My 8 doesn't arrive for a couple of weeks and I'm curious - why do I hear people say the sound system could do with improvement. I mean - 300W Bose, 9 speakers. I've already started bragging about it.

What am I missing?

The cd player is skip-prone, but aside from that I think it sounds fine. If you are into overly-bassed systems, then it might not suit you. No complaints here! :)

the system is good but nothing amazing. i think my dads galant the infiniti system sounds ALOT better.

My only stereo complaint is the difference in how loud it is between radio and CD even though i dont change the volume. noticeably louder at the same level on cd vs radio.....I know the cd is gonna be louder but it seems a bit too loud in contrast to the radio level....

Lets be honest, they didnt do any work or development with the sound system

Im assuming Mazda figured, it wasnt a big deal to begin with. They throw in Bose speakers, but the system itself is ok but not great compared to others in the class.

But everyone has their own view and own perception to what sound system is the best. Im ok with it, but Im not out to go deaf like others if you know what i mean.. =)

Later on, I'll prob add an amp and change some things around to give it some substance , instead of the empty hall type of sound

but you know what, when your driving, nothing else matters =)

Z

It's BOSE. IMO BOSE= Medicore. There's no depth and the bass is REALLY lacking. But since I put on my Borla exhaust, I'd rather keep the volume down anyways :D

This has been discussed THOUSANDS of times....

but to elaborate...Bose has become fixated on mass production for meeting sales forcasts instead of meeting quality standards...it's all about the bills now...which is sad..my dad has some of the first Bose shelf speakers and they sound SO great but their current models both car and home audio are just as stated...mediocre..

I have never bought a car with the intent on keeping the factory HU and speakers...

There obviously is NO engineering in the design

1) because tweeter placement in the RX-8 as well as my Z71 Tahoe (has Bose also, for now) is not pointed in the optimum direction for audio clarity. I would have been happier if I could have gotten the GT package with out the stereo but that was not a choice...

2) they are unconventional in their application in the realm of Ohm-age, wiring the amp, etc...

3) the center speaker makes absolutely no sense because if it's purpose is to serve as a TRUE center speaker, optimum placement is pointed directly AT THE AUDIENCE not the windshield..

I plan on as well as quite a few others to rip this out and start from scratch...it's just easier..well..easier after a console replacement has been made.

which in fact I am working on now..i ordered some carbon fiber and will be trying my hand at this...I have done plastic molds and fiberglass but never carbon fiber..this will be fun...i am as well planning on making carbon fiber panels to replace the ones on the mirror/tweeter application. Sorry for the temporary hi-jack i will start another thread when I get far enough to be able to provide pics...weather here has been absolutely crappy...

Originally posted by XeRo
This has been discussed THOUSANDS of times....

but to elaborate...Bose has become fixated on mass production for meeting sales forcasts instead of meeting quality standards...it's all about the bills now...which is sad..my dad has some of the first Bose shelf speakers and they sound SO great but their current models both car and home audio are just as stated...mediocre..

I have never bought a car with the intent on keeping the factory HU and speakers...

There obviously is NO engineering in the design

1) because tweeter placement in the RX-8 as well as my Z71 Tahoe (has Bose also, for now) is not pointed in the optimum direction for audio clarity. I would have been happier if I could have gotten the GT package with out the stereo but that was not a choice...

2) they are unconventional in their application in the realm of Ohm-age, wiring the amp, etc...

3) the center speaker makes absolutely no sense because if it's purpose is to serve as a TRUE center speaker, optimum placement is pointed directly AT THE AUDIENCE not the windshield..

I plan on as well as quite a few others to rip this out and start from scratch...it's just easier..well..easier after a console replacement has been made.

which in fact I am working on now..i ordered some carbon fiber and will be trying my hand at this...I have done plastic molds and fiberglass but never carbon fiber..this will be fun...i am as well planning on making carbon fiber panels to replace the ones on the mirror/tweeter application. Sorry for the temporary hi-jack i will start another thread when I get far enough to be able to provide pics...weather here has been absolutely crappy...

