PUR NRG

No matter how much fiddling I do with the bass, treble and fader control I can't get a good balance. Something that sounds decent for music makes disk jockey banter sound like they're on major reverb.

While the amp can put out decent raw power I find kicking volume above 20 results in too much distortion and the interior starts vibrating/buzzing like mad. Very frustrating.

What makes it worse is I'm comparing apples to oranges. I have a $12k aftermarket sound system in my primary car. But honestly, I think even the stock S2000 stereo sounds better than this.
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Bondage girl live

jonalan

What do you expect, it's a Bose.

cueball

No highs, no lows, must be Bose.:p

Lensman

<RANT>Why oh why oh why do car manufacturers install BOSE systems if they are SO inadequate. I just don't understand it. After the debacle over the 350Z's audio nightmare I truly assumed that Mazda wouldn't put an inferior system in the RX-8. One of their promotions insisted it to be the equivalent of an $80,000 home system! Yeah right. Does anyone know WHY Bose systems aren't thrown out once and for all? Why do Bose have such control over car makers? Don't the designers WANT decent kit in their vehicles: I JUST DON'T GET IT!!!

Cylo

that settles it... he works for them ;P

javahut

You spent $12K on an aftermarket stereo, but your complaining about not being able to get good sound from an FM radio broadcast in your 8? There's one problem right there. Playing your BOSE at the "20" volume level, you won't have to worry about hearing much for too long anyway.:p

While I agree, BOSE has some weird audio configurations, and is definitely not the primo to be had, the system in the 8 has very good audiophile quality for what it is. It's just seems to have become very popular to dis Bose equipment, I guess because they don't try to reproduce the over hyped low & top end compression that's populer in hi-watt, huge subbed, high priced after market systems. If you're used to enough volume and thump to make your car hop up & down, then I don't think you'll get enough audio in the 8 without filling up the trunk with after market equipment. And even then it won't be accurate, because it's almost impossible to reproduce any kind of accurate sound stage and frequency response in the small space with the proportions of the RX-8's cabin. I'm happy with the Bose system in the RX-8 and think Mazda gets an A in that department. Some of the people complaining about the system wouldn't have been happy unless they stuck 12" subs in the trunk with a couple of kilowatts of power amps, and that's just unrealistic for original eqiupment in a sports car.

javahut

Nope... don't work for Bose, and wouldn't buy a Bose system on it's own for any application. But I do have quite a bit of experience with audio, and I just don't think the system is as bad as many make it out to be.

PUR NRG

I spent $12k on an aftermarket stereo, so the difference between "good sound" and BOSE is all the more apparent--even for FM radio broadcasts.

Don't attack other people's strengths through your own weaknesses. Doing the gansta rap thang is easy with raw power but my system is aimed at listening to artists like Sheryl Crow, Enya and Train.

Like I said previously, I am much happier with the stock sound from an S2000 than I am with the "improved" sound from the RX8 BOSE.
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Brunette ***

Lensman

Well that's a bit more cheerful on the subject. I should point out that I've not heard the system, I've just read some poor reviews. I'll reserve my judgement until I get my car from now on. It can't be worse than my current distorted mess though.

Cylo

BTW... I like the bose system for how I use it... it has enough clarity and punch to satisfy me under most circumstances (and I like to crank it)

BRx8

now that i have my car and have heard the Bose system, i'll have to say that i'd rate it a 7 out of 10...it's not great but it's not quite as bad as everyone is putting it out to be...it's true it has very poor highs and lows, but sound quality is there...

i mean, i have a THX-certified home theater at home so i do know what good sound can sound like but i'm not in my car watching a DVD, i'm listening to music, driving...

PUR NRG

Totally off topic but THX surround sound is geared towards reproducing movie sound, not music. It's primary emphasis is center channel vocals which is why a standard music CD played through a surround sound decoder comes out mostly mono through the center speaker.
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IPAD ACCESSORIES

Lensman

THX is a standard designed by LucasFilm. It certifies that audio reproduction equipment meets a particular (high) standard. Surround sound has many forms: predominantly Dolby ProLogic, Dolby Digital and Digital Theatre Systems (in the home). DTS in particular is ideally suited to multi-channel music reproduction and is the primary audio encoder for music DVDs, none of which emphasise the centre channel(s if 6.1/7.1) as I can happily confirm.

jonalan

I'm not dissing Bose just to dis Bose. I'm dissing them because there are better options out there, but car manufacturers refuse to explore them.

