Why all the hate for the BOSE in the MS3 GT?

[94jedi]

I've been into car audio and modifying cars for about 15 years now (used to be MECP cert) so I know a good system when I hear one....

The BOSE is fairly decent as far as upgraded OEM systems go. sure it lacks some bottom end grunt but it's nothing that can't be fixed with a single 8 or 10" sub. for the price of the car and the overall value, I think the BOSE stereo is great. I guess if you're looking for window shattering bass then it leaves alot to be desired but if you want clean clean crisp sound and don't want to hassle with aftermarket components, the BOSE seems to do the job just fine.

Am I missing something? seems like all the data on BOSE is negative.

[TheMAN]

agreed
all the bose negativity stems from people's past experience with stock bose systems in *other* cars, and they're right for the most part.... the ones in many cars are shit

I am very happy with my sp23's bose system (it's basically the same)... it's not the ultimate system out there but it's good enough for people like me who don't want to dick with aftermarket bullshit, especially since getting an aftermarket headunit to work with the 3 is a bitch to begin with!

[Haltech]

I dont think its very crisp myself. Im quite disappointed with the Bose... The bass isnt earth shattering, youre right, but its far from tight either. Im not into ther boom boom, but i like to feel tight bass with my music.

The Mach system in my SVT focus sounded much better and was less money. I went to a stereo shop last week.. Its going to cost $700 to do the subs with amp and links... They did a mock up in the car for me and though the bass is nice and tight now, im going to have to replace the speakers now. Im getting some Focal seperates for the fronts and Focal coaxials for the rear doors.

Does anyone have a problem with their sirius cutting out on them while driving?

[clos561]

I dont think its very crisp myself. Im quite disappointed with the Bose... The bass isnt earth shattering, youre right, but its far from tight either. Im not into ther boom boom, but i like to feel tight bass with my music.

The Mach system in my SVT focus sounded much better and was less money. I went to a stereo shop last week.. Its going to cost $700 to do the subs with amp and links... They did a mock up in the car for me and though the bass is nice and tight now, im going to have to replace the speakers now. Im getting some Focal seperates for the fronts and Focal coaxials for the rear doors.

Does anyone have a problem with their sirius cutting out on them while driving?
my friend has a mach system in his 01 bullit mustang and the 6x9's have individual amplifiers maybe that makes the difference with low bass but im not sure if the bose has 1 amp per speaker..my bose is good and after i installed my after market radio it sounds really nice and bangs harder

[94jedi]

the old Mach 460 and new Shaker systems 500/1000 are very nice for sure. I think the BOSE will be fine for me...maybe I'll add a small sub later at the most.

[clos561]

yea the aftermarket radio helped alot but i want more lows so im gona add a 10 in the future

[udontknowjack]

no high...no low...it must be bose....the worst money spend for bose package for car audio....

[whitey4311]

I love my Bose and with a CD it sounds bitchin with plenty of base for me. However for some reason on the Sirius the base sounds shitty and not nearly as good but the clarity is there. I was at the dealer today showing off my Bose system and had to use a CD to do this and since I havent done that in a while I was amazed at the qulity difference and it sounded very nice.

[Abaddon]

The speakers in the Bose are physically good. The Equalization is bad.

[clos561]

i just farted(yippy)

[Moonpie.Express]

i just farted(yippy)

That would have been shattering with the right sound system!!

Seriously, I have no problem with mine. Sounds much better than the Rockford system that is in my son's Galant Ralliart IMHO.

[jflash]

the bose system is the reason i didnt get a GT. i listened to it and everything sounded mudded together.

[clos561]

the bose system is the reason i didnt get a GT. i listened to it and everything sounded mudded together.
u got 272 hp on stock ms3? wierd

[crashkelly]

u got 272 hp on stock ms3? wierd

thats gotta be at the crank or the type of dyno he was on....I forgot specifically how different dynos compare but there are some that dont give realistic numbers at....

[clos561]

(protest) yea thats pretty geeee

[07speed3]

I kinda want to put an extra sub in there...no more then a 10 just to get some extra base. what would be best to get, i think i would like to get JL this time cause i want the best SQ out of the base. So what would be a good Amp for this and the best way to wire it?

[Haltech]

I kinda want to put an extra sub in there...no more then a 10 just to get some extra base. what would be best to get, i think i would like to get JL this time cause i want the best SQ out of the base. So what would be a good Amp for this and the best way to wire it?

Im actually going to go with the Kenwoods that are shallow. I need some of that space back there to put my gear.So for me, the shallow subs work great since it reduces the enclosure size greatly. If i wanted some serious bass and enclosure size wasnt a problem, JL all the way.

[94jedi]

you could use a "free-air" sub and use the whole hatch as your enclosure. Basically you put a nice 10 into the hatch cover (reinforce) the bottom with fiberglass and resin and maybe an MDF ring, then put some weather striping around the edge of the hatch cover so that when you close it, it seals the hatch area. presto-free air sub.

[07speed3]

you could use a "free-air" sub and use the whole hatch as your enclosure. Basically you put a nice 10 into the hatch cover (reinforce) the bottom with fiberglass and resin and maybe an MDF ring, then put some weather striping around the edge of the hatch cover so that when you close it, it seals the hatch area. presto-free air sub.

thats a cool idea but i think that would get in the way considering i have to take that out sometimes.

[speed3shon]

im pretty happy with the bose in the ms3...

it is a decent upgrade to the non-bose... and it isnt that much extra considering everything else you get with the GT package...

i was big into car audio with my truck, and somewhat with my audi... but im out of it now, so this bose does just fine...

[94jedi]

im pretty happy with the bose in the ms3...

it is a decent upgrade to the non-bose... and it isnt that much extra considering everything else you get with the GT package...

i was big into car audio with my truck, and somewhat with my audi... but im out of it now, so this bose does just fine...

that's exactly how I feel. The bose will be more than enough for me. *maybe* I might add a small sub but that won't be for a long time.

[Oxymoron]

I just installed a 300w Fosgate amp and JL Audio 10w3v2 in a small, sealed box and it in conjunction with the stock Bose system sounds clean crisp and tight. I am very pleased with the audio in the car now. The stock sub is trash.

[CTGrey02]

My Mach 460 in my GT sounds better in all honesty. The MS3 does sound better than the stereo in my focus, but not by too much. The reason I'm unimpressed with it is lack of MP3 playback via the head unit's CD deck. Completely worthless to me, especially when it's an integrated system like it is.

[Hikaru9]

My Mach 460 in my GT sounds better in all honesty. The MS3 does sound better than the stereo in my focus, but not by too much. The reason I'm unimpressed with it is lack of MP3 playback via the head unit's CD deck. Completely worthless to me, especially when it's an integrated system like it is.

