CX-5 Bose Sound System

[stromdriver]

Centerpoint is only for high quality music. For any music with compression, like mp3, it should be turned off.

so its pretty much worthless then since mp3s are compressed, as are cds, and radio quality isn't exactly that great

 

[prhac]

so its pretty much worthless then since mp3s are compressed, as are cds, and radio quality isn't exactly that great

I think CDs should be OK if original (or copied with crtain formats) as their format isn't as compressed or maybe lossless compressed. Mp3 is compressed and is lossy so data is lost.

I have a Mazda 3 with Bose (though an older version than the CX5) and I can tell the difference when Centerpoint is applied to mp3 or similar. But I often forget to set it on or off for different situations.

 

[mwilliams3337]

Just got my CX5-GT with the Bose system. It sounds fantastic.. Maybe this might help you guys: http://www.bose.co.uk/GB/en/Images/Mazda_CX5_en_tcm6-67016.pdf

 

[xwedge]

Does anyone know if you could swap out the bose front door woofers for midrange speakers? Or is the sound going to the woofers low-pass crossovered specifically for bass?

 

[sixspeed]

Installing a subwoofer

there is no sub with the bose, i went to a local audio shop and they wanted 300 to just design and install a box in the left hand rear 'pocket' not including an 8" driver and amp and associated wiring....

I installed a Kicker Hideaway under the passenger front seat which has a small footprint, great sound, and fits well out if sight. Costs about 300. Check the posts in the audio section for other solutions.

 

[stromdriver]

I installed a Kicker Hideaway under the passenger front seat which has a small footprint, great sound, and fits well out if sight. Costs about 300. Check the posts in the audio section for other solutions.

yeah i saw that awhile ago, i posted a question about how did you mount it around the hvac ducts there

 

[MsMeow]

I am looking at a 2013 Mazda3, 5dr. Does the Bose system include RBDS, or do you have to get the "i Grand" model in order to have RBDS?

Really just want the basic Touring model & add on the Bose, but would upgrade to the i-Grand model it that is the only way to get the RBDS.

 

[CX-5-2013]

I'm interested in adding a subwoofer to my CX5 Bose. If anyone has already done this, please share.
dj

I am looking into a small 8" 125 watts woofer package . Since I have the Bose system I am concerned that the two rear speaker(They are tied together as a single Channel (No right or left)) will have the bass filtered out.
The Bose system may divide the frequency ranges between the speakers that can handle them the best (Front Doors-Low frequency, Dash speakers-Mid Range, the rear speakers are very small so they may not have any low frequency's being sent to them since they cannot produce this range of sound.
I was going to place the combination behind the rear seats on the side of the cargo area.

I considered on the spare Tire but this might kill the sound since the cover is pretty thick.
Under the front seat is a possibility I think but I would rather of the bass to the rear.

 

[V8toilet]

I worked for a year in the Bose R&D facility. All I can say is its incredible what they can do with small speakers these days. Bose spends a ton of money on Research and Development with engineers right here in the good old USA so their prices do reflect that.

 

[xwedge]

I worked for a year in the Bose R&D facility. All I can say is its incredible what they can do with small speakers these days. Bose spends a ton of money on Research and Development with engineers right here in the good old USA so their prices do reflect that.

Question for you V8Toilet. Do you know if the signal to the rear speakers are high pass filtered at the amp? Seems that is the question CX5-2013 is trying to ask.

 

[BoneKrusher]

Does anyone know where I can tap for preamp (low-level) output at the Bose amp??

This would be to add an amp and subwoofer. Thanks

 

[icarlos]

The Bose on my wife's 2011 CX-9 is mediocre.

 

[Evan55]

mediocre is being generous.

"no highs, no lows, must be bose"

the midrange "dimension" system in the santa fe i test drove was noticeably better

 

[b_scott]

The front door speaker grills say 'Bose' on them so I assume I have the Bose system on my GT..

I'm no sound expert, but the sound is definitely clearer. I can hear the different instruments coming from the different areas. What I find disappointing is that I can't seem to adjust the fader to balance the front and rear to my liking. I like to have a decent amount of the music coming from the rear so I'm surrounded by it. Also, I can't turn up the bass enough. I don't want the whole car shaking as I roll down the street, but I'd like a bit more bass.