OK, I been in the car audio business for 10 years and I'll agree this isn't the best sounding stereo system I've heard (not even close). However, to say that no engineering went into it is just kind of ignorant. First of, the tweeter location is fine, just below ear level. Second, the center channel is a "filler" channel, not a dedicated center channel. It is design to "fill" the car with a center sound stage, nothing more. This isn't a 5.1 surround sound set-up, so this speaker's purpose is different.

Anyone who knows anything about sound, knows that it's reflective, and the position of the center speaker is near perfect for reflection off the center portion of the windhsield.

Now I can't speak for any of you, but I don't know of many cars (let alone sports cars) that are equipped with 9" mid range/mid bass drivers in the doors! Not to mention another set of them in the rear deck. This system may not sound as good as one you'd put together yourself, but for anyone to say that there was little thought put into designing this sytem, is just foolish. For what it is, the factory Bose system is definitly "up to par," when compared to many other factory audio systems. It maximizes the space available in the vehicle without compromising practical application. Plain and simple, if you want more bass, you lose space.

Originally posted by oodlum
My 8 doesn't arrive for a couple of weeks and I'm curious - why do I hear people say the sound system could do with improvement. I mean - 300W Bose, 9 speakers. I've already started bragging about it.

What am I missing? What I think you are missing, and what the others who responded have illustrated, is that like cars, people are going to need/want different things.

Those who aren't pleased (for whatever reason, valid or invalid) are going to be the most vocal, and the most prominent in a forum meant for customizing audio. Those who are perfectly satisfied won't bother. So it will seem like more people don't like it, when that isn't necessarilly the case.

Originally posted by mdw33333
...This system may not sound as good as one you'd put together yourself, but for anyone to say that there was little thought put into designing this sytem, is just foolish. For what it is, the factory Bose system is definitly "up to par," when compared to many other factory audio systems. Exactly. You have alot of people (I don't mean anyone in particular) who will say something "sucks" just because they just don't happen to like it, and not because it is of poor quality.

---jps

I think the Bose system does a very good job reproducing highs and mid-range, just doesn't have much depth to the bass. I don't understand why there isn't more, considering the sub-in-the-door design, but that was the only aspect I've complained about (I also miss my Miata's headrest speakers with pseudo-surround 'wide mode', but that was an oddity in the car audio world).

I have since built a small custom sub enclosure (see link in sig below) and now the system sounds phenomenal for all types of music, IMO... and I've received several compliments on the audio from passengers in the last week since I've added the box.

The other problem with these systems would be how integrated they are. If you want the MP3 player that's $435 out of pocket. If you want the mini-disc that is again $450 out of pocket. If you want to put in your own system which is already MP3 & XM or Sirius ready, then you need a $750-1,000 custom dash done. Then you have to pay the shop to research and decide how to integrate your Nav, alarm and anything else.

I posted this elsewhere and some of you may have read it, but auto makers should stick to building engines and performance. Those of us who are Audiofiles are going to want different things and making it this exenpensive and difficult to switch out is ridiculous. Some people are ok with the stock system and that is ok. Not everyone likes classical music either. I find it to be very mushy. No clean sound. If I want to hear classical guitar I want a crisp sound. When I put in Busta I want more bass and highs. I am just not satisfied with the system and I would just change it without bitching if it weren't for the fact that it is so much of a pain in my ass.

If Microsoft made it this difficult to use another developers web browser they would have been in more trouble than they got into for a monopoly. Why are auto makers getting away with it?

do we get points or something towards being a moderator if we demean others intelligence on this board?

mdw33333...i have been in car audio for 12 years and in competitions all throughout the southeastern US, i think i know what i'm talking about...but i'm NOT doing this macho i know more than you bout....demean me all you want...

i'm simply stating the facts that i have percieved in owning my car that is equipped with a Bose system...

you state that i'm ignorant for thinking no engineering went into the design ...but who in god's name if put a little time into it could NOT get sufficient low end from 2 pairs of 9" midbass speakers...I'm not a bass head by any means but the low end on this system is very weak...i could have gotten the same response from 2 4" midbass and a pair of coax's....if you ARE a 10 yr vet in car audio you know you should have posed several questions regarding this setup yourself...

