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How is the sound system in the 2003 maxima?

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Old Jun 22, 2004 | 10:02 AM
  #1  
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How is the sound system in the 2003 maxima?

Picking mine up tonight, havent had a chance to check out the sound system.
Wanted to know how good it is.
Any comparison to my 95 se?



Thanks,
Mike
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 10:08 AM
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Did you get the BOSE? The BOSE system sounds pretty damn good for a stock system... Althought others may dissagree The midrange isnt great, but it sounds sweet when you crank it.

The only problem with the BOSE system is that it is a pain to change out for a good aftermarket system because you have to replace everything all at once instead of slowly building it.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 10:24 AM
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And that still boggles my mind. WHY!!!!
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 10:25 AM
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I think it's pretty good for an OEM setup and I've had a couple of mutli amp stereo's in my day with dual 12" subs and all.

It's nowhere near a performance aftermarket stereo, but it's "adequate" for enjoying most formats of music.

The CD player can be ornery sometimes, and a lot of people including me have experienced the left side of the stereo dropping out when listening to CD's. This appears to be a chronic problem with the Bose CD head unit - It's a POS.

Other than that, when it's working right, the CD's sound pretty good and the bass is nice and fat when it's not cranked up. For daily radio listening at moderate levels it works great.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 10:44 AM
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Compared to my mom's 99 SE BOSE, the 2k2 and 2k3 bose system sucks bad.

It seems that the 99 BOSE seemed more powerful, and had better BASS output cleaner and punchier than the single 8" woofer.

I personally think that stereo is completely below average.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 11:03 AM
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It's alright. Needs some better midrange.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 11:06 AM
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Bose is a waste of money compared to what you can do for that extra $900 you are paying......

I have the super crap package....
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 11:16 AM
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I like my Bose sounds good to me....
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 11:20 AM
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If its not the Bose, it sucks.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 11:30 AM
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I have the Bose in my 2000 SE, and I think it's the same system as in all the 5th Gens (7 speakers including the 8" Sub in the back). I think it's hard to beat for a stock system. I've always liked the clarity that Bose has, and plus, I think it has a great low register (as long as you can look past the trunk rattle ). I've been very pleased with it and haven't had any problems with it. But, from what I've heard on here, there have been some problems with the '02 and '03 head units, but I could be wrong.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 11:33 AM
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I love it. Can't complain.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 11:43 AM
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A pair of 6 x 9's in the trunk with even a moderate amp behind them would blow that 8" Bose free air setup away. I don't listen to music in that manner very often anymore, so it works for me.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 11:58 AM
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sounds amazing... when you go aftermarket. but my friends bose in his 2k gets very loud surprisingly for a "stock" system.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 12:58 PM
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The Bose system in the 2003 maxes is absolute garbage, in fact I'd say it's one of the worst stock sound systems I think I've ever heard.

When flipping through the brochures I had high hopes of a well-tuned and setup sound system, as they pump the heck out of this system. The first time I heard it though I was severely underwhelmed. The low end is very weak, as the bose woofer does little other than rattle the rear deck lid. The components in the front have absolutely no midrange, and the tweeters are very tinny sounding. If you are anything of an audiophile whatsoever, I'd say just skip buying any kind of stock system and buy more worthwhile equipment.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 01:02 PM
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BLAH. It was cool at first but then the midranges were not detailed and the highs werent crisp. The system basically got old. I think my Mom's JBL system in her highlander sounds way better.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 01:03 PM
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In comparison to the 5th gen bose system,

My fathers old 94 LHS with the INFINITY system by far blows the doors off any year bose system in any year maxima.

His car had 11 speakers (including coaxials of course), a center channel, and was crystal clear. Even the 6x9's had very good bass output, overall a very clean and clear system.

The bose is comparable to my laptops mini stereo speakers! Hence why everytime i buy a maxima (2k2 and now 2k3), i rip out that POS and put a decent stereo in..

I can't stand crappy sounds, and BOSE really takes away from the driving experience
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 01:07 PM
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And to finish it off... BOSE is overrated in car and home theater.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 01:11 PM
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do you mean 'how is the sound clipping out of my tweeter in the 2003 maxima?"
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 01:44 PM
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In my Durango, the Infinity system is so good. Way better than the BOSE.

The BOSE in my Maxima isn't good, but in the house, it's amazing.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 02:33 PM
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i think the stock bose system is great. for those who think it's not that great, what music do you guys listen to? i listen to mostly hard rock/metal. i don't even blast it that loud, only as high as 20. just wondering what you guys use as criteria for thinking what sucks/doesn't suck.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 02:43 PM
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I think its probably been said already but here goes: The sound system SUCKS!!! Don't know much about the stock sound system but the Bose is terrible. Now don't get me wrong, it has great sound for a "factory upgraded" system. But the thing has so many problems. If you have the money, rip out the POS system and install something better.
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 02:47 PM
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Originally Posted by MacAlert
I think its probably been said already but here goes: The sound system SUCKS!!! Don't know much about the stock sound system but the Bose is terrible. Now don't get me wrong, it has great sound for a "factory upgraded" system. But the thing has so many problems. If you have the money, rip out the POS system and install something better.
^^^Put some Rainbows in that bish

and then talk to me.....
Old Jun 22, 2004 | 02:49 PM
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I listen to mostly metal myself, with a few variants of different electronic based music thrown in for good measure. I found that the stock bose system's complete lack of midrange made me miss out on most metal vocals and guitars, as these tones would be severely muted. Even at low/moderate volumes this was apparent, and any attempts at any kind of volume were met with huge amounts of distortion.

