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BC Dave
07-31-2007, 04:49 PM
I am as much a Bose hater as the next guy. My mom got ripped off for $700 for a Bose Wave clock radio through a late-night TV infomercial and I cringe every time I hear a $3,500 Lifestyle system. So, when my brother bought a 2003 Nissan Altima and told me it had a fantastic Bose system I had to laugh. Then I heard it. I could not believe the sound. It was silky smooth from top to bottom with shimmering highs and tight, low bass. Did Bose figure out how to build a dome tweeter and decent car subs or ??? This doesn't make me a Bose fan but I had to admit it's the first Bose gear I've heard that made me wonder if that company isn't capable of building one or two outstanding products.

jrhymeammo
07-31-2007, 06:43 PM
I dont know, but I can tell you that my Pioneer system sucks really bad in my Tc.

CD deck has a 3 eq options. Hear, Feel, and Neutral adn they are all undefeatable.. But they do make me appreciate my home system.:)


JRA

GMichael
08-01-2007, 05:05 AM
The Bose system that came with my car is not bad at all. But I have heard better that didn't cost as much.
The Bose Wave Clock does not have bad sound either. But again, the Boston Accustics sounds better to me and only costs $500. http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=BOMICROCD

Basicly, Bose is not that bad. They just arn't as good as Joe Public thinks they are.

daviethek
08-01-2007, 05:33 AM
The Bose system that came with my car is not bad at all. But I have heard better that didn't cost as much.
The Bose Wave Clock does not have bad sound either. But again, the Boston Accustics sounds better to me and only costs $500. http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=BOMICROCD

Basicly, Bose is not that bad. They just arn't as good as Joe Public thinks they are.

I had a bose system in my old 95 Caddy. It rocked. It had 14 speakers and the larger ones were individually amplified, I think. I read it was extremely unreliable but I never had any problems with it. In a sealed enviornment many systems flourish. As for having their stuff in my house.....never.

MikeyBC
08-01-2007, 07:48 AM
We just test drove a GMC Acadian and the Bose system really disappointed...it had very little bass and had a weird out of phase character to the sound...tried playing with the tone controls but did little to help. :nonod:

phillyguy
08-02-2007, 05:03 PM
Have a Bose radio in our 2002 Maxima. It is ok, but not great. Basically, the highs suck. Many owners swap out the front tweeters for something better. No offense, but I am not convinced that Bose makes anything worth buying.

GMichael
08-03-2007, 05:11 AM
Have a Bose radio in our 2002 Maxima. It is ok, but not great. Basically, the highs suck. Many owners swap out the front tweeters for something better. No offense, but I am not convinced that Bose makes anything worth buying.

Well, they do make those.... uh,
well, how about their,...hmmm,
there's always the....uhg,
NEVERMIND.

BC Dave
08-03-2007, 10:09 AM
The thing that impressed me the most was the clarity, so I'm wondering if the system in my brother's 2003 car is the same as in the 2002 Maxima. Incidentally, my best friend has a 94 Caddy with a Bose system and the thing sounds very flat (tweeter-challenged) in the highs. Same goes for the Bose system in another friend's 2000 Maxima. The system in the 2003 Altima is crystal clear and full across the spectrum. No comparison at all.

thekid
08-03-2007, 12:32 PM
The thing that impressed me the most was the clarity, so I'm wondering if the system in my brother's 2003 car is the same as in the 2002 Maxima. Incidentally, my best friend has a 94 Caddy with a Bose system and the thing sounds very flat (tweeter-challenged) in the highs. Same goes for the Bose system in another friend's 2000 Maxima. The system in the 2003 Altima is crystal clear and full across the spectrum. No comparison at all.


Maybe the difference is the way the sound reflects off the fuzzy dice........ :)

Hashpot
08-03-2007, 05:03 PM
my sister also has a bose system in her nissan maxium the highs are really good the two tweeters on the front of the car have good high frequency efffects the bass is descent it starts to distort when you bearly put it up. I think Bose isnt bad at all but there too expensive ther not worth the price ther not all that special , except for the cube speakers for home theater..now those speakers suck

nightflier
08-03-2007, 05:40 PM
I know this sounds trite, but I actually made a conscious decision not to buy Nissan or Infinity specifically because Bose was the only option on most models. I let the sales reps know that too, although they didn't seem to care much - almost as if they knew that it was still a hot selling point with everyone else.