What about the buzz's, rattles, if these were well engineered this wouldn't be happening...i'm not getting into this... i was just stating my opinion to the fellow asking about the Bose setup and what I plan on doing to fix my problem with it and several others that aren't happy...

i will say this though...you are right about the RX-8 Bose setup being better than most other "factory" systems...

To XeRo,

Well, what you consider to be a "sufficient" amount of low end and what Bose/Mazda engineers considered "sufficient" amount of low end are two different things. Yes, these are 9" midbass drivers, however, keep in mind that they are in the doors. They use only the doors as their enclosure. What did you expect from this system and its totall power of 300 watts (and that's a generous rating)? Come on now... The type of "bass" I believe you expect really can't be achieved by using 300 watts of "total" system power. If that 300 watts (again, a generous rating, probably less in reality) was dedicated specifically to subwoofer output, then this system might please you... but it's not... so add a amp/sub and be happy.

:)

By the way ignorance and intelligence are also two different things. I don't believe I'm insulting you (I'd have nothing to gain by doing that), I'm simply pointed out the inaccurate portions of your statements. Your questioning of the position and function of the center speaker told me your knowledge was relatively limited. Again, no offense, but a "12 year vet" would've known its purpose and understood its location.

300W of total power should be more than sufficient to send enough power to the door woofers to have more bass than they do. My Explorer has the cheapest option stereo available packing a massive 80W, and it's door speakers have fantastic bass... ergo I expected at least equivalently deep lows in my RX8. I just don't get it... but it was easy enough to solve.

Thanks for your input everyone. G8rboy - nice job on the sub!

I think the system sounds great, the MP3's sound really good and quality is good. I wish they had base speakers in the seat backs like the 1993 Miata did, that was fun.

The thing about the 9" driver is that it is working as a mid-bass, not a subwoofer. Regardless of it's size, the fact that it is having to reproduce such a large range of frequencies actually compromises it's ability to do either mid-range, mid-bass, or bass frequencies too well. Even though it wasn't designed as a mid-range only speaker, it would reproduce midrange frequencies better if you added a crossover to block bass frequencies (and vice versa).

---jps

Originally posted by zerobanger
I think the system sounds great, the MP3's sound really good and quality is good. I wish they had base speakers in the seat backs like the 1993 Miata did, that was fun.

95% of my music comes from my Lyra 40GB jukebox, and once I tweaked the graphical EQ built into my player, I agree that MP3's sounded much better. I think the Bose would sound better with a true equalizer and not just bass/treble gain settings for radio/cd/tape.

BTW, you can add those 'bass shakers' to your RX-8- I considered it myself. They're always on eBay for $30-$50 a pair, depending on the size... here's a set I just found:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3703663427&category=1287

Originally posted by G8rboy
My Explorer has the cheapest option stereo available packing a massive 80W, and it's door speakers have fantastic bass... ergo I expected at least equivalently deep lows in my RX8.

I imagine that the amount of air moved in your Explorer doors is at least double that in the RX8 doors -- should be good for a "free" 3dB of bass.

The car is great but Bose does suck...no doubt about it.
Just mid-range.......not much highs or lows.

when I read post after post of people's description about how the Bose sounds in the RX8, and how it lacks this or that, the only thing that is true is that everyone hears differently, and that this issue is highly subjective.

Some people say it does fine in high and mid-range, but lacks bass, while others, including myself believe the high and lows are decent, but the mid-range is utterly lacking.

So, don't take anyone's word for it, just experience it yourself. Perhaps it will be excellent to you, as it was for a few of my passengers. One passenger even said I had on way too much bass, so like I said, everyone's different.

...and I'm comparing it to a 7 year old factory install on my Mazda MX-6 M-edition.

Really.

I was listening to a copy of Tool: Undertow, not exactly gangster rap, and I'm picking out bass rattle in my door speakers.

Shouldn't factory speakers be calibrated to only produce frequencies they are capable of? I got a nice speech from my dealer on how the RX-8 interior was built specifically to support to stereo to avoid rattles and unpleasant vibration, etc etc....

