arizonaz66
Full Member
While i was researching how to upgrade my stock Bose system i found this so all credit goes to these guys just though it might help some people out
WARNING!!! Very long, but basically everything is covered(not going to say everything youll need to know is in here because someone will find out a question not covered some how)So here go's...
Also some of this is from DURAtotheMAX over at www.diesalplace.com furom, he breaks down the differences between the LUX amp and NON-LUX very well and has tons of more useful information. He gives instructions on how to add the lux amp and the 6 disc slave as well, which is useful, but I didn't do this. I will put at the end of my write up his instructions on how to do the amp and 6 disc slave if you want to do the upgrade. I just figured it would be easier to break it down so you can go exactly where you need to go for what you need to do. I just went through it and added and taken some things out(I also didn't have this much info available to me when I did the swap).. He did a great write up and pretty much covered everything I've wrote in preparing this.
I will also post some pictures, and give links to pages that have all the pictures.
TOPICS IN ORDER(OR INDEX:/)
-1. FAQ'S
-2. DESCRIPTION ON THE DIFFERENCE IN THE LUX AND NON-LUX VEHICLES
-3. DESCRIPTION OF THE NON-LUX AN LUX AMP, AND HOW THEY ARE DIFFERENT
■VERY LONG, BUT WILL DEFF EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCES IF YOUR CURIOUS ON WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE AND THINKING ABOUT DOING THE CONVERSION. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND AT THE END.
-4. PART NUMBERS
■ALL PART NUMBERS(non-lux and lux nav units, antennas, amps, 6 disc slave, audiopilot)
-5. WHERE TO GET THE PARTS
-6. INSTALLATION OF THE TNR800
-7. THEFTLOCK STEPS
■ALSO THE THEFTLOCK BYPASS
-8. VSS WIRE DESCRIPTION
-9. VSS INSTALLATION IF NOT ALREADY IN VEHICLE(pictures included, more in links)
-10. VSS WIRE BYPASS TO ENTER DESTINATIONS IN WHILE VEHICLES IN MOTION(pictures included)
-11. 6 DISC SLAVE INSTALLATION(some pictures included, more in links section)
-12. LUX AMP INSTALL
-13. WAYS TO DISPLAY DVD OVER NAV SCREEN(pictures included)
-14. LINKS(additional amp wiring info, and additional pictures, and TNR800 installation pictures and guide)
I will also make some important notes/pointers throughout the post red, so check them out.
IMPORTANT
FIRST OFF BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING!!
IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON PUTTING THE LUX NAV UNIT IN YOUR VEHICLE AND DON'T HAVE THE LUX AMP, THEN YOU HAVE TO DO THE NON-LUX TO LUX AMP CONVERSION!!! DON'T BUY AND THEN BE MAD!!
1. FAQ's:
-Whats a TNR? TNR is the Touch Screen Nav Unit. An INR is non touch screen.
