2009 Infiniti FX50: Standard Audio

The stereo is one of the first things i'll evaluate whenever i step into a new car; i like to know up front if i'd have to gut the stock system if i ever were to own said car. My priorities are as follows:

1. The car must have an engine.
2. The stereo must please me.
3. The driver's window must be one-touch up and down.
4. The car must have an acceptable OE wheel design.

Everything else fights for last.

For a car that starts at around $60K, you'll excuse me if I'm not in awe of Infiniti's generosity in including a standard Bose stereo. I assume it's quite similar to the one in the EX, which I've driven (my father's car). The iPod interface is indeed excellent. However, sound quality wise, the system is just so-so. The standard, no-name stereo in my 2005 Subaru Outback is better by far, with better-balanced sound and a better soundstage.

Yes, a great stereo is a must have at this price. Funny, most audiophiles seem to disapprove of Bose though.

adavis2493 said "It seems like some manufactures try to capture a young group of followers by putting in better stock sound systems. "

This trend makes me happy. In addition to Mitsubishi, i've been particularly impressed with the stock 350w setup in the 8th gen Civic coupe. It's a little fuzzy at low volumes, but it sounds pretty good once broken in.

Yes, a good sound system is a must.

I agree with canadia regarding the 8th gen Civic sound system. Originally, I test drove the Eclipse with the Rockford Fosgate system. It sounded awesome, but I couldn't check blind spots at all. Then, the Si came out =) It doesn't have as much of a punch as the Eclipse, but that 8in sub does its job admirably.

Not all Bose systems are good though. My mom had a 03 CLK320 with the Bose system, and I must say that my Civic has a better system. Also, I was not impressed with the Bose system in the Mazda 3 (previous gen)

I think the RSX had a Bose system option also? It didn't wow me either.

re: Bose,

A relative of mine owned a Yukon Denali, equipped with a 9 (or so) speaker bose setup. I hated it. It sounded muddy and generally terrible no matter how much i played with the configurations.

However i was really happy with the treble response and imaging of the stock, non-bose setup in my previous A6. With the addition of a decent, smallish sub, that thing really performed.

Quote from Brian Moody:
"Audiophiles will approve."
Define "audiophile". Ask an "audiophile" about BOSE and you'll usually get an earload of rants about how overrated BOSE is..... :-/
Having said that; if the stock stereo sounds good to YOU, then that's all that matters.

"What do you think, is a great stereo a must at this price or am I missing the point of the FX50?
Some people are very demanding about the quality of their music. No matter how great the stock?OEM system is, there will be some people that will find it lacking in some way or another.

As for "missing the point of the FX50"- what exactly IS the point of the FX50 other than to be a less expensive alternative to the BMW X5/X6, MB ML and Porsche Cayenne?

Bose is the most overrated stereo system in the car market. I have one in my second generation G35S, my previous S4 (with hidden equalizer! which helped a bit), and my wife has one in her Maxima.

Bass is usually boomy, not tight (but depends on the recording), there is too much mid-range, and the treble doesn't sparkle.

Sound quality/enjoyment is EXTREMELY subjective, I realize. I consider myself an audiophile of sorts, but to me, Bose blows.

like mrryte said...

The real question is... how many cup holders will $60k get ya? :)

a Mitsubishi Outlander SE gets a 630W Rockford Fosgate stereo standard...

Great stereo is required.

I don't understand why they even offer a shit base stereo in luxury brands.

Because, some people just don't care about sound systems. To certain people, cars just get you from point A to point B.

dragonzsoul: But if those people paid almost 60 grand for a car it better have a nice stereo whether they care or not.

Just like a minivan should have great cup-holders even if not everyone buying said minivan cares about cup-holders. It's just part of what makes a minivan a minivan, and having a nice stereo standard is what makes a luxury car worth paying all that money for.

carguy622: I have to agree, but then you have to consider the people who buy a car simply for the brand name. They can say "I have a Merecedes". Those people care about the ride quality more

A great stereo is a must. Period.

BOSE and Audiophile do not fit in the same sentence. I don;t know how it is in the FX50 but the stereo in the M45 sucks. For a claimed 300 watts of power, it feels very little. The base stereo in the Altima has more kick to it. wish i could rip it out and replace it but it's so proprietary that i'd end up with a huge bill for it so i'm stuck with this crappy system.

I totally agree about most Bose audio systems - the Nissan 350z had a Bose - terrible, the Mazda 6 version is so-so at best. But this one sounds good. Really!

Agreed with dragonzsoul. My grandma has a C classs and did not turn her stereo on for the first few years of ownership. NOt saying that manufacturers should base their audio on these buyers, but some buyers don't care.

However, I do agree. Quality audio should be a given in the above 50K arena. In my opinion, a buyer in this class should not need to drop 50K+ for a car and then drop another 2K to 7K to install a nice sound system. Some manufacturers are starting to put some decent systems into their cars, but many still don't get it.

At this price point, a solid stereo setup is expected. I would be alarmed to hear anything else less.

The Mitsu Rockford Fosgate systems sound GREAT, but they're an upgrade in the Lancer. The base Lancer stereo is pretty weak.

The base stereo in my KIA Soul is surprisingly good. There is an upgrade available, but I don't think I'll regret staying with the base version.

Bose car audio is a mixed bag. The one in my 2008 G35 has good sound but certainly not great sound. The sound is clean with good soundstaging but the dynamics and high frequency performance are somewhate muted. The array of features included in the Infiniti Studio on Wheels package are very good.

When it comes to home audio - Bose is complete crap.