My thoughts on the Bose Audio system
02-16-2018, 12:05 PM
#41
At one time the word audiophile may have indicated someone who understood good audio. Today is it more of a codeword for sucker given the products hawked to this self-described goof. This website is just one of the many classic sites hawking snake oil to the clueless:
https://www.gcaudio.com/tips-tricks/...-a-difference/
And check out their speaker cable prices under products, it should give you a good laugh.
https://www.gcaudio.com/tips-tricks/...-a-difference/
And check out their speaker cable prices under products, it should give you a good laugh.
Decent cables can be had for very little money...no need to spend a million bucks on cables.
I had a Jaguar F-Type with a premium Meridian, which was standard in all F-Types, but like Bose, they had a standard and "premium" version. The F-Type forum was on fire with how many people hated both systems, and I thought it was weak as well, especially on the bass side. I traded the F-Type for my 2014 C7, and was immediately impressed with how much better the Bose Premium system is.
I also have a Jeep w/ the HK, and had an M3 w/ HK. In the Jeep, I think it's equivalent to the Bose, but large cabins have better accoustics. There's more room for channel separation, among other things that enhance sound.
In the M3, I wasn't impressed with it at all, and the M3 forums were also on fire with customer dissatisfaction with it. When I read the "stereo sucks" threads, all you have to do is change the name of the manufacturer, because the words are always the same.
My wife had a premium Burmester in her '15 MB, which she recently just dumped in favor of the new Infiniti Q60 RS400 coupe. We thought the Burmester was very bland with inadequate bass. The Infiniti sounds great with a (wait for it) Bose Premium system, which she and I both love.
I also have a Jeep w/ the HK, and had an M3 w/ HK. In the Jeep, I think it's equivalent to the Bose, but large cabins have better accoustics. There's more room for channel separation, among other things that enhance sound.
In the M3, I wasn't impressed with it at all, and the M3 forums were also on fire with customer dissatisfaction with it. When I read the "stereo sucks" threads, all you have to do is change the name of the manufacturer, because the words are always the same.
My wife had a premium Burmester in her '15 MB, which she recently just dumped in favor of the new Infiniti Q60 RS400 coupe. We thought the Burmester was very bland with inadequate bass. The Infiniti sounds great with a (wait for it) Bose Premium system, which she and I both love.
European audio manufacturers aren't big on BIG BASS.
It's a reflection of European cultural tastes, because so many live so close to each other in urban environments a pounding Subwoofer is frowned upon.
In case anyone has forgotten, Americans weren't either until the advent of rap.
If we had been, there would be a lot of deaf middle-aged guys right now.
02-16-2018, 12:10 PM
#42
I'm not into booming bass either, but I want some bass, which adds needed richness. The systems I referred to above seemed flat and lacked depth.
02-16-2018, 12:20 PM
#43
Instructor
I don't have any issues with the stereo but I made adjustments to mine like some of the other guys/girls here. Bose is popular for a great system and with that they usually have a lot of low end sounds.
02-16-2018, 12:25 PM
#44
Drifting
My settings (3LT system w/Sub) are quite similar to the OP. I also agree with an earlier post advising users to turn OFF the Bose "Autopilot", as it's far too sensitive and makes extreme changes to volume.
In addition to the above, I don't see many mentioning two other "tweaks" that I feel make a big difference toward improving the overall sound quality within C7 Coupe's (audio compromised) cabin.
1. Go to the Audio Mode settings and select NORMAL. --- I believe this is the closest to "natural" audio, without (too) much digital enhancement. You might prefer DRIVER, which would be my 2nd choice. However, I highly recommend steering clear of CENTERPOINT, as this mode is way too digitally enhanced and incorporates the Center dash speaker way too much (IMO).
2. I highly recommend you experiment with shifting the speaker Fade/Balance from center/neutral toward the FRONT speakers by 1 or 2 notches/presses. I find this tweak provides improved sound across all frequency ranges and provides improved volume levels without having to pump the actual volume too high.
Hope these recommended "tweaks" helps some of you squeeze some better sound and more enjoyment from your C7 audio system. --- It would be great to hear from anyone who finds they've experienced an improvement. Best of luck to all!
In addition to the above, I don't see many mentioning two other "tweaks" that I feel make a big difference toward improving the overall sound quality within C7 Coupe's (audio compromised) cabin.
