can anybody tell me if the radio on the Bose system is digital, as in it picks up digital broadcasts?

thanks,
Ken

 

Nope - dont think it is.
The one extra I may have had in the audio is digital radio - so it is a shame.

Like your namesake (1215) I want to be able to get 'virgin' all the way up the M1 , whereas now it dies at J11 ! !

Morgan.

 

As said, the radio is the old analog type (though I'm sure its digital tuning....).


I would have thought DAB should have been at least an option on a hi tech new car.

I would have also liked a HDD bases MP£ player to couple with a CD/DAB unit.

 

I originally had high hopes for the audio, but no longer it seems for these reasons:

No facility to have MP3 payer AND 6-CD
No DAB option as discussed
Poor reports of quality from US
Volume increments seem too steep

However bad it is , im sure it will sound better than the speakers in my Subaru though

 

To be honest ... I think I'll spend more of my time listening to the engine than the radio

 

Mazda, are you listening...

Both of the things above would make me buy the option... That and a hard disk option...

There should be a 6 disk changer with MP3 capability (And OGG too)... and it should have DAB... Then an additional (second unit) with a 250Gig hard disk in it which store audio CD's from the main unit.

 

No offence, but what manufacturer gives you those options? I've never seen any manufacturer offer an MP3 head unit at all, let alone a 6-CD MP3 changer or a hard disk unit. I think it's a bit unfair to expect Mazda to offer this? And not only that, but very unlikely anyway, since this is a world-wide spec. No one, not the Japanese or American markets get any different to our setup.

Just thought I'd stick up for Mazda for once.. :p


-andy-

 

Agreed... I wouldn't expect it as "standard"... but it wouldn't be that hard to offer really cool stuff as accessories.. AND I don't think that it's unreasonable since the design of newer cars makes standard aftermarket stuff hard to impliment.

Hell, my 150 quid DVD player plays AVI files, WMV files MP3 files and OGG files off DVD-R's... how hard can it be.

I'm not knocking Mazda for it... but it wouldn't be too hard to make the 6 disk changer play MP3's as standard... almost a standard feature on most home CD players now.

 

Of course I wouldnt expect it as standard (well a DAB I would actualy).

But as an option, sure, Japan/mazda/rx-8 is Hi-tech - from the land of gadgets.

Plus they make it as hard as possible to add any 3rd party crap to the audio system - no line in, custom size/faceplates etc.

Only real way to do it is use an fm transmitter and separate remote/unit or the tape unit as a link - eeew.

Only good thing is it is modular, so can be offered/sorted later.

 

It's very short sighted of Mazda to have very limited offerings in the audio area of their top of the range offering. But I suppose, as a car maker - they go to Bose and Pioneer and expect spmething special.

Trying to put a high(ish) specification audio system into a car with an arty interior on an assembly line quicly is probably a bit of a challenge. (I just wish they'd chosen Alpine and Boston Acoustics... or...!!!)

Imagine having a round colour lcd touch screen (complete with grid) in place of existing, running a media system based on a reasonable pc processor, maybe running linux - now that would look cool.

If enough people want an alternative, it 'll probably surface, but it'll probably just be something like a centre panel to take a double din unit, because everyone will want to install different components.

 

Remember , the BOSE part is only the speakers and additional amp.

The head units are standard mazda parts (or whoever make sthem for mazda, pioneer?).

Shame Bose suck.

 

yeah you're right Rob, Id MUCH rather have Clarion who Mazda used before to make the speakers.

:D

And as for those Acoustimass things, then for their size, I've heard much better sound out of TAG Mclaren stuff

:D :D :D

Sorry, just putting a different perspective on things here. I take your point, but I agree with sixspeed on this one.

When I first heard that the stereo would have 9 BOSE speakers I thought - great! much better than the tat that is on the MX5 and mazda 6.