(iagree) The lack of native MP3 support is my biggest complaint as well. Sure, it's got an AUX port, but you get unwanted noise/ distortion in the sound. It's not a deal-breaker since people don't buy this car for the sound, but it's still a huge disappointment for those of us who enjoy music.

[CTGrey02]

It'd cost just as much to buy the head unit that plays MP3's as it would an Ipod that can hold my music collection and the damned cabling that allows it to work through the steering wheel remote and charge at the same time. Bitter about that.

[Hikaru9]

It'd cost just as much to buy the head unit that plays MP3's as it would an Ipod that can hold my music collection and the damned cabling that allows it to work through the steering wheel remote and charge at the same time. Bitter about that.

I'd change my headunit in a heartbeat. Oh wait... it's intergrated! >_< (bitter X 10)

[94jedi]

It'd cost just as much to buy the head unit that plays MP3's as it would an Ipod that can hold my music collection and the damned cabling that allows it to work through the steering wheel remote and charge at the same time. Bitter about that.

well, I think it's about time I buy an Ipod anyway lol.

[TheMAN]

regardless of what anyone thinks about the bose system, it's still WAY better than the non-bose SHIT... absolutely gutless and NOTHING on any range at all... only reason why you want that pile of shit when you buy the car is if you're going to be putting in an aftermarket headunit.... I'm NOT because I don't care to spend the money, void warranties, and disable certain functionalities (such as the clock, temp display etc), so I'll stick to the bose shit

[CTGrey02]

I'd change my headunit in a heartbeat. Oh wait... it's intergrated! >_< (bitter X 10)

I meant to the other integrated head unit they sell for 4-500 bucks from Mazda. They make one that plays MP3's for our cars, it just wasn't an option.

[Antonio DiMarco]

I've been into car audio and modifying cars for about 15 years now (used to be MECP cert) so I know a good system when I hear one....

The BOSE is fairly decent as far as upgraded OEM systems go. sure it lacks some bottom end grunt but it's nothing that can't be fixed with a single 8 or 10" sub. for the price of the car and the overall value, I think the BOSE stereo is great. I guess if you're looking for window shattering bass then it leaves alot to be desired but if you want clean clean crisp sound and don't want to hassle with aftermarket components, the BOSE seems to do the job just fine.

Am I missing something? seems like all the data on BOSE is negative.

Audio is a very personal thing. When you factor in the recording, the type of music, your ears and your mood every system will sound different. Personal preference also plays a part.

I've listened to the Bose system and it sounds fine for listening to music at sane levels. You will be disappointed if you expect bass that will punch a hole through your chest or dynamics that will raise the roof. It's a $25,000 car after all with a killer engine, killer suspension, killer interior design and tons of features. It also well screwed together. I don't know what you guys expect?For the money and the overall performance your getting I think it's a well-balanced system.

[CTGrey02]

. I don't know what you guys expect?

Options.

[94jedi]

so the BOSE 6 disc in dash unit on the 07 MS3 GT that I just ordered doesn't play mp3's?

[CTGrey02]

Doesn't play MP3's and in my experience burned CD's. Sucks huh? There's another stereo they sell that you can order so use that in negotiations. Perhaps you can get it swapped out at a discount.

[Antonio DiMarco]

Options.

Adding options to cars costs money from design to manufacturer. It also complicates test. The more combinations the more money and time it takes to test.

Mazda pays Bose to design and implement a car audio system. The more system choices/configurations Mazda asks for, the more bottom-line cost goes into the car. Cost also come in the form of development. Adding extra configurations adds time, which translates to cost. There's cost in the parts kept on hand, cost in the floor space used to house parts and cost in the factory to change the line when a different configuration is built.

Mazda budgets in how much of an "Audio System" they can afford in any design. The Bose system in the 3 no doubt was designed to a cost.

It may seem easy to "Add Options" but there are repercussions for every button or widget added from the initial development process to final factory assembly.

[vodfan]

Doesn't play MP3's and in my experience burned CD's. Sucks huh?


98% of the CD's I have in my car are burned and work 100% of the time. Might just be the type of media you are using.

[Hikaru9]

Adding options to cars costs money from design to manufacturer. It also complicates test. The more combinations the more money and time it takes to test.

Mazda pays Bose to design and implement a car audio system. The more system choices/configurations Mazda asks for, the more bottom-line cost goes into the car. Cost also come in the form of development. Adding extra configurations adds time, which translates to cost. There's cost in the parts kept on hand, cost in the floor space used to house parts and cost in the factory to change the line when a different configuration is built.

Mazda budgets in how much of an "Audio System" they can afford in any design. The Bose system in the 3 no doubt was designed to a cost.

It may seem easy to "Add Options" but there are repercussions for every button or widget added from the initial development process to final factory assembly.

You have a good point, but you're also completely missing the point of this conversation.

What CTGrey is saying is that Mazda already has the exact same Bose system that plays MP3s. $400~500 option that was never available even as an option even though they had them available. Your argument about extra configuration is null because Mazda already has them built for our cars.

[speed3shon]

ive never had a problem with burned cds...

but no mp3s jedi :(

[CTGrey02]

Adding options to cars costs money from design to manufacturer. It also complicates test. The more combinations the more money and time it takes to test.

Mazda pays Bose to design and implement a car audio system. The more system choices/configurations Mazda asks for, the more bottom-line cost goes into the car. Cost also come in the form of development. Adding extra configurations adds time, which translates to cost. There's cost in the parts kept on hand, cost in the floor space used to house parts and cost in the factory to change the line when a different configuration is built.

Mazda budgets in how much of an "Audio System" they can afford in any design. The Bose system in the 3 no doubt was designed to a cost.

It may seem easy to "Add Options" but there are repercussions for every button or widget added from the initial development process to final factory assembly.

Your also assuming that I wouldn't have paid it. I would have bought this car if it was 3k more. I'll try burning some different cd's.

[HAVOC]

It's a $25,000 car after all

My last car was around $22,000 and came with a Monsoon audio system that is one of the best quality (not supper bassy , no subwoofer) car audio systems installed from a factory I have heard. Although the rest of the car fell apart (VW) the stereo from Monsoon is amazing.

I hate the fact I have a BOSE system as they are way overpriced for the quality speakers they produce. It is like buy Monster brand cables in Best Buy/CC and pay $75 for a $20 cable. The Monster is not a bad cable but you can get much better for less money than Monster charges. Same goes for BOSE.

My Uncle is a BOSE fan but also has a Monsoon system in his Buick and is amazed how bad the Bose sounds in the car.