1. Go to the Audio Mode settings and select NORMAL. --- I believe this is the closest to "natural" audio, without (too) much digital enhancement. You might prefer DRIVER, which would be my 2nd choice. However, I highly recommend steering clear of CENTERPOINT, as this mode is way too digitally enhanced and incorporates the Center dash speaker way too much (IMO).
2. I highly recommend you experiment with shifting the speaker Fade/Balance from center/neutral toward the FRONT speakers by 1 or 2 notches/presses. I find this tweak provides improved sound across all frequency ranges and provides improved volume levels without having to pump the actual volume too high.
Hope these recommended "tweaks" helps some of you squeeze some better sound and more enjoyment from your C7 audio system. --- It would be great to hear from anyone who finds they've experienced an improvement. Best of luck to all!
Any other have recommendations
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NostraD (02-16-2018)
02-16-2018, 01:02 PM
#45
Melting Slicks
The quality of the music you're playing makes a HUGE difference. I still buy CDs, burn them using "Apple Lossless" which takes up more space but is a much higher bit-rate and the tonal quality is much better than your standard MP3/4 file, which is compressed so you don't get the full range in the highs or lows.
Again, there's a substantial difference when playing music with the source (iPhone, iPod, etc) plugged in v. using Bluetooth to connect.
Compared to the Bose in my C6, the premium Bose in my C7 is much, much better.
Pick a song or music you really like and sit in your car playing with the EQ to see where it sounds best to you.
Again, there's a substantial difference when playing music with the source (iPhone, iPod, etc) plugged in v. using Bluetooth to connect.
Compared to the Bose in my C6, the premium Bose in my C7 is much, much better.
Pick a song or music you really like and sit in your car playing with the EQ to see where it sounds best to you.
02-16-2018, 01:06 PM
#46
I suggest that you do exactly what is recommended in posts 13 and 25. That is the optimum setting to my ears. Moving the fader setting forward a couple of clicks (post 25) makes a big difference.
Last edited by Foosh; 02-16-2018 at 01:11 PM. Reason: typo
02-16-2018, 02:38 PM
#47
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
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I also have a Jeep w/ the HK, and had an M3 w/ HK. In the Jeep, I think it's equivalent to the Bose, but large cabins have better accoustics. There's more room for channel separation, among other things that enhance sound.
In the M3, I wasn't impressed with it at all, and the M3 forums were also on fire with customer dissatisfaction with it. When I read the "stereo sucks" threads, all you have to do is change the name of the manufacturer, because the words are always the same.
My wife had a premium Burmester in her '15 MB, which she recently just dumped in favor of the new Infiniti Q60 RS400 coupe. We thought the Burmester was very bland with inadequate bass. The Infiniti sounds great with a (wait for it) Bose Premium system, which she and I both love.
The wife's BMW 5X SUV has a Harman/Kardon sound system with more speakers than I can count! Specs say it's a 360 watt amp. Sounds great but IMO it's starts with the car being much quitter than my C7 Coupe even with it's OEM Michelin 255 All-Season run flats. Although it has a single CD player and we often listen to Broadway Musicals, as that is her preference, the MP3's I have stored on the internal memory sound good.
We don't listen to the music from our iPhones or use Pandora. Wonder if that is not a source of problems for some.
Last edited by JerryU; 02-16-2018 at 02:41 PM.
02-16-2018, 03:05 PM
#48
Race Director
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Foosh (02-16-2018)
02-16-2018, 03:09 PM
#49
Instructor
If Soundproofing, Consider 3-Layers Instead of Only 1
I neglected to mention that, similar to GS owner in this thread, I also did a major (3 Layer) soundproofing project of my own within 2 months of purchasing my '15 3LT. My primary motivation was to cut down on the excessive road noise generated by those stock Run-Flats. However, when the project was completed (over two weekends), not only did I find the road noise more tolerable (but still present), I also found the Bose system sounding much better than pre-sound proofing. While not a "wild" improvement, it was enough that I had to re-adjust the Tone/Fade/Balance settings from where they had been. Most notably, the Bass from the sub became much more solid and rich, which I attribute to the sound proofing having significantly lessened the overall vibrations throughout the cabin... which is the primary function of the first layer consisting of foil backed butyl rubber material.
