Both sound like garbage if you are an audiophile, the Bose is REALLY good for a stock sysyem, but is REALLY bad for a BOSE. I checked it out before I bought mine and decided (not only did I not want a sunroof) but that I would just be replacing them soon anyway, as they were not up to par....I later decided that I didn't really care about the radio and started modding elsewhere resulting of even less us of the radio. I think that's where the mod bug will bite next tho, as I only have a few more preformance mods I want to do and Modding the exterior mods are a ways off, but that's another story for another time

OP, Figure out what other options you want on the car and then worry about the sound sysyem later. It will be one of the few things you can mod on a tighter budget and is really one of the only options you can ADD later, I mean you can add a sunroof, leather, heated/power seats after purchase, it will just cost you A LOT more to add these later. Speakers can be popped in and out with minimal work and cost(depending on what you buy of course.

 

THat was another thing I was thinking. It doesnt cost much on a sound system compared to performance parts, and the options in the car. The sport model im looking at has the leather, but no heated seats. It has a sun roof, which is cool for me, and power windows/mirrors. Its weird. its almost like a touring, but its not.

 

I really think that these are the things you should be looking at for what you want, options wise. A sound system will be a much easier addition, than say, a sunroof.

 

yeah.. I mean, heated seats are cool, but i dont care about em. I'd prefer if the driver seat was power, but its not... But as for heated seats, thats not too bad of an install.. the only things id change about the car im looking at are the power seat option, and the heating seats... obviously the sterio, but ill do that later.

 

I have to agree, the Bose system in my R3 is a major step down from the Bose system that was in my '05 350Z. One of the reasons we picked up the Z back then over the RX8 was the quality of the interior and the stock stereo system. But the Z has a 10" sealed sub as part of the stock system, and that's honestly pretty nice.

The '04/'05 RX8 base system we listened to was awful, and I mean truly awful. At any reasonable listening level (ie, louder than the road noise) it would heavily distort on bass notes. Very, very muddy system. The Bose system in the '10 R3 is much better, but still really, really muddy.

But I've come to expect muddy bass from Bose. They go for the impression of bass over the actual production of bass.

If you care about audio quality, and especially if you like hard bass drum kicks, just assume you're replacing the whole system, or minimally the speakers and adding in amps to drive them. So long as the majority of the signal processing that Bose likes to do is in the door amps, just tear them out and use the stock HU with better amps/speakers.

And as an aside, paper cones aren't necessarily bad. JBL uses them in a lot of their high quality pro audio gear. But it's really how you treat the paper. I think it's a fair assumption that any OEM paper cone is going to suck. You might be wrong from time to time, but it's a fair assumption.

EDIT: soundproof the car, while you're at it. A bunch of dynamat-type deadener will do wonders for the perceived quality of your car's stereo. You'll turn the volume down and get less distortion.

 

Has leather but no heated seats? Probably an aftermarket conversion I think. Are the door panels leather too? I can't remember but I think you can tell if the "LATCH" labels are on the rear seats, it's genuine.

 

YEah. pannels are black. seats black/silver. is it easy to make em heated?

 

hmm... thats the first ivwe heard someone say its truely aweful...im reconsidering now... haha

 

Just in case I wasn't clear the first time....

 

I was talking about the base system. Ive heard the bose before, i liked it alot

 

Nevermind....

 

I haven't heard a base system in 6 years, so they might have improved it. dunno. I'm definitely in the "audiophile" camp, though.

I should sweep the system in the R3 and see what it looks like in spectrum. I expect to see some major sound shaping, and a total lack of low bass made up with over over-amped mid-bass.

The 20Hz extension I had in my truck once upon a time really spoiled me (sealed JL 10w3 in a regular truck cab, crossed at 80Hz, with a 360W amp feeding it). Not going to win an SPL contest, but would certainly move your guts around with kick drums...

 

is the base system really that bad though? like for just crusing with moderate base, not blowing the car so hard you cant breath.

 

I have the bose in my 04 GS, I have added a 10" kicker in the back. It's a bit better. I am going to install a JL system to replace the bose speakers in the spring though. It's good, but I have also been spoiled in the past.

 

hm... but is the base system really that bad..?

 

THEY ARE BOTH BAD! The BOSE has no mids, nor does the base system, the tweeters are angled so that you have to have your face above the center console to be in the optimal area for sound. If you are really worried about the sound it doesn't matter which one you pick, they both suck.

The base is good for a stock system, but you really should not be basing your decision on which car to get based on the soundsysyem. Look at the more important features.


If all you care about are lows the base is not terrible.... but if you have paid any attention to my last posts you won't really care about that cause you can get a decent pair of 6x9's for a few hunderd dollars...

 

Thats the answer ive been looking for...

 

Base speakers arnt made to bump, at all. I have my bass set to +1 and it has some small bass to it but nothing great. I learned not to try and make door speakers bump at all when I popped some aftermarket ones I had put in within days of the install in my old car.

Really if all your looking for is a little bump add a small sub to the back of the base system and its not that bad. I wouldn't call it horrible at all. I haven't experienced any distortion or problems with playing it to loud yet. I have a 2009 rx8 so cant say on older models but this one has a decent stock system.

 

are we really discussing over stock stereos for over 2 pages? gee...

 

Yeah... Haha. we went off topic a bit, but got back on it.

 

Yeah... I'd play the bass on +6. So as long as it's better than most factory systems, i can live for sure.

 

Yes because someone can't read....

 

Or because I want to know from a bunch of people because I've heard both ends of the story...? Don't have to be an *** about it.