 2023 with Bose and the sound delivers so its isolated to GM's trucks.

[dreisenauer]

Update on this one - upon making fun of the pathetic Bose system at a dealer, a friendly parts guy told me he had the GM 8" Kicker sub and let me listen to it.  I thought it was good enough and had some points on my card plus 20% off so I did it.  Initially I thought it was ok after install but still kind of weak and it started to get a little better after breaking in a bit.  I decided to take the amp to see if it was replaceable.  There was a little rubber plug on the back and when removed revealed 6 DIP switches.  I searched online and found 3 of them were gain but only 1 of 3 was "on".  I flipped the 2nd one "on" and wow did that wake it up.  Now it's much better than I expected.

 

I might think about replacing door speakers now.  Or getting the inputs from the Bose sub input instead of a side speaker like it they install it.  

[kickass audio]

I haven't experienced the pre-refresh BOSE radios but I had a loaner 2025 Silverado with the turdomax engine and base 6 speaker radio and wow the factory low end model is such a piece of crap compared to my 2023 with the mid level bose radio. The front door speakers are more like woofer and I can't say I hear anything for bass from the woofer in the center console unless it's midbass like higher notes around 80Hz or above.

 

I'm honestly happy with my setup. I would consider an additional amp for the rear doors but it's good enough for my liking and I used to have a ridiculous sound system in my old vehicles. I transplanted the rear door speakers with Rockford Fosgate T1 6.75" speakers without the tweeter and it didn't really change the sound.

 

I wanted to play with moving the front 2 ohm 6x9 BOSE speakers to the rear door and see if the amplifier can handle 2 ohm loads on all 4 channels but never did it when I had the doors apart. The ohm load difference in my opinion is why the front doors are so heavy with bass because they are getting double the power than the rear doors. You can also test this by putting your fader all the way to the rear and it shuts off the front speakers completely but if you move the fader to the front just 1 click it will make the front doors get heavy with bass.

 

I really wish they didn't get 2 ohm speakers in the front door and ran standard 4 ohm speakers all around because then I could put my existing speakers in the front doors and not have a huge loss of volume output on the radio. I can buy new 2 ohm speakers in the aftermarket but they are not that common and cost a ton of money compared to the 4 ohm versions on the market. Plus I could also modify the door and run a pair of 4 ohm speakers in parallel to get a 2 ohm load but it's not worth the hassle for me at this time.