Just a general compliment to the CX-9 Bose stereo

[LawHawk]

So I just test drove a new Highlander with the JBL stereo, and a Santa Fe with the Infiniti stereo, and the Escape with whatever premium stereo it has, and the CX-9 was by far the best. The Bose is just outstanding. I tested it with a bunch of different songs, and all these stereos have the bass, but none of the others has the range and high end that the CX-9 has. I wish it had a midrange adjustment; Santa Fe and Highlander both have that. Still, the Bose stereo just blows the others out of the water. So, nice work Mazda and Bose.

 

[J&J's Dad]

I was really surprised that the CX-9 didn't have an adjustment specific to the sub woofer also. Even my daily commuter Civic Si has three seperate tone adjustments.

 

[mainard1]

its still night and day when you replace the whole system with aftermarket, eventhough its bose the speakers are still paper cones which is very upsetting

 

[LawHawk]

What makes you say it's upsetting? Sound quality? Durability? I cannot imagine spending money to replace/upgrade this system because I think it's so great. Definitely the best car stereo I've ever had. Maybe I just have very low standards. Tell me what gets better if you upgrade it.

 

[HOLOHOLO]

LawHawk, Do you have the non NAV version?

If so, I'm glad you like it, and find it better than others, but the "Bose" in my 2012 Touring is a big step down for me. Even with 11-odd speakers it doesn't come close to the mid priced Pioneer I put in my Avalon. This is one reason why so many folks go through the great difficulty of upgrading their CX-9 sound system.

Specifically, listening to a wide mix of music, the amp suffers a noticeable lack of crispness, presence and warmth. It has poor separation. It's really crippled with no EQ controls, no EQ profiles, and no 5 point controls for most sources. Basic stuff that's been around for ages in far cheaper systems. To me, there's nothing "Bosey" about it.

In short, I get plenty of volume - but no excitement out of this turkey. I won't judge your standards, I just wish I shared your satisfaction.

 

[jk240sx]

It's not too bad in comparison it to other factory systems. But, if I took the money I spent on the factory system and spent it in the aftermarket, the aftermarket system would make the Bose system sound like a clock radio. Just sayin.

 

[LawHawk]

My wife has a 2012 Touring, no nav. Stereo is great there, but only if you connect by aux because the Bluetooth sound quality is inconsistent and really poor at times. I have a 2013 Touring with nav. I am totally satisfied by the sound, even over Bluetooth. It's hard to quantify something like "crispness" or "presence" but I think it sounds good no matter what kind of music I listen to. When I was testing cars I used three very different songs to test: Skrillex (bass), Smashing Pumpkins (rock), and Iron & Wine (acoustic folk). I thought it sounded as good or better than the Hyundai/Infinity and the Highlander/JBL on Skrillex, and far better than those two on the Pumpkins and I&W songs.

 

[HOLOHOLO]

Well said Jerry!

LawHawk, are the 2 units physically different? I wasn't sure.

Do you find additional menu/EQ controls on the 2013?

I never got the impression that the Touring's Bose system was properly "tuned" for the expansive CX-9 interior. I could fix some of that myself if they just turned on all the EQ/separation controls. That's why, for the $$$, I find this amp very frustrating.

I'm not an audiophile, but I feel that a great stereo can make even a "mediocre" car a blast to drive. The opposite is true as well.

 

[LawHawk]

Yes, they're physically different. I don't know if there are more menus but there are no more EQ controls. I don't know what is different about the Bluetooth setup but (a) it sounds better, much better, and (b) you get song titles on the screen. There is also Bluetooth FF/Rewind on the nav screen but it is hard to use so I don't use it.

For my $3,000 (tech package), not only did I get the Bose stereo, but I also got navigation, moonroof, power liftgate, fog lights, and satellite radio. That's $3,000 well spent in my mind. If it's true that you could build a better system for the same money, that's a shame that they didn't. But I consider it a great system, for the money and overall.

I agree that the EQ controls are totally lacking. I wish it would just have midrange; I would be satisfied with that. My biggest complaint with it overall is that it takes me one physical button and a whole bunch of touch screen touches to adjust the bass from high (music) to low (podcast). I would kill for a little knob like all the old OEM systems had. I can't do it while driving which sucks.

EDIT TO ADD: And the tech package also gives you advanced keyless entry, which is super duper duper important to me. I can't believe what a great deal that package is. Best $3,000 in the industry.

 

[HOLOHOLO]

Fortunately, you still have some control of eq on your bluetooth phone or iPod. This helps but doesn't quite do the job. Have to set it all up ahead of time, of course.

 

[Senor Valasco]

Specifically, listening to a wide mix of music, the amp suffers a noticeable lack of crispness, presence and warmth. It has poor separation. It's really crippled with no EQ controls, no EQ profiles, and no 5 point controls for most sources. Basic stuff that's been around for ages in far cheaper systems. To me, there's nothing "Bosey" about it.

I'm not sure what you mean by this comment. You say there's nothing "Bosey" about it, but everything you mention - lack of crispness, presence and warmth is exactly what Bose is all about.

That said, I consider myself an audiophile, and as far as Bose goes this system actually isn't that bad. I don't doubt at all though that you could do a lot better for the same price with an aftermarket. Bose is generally very overpriced and very average. I'll stick with it for now...maybe in the future I'll upgrade. I like having the flexibility of 10 speakers for if I do decide to upgrade.

 

[LawHawk]

I can't believe I didn't know this! Sure enough, there it is. Thanks for the iPhone tip. I wish it had separate settings for the podcasts app... that would completely solve my problem!

 

[HOLOHOLO]

Yer welcome Law.

Senor V., I completely understand your comments about the degradation of the Bose mystique and quality. I was being kind.

Most of their new home stereo systems are marginal sounding and also offer no EQ. The "legendary bose sound" kinda feels flat and underwhelming to me now.

I think I got more inspired by the small cabinet speakers I crammed under the front seats of my 1978 Pinto hatchback, w/ 8-Track! (rockon)

OK, NOW I must sound like a car and audio snob. Good times,..