While I do not need a supper bass system that shakes every bolt loose in the car, I like quality and feel that it is not there. Any volume over 12 and the system sounds like crap.

Remember BOSE spends more money in marketing than all other speaker brand companies combined. If any are interested in a BOSE story you can read it here (http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html)

[RelliMS3]

i'm content with the bose. its not super amazing, but its all i need because i dont listen to my music that loud

[6262MS3]

I have only had my MS3 for 3 weeks and I already hate the Bose system. In Canada there are no options, the MS3 comes as one model. The only saving grace is that the Bose has a line-in jack. It was obviously designed on a tight budget, it's very under-powered so it has no headroom and distorts at moderate volumes. The bass manages both to be muddy and have no impact at all, which the bass control only makes worse. The tweeters are just terrible, yes they play treble but there is no detail whatsoever (cymbals have no crispness, just a dull crash). The same could be said of the mids, acoustic guitars are dull and lifeless. This stereo has no emotion to it, no warmth, no sparkle. Granted it's alot better than factory stereos used to be, but for a company that claims to be dedicated to audio perfection it's pretty lame. All I want is a nicely balanced system, which I'm going to have to put together myself.

[Antonio DiMarco]

You have a good point, but you're also completely missing the point of this conversation.

What CTGrey is saying is that Mazda already has the exact same Bose system that plays MP3s. $400~500 option that was never available even as an option even though they had them available. Your argument about extra configuration is null because Mazda already has them built for our cars.

No, I understand where CTGrey is upset about, but my arguement still stands. How do you know it's the EXACT same Bose system? And even if they have a Bose system that supports MP3's it's supply maybe restricted to a certain model line. Or they may not want to take on the added cost of having stock of a optional head unit that may only find it's way into 2% of the MZ3/MS3's. CTGrey maybe happy to spend an extra $1000 for the updated system, but the reality is that it may cost Mazda more in shipping and storage costs to make that option available to limited number of customers. Not to mention the additional cost of reconfiguring the line to install a different head unit. We don't even know if those MP3 equipped Bose systems use the same wiring harnesses.
And which model uses the MP3 equipped Bose system? The CX-7? CX-9? Both of those systems use a completely different Bose set-up with different processing. Each system is calibrated for each car, so you can't simply move one head unit to another model. Those systems also have Centerpoint surround.

FYI, the standard Mazda, non-Bose head unit is different from the Bose head unit.

BTW, I for one would kill to have the CX-9 Bose system as an option in the MS3. One thing I wish the MS3 had was Bluetooth, whihc the CX-9 Bose system does include.

[Antonio DiMarco]

My last car was around $22,000 and came with a Monsoon audio system that is one of the best quality (not supper bassy , no subwoofer) car audio systems installed from a factory I have heard. Although the rest of the car fell apart (VW) the stereo from Monsoon is amazing.

I hate the fact I have a BOSE system as they are way overpriced for the quality speakers they produce. It is like buy Monster brand cables in Best Buy/CC and pay $75 for a $20 cable. The Monster is not a bad cable but you can get much better for less money than Monster charges. Same goes for BOSE.

My Uncle is a BOSE fan but also has a Monsoon system in his Buick and is amazed how bad the Bose sounds in the car.

While I do not need a supper bass system that shakes every bolt loose in the car, I like quality and feel that it is not there. Any volume over 12 and the system sounds like crap.

Remember BOSE spends more money in marketing than all other speaker brand companies combined. If any are interested in a BOSE story you can read it here (http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html)

Funny how the rest of your car fell apart but the stereo sounded good.

Like Mazda, Volkswagen builds to a budget and makes choices to stay within that budget. Volkswagen has had a long-stnading reputations for poor long-term reliability but gorgeous, fit and finish. In fact some would argue that you pay a premium for the Volkswagen name when the product quality is mediocre.

Bottom-line the money has to come from somewhere. Mazda chooses to spend it in areas that increase long-term reliability, where Volkswagen chooses to put the money into the look and feel and then charge you crazy money when stuff breaks.

[whitey4311]

My gosh guys my Bose sounds bitchin with a CD and the bass is all I could ask for unless you want a box and a 10".

On my sirius its pretty life less but over CD it really does sound good.

[Hikaru9]

No, I understand where CTGrey is upset about, but my arguement still stands. How do you know it's the EXACT same Bose system? And even if they have a Bose system that supports MP3's it's supply maybe restricted to a certain model line. Or they may not want to take on the added cost of having stock of a optional head unit that may only find it's way into 2% of the MZ3/MS3's. CTGrey maybe happy to spend an extra $1000 for the updated system, but the reality is that it may cost Mazda more in shipping and storage costs to make that option available to limited number of customers. Not to mention the additional cost of reconfiguring the line to install a different head unit. We don't even know if those MP3 equipped Bose systems use the same wiring harnesses.
And which model uses the MP3 equipped Bose system? The CX-7? CX-9? Both of those systems use a completely different Bose set-up with different processing. Each system is calibrated for each car, so you can't simply move one head unit to another model. Those systems also have Centerpoint surround.

FYI, the standard Mazda, non-Bose head unit is different from the Bose head unit.

BTW, I for one would kill to have the CX-9 Bose system as an option in the MS3. One thing I wish the MS3 had was Bluetooth, whihc the CX-9 Bose system does include.

Okay... take it from the person who actually owns an MS3 with the Bose system. MS3s in other markets do come with MP3 built in. When I said it was the exact same Bose system, I really meant "exact".

Guess what my MS3 owner's manual has? Instructions on how to use the MP3 CDs in the Bose system. It really is the same model (sans the MP3) with the same wiring & fitment, and Mazda really screwed us (in the States) by not even offering it even as an option.

The options were installed at the factory, not at the dealership. Mazda didn't have to ship any parts.

[CTGrey02]

tee hee

[Antonio DiMarco]

Okay... take it from the person who actually owns an MS3 with the Bose system. MS3s in other markets do come with MP3 built in. When I said it was the exact same Bose system, I really meant "exact".

Guess what my MS3 owner's manual has? Instructions on how to use the MP3 CDs in the Bose system. It really is the same model (sans the MP3) with the same wiring & fitment, and Mazda really screwed us (in the States) by not even offering it even as an option.

The options were installed at the factory, not at the dealership. Mazda didn't have to ship any parts.


Taking the position that "Mazda screwed us" is pretty shortsighted though. Manufacturers rarely make a decision without a reason. Every decision they make usually revolves around cost or availability. My guess is that the lack of MP3 capability was due to money or licensing reasons.

IOTW, they didn't get up one morning and say "yeah know, there's this guy, CTGrey and we should really think about screwin' him real good...(idhitit)(lol2)

[CTGrey02]

hehehe, that zany banana. Like I said, lacking the MP3 capability is my only real gripe.

