I would get Bose 100% had standard in my 1st a3 and was ok but had Bose in my last and had to get it in my s3, and to be honest I wouldnt of bought my new car if it didn't have it so worth thinking about that when you come to sell it could be the decision of someone buying it or not cos it was for me lol
BOSE OR NOT ???
- Thread starter jamhot
- Start date
In professional circles, 'Bose' is laughingly quoted as standing for:
Bring
Other
Sound
Equipment.
-While their marketing might hint otherwise, you don't find Bose eqipment in professional recording studios...
They're mainly known for squeezing impressive performance out of tiny-sized boxes which would otherwise excessively limit the amplitude/frequency response... stuff like the 'acoustimass' and the 'wave radio'. -The latter is a simple transmission-line design which has been around far longer than Bose...
The net result is that they can make tiny, compromised packages appear to punch significantly above their weight, although for example- transmission-line designs are -like bandpass LF designs- significantly flawed.
If you like a bit more bass, and like things to look tidy, buy Bose. If you're an audio professional, you'll probably NEVER buy Bose.
Bring
Other
Sound
Equipment.
-While their marketing might hint otherwise, you don't find Bose eqipment in professional recording studios...
They're mainly known for squeezing impressive performance out of tiny-sized boxes which would otherwise excessively limit the amplitude/frequency response... stuff like the 'acoustimass' and the 'wave radio'. -The latter is a simple transmission-line design which has been around far longer than Bose...
The net result is that they can make tiny, compromised packages appear to punch significantly above their weight, although for example- transmission-line designs are -like bandpass LF designs- significantly flawed.
If you like a bit more bass, and like things to look tidy, buy Bose. If you're an audio professional, you'll probably NEVER buy Bose.
What I think is seriously being missed here is the Bose system sounds pretty good for a car.....an A3 is not designed as a anechoic chamber or some kind of perfectly angled acoustic chamber if you want perfect sounds spend the money in your lounge lol
If it sounds good to you then buy it, if not dont.......there will be debates that'll run for pages over is it any good or not.
If it sounds good to you then buy it, if not dont.......there will be debates that'll run for pages over is it any good or not.
AndyMac
Retired from service
Perfect summary, no highs, no lows, it must be Bose
The car, any car, is the perfect place to listen to music (listen to what you want at the volume you want) and while acoustically challenged, sound quality far better than the average home stereo can easily be achieved. Yes, it is not acoustically friendly and you have a lot of road noise, but this is easily offset by the fact it is such a small space.
But I think the consensus as always is listen to both systems, on the road, not in the dealership, and if neither impresses then get the free one and spend the £500-£750 on some new front components, a Genesis amp and a small subwoofer. Money well spent
PaulAr
S3 (8P)
I thought B&O was founded by George Barry and Ray Quinton ?
And Jessica ALBA was a sound engineer before she turned to acting
Nakamichi and JL stuff is loads better anyway... 
Lol but this thread has deteriorated into a Bose vs everything else debate .. The OP was saying that the salesman said that Bose was worse than standard!! which to answer the question is complete b**#~â¬$!
Like everything you can go to the extreme and add god knows how much audio stuff - extra batts, farad caps, crossovers blah de blah blah! But for a slightly better bass and better clarity, it is definitely one up from stock.. And as has been pointed out will always make the car more saleable, which aftermarket equipment generally won't..
Lol but this thread has deteriorated into a Bose vs everything else debate .. The OP was saying that the salesman said that Bose was worse than standard!! which to answer the question is complete b**#~â¬$!Like everything you can go to the extreme and add god knows how much audio stuff - extra batts, farad caps, crossovers blah de blah blah! But for a slightly better bass and better clarity, it is definitely one up from stock.. And as has been pointed out will always make the car more saleable, which aftermarket equipment generally won't..
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We've got Dynaudio Audience 5 channel speaker system in our lounge and it's absolutely fantastic. I heard a Bose cube surround system at Portsmouth Gunwharf Quay at Xmas as by comparison it was ****** awful.
I respect what they offer if you need something for an area with limited space, but in terms of how authentic it sounds..... Problem is if you're used to really good audio the Bose System offers quite an odd sound, it sounds quite processed.
The Governor
Registered User
As a new A3 owner my BE has a Bose system, I've come straight out of a E90 M Sport which has the standard system in and can say without doubt that the BMW one is a fair bit better. The sound is a lot more full than the Bose, probably down to the two under seat subs.
The Bose system seems to lack weight and clarity, just for the record I'm not a basshead kicking out drum 'n' bass as I drive around.
I have yet to fiddle about with the stereo other than to reduce the mid/treble but I was actually surprised that my E90 sounded appreciably better than the Bose.
The Bose system seems to lack weight and clarity, just for the record I'm not a basshead kicking out drum 'n' bass as I drive around.
I have yet to fiddle about with the stereo other than to reduce the mid/treble but I was actually surprised that my E90 sounded appreciably better than the Bose.
Bose is not worth it over the standard set up...