I do agree that most people tend to pump up the bass and highs to get a sound they like (I do NOT). I like a good ACCURATE, flat reproduction - which Bose does NOT produce. It does create clean sound, but is very thin. It lacks body, realism; that "you are there" feel.

Again, there are better options out there!

mikeb

I put 2 12inch jl subs in my rx8 and it helped. However the mids and highs are pretty weak too. I'll just have to replace those too

TybeeRX-8

If you go to the Bose web site/car audio, they say that installation of subs, added to their system won't work!!

http://www.bose.com/auto/vehicles/

Lensman

I think that this description of their appalling system for the 350Z says it all:

Not entirely trustable methinks!

mikeb

Well, I had two JL audio W3 subs put in my rx8 last saturday along with a audiobahn amp

notdeafyet

Just a note to RX8 owners wanting to maximize the stock sound system potential. The "Audiopilot" Bose feature is about half tech jargon (a new "feature" to SELL) and half truth. Although noise cancellation and and background-noise-throttled-volume-level controls are real technologies, I don't think I want them on this system. Although I have not performed any "A-B" tests (which are really the way to go when it comes to evaluating audio claims), here's my logic:

1) Stock audio systems typically use head units and amplifiers with below average signal generation and amplification quality (signal-to-noise, dynamic range, and, especially, harmonic distortion levels are allowed to stray). Therefore, I don't feel that there is any margin that justifies harming audio quality to ANY extent on stock systems.
2) The more "stuff" in the audio chain, the more net quality penalty.
3) AudioPilot is completely unnecessary signal processing in the audio chain.
4) Turn off AudioPilot.

B-Nez

So far, I've found the Bose to be pretty good for most of my mp3s, awesome on some, and not quite right on very few others. I think my inconsistent results is due more to inconsistencies with my ripping and encoding, and the mastering on a couple of albums. I definitely feel some bass in the seatback without sounding boomy, with great mid-range clarity, and just enough high-end sparkle. That would describe 85-90% of my listening experience in the 550 miles I've accumulated. I have not turned off the AudioPilot, yet, and I do occasionally need to adjust the levels for different mp3 folders. I haven't tried the radio much, as I don't care for the stations in my area, and I hate FM radio sound.

Sputnik

The thing you guys have to realize is that for a major portion of car owners out there, the stock stereo is just what they want. So, it is the right choice for Mazda to put into this car, or the 6, or the Miata.

And also realize that there will be very few of us who upgrade the stereo the same way. It will be different. And person 1 is probably not going to spend the extra money to get person 2's stereo setup. So, in most cases, it does not make fiscal sense to offer something more to the general public.

If you are one who isn't satsified, and wants a better system, then by all means go forth and create. But realize that Mazda and Bose did not put this system together to compete in IASCA. They put it together to get the best sound for the general public for the money.

---jps

jonalan

Damn, Sputnik, do you have to be so logical?!?

RobDickinson

For me the car comes with the Bose, its base UK spec for them all.

Personaly I hate Bose home Hifi, bloody awful stuff, expensive, cheaply made etc.

By what I understand most of the (bose)in car stuff is 3rd party rebadged stuff, not so in the rx8 I believe, they make the additional amp and (all)speakers.

If it sounds acceptable I will be happy, I'll be upset if it stinks. But I'm not buying the car for Hi-fi, Ho-Fi in cars is a loosing game before you start. The interior of a car is AWFUL for real hifi, I prefer to keep that at home under controlled enviroments, and thats where I will keep it.

If I want to listen to top quality music I'll use my reference system at home, music in a car is to entertain while I drive somewhere .

Wing

The question is can I add a sub with minimal effort? There is an amp sitting RIGHT there in the trunk. Could I just replace it and use a crossover on the speakers in the back and power another amp for say 2 10"'s or something. Then I have to figure out what to do about the mids and highs.

It sounds ok though, not the greatest but OK.

I like the audiopilot as I come from a car that just was TOO loud on the highway and I was constantly fiddling with the controls.

firstmazda

I have been driving my RX8 for a couple days and I am pretty happy with the Bose system (9 speaker), I don't consider myself an expert, I do have a set of B&W speakers at home and a Rotel intergrated amplifier, but if you really want to hear terrible car audio from what is supposed to be an upgraded audio package, listen to the Monsoon system in a VW Jetta. I turned my '00 Jetta in for the RX8, that sound system was awful.