[TheMAN]

You have a good point, but you're also completely missing the point of this conversation.

What CTGrey is saying is that Mazda already has the exact same Bose system that plays MP3s. $400~500 option that was never available even as an option even though they had them available. Your argument about extra configuration is null because Mazda already has them built for our cars.


stop being a tool... I told you back in februrary that it IS AN OPTION AVAILABLE FOR YOUR CAR.

let me make this easier for you.... part number is BS0D-79-EGX, it IS a $500 option.... all it is is the headunit, it IS a CD changer, and it DOES have the MP3 decoder built in... IT IS FOR THE BOSE SYSTEM!!!

[TheMAN]

Okay... take it from the person who actually owns an MS3 with the Bose system. MS3s in other markets do come with MP3 built in. When I said it was the exact same Bose system, I really meant "exact".

Guess what my MS3 owner's manual has? Instructions on how to use the MP3 CDs in the Bose system. It really is the same model (sans the MP3) with the same wiring & fitment, and Mazda really screwed us (in the States) by not even offering it even as an option.

The options were installed at the factory, not at the dealership. Mazda didn't have to ship any parts.

it's not *exactly* the same... all the speakers are the same, but the headunits are slightly different due to tuner frequency and regulatory differences in different regions

[TheMAN]

Taking the position that "Mazda screwed us" is pretty shortsighted though. Manufacturers rarely make a decision without a reason. Every decision they make usually revolves around cost or availability. My guess is that the lack of MP3 capability was due to money or licensing reasons.

IOTW, they didn't get up one morning and say "yeah know, there's this guy, CTGrey and we should really think about screwin' him real good...(idhitit)(lol2)

availability and licensing was not the reason, money was... simply they didn't put it in to keep the price of the car down, plus they want to make more money off us by selling the accessory upgrade

[Hikaru9]

stop being a tool... I told you back in februrary that it IS AN OPTION AVAILABLE FOR YOUR CAR.

let me make this easier for you.... part number is BS0D-79-EGX, it IS a $500 option.... all it is is the headunit, it IS a CD changer, and it DOES have the MP3 decoder built in... IT IS FOR THE BOSE SYSTEM!!!

Ok... Mr. I love the $500 Mazda Bose system w/ MP3 player. I am aware of your posts regarding the matter since you pop out of nowhere everytime anyone mentions the word "mp3" along with "MS3". I was simply educating a forum member/ supporting another's gripe, so thanks a lot for the name calling. *^_^*

[CTGrey02]

stop being a tool... I told you back in februrary that it IS AN OPTION AVAILABLE FOR YOUR CAR.

let me make this easier for you.... part number is BS0D-79-EGX, it IS a $500 option.... all it is is the headunit, it IS a CD changer, and it DOES have the MP3 decoder built in... IT IS FOR THE BOSE SYSTEM!!!

Since we're getting technical, if it was an option I could have ordered the car with it. It's not an option on the Build a MS3 site. I have to order this via the parts counter, thanks for resurrecting the part number though. Now I don't have to go hunting for it again.

[Antonio DiMarco]

hehehe, that zany banana. Like I said, lacking the MP3 capability is my only real gripe.

Glad you got a sense of humor. Life's too short. (idhitit) (idhitit) (idhitit) (idhitit) (idhitit) (idhitit) (idhitit) (idhitit) (idhitit) (idhitit) (idhitit) (idhitit)

[Antonio DiMarco]

availability and licensing was not the reason, money was... simply they didn't put it in to keep the price of the car down, plus they want to make more money off us by selling the accessory upgrade.

But doesn't it always boil down to the "MONEY"

[HAVOC]

Funny how the rest of your car fell apart but the stereo sounded good.

Like Mazda, Volkswagen builds to a budget and makes choices to stay within that budget. Volkswagen has had a long-stnading reputations for poor long-term reliability but gorgeous, fit and finish. In fact some would argue that you pay a premium for the Volkswagen name when the product quality is mediocre.

Bottom-line the money has to come from somewhere. Mazda chooses to spend it in areas that increase long-term reliability, where Volkswagen chooses to put the money into the look and feel and then charge you crazy money when stuff breaks.

While I agree with you about the choices companies need to make for budget reasons. My comment about Bose is they will charge the companies more for their name but give a lesser product than a company like Monsoon. Monsoon is in many car companies that are not high end like Buick,VW,Chevy, and gm and produce a far superior sound system than Bose.

Mazda pays the higher price to have Bose in their cars because of the perceived notion that Bose is a superior audio system.

I can not speak for their car systems but ther $3000 home theater systems from bose still use paper cones and foam insulation. We all know how paper reacts to humidity and the foam insulation wears away which is why no sell respecting speaker manufacturer still uses paper and foam.

Maybe I will pull back one of my speaker covers to confirm that the Bose speakers in the car arena are paper as well.

[fourthmeal]

Simple.

Bose is not an audio company.

The proof in this is their exploration in suspensions for cars. Which of course has nothing to do with audio. Further proof is they are specialists in "psychoacoustics", but rarely do they work towards perfection of their drivers and the cabinets they put them in.

Bose is a technolgical think-tank and design company that has its roots in audio and psychoacoustics.

BTW, Dr. Bose is a not a pleasant guy. Sorry, that is my assessment of him. He's got a real "Holier then thou" complex, just like Noel Lee (Monster.)


The truth is, companies like Mazda could do better with a quality speaker house like Vifa, SEAS, or Dayton, Tang Band or something along those lines, with direct OEM gear, and a little more careful consideration towards sound deadening, and amplification.

In the ideal yet price conscious factory sound system, it would go like this:

SEAS Mid-woofer, 8" Front doors
SEAS 4" Midrange, front doors
SEAS Neo tweeter, A-pillars
Tang Band slim 10" sub, trunk
SEAS coaxial 6.5" drivers, back deck

Blaupunkt, or Fujitsu OEM 8ch main amp 35Wx6 (for the midrange, tweeters, and coaxial rears) + 50Wx2 (for mid-woofer)
Blaupunkt, or Fujitsu OEM mono sub amp 200Wx1

Pre-programmed digital chip processor with crossover functions to each driver, including DSP for extra "ambience"

Clarion or Fujitsu-Ten (Eclipse) OEM head unit, unpowered with balanced outputs to the OEM amps

Total cost to the manufacturer? About $1000, including a quality head unit with flat output and adjustable features. They could then turn around and sell this as a massive, quality upgrade (without cutting corners!) for about $1600-2000, depending on the car.