Day 3, door bass rattle. What a disappointment.

I'm hoping the speaker just sucks and I can turn the bass down. If it's door rattle, not even adding my amp and sub will help, it'll just make it rattle more.

EDIT: I wanted to add that this is the "premium" stereo that came with the Touring package, too. So far, there's nothing premium about it. Does the Bose speaker setup actually say Bose somewhere? I didn't notice it anywhere on mine....I better not have gotten ripped by the dealer.

The Bose logo should be on the front tweeters. Undertow has a less Mastered sound than some of the later Tool, so the bass drum hits harder, I've read a thread where they went to the dealer and had extra insulation put into the door. Just make sure you don' t have anything down in the map holders on the doors.

The tweeters on the doors have the BOSE name on them. If you have a sunroof, then you have the Bose system. I am assuming you are in the US.

Go look over at the Audio/Video/Security section of the forum. There are many threads about the Bose sound system. If you are looking for more Bose representation in your car there is even a thread about making more stickers to put in your car (read the thread before you flame me).

Yeah I don't really care about the "Bose representation" as much as I care about bass rattling in my door when the bass isn't even that pronounced in the first place.

The car is brand new <110 miles....I don't have any clutter in my car yet to be vibrating or making any noise in the door compartments.

This isn't a marble in a tin can kind of rattle, it's just a very ugly bass flutter with only moderate bass tones from a CD and the bass turned to +0. It's pretty pathetic, honestly.

Bose indeed.

This is a quibble, by the way. I don't intend to convey any sense of buyer's remorse here, because the car performs like a champ.

Yeah... about that Bose representation thing... uh, that was sarcastic. I do agree about the sound system I am going to be changing out my stock speakers with Focals, adding a real amp. and a few other things. But the Audio/Electronic section of the forum is where all of this is being discussed.

I agree with Squidward, everyone's ear is different. Now when it comes to Bose, you often hear the statement: " No highs, no lows, it must be Bose." Actually that statement is a little off and I'll explain why. If you look at Bose systems in general, whether they be home or car systems, Bose tends to structure their systems around tweeter and a woofer, nothing in between. They crossover the tweeters lower, and they crossover the woofers higher than you'd normally find in most full range systems. By doing this, they "fill the midrange gap" by using drivers that are either too small or too big to produce frequencies in the midrange area.

So, in my opinion, if Bose systems were to have a general fault, it would be in the midrange area, not the "highs or lows." The RX8's sound system is a perfect example of what I'm describing. They use 1" tweeters and 9" mid bass/midrange to make up the system, leaving the "traditional" 5"-6" midrange drivers out of the set-up.

Now, the reason Bose systems may lack the the "high end" and "low end" that people describe, is not because they lack the driver sizes to produce those frequencies. The problem is in Bose's crossover points. They force bigger and smaller drivers to produce fequencies that are "higher or lower than those that they were designed and sized to produce."

Plain and simple, Bose misuses driver sizes and crossover points. I still believe, however, that the Bose system in the RX8 sounds pretty damn good over all.

Have you compared the sound with AudioPilot on and off? For sure I am not an audio-type, but for some music the bass sounds distorted with AudioPilot on.

Slightly off-topic, but have any of you had the opportunity to sit in a new Acura TL and appreciate that DVD Surround audio system? It's phenomenal. I was completely blown away by it! I sure wish a system like that one was available in the 8.

And yes, the same complaints about the Bose audio systems can be found over at the Miataforum. I now have two Mazdas with Bose, and although the 8's is better than the Miata's, neither is nearly as good as it ought to be. Booming, vibrating bass, shrill highs, and blah midrange. After experiencing the Acura, I think I'll just give up on music and listen to NPR in the car from now on...

My husband I were just talking about the crummy Bose system.....he asked how do we know if it is trully a Bose system?....I pointed out it was on the small speaker(tweeter). Then he said maybe that the speakers are only Bose and not the system. It sure is a cheap sounding Bose system....the base system I had in the Protege5 sounded the same as this one. Hmmmmmmmmm...............

it sounds average to me, i havent had door rattles (occasionally listen to rap). Id agree about the lack of bass response and the sonic accuracy is poor from the speakers. Ive havent used the audiopilot just because im not sure what it does?

