2009 Nissan 370Z: Baby's Got Bass, Courtesy of Bose

I believe the Acura RSX had a similar Bose setup. However, it sounded like garbage.

Although Ive heard a fair share of good sounding Bose systems, Ive also heard quite a few that were simply awful.

Edmunds, can you go more in depth in terms of the sound quality of the Bose system in the Z? Thump is one thing but clarity and quality are another.

Nice to see that that is standard equipment, but not the oil cooler...

hondacura4: Look for a full tech review of the 370Z on Straightline soon. But suffice to say that bass was one of the sound system's better qualities.

You will find the same subwoofer in your FX50 as well.

hondacura4, i was going to ask the same thing. The Blose system in my G35 coupe was terrible. It sounded like I was in a cave, with muffled midrange due to Bose's built-in EQ curves/sound processing. Bleh.

"My ears led me to the hatch, where I lifted two layers of trim to find a 7.7-liter enclosure sitting on top of the spare tire that contains a pair of 4.5-inch subwoofers"

4.5" subwoofers???
You're kiddin' right?

Not kidding. And I was shocked too when Bose confirmed the size ...

And keep in mind that it's cone-area equivalent of a 9-inch sub.

Not quite. A 9" sub should have substantially more cone area than a 2x4.5" setup. About twice the area based on a simple area of the circle calc.

unless they're running them in an isobaric config?

4.5" BASS drivers.. they would never call it a subwoofer.

BOSE actually does use 9" bass drivers in certain applications (CX-7 has two in the front doors).

BOSE can sound good.. they're not lying when they say every system is tailored to each car it's in. It can sound like crap, or it can sound OK, or very good.. but it's only that good in the really expensive applications..

cx7lover: Actually, Bose calls it a "woofer" in its lit. But I consider a "subwoofer" the driver(s) that handle the lowest end of the frequency spectrum in a system, below that of the woofers. But it's a VERY old argument among audiophiles ... and simply a matter of semantics.

My Protege5 had something like this.

The best Bose application I've ever heard was/is the one used in Porsches. But I've been pretty disappointed with some of their efforts for sure.

The system actually sounds fairly good. BUT, I bought the damn thing to drive! The Bose is off most of the time, and when it is on, I usually listen to conservative talk radio

If it's anything like the Bose system I had in my 06 350z and in my current 05 G35, it's a steaming pile of dog crap. The midrange sounds like you're at a gymnasium concert with earplugs half in your ears.

If it didn't cost more for the required dash panel than for a decent head unit, I'd have bought an aftermarket one by now. I'm sure I will eventually, but I have to get over being mad that someone at Nissan decided I have to replace the A/C controller in order to replace the head unit. morons.

"But suffice to say that bass was one of the sound system's better qualities."

Doug, pretty typical of Bose systems! The most impressive premium system I've sampled in a non luxury brand was the JBL Synthesis in my stepmothers former 2005 Toyota Avalon Limited. Amazing clarity, volume, staging while somehow giving great low/mid bass response and excellent mids/highs. Awesome setup.

Bose setups vary from car to car- the ones I've sampled in Nissans have been of good quality (though honestly Nissan usually puts some good stock systems in their cars, and I'm not sure the 'upgrade' to the Bose-tuned system is even necessary.)

Usually I've been impressed with the Bose setups in cars I've encountered, as I've been with most Bose products. I've got a friend who swears they're just garbage.. What's funny is the setup he has in his car sounds like complete crap (more vibration and rattling than actual sound).

I love the Bose in the QX56.
Must be the auditorium size of the car, er, truck.

Bose made their name by charging a premium price for an ok home product. They never discount the price, leading people to believe that it truly must be a premium system to charge that much.

Slap that Bose name on a car stereo, and you're supposed to believe the same. You'd better, because it's expensive to change it out. It's called marketing, folks.

The system on my '07 G35S sounds pretty good parked in the driveway. But once you get it on the road, it's just another so-so stereo.

I had the Bose system in the 2003 Mazda 6s I had for a short time. The system had a sub in the rear deck and mid-woofers in the front doors. It sounded ok, but bass was actually relatively weak and the front door speakers rattled. The worst part was there were fewer adjustments available to you than on the standard sound system, thanks Bose!

BOSE doesn't make the stereos, blame whoever made the headunit. Sanyo, Clarion..

I wholeheartedly agree with all of the above, particularly that Bose systems vary greatly. While I have a particularly strong dislike for the brand as a whole, I still miss the system in our S320- something like 12 speakers IIRC. Filled the car with some pretty damn good music.

Having said that, most of the "Bose" systems I've seen in other brands have been trash. Even the 'upgraded' JBLs in Toyotas have been pretty disappointing- the stock Toyota units (not bad themselves) are more than competitive.

Although I have to say, I prefer a factory-upgraded solution to installing my own. Already replaced stock Hyundai speakers on my Tucson, and debating replacing the head unit, but I simply don't want to give up the warranty (and give them an excuse to deny other electrical issues). Even after having the "upgraded" system, I'd gladly pay a premium for a better head unit from the factory.

BOSE doesn't make the stereos, blame whoever made the headunit. Sanyo, Clarion..

BOSE commonly reefers to the actual woofers in their Acustimass Modules and such as the "bass drivers" just because they're not really subwoofers, and that's the best way to describe them.

mikeolan -

Very true. I think the stock 6 speaker setup in my old 2000 Altima sounded better than the 350z and G35 Bose systems.

dougnewcomb: "And keep in mind that it's cone-area equivalent of a 9-inch sub."

You have to think two dimensionally.

SQRT(4.5^2 + 4.5^2) = 6.36

It has the same area equivalent of a 6.36 inch sub. That's giving them the benefit of the doubt about the surround. The truth is that the surround likely consumes some of the 4.5 inches so it's even less.

Btw: The woofers (not sub-woofers) on my home stereo are 6.5 inches each and they're quite impressive. But then, they're made by a real audio company. Not Bose.

Our 2005 Mazda 6 hatchback has the Bose woofer in the spare tire; very similar to the 370Z setup.

bimmerjay & mcloffs,

I have a 2004 Mazda6 Wagon with the Bose woofer in the spare tire. I like the sound of the system. Although the car could use a little more sound insulation from the road that would make the system sound better.

I had an aftermarket sub like this made by Pioneer I bought for my Miata back in 1993. It worked great, and only used space that was otherwise unsusable for anything but small items. Great for a car like the 1st gen Miata.

BTW, if the sub is designed well (low bass only) the sound is omnidirectional, and would not affect the surround-sound quality of anything. You shouldn't be able to tell where the bass is coming from if it's done well.

Bose did the same thing with the subwoofer in the Porsche SUV

Reminds me of that comment from C/D on the BOSE system in the 350Z...

"The Bose stereo was a huge disappointment, sounding as though its seven speakers were packed with dryer lint. No amount of adjusting could "improve the sound to the level of an AM clock radio," said the logbook."

"Slap that Bose name on a car stereo, and you're supposed to believe the same. You'd better, because it's expensive to change it out. It's called marketing, folks."

Ive been saying the same thing for years.

That's the thing, with BOSE systems, they handle mid-bass too.

The only thing I hate is with most of their lower end cheapo systems, the compression when the vol is turned up is really bad. I'd rather have distortion than heavy sound compression.