[Hikaru9]

That's quite an extensive list, FourthMeal. *^_^*

I've played around only with Pioneer, Sony, Kenwood and Alpine products in my cars although I did service a variety of other brands at my last job.

Where is SEAS from? o_O

[SPEED305]

i think they are a speaker manufacture. i also think they provide various oem companies with some equipment.

[Antonio DiMarco]

While I agree with you about the choices companies need to make for budget reasons. My comment about Bose is they will charge the companies more for their name but give a lesser product than a company like Monsoon. Monsoon is in many car companies that are not high end like Buick,VW,Chevy, and gm and produce a far superior sound system than Bose.

Mazda pays the higher price to have Bose in their cars because of the perceived notion that Bose is a superior audio system.

I can not speak for their car systems but ther $3000 home theater systems from bose still use paper cones and foam insulation. We all know how paper reacts to humidity and the foam insulation wears away which is why no sell respecting speaker manufacturer still uses paper and foam.

Maybe I will pull back one of my speaker covers to confirm that the Bose speakers in the car arena are paper as well.

Bose uses treated paper. Not plain o'le paper. It all depends on the application.

[altspace]

Well, I can't speak for the MS3, but my RX-8 Bose system rocks. We all have different tastes in music, listening styles, etc. It all boils down to opinion and nobody is correct or incorrect. I have also been in automobiles such as Lexus, Audi and Infiniti. Truly amazing audio systems. Why? Because you pay for it big time.

[CTGrey02]

O/T, Alt, Your RX-8 has got to be the nicest I've ever seen.

[fourthmeal]

That's quite an extensive list, FourthMeal. *^_^*

I've played around only with Pioneer, Sony, Kenwood and Alpine products in my cars although I did service a variety of other brands at my last job.

Where is SEAS from? o_O

SEAS makes OEM drivers for prominent companies, and is known internationally as one of the better build houses. Companies like Sony, Kenwood, and Alpine, for example, are usually not responsible for making their own speakers. They rely on speaker build-houses, then they slap their logo on it. Extremely common in the audio world, both car and home.



Oh, and Altspace...you ain't heard NOTHING yet if you think your BOSE system rocks. I've auditioned the RX-8 system, and I can tell you that while BOSE is good, an investment of, say, $1500-$2000 will yield you such a fantastic improvement in sonic quality, you'll wonder what the hell you've been doing all this time with just BOSE. You see, its all relative. You go to a concert, and you do your best to reproduce that feeling of "live" sound. BOSE doesn't even come close to this. The reason why? Their preference to use psychoacoustics as a solution to sound reproduction, as opposed to working hard on quality speaker motors, cones, etc. When I tear a BOSE system apart in a car, the first thing I notice is the drivers are incredibly poor at producing a natural, crisp, and believable sound. They use coated paper, which is a fine choice of cone material, but their magnets and motor assemblies are ancient technology, not capable of linear, impactful performance. They heavily under-power their drivers as well. The final nail in their coffin? Very poor application of sound dampener or cabinet work. They also lose points in my mind with their choice to deviate from typical ohm ratings, making it near impossible to mix and match BOSE with other gear.

Here's the cliff-notes of what BOSE delivers to a car. Go to a world-class concert, and sit on the back lawn. Now, stick cotton in your ears. Then, take a thick blanket, and sit underneath it, and listen. That is about what you get out of a BOSE system.

[whitey4311]

Now that I listen to the stereo more critically I do see where the Bose isnt so great. It does tend to vibrate and muffle certain bass sounds. Its good enough for me but I wont lie because if I didnt pay for it and it were just stock radio I would likely upgrade all the stuff. But now it would be a bad idea to unbolt all that bose equipment and a waste of money.

[fourthmeal]

ebay is your friend in this situation. ALSO, you can take a product like RAAMAT and Ensolite and install it in the doors, and you'll notice instantaneously better sound quality, even from BOSE.

[94jedi]

hey fourth, what do you mean "ebay is your friend"?

I've been out of the ICE game for several years....is RAAMAT and Ensolite like Dynamat that has to be rolled on? When I was getting out of the industry, there were a few products coming out that were like "Rhino-liner" in that they were spray-on, used for sounds deadening. I wouldn't be opposed to trying to improve sound quality as long as it doesn't involve ripping out anything. I REALLY don't want to get into upgrading the stereo components.

[Antonio DiMarco]

SEAS makes OEM drivers for prominent companies, and is known internationally as one of the better build houses. Companies like Sony, Kenwood, and Alpine, for example, are usually not responsible for making their own speakers. They rely on speaker build-houses, then they slap their logo on it. Extremely common in the audio world, both car and home.



Oh, and Altspace...you ain't heard NOTHING yet if you think your BOSE system rocks. I've auditioned the RX-8 system, and I can tell you that while BOSE is good, an investment of, say, $1500-$2000 will yield you such a fantastic improvement in sonic quality, you'll wonder what the hell you've been doing all this time with just BOSE. You see, its all relative. You go to a concert, and you do your best to reproduce that feeling of "live" sound. BOSE doesn't even come close to this. The reason why? Their preference to use psychoacoustics as a solution to sound reproduction, as opposed to working hard on quality speaker motors, cones, etc. When I tear a BOSE system apart in a car, the first thing I notice is the drivers are incredibly poor at producing a natural, crisp, and believable sound. They use coated paper, which is a fine choice of cone material, but their magnets and motor assemblies are ancient technology, not capable of linear, impactful performance. They heavily under-power their drivers as well. The final nail in their coffin? Very poor application of sound dampener or cabinet work. They also lose points in my mind with their choice to deviate from typical ohm ratings, making it near impossible to mix and match BOSE with other gear.

Here's the cliff-notes of what BOSE delivers to a car. Go to a world-class concert, and sit on the back lawn. Now, stick cotton in your ears. Then, take a thick blanket, and sit underneath it, and listen. That is about what you get out of a BOSE system.


(rant)
I don't buy the whole "live performance" aspect of your argument. The notion of "reproducing a live performance" is a myth propegated by audiophiles and those arguments that have built an industry that thrives on "perception."

Tell me, exactly what is "true to the source?"

Your example of listeneing to a live performance of a world class concert is flawed because no matter where you go the sound of "live" WILL be different. Listening to a performance at the Hatshell in Boston is different than listening to a performance at Tanglewood or Symphony Hall.

Furthermore tell me how many Jazz bars sound the same?

And forget about finding a "live" Rock performance that's consistent. Unless it's acoustic without sound reinforcement amplification your not dealing with "LIVE" sound. LIVE SOUND is unamplified. It makes me laugh when MTV had/has their unplugged concerts- the majority of which are using amplifiers and sound HORRIBLE.

