New owner

[yrwei52]

So 2016 CX5 has paper speakers while the 2016 Mazda6 and Mazda3 has better speakers? Why would Mazda do that to the 2016 CX5s with the Bose systems?

Bose system on new Mazda6, CX-9 and older Mazda3 have additional woofers or sub-woofer. I saw people on this forum had found out CX-5 uses cheap paper-cone speakers. I even saw a claim that he only found 7 speakers instead of 9 when ripped it all out on his 2016 CX-5! I actually suspect Mazda uses paper-cone speakers on Bose system for all models which will have worse sound quality and are not suitable for the extreme environment in automobiles.

 

[IBJammin]

I found this press release on Bose's site about the Mazda6. https://globalpressroom.bose.com/us-en/pressrelease/view/44 If it is accurate they use 11 speakers in the 6. My CX-5 appears to have a similar setup except the 1" tweeters are missing.

This seems about right. A couple of well placed tweeters would go a long way in this design. Also for some reason the term "twiddler" is cracking me up.

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

 

[yrwei52]

I found this press release on Bose's site about the Mazda6. https://globalpressroom.bose.com/us-en/pressrelease/view/44 If it is accurate they use 11 speakers in the 6. My CX-5 appears to have a similar setup except the 1" tweeters are missing.

This seems about right. A couple of well placed tweeters would go a long way in this design. Also for some reason the term "twiddler" is cracking me up.

Nice find for Mazda6 Bose system link. People had paid attention to Mazda Bose premium sound system before purchase will be easily to have "CX-5 appears to have a similar setup" assumption like I did. But no, they're different!

"Customized Speaker Layout for the 2014 Mazda6
Innovative speaker design and placement complete the sound system in the new Mazda6. A pair of 9-inch (23cm) Nd woofers -- one in each front door -- delivers deep, low-frequency output from a package much slimmer than conventional speakers. This makes it possible to position the woofers unobtrusively into tight but acoustically advantageous spaces, without sacrificing performance.
A 3.25-inch (8cm) mid-range Twiddler in the middle of the instrument panel helps produce a clear and centered sound image, while two additional Twiddlers on either side provide tonal balance. High notes are delivered by 1-inch (2.5cm) tweeters located in the instrument panel, and wide-range sound is produced by 5.25-inch (13.5cm) speakers placed in each rear door. A pair of 2.5-inch (6cm) Twiddlers positioned on the rear deck completes the system layout."

CX-5 has the maximum size of 8" speakers in front doors. The front center speaker appears to be at least 5.25" instead of 3.25". And there is no tweeters at front. On Mazda6, all 3 front channel speakers are the same size - 3.25". The 5.25" front center speaker on CX-5 is larger than 3.25" speakers for front left and right channels which may cause the stronger front center sound and disturb tonal balance where many people don't like.

I guess Twiddler means dual purpose twitter/mid-range speaker. Multi-purpose normally means every function is average, can't make it too good one way or the other!

 

[MikeM.]

People had paid attention to Mazda Bose premium sound system before purchase will be easily to have "CX-5 appears to have a similar setup" assumption like I did.

You know what they say about ASS-U-ME! (hand)


The Mazda 3 Bose Centerpoint is advertised with the same number of speakers as the CX-5 (9).

Every car is different and has different acoustics based upon cabin shape/dimensions. Even though a sedan is better acoustically than a CUV, I've seen plenty of complaints on Mazda 6 forums about Bose Centerpoint. Corvette owners seem particularly unhappy with Bose Centerpoint. I had a friend spend $4,500 on a custom install in his Corvette back in the 1980's (a huge amount of money at the time). He kept taking it back to get different tweeters, different placement, etc. until it was as good as it was going to get. It had amazing volume, soaring highs, deep, clean bass and nice mid-range but it never sounded very balanced to me.

A factory installed stereo, in a car, is never going to be that good.

The solution is simple - Try before you buy.

 

[brillo54]

The front center speaker appears to be at least 5.25" instead of 3.25". And there is no tweeters at front. On Mazda6, all 3 front channel speakers are the same size - 3.25". The 5.25" front center speaker on CX-5 is larger than 3.25" speakers for front left and right channels which may cause the stronger front center sound and disturb tonal balance where many people don't like.

Actually, even though the grill in the center of the dash is approx. 6" x 9" I have stood on the door sill and looked over and down on this speaker and there is only a 3.25" speaker under all that grill! Surprise! The two corner speakers appear have tweeters in the center (thus Twiddlers) while I can't see a tweeter on the center speaker (so it appears to be mid-range only). Please note I said similar, not identical.

I've been working on a longer post that addresses other aspects of the Bose system but I wonder I should post it here and complete the hi-jacking of this tread (sorry OP!) or should I just start a new post over in the Audio Sub-Forum. Thoughts?

 

[MikeM.]

I wonder I should post it here and complete the hi-jacking of this tread (sorry OP!) or should I just start a new post over in the Audio Sub-Forum. Thoughts?

That's like these firemen asking "I wonder if we should use the Jaws of Life and finish totaling his car or try to get him out using less destructive means"!

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

OP isn't even in the convo anymore lol, probably like "how did this turn into a 5 page pissing contest". Wonder how many enthusiasts and potential enthusiast are turned off by this constant s*** filling up each thread.

 

[MikeM.]

OP isn't even in the convo anymore lol, probably like "how did this turn into a 5 page pissing contest".

LOL! True! I bet he regrets even mentioning his new car had a Bose System in it! It's never fun to hear someone tell you your new ride has a crap stereo and they were cheated.

 

[brillo54]

OK
I get it.
I'll stfu.
Peace.

 

[jjp735i]

LOL! True! I bet he regrets even mentioning his new car had a Bose System in it! It's never fun to hear someone tell you your new ride has a crap stereo and they were cheated.

lol, i knew going into it that the Bose system is just ok, I bought the GT because I wanted leather seats. I had some drive time over the weekend and I can deal with the system. Like I said from the very beginning, Bose is all marketing and has never been a top stereo in my book. I'm not sure why you can turn the center channel off, but yet it's still on but lower. Goofy system, but that is Bose.

Still happy with my purchase. When the sales guy said it has a Bose system and you know how good that is, I just laughed and said you don't know stereo's very well do you. He was young. I let him check out the logic 7 system in the 545i and that really changed his opinion on Bose. Still a good guy, just ill informed.

 

[dergibog]

Nevermind.

 

[MikeM.]

Still happy with my purchase. When the sales guy said it has a Bose system and you know how good that is, I just laughed and said you don't know stereo's very well do you.

I would have liked to see the look on his face when you said that!

Always good to educate the sales people, they can generally use it. Congrats on your new car!