And it's not just that it was installed everywhere, but it was also that every system sounded weak, woolly, and if there was treble it was etched and brittle, almost as if the speakers couldn't handle the load. Other manufacturers use JBL or Harman Kardon, and those systems sounded much better. I ultimately went with a Saab 9-5 with a 12 speaker HK system and I have to say that it sounds very good, although in true Swedish fashion it's lean on features and buttons (kind of looks like it was designed by NAD).

thekid
08-03-2007, 06:31 PM
I know this sounds trite, but I actually made a conscious decision not to buy Nissan or Infinity specifically because Bose was the only option on most models. I let the sales reps know that too, although they didn't seem to care much - almost as if they knew that it was still a hot selling point with everyone else.

And it's not just that it was installed everywhere, but it was also that every system sounded weak, woolly, and if there was treble it was etched and brittle, almost as if the speakers couldn't handle the load. Other manufacturers use JBL or Harman Kardon, and those systems sounded much better. I ultimately went with a Saab 9-5 with a 12 speaker HK system and I have to say that it sounds very good, although in true Swedish fashion it's lean on features and buttons (kind of looks like it was designed by NAD).

Night
Trite no......I would not say trite......

I think your decision not to buy a car based on the sound system cinches the "Audiophile of the Year" award for you. Taking your lead I have decided not to shop at my local mall because of their use of Bose 151 speakers in the outdoor commons areas/entrances. The local Uno's,Chilli's and several other eating establishments have now also lost my business. If we all band together and boycott vendors who use Bose products we can bring those smug bast@$#s on the mountain down to earth........ :)

On a related topic I have decided to return my Pioneer receivers due to their poor gas mileage........ :)

PeruvianSkies
08-03-2007, 09:29 PM
Night
Trite no......I would not say trite......

I think your decision not to buy a car based on the sound system cinches the "Audiophile of the Year" award for you. Taking your lead I have decided not to shop at my local mall because of their use of Bose 151 speakers in the outdoor commons areas/entrances. The local Uno's,Chilli's and several other eating establishments have now also lost my business. If we all band together and boycott vendors who use Bose products we can bring those smug bast@$#s on the mountain down to earth........ :)

On a related topic I have decided to return my Pioneer receivers due to their poor gas mileage........ :)

In my mind not buying a car for its sound system is no different than not buying it for the color of the interior or any other factor. You need to LOVE every aspect of a car on sight, not with modifications, but when you sit in that sucker you need to feel it's embrace and that also means when you turn on the CD player and hear those tunes...you are going to be spending many hours of your life listening to stuff in that vehicle and without installing your own speakers and such, you should never settle. Good decision!

Hashpot
08-03-2007, 11:25 PM
I know this sounds trite, but I actually made a conscious decision not to buy Nissan or Infinity specifically because Bose was the only option on most models. I let the sales reps know that too, although they didn't seem to care much - almost as if they knew that it was still a hot selling point with everyone else.

And it's not just that it was installed everywhere, but it was also that every system sounded weak, woolly, and if there was treble it was etched and brittle, almost as if the speakers couldn't handle the load. Other manufacturers use JBL or Harman Kardon, and those systems sounded much better. I ultimately went with a Saab 9-5 with a 12 speaker HK system and I have to say that it sounds very good, although in true Swedish fashion it's lean on features and buttons (kind of looks like it was designed by NAD).

you showd those dushbags

Blue Meanie
08-03-2007, 11:37 PM
"dushbags"?

thekid
08-04-2007, 05:10 AM
In my mind not buying a car for its sound system is no different than not buying it for the color of the interior or any other factor. You need to LOVE every aspect of a car on sight, not with modifications, but when you sit in that sucker you need to feel it's embrace and that also means when you turn on the CD player and hear those tunes...you are going to be spending many hours of your life listening to stuff in that vehicle and without installing your own speakers and such, you should never settle. Good decision!

P-Skies

I agree with you - I was just having a little fun. Depending on how much time you spend in the car and your personal preferences the sound system could be a very important option for some people. It is just not high on my list and one of the most overpriced options in a car and the easiest to change if you do not like it.

However I do find it a little amusing that people here who will agonize for days what speaker cables to use,speaker placement or sound treatments to use would get worked up over a car audio system. Having a bit of knowledge of the auto industry I can tell you that the amount of thought a manufacturer puts into what sound system to use is actually less than the amount of research they put into what exterior/interior colors they will use for the vehicle.