While I can respect your points on a system reproducing a linear and true sound, many of the recordings and live performances aren't LINEAR to being with. Most studio recordings are mastered to sound best on a boombox- and now an iPod.

Over the last 20 years I've listened to a wide range of high end (Dynaudio, Audio Research, NAD, Paradigm, Thiel etc.) and cheap stereo products (Most of the stuff in Best Buy) and I can tell you that while some people may not prefer the sound of Bose, it certainly doesn't deserve the beaten it's received from audiophiles.

BTW psychoacstics have ALOT to do with the way each of us perceives sound. So do atmospheric conditions and a human's VERY short-term hearing memory.

I find my mood, the venue, the weather and the aesthetics of the equipment ALL have a bearing on how something sounds. Why do you think so many audiophile manufacturers spend thousands of dollars installing two-inch thick aluminum or Stainless Steel faceplates on their gear? Or choose blue lights over green lights? Or have famous spokespeople advertise their equipment. Because a large part of what people base decisions on is in how things look. Half the consumer car speakers have grilles and other extraneous plastic crap on them, not becasue they improve performance becasue they look cool.

Bose is successful because people DO find value in their products and DO enjoy their music through their products. I have a Bose wave radio and a pair of their newer QC3 Noise cancelling headphones and they certainly offer a convenient way for me to enjoy music when I can't sit down and enjoy my HK and NHT system. The headphones in particular really do a nice job keeping me rested and relaxed while enjoying my music off my iPod during an uncomfortable flight.

Funny how people always vilify the corporations that manage to make money. (dark)

Bottom-line: listen to what you like on a system that makes it sound best to your ear.

Music is personal and sound is HIGHLY subjective.

[Ryz]

I've been into car audio before most of you were on two wheels. For a "stock" system the BOSE sounds great. All the "audiophiles" on here probably wouldn't know true sound if it bit them in the ass.

[HAVOC]

I've been into car audio before most of you were on two wheels. For a "stock" system the BOSE sounds great. All the "audiophiles" on here probably wouldn't know true sound if it bit them in the ass.

First of all the Bose was an upgrade not a "stock" radio. Bose sounds great to most people because they do not know better. The typical American consumer is a sheep lead by the marketing herders. Listen to the thousands of Bose commercials, were they state that this expert or that expert says... as compared to the speakers in your tv the bose sound system is far superior.
I am not disagreeing with that statement or that bose makes slight than better speakers/systems but that for the price there are infinitesimally more systems out there that are much better for the price. Look at edmunds,com for best sound systems and while bose makes the list on the higher end vehicles, the vehicles like the focus and some other compacts make the list with best budget radios that sound amazing. Just because it is expensive it does not mean it is good.

You are paying for the name and the typical consumer likes names. Example for the money the iPod is not the best product for the money, but it is the best seller in the world. Consumers constantly walk into stores and buy what the salesman tells them. I used to work as salesman in an electronics store when I was in College and all the salesman always sold on what company was giving them a trip to Hawaii or the $1000 mountain bike for being the top seller, not what is best for you.
Also walk into any electronics store were bose speakers are sold and they are always located away from the sound listening room so you can not do an A/B comparison. They have the self contained booths with the speakers sticking out on stands and people are sucked in.


Also If Bose was so great why did the US Government cancel there contract with them when they could not produce noise cancelling head sets that worked. Thanks to Bose and there under performing noise cancelling head sets my friend has permanent hearing lose using bose headsets launching aircrafts off an aircraft carrier for the navy.

[Ryz]

First of all the Bose was an upgrade not a "stock" radio.

Also If Bose was so great why did the US Government cancel there contract with them when they could not produce noise cancelling head sets that worked. Thanks to Bose and there under performing noise cancelling head sets my friend has permanent hearing lose using bose headsets launching aircrafts off an aircraft carrier for the navy.

First off, the BOSE system is stock in the GT meaning that there is no other model that comes with it. Second, noise cancelling headphones aren't meant to protect hearing, only cause you to not hear ambient sound. Please show me the link regarding goverment cancellation of contracts.

[civilianx]

Thanks to Bose and there under performing noise cancelling head sets my friend has permanent hearing lose using bose headsets launching aircrafts off an aircraft carrier for the navy.

Having lived on an aircraft carrier (USS America 1995-1996) and also having owned noise cancelling headphones by Sony and Bose, there is NO WAY any of those can block the sound from those aircraft. You need big blocky looking headphones that actually block sound, not try to cancel out ambient noise. Check out a race sometime. All the officials and pit crews are not wearing noise cancelling headphones. They are wearing units that attempt to block the sound as best as they can.

I commute about 3-4hrs a day in a commuter van and the Bose QC2's work awesome for killing the drone of the van and traffic. Noise cancelling aren't meant for the work on a flight deck. If they were being used as such, then someone was using them under the wrong impression of their capabilities and designed purpose.

As for car stereos... I think the Bose systems in most cars are decent. Not great, not as good as a custom built system, etc but decent. Better than whatever would normally be in there stock. It is absolutely a marketing thing to say BOSE STEREO! in the car, but since the cost is negligible depending on the model (CTS Bose package is actually free on the larger displacement car) why not enjoy the upgraded stereo? It won't please everyone, nothing ever does. But it is a decent system, regardless of the name stamped on the outside of the speakers.

Besides the QC headphones (tons better than the two Sony sets I had), I won't buy Bose just because of the extra you pay for the name, but if a car comes w/it, cool.

That is all I have to say about that.

[HAVOC]

Having lived on an aircraft carrier (USS America 1995-1996) and also having owned noise cancelling headphones by Sony and Bose, there is NO WAY any of those can block the sound from those aircraft. You need big blocky looking headphones that actually block sound, not try to cancel out ambient noise.

I stand corrected I spoke with my friend about this and he said he was wearing the big blocky looking headphones but still lost his hearing.
It was the pilots who were using noise canceling headset for communication.

[civilianx]

I stand corrected I spoke with my friend about this and he said he was wearing the big blocky looking headphones but still lost his hearing.
It was the pilots who were using noise canceling headset for communication.

cool. Pilots are fancy pants anyway.

[79_Limited]

My last car was around $22,000 and came with a Monsoon audio system that is one of the best quality (not supper bassy , no subwoofer) car audio systems installed from a factory I have heard. Although the rest of the car fell apart (VW) the stereo from Monsoon is amazing.

I hate the fact I have a BOSE system as they are way overpriced for the quality speakers they produce. It is like buy Monster brand cables in Best Buy/CC and pay $75 for a $20 cable. The Monster is not a bad cable but you can get much better for less money than Monster charges. Same goes for BOSE.

My Uncle is a BOSE fan but also has a Monsoon system in his Buick and is amazed how bad the Bose sounds in the car.