-Will my steering wheel controls work as they did before? YES
-Will XM radio work as before with no programming/activation needed? YES
-Will OnStar still work as before? YES
-Will the RSE/factory DVD player work as before? YES
-Will the RSA (rear seat audio) controls work as before? YES
-Can I add the 6-disc Escalade/Denali CD changer to both LUX and NON-Lux nav units? YES
-Does the Nav unit use the OnStar antenna? NO, it uses a separate antenna as stated
2. DESCRIPTION ON THE DIFFERENCE IN THE LUX AND NON-LUX VEHICLES
In short, GM makes two different Bose speaker systems for the GMT-800 series vehicles: The Bose ?Premium? (non-lux) and the Bose ?Luxury? (lux). The non-lux system is what you get with an SLT/LT Silverado/Sierra/Suburban/Yukon/YukonXL/Tahoe. It utilizes a mid-range speaker in each door, a tweeter in each A-pillar (the tweeters are wired in parallel with the front door speakers, and they are given a capacitor to act as a high pass cross-over) and a 6.5? dual voice-coil subwoofer mounted in the center console. If your door speakers say ?Bose? on them, you have this system. SUV?s also have a speaker in each D-pillar as well (these mid-high range d-pillar speakers are wired in parallel with the rear door speakers on the NON-lux systems and on the LUX systems, they are wired into a separate channel on the amplifier, so they can reiceive different signals than the rear door speakers). Now, Denali?s and Escalade?s have the Bose
?Luxury?, or [RPO code] ?Y91? Bose speaker system. The great part is, that the speakers themselves and the subwoofer are IDENTICAL to the non-lux system. Both non-lux and lux Bose speakers are referred to as [RPO code] UQ7 on the build sheet and in your glovebox sticker. The ONLY lux/non-lux difference is the AMPLIFIER. And what a difference it is! The Luxury amplifier is of MUCH higher quality and also has more RMS wattage output. It deals with sound completely differently than the non-lux amp and processes it in a much cleaner fashion, for MUCH MUCH better sound quality. It also devotes much more power to the subwoofer, so with a Lux system, the sub is actually woken up and makes itself heard. Now remember, this is still the same 6.5? sub, so it wont blow out windows, but I bet it will sound much richer and deeper than you ever thought a 6.5? sub could sound! The Lux amp is also fully computerized and utilizes an onboard DSP (DigitalSignal Processor, or Digital Sound Processor; ive heard a DSP be called both names) to tweak the sound and also provide different soundfield/reverberation/environment settings, such as ?Driver?, ?Spacious?, ?Passenger?, and ?Rear??it is a ?Smart? amp. The lux amp also is fully integrated with the vehicle?s Class II data-bus, so functions such as muting and control of the amp are all done via the BCM (body control module?basically the cars main computer) and Class II data. The non-lux amp is jokingly called the ?Dumb amp? because it lacks any computer or control of the sound. The only thing it has is a simple passive crossover to prevent high range signals from going to the sub. So basically, that?s the difference between, for example, an Escalade Bose system and a Tahoe Bose system?a 600 dollar amp versus a 170 dollar amp.
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE NON-LUX AN LUX AMP, AND HOW THEY ARE DIFFERENT
THIS IS THE AWESOME DESCRIPTION WROTE BY DURAtothemax
OK...now for the big "book" of info that I have written for people!!
First ill just describe how the lux amp actually works and why it is
much better than the "Premium" amp. You dont HAVE to read it, but just
in case you are curious...and it kinda helps with the install to have
an understanding of what you are actually doing (versus just following
the instructions).
Here is exactly how the non-lux and lux amps differ and why the LUX amp
sounds better than the premium amp. So normally in an aftermarket
amp/speaker system, you have a head unit (the radio), an amp, and
speakers. The head unit sends a "low
level" signal to the amp. This low level signal varies in output
"slightly" as the volume knob is turned up or down. The amp takes this
signal and greatly amplifies it and sends the high-power, high level
signal to the speakers. When you turn up the volume knob, the "low
level" signal gets slightly more powerful and the amp then amplifies
this and you hear it as "louder sound". Follow me? If I get too
confusing at any point, just PM me or email me!! The amp also has an "amp turn
on" wire which is basically a power wire from the head unit so when
the head unit turns on, it tells the amp to turn on. Kinda like a
relay. The Bose "Premium" system works on this exact same principal.
