Bose in 2007 A4 compared to 2001 A4

[JayCee747]

Hi all, I have just joined the forum having bought a second hand 2007 Special Edition S-line Diesel 170.

My previous car was a 2001 A4 with Leather/Bose/6CD and pretty much every extra going.

I am a complete audiohead (audiophile if you must) - home stereo is worth about same as car and I was really impressed with the Bose setup in my beloved old car. I suppose it had to go as it was up to 200,000 miles. Its the only car I have ever been sad to see the end of.

Anyway, the new car is great, it has Satnav, Bose, 6 CD changer etc, the latter 2 of which were obligatory after my experience with the old A4.


HOWEVER!

The sound coming out of the speakers in the new car is AWFUL compared to my old 2001 model.


At first I thought I had been ripped off as someone may have put the Bose speaker covers on a standard setup.

So I started reading the forum and found 2 indicators that the car must have Bose afetr all.

First, no GALA option and second I rememeber reading something where the subs originate in the front doors now. Someone mentioned that you can run the fader from full front to full rear and see that most bottom end comes from the front. I did this and found this is true!

This was not the case on the 2001 model, which had great, even frquency responsed sound on any fader setting.

I could maybe tolerate having a fader on a setting of 1 toward the front (I prefer the sound to come forward from the back), compared to 3 to the back as I had on the old car if the sound was anywhere near as good.

It is not! the sound is thin, poorly defined and the highs sound cheap, unfocussed and sibbilant while the bottom end is undefined and horrible.

Can anyone help? Have Audi changed the Bose setup over the years?

I may be sounding like a bit of an audio snob, but this isn't a little change - it sounds awful - Like non-Bose Audi's I have borrowed when my car has been in for a service - just louder!

Is it possible to turn the auto DNR off? Does this help?

Is this what they have changed to B&O?

I am really dissapointed with what is otherwise a great car.http://www.tyresmoke.net/albums/albuu00/***.gif

 

[Caesium]

The BOSE in the 2004 A4 I had came with an 8" sub in the rear shelf.
There is no GALA setting on the BOSE setup nor is there any mid adjustment, only treble and bass.

 

[JayCee747]

Thanks for this!

One question if I may. Did the sound lose its depth if the fader was set to the rear??

Cheers

Jon

 

[Caesium]

All sound systems do that, the rear speakers are never as good sounding as the front, however you should have a sub in the rear, make sure its working.

 

[AndyMac]

Normally on the Bose setup the sub runs off one front channel and one rear channel, so the fader does not fade the sub to a great degree i.e. if you fade to front or rear you still get most of the sub regardless. With non Bose, the sub only runs off the rear, so the fader has a dramatic effect. Not sure if this is the case in the newer A4's though.