While I do not need a supper bass system that shakes every bolt loose in the car, I like quality and feel that it is not there. Any volume over 12 and the system sounds like crap.

Remember BOSE spends more money in marketing than all other speaker brand companies combined. If any are interested in a BOSE story you can read it here (http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html)

I agree my wife's old Beetle Monsoon was is the best factory system I have ever heard in a vehicle. I think it was only a $250 upgrade which was a deal.

[adamkiwi]

All i can say is that the BOSE system in my new car doesn't have any of the clarity, presence, sound stage or spacial separation that the BOSE wave or BOSE Acoustimass systems from 10 years ago seemed to have.

I'm not a hater, and I'm not the world's snootiest audiophile, but I do know "good" sound when I hear it.

While the BOSE in my MS3 is somewhat powerful -and does produce ok sound at the high end of the frequency range, the mids and lows are hopelessley muddy and actually fatigue my ears after long drives.

Some people just don't hear it - they've never trained their ears or maqybe ever cared to... Perhaps they never really noticed the difference when they were in ear-shot of a true quaility sound system. For these people, this BOSE system will suffice.

I think I'll keep the head unit -i like the integration of the wheel controls and all, but I think the speakers and amps are gonna have to go...






I agree my wife's old Beetle Monsoon was is the best factory system I have ever heard in a vehicle. I think it was only a $250 upgrade which was a deal.

[fourthmeal]

hey fourth, what do you mean "ebay is your friend"?

I meant that you can always eBay your BOSE equipment, and recoup some $$.


I've been out of the ICE game for several years....is RAAMAT and Ensolite like Dynamat that has to be rolled on? When I was getting out of the industry, there were a few products coming out that were like "Rhino-liner" in that they were spray-on, used for sounds deadening. I wouldn't be opposed to trying to improve sound quality as long as it doesn't involve ripping out anything. I REALLY don't want to get into upgrading the stereo components.

RAAMAT and Ensolite are quality products from raamaudio. Rick at Raamaudio is a good guy to work with, and takes care of DIYMA forum members. Think of RAAMAT like Dynamat, but FAR cheaper and virutally the same quality, and think of Ensolite like...well...maybe a thin closed cell foam that goes over the RAAMAT. The two together can make something very quiet. These two are not spray on, but rather stick on. RAAMAT is self-adhesive, and Ensolite uses its accompanying spray adhesive.


I don't buy the whole "live performance" aspect of your argument. The notion of "reproducing a live performance" is a myth propegated by audiophiles and those arguments that have built an industry that thrives on "perception."...

As to this quote, and all the rest you said, I will say succinctly that I agree with you for the most part. My personal experience with BOSE has been long and profitable for me, but I can't say I've ever built a BOSE-equipped theater and thought it was something special. Sure, they are "good", but for the price point, and the performance promised, they do not deliver. In other words, "The Emperor Has No Clothes!"

Listen, I'm not going to play the dick-swinging contest with anybody about sound or what is better or not, because sound is subjective and very dependant on variables, but common sense says that you can do better then BOSE, and you can do it cheaper. My main "beef" with BOSE is what they claim to do, vs. what they actually do. See, I sold them for years and years, right alongside other brands as well. For me, home audio was what I made a living off of, for about 7 years of my life (off and on), and what I've made a hobby for about 10 years. Bear in mind, I'm only 27, so I have a lot of learning to do, still. At any rate, I became an expert in designing and installing home theaters for Circuit City (this was around '98, when they weren't the shitbox they are today), and got really good while working for Ultimate Electronics. I've probably installed 150 home theaters, and hundreds more whole-house audio systems. Now, as far as pro-audio goes, I'm an absolute novice, but I am pretty picky about what venues I'll visit because I have a sensitive ear for things like distortion or poor equalization.

I agree completely about sound being different in different parts of a club or venue. One of my favorite systems I've built was for a large barn that was converted into a rodeo training center for a customer of mine. He disliked the way pro-audio sounded, and instead opted to go with some very potent home theater speakers in a NE/SE/NW/SW style grouping at the top of the stadium. Then, I ran individual outdoor speaker pairs to each of his horse stables, and to a few rooms. Each room and stable had a different acoustic signature, naturally. However, with careful placement work, and the use of gentle EQ curves, the grouping at the top came out pretty much perfect in 80% or so of the stadium seating areas. Very impressive despite unusal techniques and equipment.

In another situation, I had the opportunity to rebuild the Monster Room in Ultimate, which is a 10 channel system, and 6 subs. So it is a 10.6 system! Natually, a 7.1 signal running into a 10.6 setup was daunting, but again careful tuning and room sweeps resulted in a natural, room filling sound. That room had seating in many different areas, in an attempt to show customers how sound systems work in different ways for a room, and how over-kill a system could be, if that was what they wanted. The 10.6 setup was run by a DENON 5805, which could dumb the system down to 7.2, 5.2, 3.2, and 2.2, so a potential customer could decide how they want their home to sound. Point is, I completely agree with how the sonic character or a room or venue is extremely variable.

BOSE makes money by cutting corners, in design of their cabinets, to their amps, to their speakers, etc. Cutting corners means you are more interested in making a buck then making a legacy. BOSE is still cruising on their namesake and not on product evolvement. This is MY opinion, and it mostly comes from my experience selling, installing, fixing, and removing BOSE systems to make way for better (yet the same cost) gear (like Mirage Omni, or Definitive Technology Mythos)


I've been into car audio before most of you were on two wheels. For a "stock" system the BOSE sounds great. All the "audiophiles" on here probably wouldn't know true sound if it bit them in the ass.

I'm afraid I'll disagree with this. You've gotta be careful using the word "All" there.

Also, about noice cancelling headphones...You wouldn't want to trust them in situations where you are trying to reduce decibels to the ear. One main reason why is that the SPL levels actually rise when using them (though the apparent sound is reduced) because the waves going against each other still increase pressure on the eardrums. That means if you are already straining with, say, jetwash, you'd really be in trouble with noice cancellers out there. Click on a set of noise cancellation earphones, and you'll feel that pressure on your eardrums. Strange feeling, isn't it?


BTW, Adamkiwi, try doing sound deadening techniques, you'll probably find that muddiness is directly a result of the door's resonance. I started w/ the stock non-Bose system, so I yanked it all out and went w/ Canton and some other goodies, but for you, if you like what you have, try going w/ deadener. LOTS.

[Haltech]

In this thread, someone mentioned the CX-9's BOSE unit had bluetooth along with MP3? Will that unit work in our MS3's?