Any suggestions? Other than getting a subwoofer?

I noticed this too. Seems like it sounds like it's all coming from the dashboard, even with the balance set on middle.

 

[SayNoToPistons]

It is supposed to be biased to the front, as with any sound system, or even performance...

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-60sDXWfnPIH/learn/learningcenter/car/speakers_imaging_soundstage.html

This isn't a multi-channel system that specifically uses each rear channel to have a certain differentiated sound outputs like a theater.

 

[gova]

As a sound engineer, I'd like to chime in on the quality of the CX5 Bose system. I took an extended listen at the dealer with "Off the Wall" by Michael Jackson and "Ten Summoner's Tales" by Sting. From my past experience, Infinity, Polk, and Alpine have the edge. I have a custom Infinity Reference system in my current car, and it sounds tight, transparent, and balanced. I was skeptical of Bose, because they notoriously use their name to overvalue the actual quality of their product.

This was not exactly the case with the CX5 Bose system. It sounded good, with a sound that really filled the cabin evenly and was well articulated. In my mind, it scored something like a "B-". I believe that for the meager price increase ($600 or so), the system is definitely worth it. You could easily spend $600 on a (marginally) better aftermarket install, but only if you bought speakers on eBay and did the install yourself. When you factor in the time, effort, margin for error, and decreased resale value, it really makes sense to go with the the factory Bose system - especially if you're also in the market for a moonroof.

The audio controls were not very robust. Basically, you get volume, pan (left to right), fade (front to rear), bass, treble, and Centerpoint. From my understanding, the Centerpoint system essentially adds short digital time delays and small volume adjustments to each speaker, resulting in the sound from all 9 (?) speakers arriving at the driver's ears simultaneously, thus "centering" the perceived sound at the driver position. This seemed to work fairly well, but aftermarket headunits allow for greater fine-tuning in this department.

I don't believe the CX5 has the trunk-mounted subwoofer that is included with the Mazda 3. At least I couldn't hear anything that sounded like a sub or had as much bass as the Mazda 3 Bose system did. I was also disappointed at the lack of a "mid" EQ adjustment, as I found it difficult to use only treble and bass to adjust.

All in all however, I'm sure that even critical listeners would be impressed enough to find value in the Bose package. The treble was distinctly clear - something you would expect from a good custom system. The sub frequencies lacked, and the high-mids were a bit prevalent and thus harsh. The speakers sounded tight, hinting that the speaker cones are at least not made of paper.

Great to know your point of view!

What would you buy if you were to replicate or improve this system with custom setup upgrading from stock non-bose system?

 

[atitus]

I noticed this too. Seems like it sounds like it's all coming from the dashboard, even with the balance set on middle.

make sure the "centerpoint" feature is NOT turned on.

 

[b_scott]

make sure the "centerpoint" feature is NOT turned on.

Actually I've been only using Bluetooth so centerpoint isn't even available. Once I started to turn the volume up more it filled out some.

The ALC thing still doesn't do much. I wish it was more like the AVLS system on some older stereos - volume up with speed up, volume down with speed down.

 

[RedBaron]

Actually I've been only using Bluetooth so centerpoint isn't even available. Once I started to turn the volume up more it filled out some.

The ALC thing still doesn't do much. I wish it was more like the AVLS system on some older stereos - volume up with speed up, volume down with speed down.

I don't have the Bose system, but my Touring radio has ALC and adjusts the volume just like you would wish. Maybe the Bose replaces ALC with the AudioPilot (freq adjust) 'feature' and you don't get both?

From the manual:

Automatic Level Control (ALC)
The automatic level control is a feature that automatically adjusts audio volume
and sound quality according to the vehicle speed. The volume increases in
accordance with the increase in vehicle speed, and decreases as vehicle speed
decreases.

AudioPilot 2 *4
AudioPilot 2 automatically adjusts audio volume and sound quality in accordance
with the level of noise entering the vehicle interior while driving. When AudioPilot
2 is turned on, the system automatically calculates the conditions for optimum
hearing of sound which may be difficult to hear depending on exterior noise.

*4 AudioPilot 2 is a registered trademark of Bose Corporation.

 

[b_scott]

hmmmm

*2 Standard audio
*3 Bose Sound System

Looks like the Touring has ALC, and the GT has Audiopilot. That's confusing.