We kinda refer to the Bose Premium amp/system as the "dumb amp",
because thats basically what it is. It sits there just like a fool and
just "makes louder" whatever is thrown at it. It does not know what it
is attached to and has no interaction with the car at all (you could
hook it up to a telephone for all it cares). This is probably where it
loses quality. The wires from the head unit probably pick up a lot of
interference because GM doesnt think and they just bundle the thin
wires right along side electrical wires etc... The stronger the audio
signal passing thru the wires, the more suseptable the signal is too
interference. So, technically, the more you increase the volume, the
more interference the wires pick up. Also, you have to think about
that the "dumb" amp's "volume" (called 'gain') is always cranked to
the MAX, so when you vary the "output" from the radio, you can get a
full volume range from quiet to really loud. If the Dumb Amp's gain
was not turned up all the way, than the system would not go loud even
if you turned up the radio all the way. Follow me? Its like if you
have a water hose hooked up to a faucet and on the end of the hose you
have a variable water valve. Think of the faucet's knob as the volume
knob on the radio. And think of that valve on the end of the hose as
the "gain" control on the dumb amp. Now, if you only opened up the
valve on the end of the hose a little bit, not a lot of water willcome out no matter how wide open you turn the faucet's knob. SO... the
valve at the end of the hose has to be wide open all the time in order
for you to be able to control it (the volume/water flow) at the
faucet's (radio's) knob. This is a disadvantage because on cheaper
quality amplifiers (which the 'dumb amp' is), when the gain is cranked
up all the way, you introduce lots of distortion and quality loss even
tho the volume is not up all the way. That is why the 'dumb amp' does
not sound all that great (and like a Bose system should!!!)
NOW... The lux amp works completely differently.
It is a "smart amp" in that is has a full on-board computer and DSP
(digital signal/sound processor). It is fully integrated with the
vehicle in that it communicates with everything in the vehicle over
the Class II data bus. (like a computer LAN) Now.. the head unit in
"lux" vehicles sends a VERY low level constant signal to the amp that
does NOT change. EVen when you turn the volume and play with the
fader/balance. The head unit does NOTHING to audio. It does not apply
bass or treble changes, it doesnt fade/balance it, nothing!! It just
sends a constant low level left and right (it doesnt send rear
signals) audio signal to the amp. The amp receives this and the amp's
DSP "optimizes" the sound to do whatever Bose does to it etc.. AND the
amp constantly talks to the head unit over the Class II data bus to
receive volume, fader, balance, bass, treble and mid-range
information. So, when you turn the volume knob up in a lux vehicle,
you are not simply increasing the output of the low-level signal from
the head unit. You are sending a signal directly to the LUX amp that
says "hey turn up the volume a bit". And then the amp just increases
the output level to the speakers. Same thing with the fader, because
remember the head unit does not output separate "rear" channels. The
amp is smart enough to "make up" a rear channel (for the rear
speakers) based on the fader setting that the radio is sending it over
the Class II network. its really pretty cool how it all works! Same
thing with Bass and treble too. You press some buttons on the radio to
increase the bass and the radio says to the amp "hey, adjust your EQ
for some more bass". Running the LUX amp this way keeps the audio
signals coming from the radio at a constant low level so not a lot of
interference can come in from power wires running along side... Also,
think back to my "water faucet/hose" analogy. Its like instead of
keeping the end valve wide open and controlling flow with the faucet's
knob, you are doing the opposite. You are keeping the audio signal low
and constant while just controlling actual volume of the music with
the "gain" control on the LUX amp. ANDDD thats why the LUX amp sounds
50 times better than the Premium, or DUMB amp!! Another nice thing
about the Lux amp is that it does not need an "amp turn on" wire or
anything because that is all done with Class II data. And you can
program a lux amp for which vehicle it is in and it will alter the
sound processing sequences to make the sound perfect for the size
cabin it is in! (for example, it is going to have to be programmed
differently if it is in a huge cabin Escalade ESV versus a smaller
extended cab Sierra Denali (thats the only truck that gets a lux amp
from the factory...if you dont count the Escalade EXT as a truck)
Sorry again for the lonnngggg description, but now you're an
expert in the verry confusing field of Bose/GM speaker and
entertainment systems!!! And now you can wire in a lux amp, make your
truck sound like a *REAL* Bose system.
4. PART NUMBERS FOR THE DIFFERENT NAV UNITS AVAILABLE:
NOTE: If your planning on installing just the NON-LUX NAV TNR, then all you will need is the NAV part number and the GPS antenna part number, not the amp or cdx, or audiopilot(which should be in most vehicles already). Just skip these.