Sit in a vehicle with an upgraded sound system sometime with nice components and subs, and tell me you don't notice the difference in sound quality and the massive improvement of the overall listening experience.
Old Jun 23, 2004 | 08:45 AM
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bose is very clear and can go rather loud but the mid range is ****ty for sure. any recommendations for changing out the front speakers and amps or adding some kick panels?
Old Jun 23, 2004 | 09:44 AM
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Originally Posted by 2k3TitaniumSe
In my Durango, the Infinity system is so good. Way better than the BOSE.

The BOSE in my Maxima isn't good, but in the house, it's amazing.
Right there with ya. My wifes 2k1 Durango Infinity system sounds much better. The Clarion, sorry, Bose system in my 2k2 max was terrible. I had to remove it.
Old Jun 23, 2004 | 02:11 PM
  #26  
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The Bose in my 95 GLE was far superior to my current 2002 Bose garbage. '02 at lower end may be a bit nicer, but the '95 at midrange to top end was awesome compared to this newer crap. The '95 just cranked and cranked, never distorted, I enjoyed that system alot.
Old Jun 23, 2004 | 02:16 PM
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^^^My granfather has a 95 GLE and i can attest to that- one of the best Bose systems I've heard next to the current Alty's
Old Jun 23, 2004 | 02:59 PM
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my stock non-bose system sounds pretty good (by non-competition standards) now that i've added a 12" sub powered by a 250w amp.
Old Jun 23, 2004 | 05:31 PM
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The sound quality of the Bose is the 4th gen Max is by far more superior, but the 5th gen Bose has more features (such as 6-disc CD changer, steering wheel remote control, RDS, etc.) If you are not a music aficionado or have a semi-trained ear, the so-called premium Bose of the 5th gen might do.

Here is my personal rating of the 5th gen Bose:

user-friendly features: A-
sound quality of
CD player: B
radio (fm/am): C-
cassette: C+

I have been lucky, I guess, because the stock Bose in my 03 GLE has been working faithfully without a hitch, although I really would like to have a better sounding system.
Old Jun 23, 2004 | 06:37 PM
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Originally Posted by BP_3.5
my stock non-bose system sounds pretty good (by non-competition standards) now that i've added a 12" sub powered by a 250w amp.
how did you add on a amp and sub to the non bose system? i'd be interested to do this soon. think a audio shop could do this without screwing up teh eletrical system?
Old Jun 24, 2004 | 01:55 PM
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Originally Posted by troutman
Sit in a vehicle with an upgraded sound system sometime with nice components and subs, and tell me you don't notice the difference in sound quality and the massive improvement of the overall listening experience.
i'll try to do that someday, it's just that where i'm from, the cars with upgraded sound systems are driven by high school punks and wannabes who think they're from the 'hood, blasting gangsta rap with the bass turned all the way up and the windows all the way down. all i hear is 'boom boom boom boom'. when i'm driving, i try to stay lo pro
Old Jun 24, 2004 | 03:59 PM
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The bose in my 91 sounds wonderful but not the one in the 03.

I feel that the quality of the bose has gone the same way as the quality of the paint on the 03.
Old Jun 24, 2004 | 05:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Freaknificent
how did you add on a amp and sub to the non bose system? i'd be interested to do this soon. think a audio shop could do this without screwing up teh eletrical system?
pulled out the stock hu and ran a line out module with rca jacks from there to where i mounted the amp. most radio shops will try to run a line out from one of your speaker connections, but not the best option imo. in my experience you get a better signal running the line out straight from the hu. a radio install shop could probably do it if requested.

then i ran my power cable from the engine battery through the firewall and under the door molding to the rear, ran the remote power line from the interior fuse box, grounded the amp on the chasis and mounted it on the back of the rear passenger seat. viola.

Old Jun 25, 2004 | 05:01 AM
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OK, I've had my 2k3 for 4 days now and I have to saw that I liked the bose system in my 95 much better. I think it was much louder.
Old Jun 25, 2004 | 05:45 AM
  #35  
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The Bose in the 2000-2003 doesn't sound nearly as great as the 95-99 Maxima system. Mind you, it's nice for a stock system, but the sub is doing too much work and not producing deep punches like the individually amp'd speakers in the 4th gen. On a brighter note, many people have asked whats in the trunk (lol). I respond "nothing, just a little rattling mechanism in the rear deck and yes its stock". I recall standing outside the car one night with some friends and the trunk lid was 3/4 open; Oh my God, the trunk lid and licence plates rattles like crazy in this position. I heard someone on the side tell another person "you should hear the way it sounds inside the car." So yes, the sub produces a lot of rattling, even inside the car unfortunately (i've learned to live with the rear deck rattling). Since I tend to crank up the system a little (not so everyone can hear me coming), I have the bass set at 0 and treble at +2.

Also, just a side note: The stereo sucks when the windows are open. I always keep my windows shut, the system sounds much better. Still, I'd take a 4th 6 speaker Bose system over the 5th gen 7 speaker Bose any day.
Old Jun 25, 2004 | 08:09 AM
  #36  
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I have a non-Bose system in my 03 and it's garbage.....My 4th Gen Bose system hits...
Old Jun 25, 2004 | 08:32 AM
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I hate my bose system. It lacks the high end like vocals, guitar tones, etc...instead, I hear the vocals from the midrange speakers which sounds like trash. To me it sounds like the bose tries to shove every single note possible through the midrange speakers. Lastly, the bose subwoofer has the EXACT same tone on every single bass note.

I'm in the process of overhauling my system. I have a few questions I need answered: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=319620
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