Manufacturers look at the sound system as primarily a marketing ploy (hence the salesman's complete disregard for Night's complaint) that will add to the perception of their brand. As has been noted here many times Bose is very good at having the public belief they are a top of the line speaker manufacturer, so if a car maker wants you to think you are buying a top of the line car he throws in some Bose speakers and you think you are going first class all the way. From the audio manufacturers point of view it is a good cross marketing strategy to put your systems in a high-end/high dollar car. HK which Night mentioned in his post is a well known brand in the audio arena but not so much (compared to say Bose) to the general public so if you can get people who buy Saab's per se to also develop a brand loyalty to HK then they win in the end.

Again my amusement here is also because this type of thread highlights the brand bias many members bring to the table. While certain perceptions of a speaker maker maybe true when talking about home audio I think alot of those perceptions have to go out the window when talking about car audio. Speaker placement is discussed on this forum probably a dozen times a week. Think about it the next time you get in to your car. Based on what people here say about the importance of speaker placement would you put the speakers (in 99% of the vehicles out there) where they are located? Sound treatments are a whole different story? You have sound deadening panels and foams in car doors or hinge pillars often within inches of the speakers-you don't think that does not impact SQ?

The audio manufacturers are given some general specs by the auto manufacturer and yes I am sure there is some research and design that goes into the process but in the overall scheme of things to the car manufacturer it (the audio system) takes a back seat to cost and design. When an audio manufacturer sells a speaker package to a auto maker it is usually a one size fits all-HTIB type of set-up. So when you buy say a JBL system speaker package for a Toyota Camry versus a Solara (which is a two-door Camry) you are getting the same hardware but the configuration is going to be different and thus your SQ is often going to be different. So when some say on this thread that this sound system or that system sounded good in this car or bad in that car it may be true regardless of the manufacturer.

nightflier
08-04-2007, 01:04 PM
Hey Kid,

Maybe I should rephrase: the combination of sound clarity, interior design, comfort, and the power of the sound system in the in the Saab was better than most of the other cars I test-drove. And I did spend a lot of time finding the combination I preferred. What was consistent also, was that all the Nissans and Infinity's fell short in this important consideration (I do spend a lot of time in my car for my work).

So does Saab spend more money & time configuring the sound system than Infinity/Nissan? Or is it that the sound system in the latter is less impressive? I would guess, especially after reading your post, that it's the sound system. I found the Bose systems really falling short at high volumes, but even at low volume, the clarity wasn't there - and while driving, with a lot of ambient noise, this is an important factor.

To be perfectly honest, I was more wowed by Lexus, but at nearly 2.5x the price of the Saab, it really was way out of my budget. But Lexus, I think, does put more time & money into designing and configuring the right sound system (Check out: http://www.marklevinsonlexus.com). And if it's brand recognition that Infinity is hoping for with Bose, then Lexus is way out on a limb with Mark Levinson, a brand that most average people haven't heard about, at least not as much as Bose. Personally I consider Infinity the most pedestrian of the "luxury makes" out there and their selection of Bose only solidifies that belief.

If you disagree, just go test drive their top of the line M and then the Lexus GS. There's a reason the Lexus' are priced well over msrp - they can justify it and people will pay it. Infinity, on the other hand dropped their top of the line sedan from the lineup, squeak by on sales of their much lower-priced coupes, and is still struggling to compete in the luxury car market. Is it because of the Bose sound system? Maybe not, but it certainly isn't helping them.

thekid
08-04-2007, 06:33 PM
Hey Kid,

Maybe I should rephrase: the combination of sound clarity, interior design, comfort, and the power of the sound system in the in the Saab was better than most of the other cars I test-drove. And I did spend a lot of time finding the combination I preferred. What was consistent also, was that all the Nissans and Infinity's fell short in this important consideration (I do spend a lot of time in my car for my work).

So does Saab spend more money & time configuring the sound system than Infinity/Nissan? Or is it that the sound system in the latter is less impressive? I would guess, especially after reading your post, that it's the sound system. I found the Bose systems really falling short at high volumes, but even at low volume, the clarity wasn't there - and while driving, with a lot of ambient noise, this is an important factor.

