Bose Centerpoint System

[eacosta13]

Hey guys I'm planning to buy a mazda 3 5-door GT graphite mica with the Bose/MR/6CD package in a month or so...I really want to know if the Bose system really packs a punch if you know what I mean. I dont want the guy 9 cars in front of me hearing my music or anything i just want a good bass and sound quality that impresses me.

Also, does the 5-door have a subwoofer?
I know the 4-door has one but i'm not sure about the 5-door.

Happy to be joining you guys soon.

 

[Dubcnea]

i hesitate to answer only because you will get 15 different opinions about how Bose is either great or junk. my advise is to go to the dealer and bring a CD with a good mix of songs and find out if YOU enjoy them. you'll go nuts trying to figure out if you'll like them based on others' comments.

 

[Antonio DiMarco]

+10

i hesitate to answer only because you will get 15 different opinions about how Bose is either great or junk. my advise is to go to the dealer and bring a CD with a good mix of songs and find out if YOU enjoy them. you'll go nuts trying to figure out if you'll like them based on others' comments.

Smart advice for both evaluating car and home audio products, audio is very subjective...

That said I've listened to the new Bose system in the 2010 3 and think it's a step or two above the one in my non-centerpoint 2008 MS3. Better clarity and tighter bass. The older system was a bit too boomy and a littel vague in the mids and highs.

Keep in mind that centerpoint only works well with certain types of music. It's almost like a tone control in that is creates a phantom center channel to anchor vocals, only problem is that certain frequencies/sweetening don't work well with it; e.g. vocal reverb or acoustic reverb really throws it for a loop.

FYI, both the 5 and 4 door have the subwoofer that is integrated into the spare tire, rather than the waveguide under the passenger seat of previous years. I think this is one reason it sounds subjectively better.

Oh and be sure you listen to the system with all tone (bass, treble, mids), fader and balance controls set to flat. A lot of yahoos complain that car systems sound crappy when they set all the tone controls to max...well duh, at that point the limiters and compressors are working to prevent the system from destroying itself. Tone controls are meant for minor boosting to taste, not maxing out.

 

[mazdame3]

I have the 4 door GT with the bose and I think that for a stock audio system, it is more than acceptable. My ear shattering decibal days are long gone, but make no mistake this is a decent sytem that will make your dive enjoyable compared to other stock systems..but when its all said and done bring your ipod or favorite cd to the dealer and let your own ears be the judge

 

[Stavesacre21]

Speaking from the standpoint of a 2010 MS3 with the Bose system, I think it's one of the best BOSE car audio systems i've heard...amoung other Bose systems, that is. The subwoofer seems to do a good job of adding some bass to the system, that being a point which is almost always missing from Bose car audio.

As for the Centerpoint option...junk IMO. The Bose system is OK, but if you get it, leave centerpoint OFF. It turns the overall ambience of the overall car audio into mud.

I think it's a great factory system, however, if you like to shake the windows out of your car and actually know what dynamat is, it probably isn't gonna make you happy.

 

[eacosta13]

Alright... thanks guys i'll go to the dealer and test it when i can.
Thanks for the info..

 

[rodslinger]

..FYI, both the 5 and 4 door have the subwoofer that is integrated into the spare tire,...

I think I noticed the sub on our sedan handing from the rear deck in the center. Was checking it out to see if I could drop in a better speaker.

 

[nguvanh]

Yes, the sub on the center of rear deck.

 

[Stavesacre21]

I think I noticed the sub on our sedan handing from the rear deck in the center. Was checking it out to see if I could drop in a better speaker.

As with most Bose stereos, the problem isn't quality of the speaker, it's power...thus meaning a bigger amp FEEDING the speaker would be the upgrade to go for. Simply changing the woofer isn't going to even make a noticable difference.

 

[spotch]

A friend that had a bose system in his miata said that only a very limited number of speakers could work well with his bose system at the time... he wasn't able to just go to best buy and pick one out and plug it in and go.

 

[Stavesacre21]

That I can believe. In almost any car audio (not only Bose), most people completely bypass the amp and replace every speaker because of the lack of support forbackwards-compatabilty.

It's designed specifically for the components used, hence the reason people usually with either leave them be, or do a complete overhaul. I would highly suggest one or the other myself, as well.

 

[Rushki]

It works great in my car, but as someone said already, some songs will sound weird. I've ran into only a couple out of my vast collection, so i can't complain. Only reason NOT to get it would be if you are going to upgrade to something better yourself later on.

 

[Lord_Zath]

I keep centerpoint off as well. Haven't found it to really help much.

One question regarding the sub - I really wish it would be more powerful. My p5's spare tire sub had a knob on it that you could use to change the power of the sub. That combined with an Alpine headunit really helps hit lows. I'm not getting that in the 3. Mind you, I'm not about to go rip out the headunit on the 3, but I would like to know if there is such a knob on the Bose sub. I looked but couldn't see one in plain sight...