All audiopilot does is adjust the unit based on interior cockpit noise...there is a small mic located to the right of the steering column...look above your right knee when sitting in the car..

*edit* sorry...that's what it's supposed to do...

Just to pick at you a little bit...don't you think that has something to do with engineering...I mean it is their engineering department that comes up with the insane idea to bridge a 9" midbass and a 2" tweeter to make a midrange sound forum...

either way it's a good temporary solution until something is done with the faceplate ordeal...

I'm annoyed. If I'd known the system sucked...I might have just picked up the sport package and saved myself some cash.

I can buy a good deck, full set of speakers, and install it all cheaper than the dealer cost of this "premium" speaker setup.

I don't consider myself an audiophile either, by any means. I feel sorry for the true audio people when they sit down and listen to this.

I'm not a sound engineer.

I will tell you, however, what I do know.

I know that the "premium" sound in my 7 year old Mazda MX-6 M-edition sounds a LOT better than the brand new Bose system in my RX-8.

The MX-6 is equipped with 6" fronts, 8" rears, and 1" tweets near the windshield. The sound is balanced and, when coupled with my subwoofer, sounds terrific.

The 8 seems to have sound "pockets" throughout the cabin with the audio focal point being right between driver and passenger....you know, where NO ONE SITS.

Couple this with the bass "farting" going on with my CD player playing a very lightweight bass track and my bass gain at +0....and frankly I'm disgusted. This is the thousand dollar premium stereo that comes with the package, and my 7 year old factory speaker setup in my MX-6 is far superior.

For shame....

I realize that this won't add useful information to the issue at hand, but I'm more and more happy that my car came with the base stereo system... it is far less of a pain to upgrade that than the Bose.

My buddy has a new TL, and I didn't think the sound system was "all that." It struck me as a typical Bose. Maybe a little better than the Bose in the GT package, but not outstanding.

But then, I'm spoiled by the McIntosh in my wife's Outback VDC. It's awsome.

No highs, no lows....it must be Bose!

I agree the system sucks, but the rattle has nothing to do with the system, it's something in the door. Mine's got it too, and I've been to lazy to take it back in, but when I hit 10k in 500 miles they're darn well going to fix it.

Originally posted by Aratinga
Slightly off-topic, but have any of you had the opportunity to sit in a new Acura TL and appreciate that DVD Surround audio system? It's phenomenal. I was completely blown away by it! I sure wish a system like that one was available in the 8.

My wife just got a 2004 Acura MDX with the DVD entertainment system in it, and you're right......that thing ROCKS!! It is awesome riding in the back watching a movie with the sound cranked.

It burns my ass because she listens mostly to AM and talk radio when she is driving to and from work, and she has a better sound system in her vehicle than I do!

Actually it is about the same. Unless of course you want to put anything but 6x9's in the door. With the Bose the holes are already cut large and with a good template you can cut your own backing to fit smaller speakers in. That's easier than cutting the door molding. The Bose system just cost more so I spent cash I could've used updating my audio on a system I didn't like simply because I wanted features that were not available without it. I never hated Bose so much before I was forced into one (this is my first Bose system).

Originally posted by Velocity-8
No highs, no lows....it must be Bose!

Right on!!!

Well, I have to amend my statement.

Maybe it was just the CD, maybe it was the settings, maybe it was the door.

Either way, I couldn't reproduce the problem. The speakers still can't pump bass, but they perform admirably listening to Lar's bass drum hammering away in Metallica's Kill Em All :):)

The system will do just fine until I get my amp and sub installed.

I have always installed aftermarket systems in all of my previous cars and I know how to build a good system. IMO the Bose system in my car is one of the best factory systems I've heard. Not saying it's perfect and I can build a much better system, but I can live with it. Guess I'm just getting old!

My brother just bought the new TL a week before I bought my car - top of the line everything. The integrated NAV and voice activated Blue Tooth system is incredible. I haven't had a chance to test the audio system yet, but I will as soon as I get a chance.

