After spending an hour in lunchtime traffic, I have made up my mind regarding the roughly $1000 Bose audio option, and have decided to share my opinion with the rest of yous peeps

It sucks....if there is anyone out there who is considering it as a compromise, and you have previously built/owned high quality mobil audio, save your $$$ and do it aftermarket.

It has decent low volume performance, but as soon as you start cranking it up,

News radio, NPR, and maybe classical and jazz are safe, but FORGET heavy metal, rap, or hip hop.

My $.02

 

I agree, but you can't get the Meridian edition without the Bose stereo. So you are kind of stuck since the Bose is difficult to upgrade. The sound quality is not that great on the Bose and sounds kind of hollow.

 

I did get the Bose 6-CD changer with my 2K2 SE so I can have the Meridian Package, but I wasn't particularly happy about it.

I knew even without listening that it would not meet my standards. It's Bose. Bose is not about good sound, Bose is about making people believe that it's good sound. I can't blame Nissan though because the majority of potential Max buyers do actually believe that Bose is an exceptional value.

Although I knew before hand that the Bose would not meet my standards, I was somewhat surprised that it didn't even meet my low expectations. They actually refer to the low frequencies as bass. That's not bass!!!!!! It's more like an annoying rumble. Oh well.

 

I have the Bose 6disc changer in my 2k3 gle, I thought it would be good since I have a bose lifestyle hometheater system and it rocks. I was wrong. The CD sound is OK, but the radio sounds like the one I had in my 75 Cordoba. I was in an infiniti I30(1999) and the radio sounded great. What does infiniti do that makes theirs sound better. Does the infiniti I35 have same radio problems? Thanks

 

That was my problem...had to have Meridian...

 

Well Bose speakers don't really suck. They're just over priced. If they reduce their prices by 60%, then it's great. They're just very over priced and for the same price you pay for bose, you can get other speakers that are a lot better.

Bose just spend A LOT of money on ads everywhere. You will notice that the places that sell Bose units, i.e. home speakers etc; they don't have any other competition next to them. I.e. Klipsch, Bang Ofulson, MB Quart.

 

I made my Bose a lot better by adding a Delphi XM radio, it has a gain control and using the cassette adapter you can amplify the input signal making the Bose system quite a bit louder while maintaining good sound.

 

Yeah the bose really sucks when you turn it up and that rattle in the back dosen't help either.I have a 12" sub in a box that I wanna use and take out the bose sub.Anyone know if I connect it to the bose amp will it improve the sound,or should I use a seperate amp.

 

I didn't think Bose is all bad. I wish I had Bose on my car. I usually hear nothing but good things about BOSE aside from the price point. I do agree with most of you that think it's overpriced.

 

Bose is not bad overall. I have noticed in my '03 SE that it automatically changes the bass, etc as I turn the volume up. I am not fond of that.

The biggest issue I have is design issues. The Bose subwoofer doesn't fit in the back of our cars like it should, thus giving that damn rattle when the bass is turned on. I've tried several things to fix and it helps some, but not all the way.

I have dirven the '04 a few times and the problem with the rattle isn't in that one and the Bose sounds ALOT better.

 

No highs, no lows, must be bose!

 

I never had a rattle problem, but I just finished applying Quiet car a paint on sound deadener. I applied two coats. It seems to provide a more stable bass now. I applied it all over the interior because of excessive road noise. If you remove the rear shelf to do this you have to remove the plastic panels going to the thru area to the trunk, then you'll also see some buttons with a + or x depending how your looking at it, pop up the X portion from the base of the button then pull up on the base. Take off the child seat anchor covers and snap out the base of the anchors. Snap out the two plastic pieces going up the rear pillars. Now lift up on the decklid, it has three or four plasic plugs in the middle, then pull deck cover towards yourself. Leave the seatbelts going through the holes and just slide the deck cover down. You'll see three blue plugs on the rear part of the deck that are still in the deck, not cover, pull them out carefully, do not let them drop in the small area at the rear area of the deck. You will hate yourself if you let them drop back there. Now apply some sort of sound deadener. Also do a search for TSB's about rear deck rattles, mabey do the fixes yourself, they look easy. Good luck.

 

Come on guys... Bose didn't design the rear deck and sub cover you hear rattling, Nissan did. Bose didn't build the failing head unit in most of our BOSE systems, Clarion did. I do know and appreciate clean loud music and the BOSE system is just fine, even if it is a little over priced. Certainly not the best, but it’s good enough that I will never consider going to the trouble of upgrading it. Additionally, the proprietary setup makes the system a less desirable to thieves... who's gonna steal it if it doesn’t install easily in another car?

JGibson… I’m with ya… The 90’s Maxima/I30 Bose systems have a cleaner, louder sound…. But were not quite as warm (some may say ‘muddy’) sounding as the current system.

 

i wanted to do the same ... i went to a sound place. they told me it can't be done with the bose amp...i would have to replace the amp to use my 12" sub.
i dont know if they where trying to make money on me or is it really cant be done.

also question. if i replace my HU , say with the Clarion 7" in-dash dvd cd unit will it improve the sound?




damn <enter> key

 

Bose just sux. "I hear great things about Bose" Actually no you didn't. You read about Bose in all there ads. What other high end audio company advertises in women magazines? I am more than familiar with the Bose home audio line. Paper speakers with a thin foam surround. That was high quality back in the early 80's.

For the average consumer shopping for a new car, the Bose ads have already swayed them to think that "I have heard of Bose. Bose must be good." When the y hear that they have the option of the stock stereo or a Bose stereo for a $1000 more, they jump all over the Bose system. They don't know it sounds like a radio shack clock radio submerged in molasses. They just know "It's Bose, it has to be good."

Yes I have played with high end car audio and it doesn't take a lot of money to easily surpass the sound quality and power of the Bose system.