To be perfectly honest, I was more wowed by Lexus, but at nearly 2.5x the price of the Saab, it really was way out of my budget. But Lexus, I think, does put more time & money into designing and configuring the right sound system (Check out: http://www.marklevinsonlexus.com). And if it's brand recognition that Infinity is hoping for with Bose, then Lexus is way out on a limb with Mark Levinson, a brand that most average people haven't heard about, at least not as much as Bose. Personally I consider Infinity the most pedestrian of the "luxury makes" out there and their selection of Bose only solidifies that belief.

If you disagree, just go test drive their top of the line M and then the Lexus GS. There's a reason the Lexus' are priced well over msrp - they can justify it and people will pay it. Infinity, on the other hand dropped their top of the line sedan from the lineup, squeak by on sales of their much lower-priced coupes, and is still struggling to compete in the luxury car market. Is it because of the Bose sound system? Maybe not, but it certainly isn't helping them.

Night

Trust me I'd take a Saab (which for years used a Buick V-6 when people would not go near a Buick but loved the 900 series...) over most Nissan's and certainly a Lexus over an Infinity. I am not in anyway defending Bose either it was just the thread was turning into your typical Bose bashing thread and I think when it comes to car audio I think it is a different world out there. When it comes to car audio the speaker locations, vehicle construction and materials play a huge role in determining SQ even within model lines of the same manufacturer. I think if car audiosound is that important to a person they should do just what it is often recommended here when people are looking for speaker recommendations-take a reference disc with you and play it in the car during the test drive to see if the system meets your approval.

I agree Infinity is pretty pedestrian now days and it is probably why they do use Bose. On the other hand my guess is that is you if conducted a focus group on Lexus owners I think that a fairly large number would be familiar with the Mark Levinson brand. the marketers know which brands work best from a cross-marketing perspective. Heck I see a lot of Infinity systems in Chrysler products which actually makes me kind of lose respect for Infinity since from a power train/mechanical stand point Chrysler produces a pretty bad product that I would not think Infinity would want to be associated with.

When my lottery ticket finally hits I guess I will be able to buy my ultimate car and sound system and set them both up in my ultimate house.......... :)

emorphien
08-08-2007, 06:27 AM
Bose car radios, while nothing special, are indeed better than many stock systems. Although in any decent car brand it's probably not worth the added expense.

basite
08-10-2007, 12:45 AM
the bose system in my grandfather's lancia lybra (which we used to drive to italy last week) was indeed better than a stock system. however, that doesn't make it sound 'good'...

there was too much high (the bose loudness 'function' was on and couldn't be turned off) as a matter of fact, there was only high and bass, mids were kinda 'lost'.

just as JRA, they make me appreciate my home system :)

shane2468
08-18-2007, 09:28 AM
I like some bose stuff but not all of them. There new wave cd radio system is OUTSTANDING. It has a very good detailed sound NOT CHEAP PLASTIC CRAP. I like to call it, hi-end system in a box beacause of its good sound and compnants. To me this thing is HARD TO BEAT with other mini systems.

emorphien
08-18-2007, 09:52 AM
I like some bose stuff but not all of them. There new wave cd radio system is OUTSTANDING. It has a very good detailed sound NOT CHEAP PLASTIC CRAP. I like to call it, hi-end system in a box beacause of its good sound and compnants. To me this thing is HARD TO BEAT with other mini systems.
Whatever you say! It sounds like a lot of the other "better" mini systems & table top radios that either cost a good bit less or offer more sound & more features for the money.

shane2468
08-18-2007, 10:24 AM
I use to own a pair of these speakers but they never really grabed me. They sound terrable, I tend to find them very boxy sounding OR as in boomy. Also I find the midrange undetailed just cheap and vile very vile and dull. I rhink these slime balls are made out of plywood, I just can tell bye touching it. The reason why i got these is because i thought they were better than the perv versions. But i was wrong the old version are way better. They sound much better and even the build is more better as in solid and good quaility for a entry level speaker.

superdougiefreshness
08-23-2007, 12:33 AM
I honestly think buying Bose equipment is the same as riding in a Hyundai Limousine. Now this may sound attractive to some yet most would not choose that option.

Just ask your teenager and they will tell you the truth of what the market has to offer that is far better. Go to a used - second hand record store and see what speakers are being used for music. And if you don't have a teenager ask your neighbors high school or college aged kids. Thay will tell you what sounds better and I bet there choice isn't Bose.......hint,hint. Remember when you were in school most of our parents would have bought York, j.c. penny's or worse Sears or Tandy-Radio Shack speakers not knowing the difference.