RPO CODE Y91 or Y92 LUX TRUCKS
Newest revision LUX TNR-------15800001
Second Revision LUX TNR-------15230099
First Revision LUX TNR---------10377531
RPO CODE UQ7 NON-LUX TRUCKS
Newest revision non-lux TNR-----15800000
second Revision non-lux TNR---10379287
First Revision non-lux TNR-------10377287
Alt. Revision non-lux TNR---------15120706
NON TOUCH SCREEN UNITS
Newest Revision LUX INR--------15204335
First Revision LUX INR------------15204334
Newest Revision non-lux INR----15108241
RPO CODE UQ3 or UQ5 TRUCKs
Non-Bose TNR ----------15811289
Lux Amplifier numbers:
(all are identical in function, they just have different part numbers)
2003-early 2004 Escalade amp--15199992
2005 Escalade amp-----------------15114445
2003-2005 Denali amp-------------15114454
2003 Hummer H2 amp-------------xxxxx044 (I forget the first numbers)
Early 2004 Hummer H2 amp-----15191601
(unknown application) amp-------15112662
(unknown application) amp-------15199884
(I have this amp on my list as a "bad amp" but Im not sure why-----------15054675
it is confirmed as working with the nav unit; its the amp im running in my truck)-DURAtotheMAX
GPS antenna:
First revision antenna--------------15207447
Latest revision antenna------------15135178
"AUDIOPILOT" NOISE COMPENSATION MICROPHONE:
Noise compensation mic----------25705367
Wiring connector on mic----------12052833
Mating connector for mic----------12085481
DENALI/ESCALADE STYLE CD CHANGER AND ASOC. PARTS:
6-disc slot load CD changer------15055250
Alternate part # CD changer------15122617
Alternate part # CD changer------15207055
CD changer wiring harness-------15312903
5. WHERE TO BUY THE DIFFERENT PARTS...
Ok I got mine off ebay from a seller who took theirs out of a brand new Envoy, If I remember correctly. Its still had the factory cover film on the screen, the only thing I to do is have the dealer reprogram the unit, which I'll give info later on how to do this. The unit itself only cost me $450 when the bidding was done. It was the TNR 15800000 NON-LUX. I then found the antenna for under $100(don't remember the exact price). I got a great deal on my unit and thankfully was like the seller described. Just look and make sure you're comfortable buying from the seller.
If you want to save a lot of money, you could go for the ?INR? (Integrated Navigation Radio?non-touchscreen). These can be had for about 600 dollars or less. If you don?t want to go thru the hassle of doing the luxury sound upgrade, you can also keep your stock non-lux Bose amplifier and get a different part number nav unit that is compatible with that. The two are NOT interchangeable!! They look identical, but are different inside.
The amp I highly recommend buying on ebay. Two reasons... the Lux
amps, when new, need to get an initial programming with a Tech II
diagnostics/program tool. (BTW, the amplifiers, both lux and Premium,
are located in the center console underneath the main storage bin)
This initial programming tells the amp what model/size vehicle its in
so it can adjust the DSP (digital signal/sound processor) to make the
sound correct for the size cabin its in. For example, an Escalade EXT
cabin is much smaller than an Escalade ESV cabin, so the amp needs to
be adjusted for best sound. This programmig can be tricky if the
vehicle that the amp is being programmed into is not a factory LUX
vehicle. Understand? Like the amp will say to itself "hey...somebody
is trying to program me into a Silverado...im not meant to go into a
Silverado...something is wrong here..." For this reason, people
sometimes have difficulty in programming the amps. H2 lux amps are
particularly picky, no one knows why. After reprogramming they just
tend to randomly go dead after a little while. Denali and Escalade
amps seem to be OK but then theres the problem of convincing your
dealer to actually program and do something thats not in his magic
instruction manual from GM. People have had trouble
convincing their dealers to perform the programming. BUT if
you buy an amp used on ebay for example, it has already been
initialized and programmed so its plug and play (besides rewiring the
connectors...). So my advice is to buy the amp on ebay. Much much
cheaper and you wont have to deal with the [potential] hassle of
programming it. As for warentee, beleive it or not, GM parts direct
really has no warentee i dont think. So you are no better off than if
you bought it on ebay.
