Bose built-invisible home theater system

[Carl Boger]

I have a Bose bulit-invisible system that is missing some components  and not really working.  What I got with the MH was the 6 cd changer and radio system as well as the amp over the drivers seat.  There were also about 4 additional un-wired amps stored in the cabinets. 
 I really didn't think I would try to save this as this is old technology and we really don't listen to CD's that much anyway.  The TV's have been replaced with Roku units and the vcr is awol.  Neither TV goes through the speakers right now.   The dash radio has been replaced and does not go through the amp or bose speakers anymore.  It works fine for traveling.  We also use blu-tooth speakers when sitting around so no problem there.

But since I now have time on my hands I started playing with the system.  When I turn it on the CD player will light up and show the function lights, but there is no sound coming out of the speakers.  So is there a easy way to see if the amp is working?  For that matter if any on the amps I have will work?  I am still not sure that the system is worth keeping or repairing.  If one of the amps will work it may be worth getting a newer system and using the speakers I already have. 

Just looking for ideas.  I am really not an audiophile but will not balk at a good sounding system either.  I also don't want to keep a lot of broken stuff around that I will never use.  A spare is one thing four is like hoarding.  Thanks Carl

[Eric Maclean Co-Admin]

Hi Carl
In my 97 Patriot I have the Delco 10 CD changer mounted low in the front center console.
It is tied into the dash radio with an antenna interface the radio has to be tuned to 89.1 or somewhere near that to listen to the CD player.
Behind the front tv is an amp which ties the dash radio and the 120 volt AV receiver together and drives a subwoofer at the driver's feet.
Hope this helps
Eric

[Carl Boger]

Thanks Eric,

Mine is set up somewhat differently as I only have a 6 CD changer, and the original radio is long gone.  It also has a new power source taped in from the electric bay's switched side, and two new speakers in the front console area, all non factory. 

It is possible I somehow need to bypass the original radio.  Looks line a lot of work for a 22 year old system.  I believe all the factory cables are still in place just hard to get at or trace their path. 

Right now I am trying to decide if I am fixing something or just making more work for myself.  Thanks for the insight on how it might/should work though.

[Fred Brooks]

   Carl, I tried to find your original owners manual from our library of information. There is not one available. I believe the way the system was configured originally was thru the Bose Lifestyle 1 system. You had to select which Bose input you were playing thru the speakers. Unless you are trying to restore to original, this may turn out to be an exercise in futility. There is no one out there rebuilding Bose lifestyle 1 and there related amps that I know of. Also, you had to run your inverter while in transit to power the Bose system. Most folks these days are using a dash radio that plays everything from am/fm, cd player, XM radio and various blu-tooth inputs. I have 4 play lists from Spotify that I use that are over 26 hours each and they play automatically from my Samsung S-8 phone to my Kenwood dash radio.
  When parked you can use a home theater blu-ray player to attach the tv and play thru the original home speaker system. Hope this helps, Fred

[Carl Boger]

Thanks Fred, AGAIN!

That's kind of the direction I was going in.  That would also free up some more cabinet space, not that I need it right now.  It will probably be easier to use a built in amp over the old one anyway and then simply wire in the speakers. 

I still would like to know if the amps I have work or are just trash.  They look fine but that doesn't mean anything.  Someone may need them even if I don't.  When plugged in there is no noise and Idon't know how to trigger any internal switches.

[Steve Huber]

Carl,
You should be able to use a couple of long RCA cables to route the radio output to the Bose input to see if the Bose amps are working. Or, if you've got a old VCR, take it's output and tie it into the Bose to test the amp.
Steve

[Carl Boger]

Thanks Steve,
     After working on it today I have given up on it and removed the CD/radio and Amp from the MH.  The wiring or rewiring done by a previous owner was quite cluttered and a little bit scary.  I did plug the CD player into my home stereo with the RCA jacks and still did not get any sound out of it even though every thing still lite up and it appeared to be playing the CD.

I kept track of all the speaker wires and I will tuck the input wires out of the way on both ends.  Now I just have to decide between a 12 volt head unit or a 120 volt one as I have both power sources in that cabinet.  It will probably come down to what fits best without spending a fortune on something we will not use all that much.

Again thanks for everyone's help.

[William Jordan]

I was about to toss the Bose lifestyle ( may not be what you have) and just use the speakers when I read and was told the Bose speakers are rather Bose specific, in other words they don’t play well with other systems .. I was told I’d have to replace them all including the subwoofer. I sent my p1 control unit to a eBay repair shop and had it fixed for a hundred bucks. It had to be paired with the dvd unit by pushing a sequence of buttons and wait for a beep Works fine and I haven’t had to revisit it.

[Fred Brooks]

   William, I believe your system is a Bose Lifestyle II. Is your amplifier mounted behind the grab handle access panel? Who did the repair? My Bose lifestyle II still works but the display is very dim. I still use it for my 40" tv when watching satellite and plays 5.1 surround perfectly thru the Bose speakers and sub. Thanks for your input! Fred

[William Jordan]

If you go to eBay and look up  lifestyle repair you will find a couple. Mine the remote keyboard wouldn’t connect to the base station and the  Remotes back light was out. They repaired both together for the same price I can’t remember who it was but they had great ratings. I sent the remote and the control unit in as a pair usps priority. Mine is in The cabinet above the sofa behind the back panel.