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Bose audio lound enough?

15K views 34 replies 20 participants last post by  Pillboy 
#1 ·
I havent seen much posted about the Bose sytem. I've owned the car for 2 months now and have been trying to like it. I just feel that the system is not lound enough and the sound isnt filling. Most of the time I have to turn up the audio almost to 80%. The system has very good bass but the vocals arent filling. I am coming from a 2005 acura TL which I still own and that car has an awesome sound system by ELS. It dosent have as much bass as the Bose sytem but the sound gets very loud and is very filling. Is this just me?
 
#5 ·
Ive tried different sources and CD's as well. Ive tried changing settings but just cant get it to the point where it wows me. I guess you cant have everything. I love the car otherwise even though it has some glitches. It accelerates like **** and that puts a smile on my face if the sound system cannot. I have the hybrid sport.
 
#8 ·
As a comparison to a G35, Bose on the G35 was able to go noticably louder.

But then it had the problem where the door speakers were pumping so hard it kind of felt like it was going to blow out the door speaker or cause something to rattle lose in
the door, so I never turned it up all the way.
 
#10 · (Edited)
You really have to crank up the volume to at least 90% to hear it loud on the Q50 Bose. Don't worry, it can handle it.
Also, try these setting:
Driver Stage = On
Bose Centerpointe surround = Off
Fader = move the fader more to the Front to give it more upfront sound

Most of the time I have to turn up the audio almost to 80%. me?
 
#11 ·
You really have to cramp it to at least 90% volume to hear it loud on the Q50 Bose. Don't worry, it can handle it.
Also, try these setting:
Driver Stage = On
Bose Centerpointe surround = Off
Fader = move the fader more to the Front to give it more upfront sound
Not familiar with cramped volume. Please explain.
 
#12 ·
I havent seen much posted about the Bose sytem. I've owned the car for 2 months now and have been trying to like it. I just feel that the system is not lound enough and the sound isnt filling. Most of the time I have to turn up the audio almost to 80%. The system has very good bass but the vocals arent filling. I am coming from a 2005 acura TL which I still own and that car has an awesome sound system by ELS. It dosent have as much bass as the Bose sytem but the sound gets very loud and is very filling. Is this just me?
BOSE is known to play games with certain audio frequency ranges. They like to filter out frequencies that in their opinion are inaudible or barely audible to humans. The theory is that by not wasting bandwidth, energy and speaker resources to play sounds that fall outside of human perception they can play audible sounds at higher volume and create a perception of loudness and clarity even with less expensive hardware.

This works fine in most cases, but people who listen to high quality recordings music regularly tend to feel that something is amiss even if they aren't sure what it is.
 
#14 ·
I think it sounds best with driver stage and center point off. Also, increase the the bass and treble a few notches (everyone is different).

Unfortunately the system lacks a mid-range slider so the best you can do is rely on treble increase to get somewhat louder vocals, while not increasing the bass too much, which will drown out the slightly increased vocal clarity.

I have tried driver stage and while you can hear the vocals a bit better, it just sounds really off and not as full to me. Not to mention, I usually have someone else in the car so it ruins the sound for others. Centerpoint also makes the vocals quite clear to my ears, yet they also sound tinny and it puts too much emphasis on highs in general.

Granted, my preference seems to differ from what others here are suggesting. :)
 
#15 ·
Sound quality is very subjective. Just like our taste for foods, woman and etc...
For those that seriously about sound quality, stock sound system will not going to cut it even if it is Bose, ML, ELS, HK or B&O sound system.
You got to go after market where you can choose speakers, amps and sound processor. This is a good forum if anyone wants to get in to sound quality in car audio: Car Audio | DiyMobileAudio.com | Car Stereo Forum
It's amazing how much knowledge and science is involved when it come to car audio.


Granted, my preference seems to differ from what others here are suggesting. :)
 
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#17 ·
Quality and volume really depend on source. SXM is fair quality decent volume. FM radio is loud (esp HD radio) and good quality. Bluetooth is quiet but clear - need to turn up volume on Iphone (playing Pandora) to get good volume.
 
#20 ·
I have not read all the posts in this thread, just the beg few; however, I thought the same thing until yesterday. The car's default setting for volume is set at 50%, you actually have to go into the settings of the audio, where you will find the Overall volume setting, once i set this to 100%, and cranked the knob all the way up, forget about it! Deft a NICE system!
 
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#24 ·
I’ll take a look into this and see my settings. I have bass up 2 clicks from center and treble up 3 clicks. As others mentioned the bass is fine but the fullness just isn’t there. My BO in my Audi S3 was 100% better and my wife’s stock stereo in her new Q3 is better as well. I’m looking into the power pack 45x4 watt to up the power a little.
 
#25 ·
The last post in this thread was nearly EIGHT years ago, lol. The forum even tells you the thread is old and to consider a new thread.

Also, the 17+ Bose system is different than the older version. Settings will differ based on that alone, plus your ears are not anyone else's. Adjust the settings how you like it and don't worry about it.
 
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#26 ·
The last post in this thread was nearly EIGHT years ago, lol. The forum even tells you the thread is old and to consider a new thread.

Also, the 17+ Bose system is different than the older version. Settings will differ based on that alone, plus your ears are not anyone else's. Adjust the settings how you like it and don't worry about it.
Merry Christmas….

I have to say, so what if the thread is 8 years old? It offers valuable personal experience regardless of preference or updated system. I suspect if a new thread was created Cooper6 would be chastised for not using the search function!
 
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#29 ·
The audio settings being discussed existed in 2014 and exist now. Bass, treble, fader, Centerpoint etc.
Yes it’s an old thread but it’s still pertinent and subjective.

Do forum guidelines state necro threads are off limits? They can still spur new discussions.
What is the line between “Don’t revive old posts” and “You should have used the search function”?

I’m of the belief that we should be growing this forum and sharing knowledge rather than policing newer users.

And what in the world does this have do do with anything?

“Finally, there have been software updates and even an entirely new (better) Bose system since then. We've even been through two presidents since then, entire countries have collapsed, and there were even engine changes for the car in question. At what point do you draw the line? Lol”

LOL
 
#31 ·
Don’t sweat it… We are just going back and forth with our opinions…
 
#32 ·
If I see a poster is attempting to solicit a response from another member who hasn't been here in years, I'll mention that to them. Otherwise, there is no forum policy to close threads after a set amount of time.
 
#34 ·
If it's relevant, then who cares if it's 20 years old (other forums that are much older than this one)?

Will agree though that the Bose system, similar to that same brand in other vehicle manufacturer's, is lackluster. It's not terrible, just nothing 'premium' about it IMO. It does baffle on why it has to be turned up so loud (% on bars), regardless of source...some are better than others, but generally speaking...
 
#35 ·
And here I thought it was just my shitty hearing, or having my hearing aids turned down to keep amplified road noise from making me stick a pencil through my ear drums.
 
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