RobDickinson

Ahhh, praise from some with Some bowers&wilkinson pluged into rotel... aaaaaand relax....

KEF

So, let me get this straight, are you folks saying i should cancel my order and carry on saving up for that aston martin vantage with the Linn stereo?

Hhhmmmm, that would only mean waiting another 15 years or so.(without a car)

Tell you what, if the bose gets anywhere near my somewhat antique alpine unit i'll be happy.

But, if my stereo moving device turns out to be an acceptably quick and sharp handling piece of equipment, well, then i'll be delighted.

(not quite B&W but my Sony / KEF combo seems to hit the right notes, couldn't resist the 'personalised' speakers)

Lensman

Considering your username this is highly amusing.

MrWigggles

I like the Bose and plan to improve upon it myself. The system doesn't have the power "to hit" like some of you guys might want.

I plan to supplement the sound system with improved tweeters in the doors and a 10" woofer in the trunk.

But for a factory system, it is pretty darn good (yes, the trebble needs to be at +6 and the bass at +3 to +5). The only system that I've heard that I think that is noticeably better is in the Volvos. The new Volvo SUV has Dolby Pro-logic II and it does wonders in processing stereo music.

I give the Bose a solid A for a factory system and a B+ in sound quality to me. (best Bose system that I have heard)

-Mr. Wigggles

Ps. any thread with "SUCKS" in the title probably a troll and I guess I bit. And I've already stated the above in previous threads.

Apex Eater

I think it is a matter of your expections. Any car has very poor acustical properties and on top of that you are battling road noise. If you go into a car expecting it to sound like your home system or a heavly modified after market system you will be dissapointed.

First Mazda I agree with your statement about a Monsoon system in a Jetta, horrible stuff, I think anything will be better.

OdinGuru

I'd have to agree with the B+ grade for the Bose system (on a stock system scale). Although I would highly object to any one calling this system "audiophile" quality, as they obviously don't know the meaning of the word, I also don't condem the system saying it "sucks". Actually, in many ways I like the system. Excluding the low lows and high highs, it is quite ballenced and fairly clear sounding. Also I like the high up forward sound stage.

In my opinion the greatest weakness of the system is the front tweeters. It's these that drain the "life" out of the sound by failing to reproduce the high highs that provide all the detail in the music. I attribute this failing to Bose's selection of 2" drivers, which probably measure flat on axis, but are too directional at high frequencies to work correctly in the car environment. From an engineering standpoint, I understand why Bose went this route, but the result keeps my rating at a B+ where it might have been an A had they taken a different approach (1" tweeter with the ressonance point and xmax to operate with a 2k crossover).

To reach an A+, the lows would also need to be addressed. Currently, there isn't as much low end as with a dedicated sub, but the bass has decent extention, and is ok in quality. I'm guessing a Q of 1 to 2; not particularly tight, but not horrible like the jetta monson system which is god awfull. For the most part I'm forgiving of stock systems not extending that low as long as they hit what they do without major problems.

BTW, when I say A+ I'm talking stock a setup scale. On an absolute audiophile scale, there is quite a bit more room to go. But as many have pointed out a car environment is non-ideal for scoring high on this type of scale. Also high quality well setup aftermarket car sytems lie on a different scale as well. I'd rate the Bose somewhere around a C on that scale, but the comparison isn't quite fair concidering the significantly greater expense and experience nessisary for setting up such a system. I suspect that many people are bad mouthing the Bose setup because it fails to perform on a full aftermarket scale, where in truth no stock system realy competes on this scale.

The real question is what's the easiest method for improving audio quality while keping expence reasonably.

Just my 2 cents

Spin9k

This cost $20 + little time. Improvement (high-side) = surprisingly major. Value = amazing

Kuf

After driving my 8 around for the past week, I've come to this conclusion:

TURN AUDIOPILOT OFF

Everything sounds much better.

For reference, here's the type of music I listen to:

Sheryl Crow
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Barenaked Ladies
Fleetwood Mac
Rage against the Machine
Green Day

MWG

I haven't heard the bose system but they ones I heard in the past for cars was only ok. Mazda need to have Monsson make one for the RX-8. My father has a Camaro with an Monsson, and it is the best sounding system I have every heard from a factory stereo. An I know what good sound, sounds like I heard $300,000 home system that were so good they tricked you ears into thinking you were where the music was made.

Elara

I'm adding my two cents since we picked up my 8 this afternoon. I must say that I am a bit dissappointed in the "premium" Bose system- the stock system in the Boxster we drove had better sound, and only had speakers in the front! The 8's isn't horrible, but I feel like the bass isn't bass enough and the treble is either too muted or too shrill. Oh well. It is a stock system. We're going to be adding a 10 inch subwoofer if we can figure out a decent way to fit it in the trunk, and can find one that will work with the Bose system ok, and maybe some better speakers in the cabin.

Lensman

DOH! Those lying Mazda snake oil salesmen...

TerenceT

i must have missed 2 speakers somewhere... 9 speakers?

1 center
2 tweeters
2 8" ? front door
2 6x9 rear deck

i looked at the rear door but there's not speakers
what did i miss?

for me, still debating if i should get a 10" sub
but will get some MB or Boston accoustic tweeters and 6x9

Kev

In terms of upgrading, a trick I found effective in a Z3 (now there's a challenge) was to place tweeters in the foot wells that were "aimed" at the driver. Putting them as far away as possible gave a more balance/realistic stage.

Personally, I feel that having a tweeter in one ear and another on the other side of the car is a bit like half wearing head phones.

Someone else I knew liked to bounce the tweeters into the windscreen - not my fav option.

Musical taste is a very personal thing. I had a Bose system in a TT that was more than adequate for most people and I didn't change it.

Lensman

The two rear tweeters.

Puppy1

I heard my first STOCK RX-8 stereo this weekend. Trust me, the BOSE setup IS premium compared to that muddy mono sounding set-up.

Squidward

The Bose option in this RX-8, I admit isn't great, however I won't say Bose is all bad.

I had a $1200 Bose option in my Audi TT, and I have to tell you, it is the BEST sounding stereo system I've ever heard.

I think the car's acoustics plays a HUGE role in how it sounds. Not insisting that the equipment is of the same quality/value but perhaps the acoustics in the RX-8 makes the Bose system sound even worse than it already is.

By worse, I mean the bass and highs are not at all crisp. Very weak performer in all areas as compared to the Bose system in my Audi, which is the exact reverse. I would sit in my car just to listen to music.

The only thing I can point out that is really good about the audio setup in the RX-8 is the super strong antenna...

lbrintle

The antenna in the RX-8 has much worse reception than the antenna in my MX-6. Better than most in-glass antennas; not as good as a real antenna. I listen to three radio stations that are just barely in range in my MX-6 (another 20 miles to the west and I start getting static); they are heavily bothered with static in my RX-8.

-- Lee

Squidward

well I've had a completely different experience..

My Civic has a full length antenna and doesn't get squat down past the first floor of my underground parking garage at work..

My TT faired much better but still received 50% signal loss by the time I got deep into the P2 floor of the garage.

My RX-8 receives FULL signal while at the bottom floor, p3...

Also, I don't know if it's using the same or different antenna, but the NAV system also works down there. My friend's BMW M5 doesn't get any signal in the garage at all with his NAV system.