WARNING!!! Very long, but basically everything is covered(not going to say everything youll need to know is in here because someone will find out a question not covered some how)So here go's...
Also some of this is from DURAtotheMAX over at www.diesalplace.com furom, he breaks down the differences between the LUX amp and NON-LUX very well and has tons of more useful information. He gives instructions on how to add the lux amp and the 6 disc slave as well, which is useful, but I didn't do this. I will put at the end of my write up his instructions on how to do the amp and 6 disc slave if you want to do the upgrade. I just figured it would be easier to break it down so you can go exactly where you need to go for what you need to do. I just went through it and added and taken some things out(I also didn't have this much info available to me when I did the swap).. He did a great write up and pretty much covered everything I've wrote in preparing this.
I will also post some pictures, and give links to pages that have all the pictures.
TOPICS IN ORDER(OR INDEX:/)
-1. FAQ'S
-2. DESCRIPTION ON THE DIFFERENCE IN THE LUX AND NON-LUX VEHICLES
-3. DESCRIPTION OF THE NON-LUX AN LUX AMP, AND HOW THEY ARE DIFFERENT
■VERY LONG, BUT WILL DEFF EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCES IF YOUR CURIOUS ON WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE AND THINKING ABOUT DOING THE CONVERSION. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND AT THE END.
-4. PART NUMBERS
■ALL PART NUMBERS(non-lux and lux nav units, antennas, amps, 6 disc slave, audiopilot)
-5. WHERE TO GET THE PARTS
-6. INSTALLATION OF THE TNR800
-7. THEFTLOCK STEPS
■ALSO THE THEFTLOCK BYPASS
-8. VSS WIRE DESCRIPTION
-9. VSS INSTALLATION IF NOT ALREADY IN VEHICLE(pictures included, more in links)
-10. VSS WIRE BYPASS TO ENTER DESTINATIONS IN WHILE VEHICLES IN MOTION(pictures included)
-11. 6 DISC SLAVE INSTALLATION(some pictures included, more in links section)
-12. LUX AMP INSTALL
-13. WAYS TO DISPLAY DVD OVER NAV SCREEN(pictures included)
-14. LINKS(additional amp wiring info, and additional pictures, and TNR800 installation pictures and guide)
I will also make some important notes/pointers throughout the post red, so check them out.
IMPORTANT
FIRST OFF BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING!!
IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON PUTTING THE LUX NAV UNIT IN YOUR VEHICLE AND DON'T HAVE THE LUX AMP, THEN YOU HAVE TO DO THE NON-LUX TO LUX AMP CONVERSION!!! DON'T BUY AND THEN BE MAD!!
1. FAQ's:
-Whats a TNR? TNR is the Touch Screen Nav Unit. An INR is non touch screen.