Bose can have an overly rich and warm sound with little emphasis on clarity of highs..
I heard the Bose in an S3 and I was not impressed...
You are better off uprating the sub in the boot side wall... I had an AMSS set up fitted by AndyMac on here... its a 6.5" but it lets the other speakers do their job and the system sounds way better than any Bose I have come across in the audi's...
PM Andymac or search for his AMSS threads on here - you won't regret it if you are serious enough about your music.
I have my bass set to -2 and it sounds balanced, fluid and clear... if I wanted to turn the bass up to +6 then I could give a 10" sub a run for its money... and probably squash it but I'm not a bass junky either, I just like to hear all the notes highs, mids and lows in detail and balance.
This wouldn't be such a problem if Audi fitted a better sub and amp combo rather than the cheap blaupunkt plastic box sub... when the sub was removed... I laughed... its just tupperware... and makes any system sound worse with its cheap paper cone and lack of power.
Bose can have an overly rich and warm sound with little emphasis on clarity of highs..
I heard the Bose in an S3 and I was not impressed...
You are better off uprating the sub in the boot side wall... I had an AMSS set up fitted by AndyMac on here... its a 6.5" but it lets the other speakers do their job and the system sounds way better than any Bose I have come across in the audi's...
PM Andymac or search for his AMSS threads on here - you won't regret it if you are serious enough about your music.
I have my bass set to -2 and it sounds balanced, fluid and clear... if I wanted to turn the bass up to +6 then I could give a 10" sub a run for its money... and probably squash it but I'm not a bass junky either, I just like to hear all the notes highs, mids and lows in detail and balance.
This wouldn't be such a problem if Audi fitted a better sub and amp combo rather than the cheap blaupunkt plastic box sub... when the sub was removed... I laughed... its just tupperware... and makes any system sound worse with its cheap paper cone and lack of power.
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I am very new to both this subject and the world of ASN, having literally just signed off on my new car, an S3 Black Edition. I have read this with interest as obviously the BE comes with the BOSE as standard and I was quite excited about this. I'm no bass-head or audiophile, however I do love my music and especially on a long drive - as said above a car is one of the best environments to listen to good-quality sound. I've not listened to any non-BOSE-equipped S3s and when I was at the dealership I had a very quick play with the black edition in the showroom (quietly of course - the elderly couple collecting their new A4 wouldn't have appreciated a full blast of Absolute 90s!). I have to say it sounded pretty good to me and would of course be a step up from standard. I also have to mirror other opinions here in that it's a selling point in future - I for one, before taking the plunge on a new car, didn't even click on used cars I found online unless I could see they had BOSE in the pics or description.
Can't wait to set it up properly and see just how good it is although might need to find someone to do the GALA disable near me if Warren and others' comments are anything to go by!
Can't wait to set it up properly and see just how good it is although might need to find someone to do the GALA disable near me if Warren and others' comments are anything to go by!
I traded in an 09 A3 Technik today which had BOSE and the Concert radio and picked up my MY12 A3 Sport with RNS-E but no BOSE, just to hammer home the general consensus of this thread - the BOSE is well worth the upgrade, especially when it comes to bass.
The standard sound system is good, be under no impression that it is a poor system, but the BOSE really is miles better especially if you are tricking out your car with MMI or RNS-E.
The standard sound system is good, be under no impression that it is a poor system, but the BOSE really is miles better especially if you are tricking out your car with MMI or RNS-E.
What are peoples ideal settings for bose?, i found i couldn't quite get it to sound right after fiddling around with it
Chris
Chris
(On an RNSe) Treble down to 2 notches above minimum, bass up two notches from default, fader one toward the rear from default.
I'll state this one last time - the BOSE is not perfect, and if you compare it to the systems in cars twice as expensive, no it doesn't match up. It is, however, significantly better than stock and better than anything at the same price point. It doesn't quite live up to a grand's worth of Yamaha and Wharfedale in the living room, but it does a job fairly well.
You could spend money on an aftermarket setup, but the bose makes the care more saleable for similar money, is covered under warranty and doesn't require any messing about fitting it. No, it's not for everyone, but neither is everyone a total audiophile. For your average person who likes listening to music but doesn't spend a tenth of their salary on audio equipment and move furniture to give their living room better resonance, it's a perfectly good setup.
I'll state this one last time - the BOSE is not perfect, and if you compare it to the systems in cars twice as expensive, no it doesn't match up. It is, however, significantly better than stock and better than anything at the same price point. It doesn't quite live up to a grand's worth of Yamaha and Wharfedale in the living room, but it does a job fairly well.
You could spend money on an aftermarket setup, but the bose makes the care more saleable for similar money, is covered under warranty and doesn't require any messing about fitting it. No, it's not for everyone, but neither is everyone a total audiophile. For your average person who likes listening to music but doesn't spend a tenth of their salary on audio equipment and move furniture to give their living room better resonance, it's a perfectly good setup.