On that subject... and not to hi-jack this thread, because I think this is all related... I found that many here embarking on soundproofing projects would generally stop after apply that first layer. However, that's only part of the story and process, which is stopping/limiting vibration. --- The second layer, which is foam and/or insulation does a good job of limiting/diffusing the remaining sound that comes through the first layer. --- Then, the final layer, which for me consisted of Mass-Loaded Vinyl (MLV) basically stops/traps any significant level of remaining "noise" that tries to get through. --- This 3-layer process is a little more involved and makes getting the carpet set back in place a more difficult task, but for me was well worth the extra effort... to not only reduce road noise, but also providing the residual benefit of a much better sounding Bose Audio System.
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06nine (07-22-2018)
02-16-2018, 03:22 PM
#50
I have a convertible and they are significantly quieter than coupes with a rear bulkhead that dampens the rear tire noise. The large rear cargo area in coupes is a concert hall for tire noise.
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NostraD (02-16-2018)
02-16-2018, 06:01 PM
#51
I'm glad to see my recommended "tweaks" worked for you and a few others.
I neglected to mention that, similar to GS owner in this thread, I also did a major (3 Layer) soundproofing project of my own within 2 months of purchasing my '15 3LT. My primary motivation was to cut down on the excessive road noise generated by those stock Run-Flats. However, when the project was completed (over two weekends), not only did I find the road noise more tolerable (but still present), I also found the Bose system sounding much better than pre-sound proofing. While not a "wild" improvement, it was enough that I had to re-adjust the Tone/Fade/Balance settings from where they had been. Most notably, the Bass from the sub became much more solid and rich, which I attribute to the sound proofing having significantly lessened the overall vibrations throughout the cabin... which is the primary function of the first layer consisting of foil backed butyl rubber material.
On that subject... and not to hi-jack this thread, because I think this is all related... I found that many here embarking on soundproofing projects would generally stop after apply that first layer. However, that's only part of the story and process, which is stopping/limiting vibration. --- The second layer, which is foam and/or insulation does a good job of limiting/diffusing the remaining sound that comes through the first layer. --- Then, the final layer, which for me consisted of Mass-Loaded Vinyl (MLV) basically stops/traps any significant level of remaining "noise" that tries to get through. --- This 3-layer process is a little more involved and makes getting the carpet set back in place a more difficult task, but for me was well worth the extra effort... to not only reduce road noise, but also providing the residual benefit of a much better sounding Bose Audio System.
I neglected to mention that, similar to GS owner in this thread, I also did a major (3 Layer) soundproofing project of my own within 2 months of purchasing my '15 3LT. My primary motivation was to cut down on the excessive road noise generated by those stock Run-Flats. However, when the project was completed (over two weekends), not only did I find the road noise more tolerable (but still present), I also found the Bose system sounding much better than pre-sound proofing. While not a "wild" improvement, it was enough that I had to re-adjust the Tone/Fade/Balance settings from where they had been. Most notably, the Bass from the sub became much more solid and rich, which I attribute to the sound proofing having significantly lessened the overall vibrations throughout the cabin... which is the primary function of the first layer consisting of foil backed butyl rubber material.
On that subject... and not to hi-jack this thread, because I think this is all related... I found that many here embarking on soundproofing projects would generally stop after apply that first layer. However, that's only part of the story and process, which is stopping/limiting vibration. --- The second layer, which is foam and/or insulation does a good job of limiting/diffusing the remaining sound that comes through the first layer. --- Then, the final layer, which for me consisted of Mass-Loaded Vinyl (MLV) basically stops/traps any significant level of remaining "noise" that tries to get through. --- This 3-layer process is a little more involved and makes getting the carpet set back in place a more difficult task, but for me was well worth the extra effort... to not only reduce road noise, but also providing the residual benefit of a much better sounding Bose Audio System.
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NostraD (02-16-2018)
02-18-2018, 06:22 PM
#52
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2000
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St. Jude Donor '13
We all have different ears!
2017 2LT, ITunes music saved in an Ipod:
I set my tone about as described in post #13 but a little more bass, perhaps because we have a couple of coats in the rear cargo net in front of the rear speaker. That seems good. Balance/fade set a little forward/left.
Our Audio Pilot is On, I don't find it's adjustments to be excessive. If anything, I'd like more adjustment from it.
Sitting in the car stationary but with the engine running, the system actually sounded best in CenterPoint. I'll need to do some more experimenting at speed to see how that works out.
Don't be afraid to experiment to find out what's best for your ears and your music.