-Will my steering wheel controls work as they did before? YES
-Will XM radio work as before with no programming/activation needed? YES
-Will OnStar still work as before? YES
-Will the RSE/factory DVD player work as before? YES
-Will the RSA (rear seat audio) controls work as before? YES
-Can I add the 6-disc Escalade/Denali CD changer to both LUX and NON-Lux nav units? YES
-Does the Nav unit use the OnStar antenna? NO, it uses a separate antenna as stated
2. DESCRIPTION ON THE DIFFERENCE IN THE LUX AND NON-LUX VEHICLES
In short, GM makes two different Bose speaker systems for the GMT-800 series vehicles: The Bose ?Premium? (non-lux) and the Bose ?Luxury? (lux). The non-lux system is what you get with an SLT/LT Silverado/Sierra/Suburban/Yukon/YukonXL/Tahoe. It utilizes a mid-range speaker in each door, a tweeter in each A-pillar (the tweeters are wired in parallel with the front door speakers, and they are given a capacitor to act as a high pass cross-over) and a 6.5? dual voice-coil subwoofer mounted in the center console. If your door speakers say ?Bose? on them, you have this system. SUV?s also have a speaker in each D-pillar as well (these mid-high range d-pillar speakers are wired in parallel with the rear door speakers on the NON-lux systems and on the LUX systems, they are wired into a separate channel on the amplifier, so they can reiceive different signals than the rear door speakers). Now, Denali?s and Escalade?s have the Bose
?Luxury?, or [RPO code] ?Y91? Bose speaker system. The great part is, that the speakers themselves and the subwoofer are IDENTICAL to the non-lux system. Both non-lux and lux Bose speakers are referred to as [RPO code] UQ7 on the build sheet and in your glovebox sticker. The ONLY lux/non-lux difference is the AMPLIFIER. And what a difference it is! The Luxury amplifier is of MUCH higher quality and also has more RMS wattage output. It deals with sound completely differently than the non-lux amp and processes it in a much cleaner fashion, for MUCH MUCH better sound quality. It also devotes much more power to the subwoofer, so with a Lux system, the sub is actually woken up and makes itself heard. Now remember, this is still the same 6.5? sub, so it wont blow out windows, but I bet it will sound much richer and deeper than you ever thought a 6.5? sub could sound! The Lux amp is also fully computerized and utilizes an onboard DSP (DigitalSignal Processor, or Digital Sound Processor; ive heard a DSP be called both names) to tweak the sound and also provide different soundfield/reverberation/environment settings, such as ?Driver?, ?Spacious?, ?Passenger?, and ?Rear??it is a ?Smart? amp. The lux amp also is fully integrated with the vehicle?s Class II data-bus, so functions such as muting and control of the amp are all done via the BCM (body control module?basically the cars main computer) and Class II data. The non-lux amp is jokingly called the ?Dumb amp? because it lacks any computer or control of the sound. The only thing it has is a simple passive crossover to prevent high range signals from going to the sub. So basically, that?s the difference between, for example, an Escalade Bose system and a Tahoe Bose system?a 600 dollar amp versus a 170 dollar amp.
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE NON-LUX AN LUX AMP, AND HOW THEY ARE DIFFERENT
THIS IS THE AWESOME DESCRIPTION WROTE BY DURAtothemax
OK...now for the big "book" of info that I have written for people!!
First ill just describe how the lux amp actually works and why it is
much better than the "Premium" amp. You dont HAVE to read it, but just
in case you are curious...and it kinda helps with the install to have
an understanding of what you are actually doing (versus just following
the instructions).
Here is exactly how the non-lux and lux amps differ and why the LUX amp
sounds better than the premium amp. So normally in an aftermarket
amp/speaker system, you have a head unit (the radio), an amp, and
speakers. The head unit sends a "low
level" signal to the amp. This low level signal varies in output
"slightly" as the volume knob is turned up or down. The amp takes this
signal and greatly amplifies it and sends the high-power, high level
signal to the speakers. When you turn up the volume knob, the "low
level" signal gets slightly more powerful and the amp then amplifies
this and you hear it as "louder sound". Follow me? If I get too
confusing at any point, just PM me or email me!! The amp also has an "amp turn
on" wire which is basically a power wire from the head unit so when
the head unit turns on, it tells the amp to turn on. Kinda like a
relay. The Bose "Premium" system works on this exact same principal.
