I just got my FD recently, and here's the state of the OEM sound system:

Front Left: Usually crackles and distorts the music or is quiet, alternating between when I touch the balance ****

Front Right: Alternates between playing the music fine and being crackley, changing sometimes when I touch the balance ****.

Center: Completely silent

Sound tubes: Alternates between playing the music very quietly and blaring a loud medium-pitched tone

After reading dozens of threads on here about the Bose system, I'm guessing the rear and center have blown amps, and the left and right are being affected by a bad head unit or may be going out as well. I'd like to pull the head unit out and fiddle with the cables a bit to see if I just have a bad connection to the front speakers. Any thoughts?

Thx

 

Sounds like you've got problems with both the head unit and the amps. Left front amp is probably toast, right front could be OK. Alternating between silence and sound when touching the **** could be a fault in the control circuitry for the ****. As for the centre, it could be either the speaker or the amp. It's easy to test the speaker: pop the grill off, unscrew the speaker, disconnect the connector and test the impedance with an ohmmeter. If it's not 8ohms then it needs replacement. (See the body electric manual for details on diagnostic procedures). If the speaker's ok, then it's the centre amp that's broke. From your description, the rear tubes are likely no good as well, although remember the way it's set up, it's never going to blast you with a wall of sound.

See my recent thread about getting replacements direct from Bose:

https://www.rx7club.com/interior-exterior-audio-26/bose-replacement-parts-available-fd-707889/

If you want to stay mostly stock (which is what I did) then you can get the new amps (and speakers if necc) and replace the headunit with a decent aftermarket one (I'm pretty sure Bose don't sell replacement head units, although you could always ask...). But if you don't want to stay with the Bose system then the world's your oyster, budget permitting.