That's whats going on "we don't know the difference" .....your here to learn.

Why do we buy audio products that use recycled copper that is junk made in some Asian factory when we have beautifully made American products all over the place and far better sounding North American products that are less expensive, and vastly superior sounding then anything from across the pond's ?????????

Folks be kinder to yourself and your fellow American audio makers right in your own back yard. Bose is not worth the overpriced plastic housing on that dam acustocrap selling on T.V. and in cheap magazines.

When we have such huge and vast access to "via the internet" much less expensive and better sounding equipment, with higher quality and even American made options.........RIGHT HERE.

:idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :cornut:

Please stop giving your hard earned dollars to a company that spends the largest amount on advertising and overprices plastic "Tandy like" radio gear. Bose is not true audio just like Bang & Olufsen is not high end audio.........

These two companies cater to style--ized consumer myth's about made up advertising claims and won't even publish the products specifications like reputable manufactures throughout the industry.

We have this great forum to learn from very well knowing examples and the vastly combined years experience that spend their time here for your sake only.............Many of the folks that teach us in this forum love to share the wisdom of the game here. Once you have owned a nicer piece of equipment you will know the difference, and I don't mean expensive .....,,,,just better.

Later

PeruvianSkies
08-23-2007, 02:10 PM
I recently had the chance to ride in my friends brand new Mazda CX-7, which comes standard with a Bose sound system and was not impressed to say the least. He seemed to enjoy it, but that's not surprising to me. It has a few settings, one of which configured the sound to be more like 5.1, I am guessing because there is a center speaker in the front console, but it made the sound so wacky. What was really annoying in particular about the system was the lack of clarity and I could tell when it was being turned up louder that it was a bunch of bass-y noise, but didn't have any definition to it at all. Some people would listen and be impressed because it has a punch to it, just like those people that love to have subwoofers in their trunks that toot out ONE note and thump all over the place. That is sorta what this reminded me of. Again, as others have pointed out, the mids are nowhere to be found. I don't spend that much time in my car, when I bought it I had Kenwood speakers installed (top of their line) as well as some sound sheets to help isolate the sound in the door and keep the sound rich and full, instead of vibrating all over the place. I didn't do anything with the rears, but I just wanted something that could be turned up nice and loud for when the windows were down, yet had some definition for easy-listening at times. It works for me, and I put about 8K miles on my car per year, so it's not a big deal.

topspeed
08-23-2007, 05:25 PM
Interesting thread...

Neil Gader from TAS actually did a little article on high-end sound in auto's for Winding Road, David E. Davis' (founder of Car & Driver and Automobile Magazine) latest project.

http://www.windingroad.com/features-page/premium-rides-premium-sound/

There is strong evidence that auto manufacturers are paying more attention to in-car entertainment systems than thekid may believe. Orders for DVD based entertainment systems are way up and if a car doesn't have an iPod dock, it's considered out of date. These are massive profit centers and the manufacturers know it. You can now find Dynaudio in Volvos, Linn in Aston Martins, B&W in Jags, Mark Levinson in Lexus, B&O in Audis, and even Burmester in Bugatti. Bose, obviously, is found everywhere...including Ferrari's flagship 599 Fiorano.

I've had a number of Bose systems in my cars, some were pretty good while another was so bad I actually had the dealer check it to make sure something wasn't terribly wrong (it wasn't, it was just that bad). The H/K system in my BMW is so awful, I was actually offended. To drop that kind of coin on car and have a stereo with zero bass that audibly clips at anything above low volume is insulting. I'm not expecting it so sound like my home rig...but COME ON!

It's intersting to see the biases come out. I for one, wouldn't consider taking a car off my list simply because it only carried Bose. The way the engine & exhaust sounds is far more important to me than the way the stereo does, but I'm twisted in that kinda way. :crazy: I'm also surprised to see B&O isn't "high-end", whatever definition that is this week. The Beo5 is a pretty impressive piece of equipment, from a sound and technology standpoint, even if it does look like Robbie the Robot.

http://www.topsalon.ru/img/bang-olufsen-BeoLab-5l.jpeghttp://www.galacticvoyager.com/mod/robbie/rrobot.jpg