We kinda refer to the Bose Premium amp/system as the "dumb amp",
because thats basically what it is. It sits there just like a fool and
just "makes louder" whatever is thrown at it. It does not know what it
is attached to and has no interaction with the car at all (you could
hook it up to a telephone for all it cares). This is probably where it
loses quality. The wires from the head unit probably pick up a lot of
interference because GM doesnt think and they just bundle the thin
wires right along side electrical wires etc... The stronger the audio
signal passing thru the wires, the more suseptable the signal is too
interference. So, technically, the more you increase the volume, the
more interference the wires pick up. Also, you have to think about
that the "dumb" amp's "volume" (called 'gain') is always cranked to
the MAX, so when you vary the "output" from the radio, you can get a
full volume range from quiet to really loud. If the Dumb Amp's gain
was not turned up all the way, than the system would not go loud even
if you turned up the radio all the way. Follow me? Its like if you
have a water hose hooked up to a faucet and on the end of the hose you
have a variable water valve. Think of the faucet's knob as the volume
knob on the radio. And think of that valve on the end of the hose as
the "gain" control on the dumb amp. Now, if you only opened up the
valve on the end of the hose a little bit, not a lot of water willcome out no matter how wide open you turn the faucet's knob. SO... the
valve at the end of the hose has to be wide open all the time in order
for you to be able to control it (the volume/water flow) at the
faucet's (radio's) knob. This is a disadvantage because on cheaper
quality amplifiers (which the 'dumb amp' is), when the gain is cranked
up all the way, you introduce lots of distortion and quality loss even
tho the volume is not up all the way. That is why the 'dumb amp' does
not sound all that great (and like a Bose system should!!!)
NOW... The lux amp works completely differently.
It is a "smart amp" in that is has a full on-board computer and DSP
(digital signal/sound processor). It is fully integrated with the
vehicle in that it communicates with everything in the vehicle over
the Class II data bus. (like a computer LAN) Now.. the head unit in
"lux" vehicles sends a VERY low level constant signal to the amp that
does NOT change. EVen when you turn the volume and play with the
fader/balance. The head unit does NOTHING to audio. It does not apply
bass or treble changes, it doesnt fade/balance it, nothing!! It just
sends a constant low level left and right (it doesnt send rear
signals) audio signal to the amp. The amp receives this and the amp's
DSP "optimizes" the sound to do whatever Bose does to it etc.. AND the
amp constantly talks to the head unit over the Class II data bus to
receive volume, fader, balance, bass, treble and mid-range
information. So, when you turn the volume knob up in a lux vehicle,
you are not simply increasing the output of the low-level signal from
the head unit. You are sending a signal directly to the LUX amp that
says "hey turn up the volume a bit". And then the amp just increases
the output level to the speakers. Same thing with the fader, because
remember the head unit does not output separate "rear" channels. The
amp is smart enough to "make up" a rear channel (for the rear
speakers) based on the fader setting that the radio is sending it over
the Class II network. its really pretty cool how it all works! Same
thing with Bass and treble too. You press some buttons on the radio to
increase the bass and the radio says to the amp "hey, adjust your EQ
for some more bass". Running the LUX amp this way keeps the audio
signals coming from the radio at a constant low level so not a lot of
interference can come in from power wires running along side... Also,
think back to my "water faucet/hose" analogy. Its like instead of
keeping the end valve wide open and controlling flow with the faucet's
knob, you are doing the opposite. You are keeping the audio signal low
and constant while just controlling actual volume of the music with
the "gain" control on the LUX amp. ANDDD thats why the LUX amp sounds
50 times better than the Premium, or DUMB amp!! Another nice thing
about the Lux amp is that it does not need an "amp turn on" wire or
anything because that is all done with Class II data. And you can
program a lux amp for which vehicle it is in and it will alter the
sound processing sequences to make the sound perfect for the size
cabin it is in! (for example, it is going to have to be programmed
differently if it is in a huge cabin Escalade ESV versus a smaller
extended cab Sierra Denali (thats the only truck that gets a lux amp
from the factory...if you dont count the Escalade EXT as a truck)
Sorry again for the lonnngggg description, but now you're an
expert in the verry confusing field of Bose/GM speaker and
entertainment systems!!! And now you can wire in a lux amp, make your
truck sound like a *REAL* Bose system.
4. PART NUMBERS FOR THE DIFFERENT NAV UNITS AVAILABLE:
NOTE: If your planning on installing just the NON-LUX NAV TNR, then all you will need is the NAV part number and the GPS antenna part number, not the amp or cdx, or audiopilot(which should be in most vehicles already). Just skip these.