[mghunt]

Personally, I think the bose system is terrible. Systems like this are what give Bose a bad name to audiophiles. It isn't really quality, or all that different from other factory systems. My passengers have all said, "Ooo, you have Bose, they must be nice". Innovation through marketing...

In order to have any reasonable sound quality, both the bass and treble settings must be set so far below flat. It isn't even funny.

The tweeters are harsh and undefined and they are crossed over really high. The midbasses don't have any low pass filtering on them. They are allowed to roll off naturally which typically makes the midrange harsh.

The one plus to the Bose system, that I'll give them credit for, is the stage height. It is pretty good. But the lack of lowpass filtering on the midbass and the high "crossover" point of the tweeter is what creates this. Of course, it is at the expense of midrange clarity.

Not to mention, the low midbass is muddy at any appreciable volume. I find myself turning the volume down sometimes, just because the midrange is too harsh and hard on my ears.

I recently bought some Seas woofers and tweeters to install in my MS3 GT because I can't take it. Seas is a Norwegian speaker manufacturer about an hour or two southwest of Oslo.

-Mark

[adamkiwi]

was there a marked improvement when you installed the SEAS?

[adamkiwi]

oh, and what is the optimal output impedance of the head unit? 4ohms? or 8? (or 2?)

*My last car ('05 Altima) used 2 ohms which essentially kept me from putting in aftermarket speakers with the stock HU/AMP.

[WesP03MP5]

I've had my SP23 for a couple of years now and the Bose system really isn't that bad... maybe it grew on me. It's not as good as what was in my SVT Focus but more than adequate for what I listen to. I just wish it had some sort of eqaulizer or atleast the ability to adjust mids, which to my surprise the radio in my MP5 has. My parents just bought a Benz ML350 with the Harmon Kardon system and IMHO the sound qaulity from the Bose system is much better.

[PirateKitty]

I personally think bose is to overrated. Not that I'm complaining.
Since I installed a sub and amp, the sound is soo much better

[fourthmeal]

Personally, I think the bose system is terrible. Systems like this are what give Bose a bad name to audiophiles. It isn't really quality, or all that different from other factory systems. My passengers have all said, "Ooo, you have Bose, they must be nice". Innovation through marketing...

In order to have any reasonable sound quality, both the bass and treble settings must be set so far below flat. It isn't even funny.

The tweeters are harsh and undefined and they are crossed over really high. The midbasses don't have any low pass filtering on them. They are allowed to roll off naturally which typically makes the midrange harsh.

The one plus to the Bose system, that I'll give them credit for, is the stage height. It is pretty good. But the lack of lowpass filtering on the midbass and the high "crossover" point of the tweeter is what creates this. Of course, it is at the expense of midrange clarity.

Not to mention, the low midbass is muddy at any appreciable volume. I find myself turning the volume down sometimes, just because the midrange is too harsh and hard on my ears.

I recently bought some Seas woofers and tweeters to install in my MS3 GT because I can't take it. Seas is a Norwegian speaker manufacturer about an hour or two southwest of Oslo.

-Mark


Excellent post, and I agree completely. Swap drivers, make some effort to sound deaden, work on amplification and EQ, and the car sounds great. How hard would it have been to put a quality system in the car in the first place? Of course, that would have taken all the fun out of it for me, the audio system builder type.

[Jays07MS3]

The two things that bother me about the Bose system is the lack of mp3 compatibility (like a lot of other people) and that the random feature doesn't cycle through ALL of the CD's. I wish I could just load 6 CD's in and press RDM and have it play songs from all the disks. I know that there would be loading pauses but I would be willing to put up with that. They could even incorporate some decent buffering to offset the disk loading time.

Do aftermarket CD's changers suffer from the same thing? Because of this, I find myself using my mp3 player through the aux jack most of the time but the sound quality just isn't as good. All this would have been solve had we had the option to upgrade to the mp3 compatible Bose system.

[eddienyny]

Not sure what the big deal is... I usually keep my stereo off while driving.

Seriously... the engine is my sound system. (rockon)

[mghunt]

Not sure what the big deal is... I usually keep my stereo off while driving.

Seriously... the engine is my sound system. (rockon)

Amen to that! It sounds nice with the window's down. Too bad I can't really do that right now.

-Mark

[SmoothVanilla]

I have an 08.5 gt sedan. never had a problem with reading burnt cds or anything, and I think the bose is pretty kickin' if you burn your music right. I could see how it COULD be better, but the package i got comes with climate control, leather and a few other things, and thats why u get the luxury package for the leather right.... stop bitching about the bose stereo and go spend $1000 on something the car came with...

[SmoothVanilla]

Im reading some more posts and I decided to post again lol. I know some ppl are big on having an awesome sound system, and why not. It's great for attention and rocking out in your car, my main point is the bose is great for a stock system, "stock" is the keyword. noone ever had a problem changing tires, rims, gearshifts,taillights,brakes,fog lights .....but when it comes to the stereo u seem to be pissed right off. the unit is stock, and if it sounded BETTER than an aftermarket stereo than stereo equipment manufacturers and sellers would go under lol.If you payed for the bose, and your not happy with it, than it is your right to complain, but coming out and saying you HAD to change it out right away because the quality was soooo bad and you "couldnt stand it" is just ridiculous and over dramatic.......
this just MIGHT stir something up lol
for the record the tweeters do kinda suck tho

[builthatch]

I have an 08.5 gt sedan. never had a problem with reading burnt cds or anything, and I think the bose is pretty kickin' if you burn your music right. I could see how it COULD be better, but the package i got comes with climate control, leather and a few other things, and thats why u get the luxury package for the leather right.... stop bitching about the bose stereo and go spend $1000 on something the car came with...

you bumped a thread that is almost a year and a half old.

[ZooMIN3]

you bumped a thread that is almost a year and a half old.

(rlaugh)(mj)

[El Ropo]

The speakers in the Bose are physically bottom of the barrel. The Equalization is bad.

Fixed for the truth.

[El Ropo]

was there a marked improvement when you installed the SEAS?

LOLOLOLOL!

[soul.survivor]

Bose sucks. Sounds flat, no depth at all. No dynamics, just muddy washed out dog piss from paper cones and plastic tweeters. They sell better speakers at wal-mart. The tweets are absolute garbage. Not only that, but they make it a nightmare to put anything aftermarket in the car. You replace just the speakers, better have 2ohm or you'll only get 1/2 the volume. Want to replace the amp? Good luck soldering those RCA connectors onto the low level output of the factory deck! Replace the head unit? Lose your MPG calculation and/or clock. Bose blows, they actually have the nerve to call a 5.25" drive in some seashell contraption a "subwoofer" give me a break, it's smaller than the front woofers. If you disagree you either don't really care about audio or you've never heard a good system.