Originally posted by Velocity-8
No highs, no lows....it must be Bose!

strange, cuz all I hear are only highs and lows.. there's no midrange, so this statement is completely false for the RX-8, imo.

For a factory system the RX8 Bose IMHO is pretty good - for a 51 y/o tone deaf guy anyway. Have a factory Bose speaker system in my 01 SLK320 - it does have much better Bass - I believe it has a subwoofer in that system. John

Originally posted by G8rboy
95% of my music comes from my Lyra 40GB jukebox, and once I tweaked the graphical EQ built into my player, I agree that MP3's sounded much better. I think the Bose would sound better with a true equalizer and not just bass/treble gain settings for radio/cd/tape.

G8rboy, are you saying that with MP3 player you get more equalizer settings compared to just bass/treb with regular cd player?

Originally posted by Maximus
G8rboy, are you saying that with MP3 player you get more equalizer settings compared to just bass/treb with regular cd player?

Yes- the RCA Lyra (I'm not talking about the factory MP3 CD unit), which is a portable harddisk based iPod-like device (but half the price of an iPod) has a graphical EQ as well as preset EQ settings. I was able to bump up the midrange a bit and tweak bass and treble better to my liking.

For me, the factory Bose sound system is "good enough" for the moment. And actually, it's not that bad - I've heard a lot worse. Lots of other things I'd rather spend my money on right now.

However, it can be improved. I plan on ultimately replacing at least the door speakers and wing tweeters with Focals, maybe the back deck speakers too, and probably adding a sub.

But in the mean time, it occurs to me that a lot could be done with a graphic equalizer (not a booster/eq, JUST and eq) and possibly replacing the Bose crossovers with ones to send better suited frequencies to the drivers.

Thoughs on this, anyone?

Originally posted by Llathos
Yeah I don't really care about the "Bose representation" as much as I care about bass rattling in my door when the bass isn't even that pronounced in the first place.

The car is brand new <110 miles....I don't have any clutter in my car yet to be vibrating or making any noise in the door compartments.

This isn't a marble in a tin can kind of rattle, it's just a very ugly bass flutter with only moderate bass tones from a CD and the bass turned to +0. It's pretty pathetic, honestly.

Bose indeed.

This is a quibble, by the way. I don't intend to convey any sense of buyer's remorse here, because the car performs like a champ.

I read somewhere that somebody had to take their door apart for some reason or another...anyways, they said that on the inside of the door were these "styrofoam mount" things, and that the rattle was most likely caused by these mounts rubbing against each other. I think this might be the rattling you hear. To me, it definitely sounds like styrofoam rubbing against styrofoam. Test it yourself, gently squeeze the speaker in place the next time you hear the rattle and the rattle dissapears. At least it does in my case, YMMV

Great forum this.. anyway

Having owned a lexus before which had a bose hifi I was disapointed in the differrence between the two cars.

My own hifi has suffered gremlins and was very muffled. This opinion confirmed by others in my car. My wifes 2003 Toyota Rav4 has only 4 door speakers and sounds better. No tweeters.

The hifi seemd to fix itself after completly failing and improved dramatically. However if you play a melow track I find the system struggles to define the melody and brings out the thumping bass. I think the hifi is more for night club music. i suspect it actually lacks in vocals, which would suggest mid range. The highs are pretty low.

I suspect the head unit is basically okay and perhaps the speakers need upgrading. I think the rear speakers are the prime suspects. But I can't make up my mind if it is the installation of these speakers that limits the sound.

Has anyone tried replacing the speakers? Is there funny impediance on these speakers. And can you recomend any speakers.

I just feel currently the hifi lacks clarity and that the sound is a bit warbly.

Chris Rea 'on the Beach' just sounds terrible.

It is very hard to get clarity out of the head unit at low volumes. The bass seems to take over.

It all reminds me of a cheap sub tube I bought for a car.

I've noticed someones posting on moisture on the speakers and suspect this could be my problem.

Could one of you guys help me benchmark my hifi. Could you compare the sound in your car to a lexux is200 or a toyota rav4, and tell me if you think the mazda sounds clearer?

thanks