RPO CODE Y91 or Y92 LUX TRUCKS
Newest revision LUX TNR-------15800001
Second Revision LUX TNR-------15230099
First Revision LUX TNR---------10377531
RPO CODE UQ7 NON-LUX TRUCKS
Newest revision non-lux TNR-----15800000
second Revision non-lux TNR---10379287
First Revision non-lux TNR-------10377287
Alt. Revision non-lux TNR---------15120706
NON TOUCH SCREEN UNITS
Newest Revision LUX INR--------15204335
First Revision LUX INR------------15204334
Newest Revision non-lux INR----15108241
RPO CODE UQ3 or UQ5 TRUCKs
Non-Bose TNR ----------15811289
Lux Amplifier numbers:
(all are identical in function, they just have different part numbers)
2003-early 2004 Escalade amp--15199992
2005 Escalade amp-----------------15114445
2003-2005 Denali amp-------------15114454
2003 Hummer H2 amp-------------xxxxx044 (I forget the first numbers)
Early 2004 Hummer H2 amp-----15191601
(unknown application) amp-------15112662
(unknown application) amp-------15199884
(I have this amp on my list as a "bad amp" but Im not sure why-----------15054675
it is confirmed as working with the nav unit; its the amp im running in my truck)-DURAtotheMAX
GPS antenna:
First revision antenna--------------15207447
Latest revision antenna------------15135178
"AUDIOPILOT" NOISE COMPENSATION MICROPHONE:
Noise compensation mic----------25705367
Wiring connector on mic----------12052833
Mating connector for mic----------12085481
DENALI/ESCALADE STYLE CD CHANGER AND ASOC. PARTS:
6-disc slot load CD changer------15055250
Alternate part # CD changer------15122617
Alternate part # CD changer------15207055
CD changer wiring harness-------15312903
5. WHERE TO BUY THE DIFFERENT PARTS...
Ok I got mine off ebay from a seller who took theirs out of a brand new Envoy, If I remember correctly. Its still had the factory cover film on the screen, the only thing I to do is have the dealer reprogram the unit, which I'll give info later on how to do this. The unit itself only cost me $450 when the bidding was done. It was the TNR 15800000 NON-LUX. I then found the antenna for under $100(don't remember the exact price). I got a great deal on my unit and thankfully was like the seller described. Just look and make sure you're comfortable buying from the seller.
If you want to save a lot of money, you could go for the ?INR? (Integrated Navigation Radio?non-touchscreen). These can be had for about 600 dollars or less. If you don?t want to go thru the hassle of doing the luxury sound upgrade, you can also keep your stock non-lux Bose amplifier and get a different part number nav unit that is compatible with that. The two are NOT interchangeable!! They look identical, but are different inside.
The amp I highly recommend buying on ebay. Two reasons... the Lux
amps, when new, need to get an initial programming with a Tech II
diagnostics/program tool. (BTW, the amplifiers, both lux and Premium,
are located in the center console underneath the main storage bin)
This initial programming tells the amp what model/size vehicle its in
so it can adjust the DSP (digital signal/sound processor) to make the
sound correct for the size cabin its in. For example, an Escalade EXT
cabin is much smaller than an Escalade ESV cabin, so the amp needs to
be adjusted for best sound. This programmig can be tricky if the
vehicle that the amp is being programmed into is not a factory LUX
vehicle. Understand? Like the amp will say to itself "hey...somebody
is trying to program me into a Silverado...im not meant to go into a
Silverado...something is wrong here..." For this reason, people
sometimes have difficulty in programming the amps. H2 lux amps are
particularly picky, no one knows why. After reprogramming they just
tend to randomly go dead after a little while. Denali and Escalade
amps seem to be OK but then theres the problem of convincing your
dealer to actually program and do something thats not in his magic
instruction manual from GM. People have had trouble
convincing their dealers to perform the programming. BUT if
you buy an amp used on ebay for example, it has already been
initialized and programmed so its plug and play (besides rewiring the
connectors...). So my advice is to buy the amp on ebay. Much much
cheaper and you wont have to deal with the [potential] hassle of
programming it. As for warentee, beleive it or not, GM parts direct
really has no warentee i dont think. So you are no better off than if
you bought it on ebay.