EDIT:
The large horizontal piece of our C7 cargo shade is installed, but the smaller forward piece is not, and that may effect the sound somewhat. The big one-piece cargo shade in the C6 was claimed to produce a noticeable noise reduction, one guy who did decibel measurements actually installed a double stock shade and said that helped even more.
2017 2LT, ITunes music saved in an Ipod:
I set my tone about as described in post #13 but a little more bass, perhaps because we have a couple of coats in the rear cargo net in front of the rear speaker. That seems good. Balance/fade set a little forward/left.
Our Audio Pilot is On, I don't find it's adjustments to be excessive. If anything, I'd like more adjustment from it.
Sitting in the car stationary but with the engine running, the system actually sounded best in CenterPoint. I'll need to do some more experimenting at speed to see how that works out.
Don't be afraid to experiment to find out what's best for your ears and your music.
EDIT:
The large horizontal piece of our C7 cargo shade is installed, but the smaller forward piece is not, and that may effect the sound somewhat. The big one-piece cargo shade in the C6 was claimed to produce a noticeable noise reduction, one guy who did decibel measurements actually installed a double stock shade and said that helped even more.
Yesterday we took a 4 hr trip on the interstate, with the cruise set at 80 mph. At those speeds, the tire/engine noise absolutely destroyed the audio system regardless of which tunes I was "listening" to. At reasonably loud volume, some times I couldn't even tell what song was being played. Bass was gone, midrange really weak, and treble was screechingly loud. Bad beyond belief.
So I set the treble slightly below midpoint, midrange slightly above midpoint, and bass 3/4 of the way to max. A huge improvement.
Further experimentation still to go.
EDIT:
For me, the best all-around setting seems to be with the bass three clicks above center, the midrange at center, and the treble three licks below center.
The car has Michelin AS3+ runflats, but I haven't noticed them being any louder than the Z51 PSS.
Last edited by Gearhead Jim; 02-24-2018 at 09:27 PM.
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sunsalem (02-18-2018)
02-18-2018, 06:48 PM
#53
Race Director
It definitely pays to play with the settings for different types of music and for different driving conditions too. I found for me that I like it best with the midrange and the bass both set flat (right in the middle) and the treble cranked all the way up. But I'm still tinkering, because that just happens to be what I like in my short experience with this car so far, and also listening to XM radio too. I might find I want the settings different when I'm playing my own music from my iPhone.
02-18-2018, 08:59 PM
#54
Le Mans Master
There is no universal end all be all adjustment. Tone is subjective, and every media is going to sound different, which will ultimately be affected by external variables. If you want to improve sound quality, add sound dampening material... and adjust to your liking as applicable.
02-18-2018, 10:29 PM
#55
After reading the complaint thread, I was prepared for tragedy when I picked my car up from the dealer. To my surprise, it sounds better than my custom setup from my previous car (complete with sound insulation). For some strange reason, with the top down, it sounds even better. Anyways, it blows the C6 Bose system out of the water.
Bottom line, don't let the naysayers convince you until you hear it in person. It's a pretty decent system. But the exhaust is much better. Holy cow the exhaust is fantastic, particularly in an underground garage with the top down. Sorry, neighbors.
Bottom line, don't let the naysayers convince you until you hear it in person. It's a pretty decent system. But the exhaust is much better. Holy cow the exhaust is fantastic, particularly in an underground garage with the top down. Sorry, neighbors.
02-18-2018, 10:33 PM
#56
A lot of people here don't realize how much quieter convertibles are than coupes, without the large tire noise echo chamber behind. Perhaps that's why many of us are very happy with the sound system. No sound deadening is required in convertibles.
Last edited by Foosh; 02-18-2018 at 10:33 PM.
02-19-2018, 12:56 AM
#57
I'm not surprised if roadsters are quieter than coupes (except when it rains ).
).
Last edited by sunsalem; 02-19-2018 at 12:57 AM.
02-19-2018, 01:01 AM
#58
Much quieter then too with a lot more insulation in the fabric top.
02-19-2018, 10:32 AM
#60
Burning Brakes
OP has a great point. I too think many people who complain about the audio quality haven't played with all of the settings to adjust. We all have different ears. My preference is to set bass almost to max, midrange a little over center, and treble at center. I adjust sound location to be centered, and right in back of my head, and listen to quality output.
I am very content with the system.
I am very content with the system.