Ok, i will try that i currently have a symphony II which has adjustment for middle aswell which makes it really hard to tune it right but i am getting rns-e installed next week so hopefully those settings will work for me Ch
Cheers
Chris
ChCheers
Chris
Listened to a Bose setup this week in a 04 TDi Sport. Whilst not bad, i wont be keeping it i dont think.
Coming from an E46 Sport, it sounds better, but not leaps and bounds. I didnt know / think all Bose had an amp and sub. (Yes im new!)
This has a Concert head unit, which says Bose on the screen at start up, and the Bose door grills. Whilst it sounds pretty good, i didnt think it had a sub.
Seeing threads like these, it appears Bose setups include some form of amp and sub hidden in the boot.
The E46 is a bass killer. Ive ran an old school Vibe 10 bandpass for years in various cars, which struggled with the sealed off boot space, even after i removed the ski hatch.
I may not use it again, as its size ruins most boots, which i need these days.
Will certainly be reading up on the AMSS etc.
Coming from an E46 Sport, it sounds better, but not leaps and bounds. I didnt know / think all Bose had an amp and sub. (Yes im new!)
This has a Concert head unit, which says Bose on the screen at start up, and the Bose door grills. Whilst it sounds pretty good, i didnt think it had a sub.
Seeing threads like these, it appears Bose setups include some form of amp and sub hidden in the boot.
The E46 is a bass killer. Ive ran an old school Vibe 10 bandpass for years in various cars, which struggled with the sealed off boot space, even after i removed the ski hatch.
I may not use it again, as its size ruins most boots, which i need these days.
Will certainly be reading up on the AMSS etc.
Eh? to me that make everything sound like it's coming on Medium Wave!!
I generally crank the treble up to get some highs, though I'm not audio expert I can't stand flat sound.I had a 2006 S-Line with Bose and have had a 2006 and now 2007 Sport with the standard concert + sub. For me the Bose just had more deep base at low volumes (sometimes too much bass) but on medium to loud volumes sounded no difference. Was the BOSE changed over the A3's production?
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I have Bose in mine and to be honest when I had my Audi symphony headunit in the car it didn't sound too good, regardless of what I did with the crappy equaliser It always sounded flat.
Now that I have changed the headunit to the pioneer which has a proper equaliser the Bose system has come to life much more but does still lack on the strength of bass. The general sound quality has improved much more from the symphony unit that's for sure.
I may venture down the route of the AndyMac sub as in sure once I have that in the car the sound will change completel.
I have compared the RNSE with Bose on a sportback to my pioneer with Bose on my sportback with others present and all said my pioneer unit produced a better sound.
Summary:
The Bose units are good but it is also down to the headunit, but still regardless needs a bass upgrade.
Now that I have changed the headunit to the pioneer which has a proper equaliser the Bose system has come to life much more but does still lack on the strength of bass. The general sound quality has improved much more from the symphony unit that's for sure.
I may venture down the route of the AndyMac sub as in sure once I have that in the car the sound will change completel.
I have compared the RNSE with Bose on a sportback to my pioneer with Bose on my sportback with others present and all said my pioneer unit produced a better sound.
Summary:
The Bose units are good but it is also down to the headunit, but still regardless needs a bass upgrade.
I have always had big installs in my cars. The bose is ok in my Sport, but not great on bass it seems to lack depending on different songs. One thing I do like though is that I cannot tell where the actual subwoofer is, from an SQ point of view thats awesome however it just doesnt have the output I look for.
But I cant really be bothered to spend £2k for a decent shop to sort it out or do it myself.
But I cant really be bothered to spend £2k for a decent shop to sort it out or do it myself.
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Bose is fine if you want to spec it as it gives slightly better highs nad lows. Retrofitting it is pointless and B&O is way better must say when I had a chance to compare Bose against an A4 B&O sound system, much deeper and brighter sound.
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My son has Bose in his new BE, I haven't. I set both cars, both sportbacks, to the same settings, same cd and could not hear a discernible difference!
Or I may be deaf!
But my son said he failed to hear the monetary difference........£450ish?
Or I may be deaf!
But my son said he failed to hear the monetary difference........£450ish?
audicruiser
Audi Heaven
There is a clear difference between a Bose car and and a non Bose car but it's all dependant on your personal taste and hearing!
I have the BOSE setup in my A3 and am a sound enthusiast. I'd say they are pretty good, but i'd never put BOSE near anything other than the car! The BOSE in the car, bass is horrible and the mids are muddy ... even trying to adjust via the "tone" setting. A better EQ/headunit might provide more adjustment. But ... it is perfect for the car and i'd recommend it as an Audi option if you are buying second hand. It's like a sliding scale, if you care not about SQ then get standard, car enough, get the BOSE ... really care, get standard and install better than BOSE yourself.
Personally, even as a geek in this area, it's more than good enough for me (with some tweaking).
Just please don't buy BOSE headphones. Ever.
Personally, even as a geek in this area, it's more than good enough for me (with some tweaking).
Just please don't buy BOSE headphones. Ever.
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