Centerpoint feature in Bose audio system

[TK96822]

First...Happy New Year All!

Wondering how others with this system feel about the Centerpoint option.

The source of my music is exclusively my iPhone 5...either directly...or streaming Pandora.
I tend to have the volume up while I'm driving...generally at 31-51.
When the Centerpoint option is enabled...it sort of sounds like someone's screaming in my face.
I hear very little separation. So to compensate...I fade the center 2-3 positions to the rear.
With the option disabled...I hear better separation and get a more spacious feel.

I fully expect that opinions will run the spectrum...and I know that an original CD would be the best source to begin with...
I'm just wondering how others feel about the system and this option. Am I not using it to it's fullest
potential by keeping this option disabled? Does it just boil down to preference?

 

[johnhus]

Our experience was similar - very little separation. So we just turned off Centerpoint in the setup menu. Much better sound without.

 

[SmurfaceWarfare]

I tried to use it but I switched back after a song or two. I don't remember about the separation of the music. I just didn't like the sound in my face like that. Bose has always had these little gimmicks with their systems. I remember an old Corvette I had used an option to make the sound more balanced but it only worked for the driver, to the passenger it sounded unclear.

 

[dasayheykid]

I tried it out when I for got the truck back in March, but I found with Centerpoint on, bass is a bit flat. Been driving with it off since then.

 

[davidhbrown]

I notice there's a large speaker grille right in the center of the top of dash. The manual talks about Centerpoint being their "surround" mode. I suspect that it's collapsing a lot of the audio into this center speaker, much like a home theater would. Great for dialog; lousy for music. I've turned it off, too.

 

[nizzy1115]

I think it attempts to put the vocals in the center channel speaker and remove them from the l/r speakers. I liked it in my mazda3 after getting used to it, but i dont have it in my cx5 to compare

 

[Tabais]

In my car the center point feature is greyed out. Can't seem to find a way to turn it on


After actually reading the manual I see its disabled for the radio

 

[nizzy1115]

Basically it needs a good quality source to begin with and then it is able to function.

 

[sxa]

So is the Centerpoint the big selling feature for the Bose? It sounds like generally speaking if I am streaming music from my phone I may not want to use it, if it is the selling point for the Bose then I might not want to spend the extra money for the option.

 

[gogoputter]

just got my cx-5...did your polk speakers need to be adapted in any way? Did they fit without having to modify the speaker openings? I know that I will want to change out these speakers but I don't necessarily want to enlarge or modify the present speaker openings. Thanks