Help save my car's audio system...

[earwicker7]

Just got a 2009 Nissan 370Z. Overall, it's a fun car, but the stereo is a little troubling. I got the maxed-out version, which comes standard with... wait for it... a Bose system!

As with all things Bose, it's not so much that it's horrible, it's just not what you'd expect in a fairly expensive car (although I'm sure most non-audiophiles see it as a selling point... "It's Bose, man! It's the best!"). To say it's not neutral is putting it mildly. I know this is kind of endemic to stock car stereos, but I remember once seeing an ad for something that claimed to remedy this. You place a box between the stereo and the amplifier, then pop in a CD that does a 20-20kHz sweep; the box detects whatever crappy equalization curve the stock stereo has (marketing execs tend to tell the engineers to make it "boomy") and digitally alters it so that you have a more neutral signal. It is very similar to room-correction software.

The problem is that I can't find the catalog which had the ad. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

 

[Uncle Erik]

I have no idea, but I'll admit to leaving the crappy, badly equalized Pioneer system in my car alone. It was tempting to tear it all out and put in something better, but I mostly listen to NPR behind the wheel, so I decided to let it alone and put the money into the home rig. Besides, no one will steal it.

Anyhow, congrats on the new wheels and I hope you find some solution you can live with.

 

[earwicker7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have no idea, but I'll admit to leaving the crappy, badly equalized Pioneer system in my car alone. It was tempting to tear it all out and put in something better, but I mostly listen to NPR behind the wheel, so I decided to let it alone and put the money into the home rig. Besides, no one will steal it. Anyhow, congrats on the new wheels and I hope you find some solution you can live with.

Actually, the whole point of this system was to not rip your stereo out... it's specifically designed to use the stock stereo. You just need to add amps (which can be tucked away almost anywhere).

You make a REALLY good point however, as 90% of my listening is talk radio. I'm probably just listening to music now to see what it can do.

 

[gotchaforce]

JL Audio CL441dsp CleanSweep® Sound processor for use when adding amps and speakers to a factory system at Crutchfield.com

 

[earwicker7]

B-I-N-G-O

Thanks! That's definitely what I was talking about. I actually put a few more miles on the car today, and the sound may not be as bad as I originally thought... I may have had an "Oh no it's Bose!" reaction and prejudged it. Don't get me wrong, it ain't audiophile by a long margin, but I think I'll give it a few weeks to burn in and see if it gets better. If not, this thing is next on the list.

On a happier note, if anyone is considering the 370Z, I can give it an enthusiastic thumbs up. I haven't owned a sports car since the 1971 911 I had as a teenager (I sold it in 1990), so this has been a great experience for me. The old Porsche had no frills whatsoever; the Nissan is pretty packed to the gills (or a sports car) when you get the touring package. The reaction at work was priceless... my boss (at my fairly low-paying job, where I religiously drove some version of a Ford Focus until yesterday) said "Are you dealing drugs now?"

 

[mrarroyo]

First of a car is noisy by nature, more so sports car with the throaty intake and exhaust. By the time you are north of 70 mph the wind noise kicks in and it makes for even more noise. So, my point is that it is not worth spending a lot of money to change what you already have in the Nissan.

If you had a car which was able to cruise with interior sound pressure levels below 68 dBs then it might make sense. BTW, the Bose system in cars is not bad sounding. Just my opinion.

 

[mark2410]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif First of a car is noisy by nature, more so sports car with the throaty intake and exhaust. By the time you are north of 70 mph the wind noise kicks in and it makes for even more noise. So, my point is that it is not worth spending a lot of money to change what you already have in the Nissan. If you had a car which was able to cruise with interior sound pressure levels below 68 dBs then it might make sense. BTW, the Bose system in cars is not bad sounding. Just my opinion.

^x2

unless the car is super quiet inside like rolls royce or maybach levels of quiet then to me it would feel a bit pointless.

unless you really hate how the current set up sounds

 

[spacemanspliff]

Something I am playing with is building a big boom box w/ 2 12" and component separates by Precision Power. Really decent speakers. I was thinking build it all together and bolt a decent amp or two on it. Then rig some portable source like my Sanza fuze + portable amp if needed, to run it. I had this in my old Integra. I had a mini jack I could just plug my system into. An iMod sounds pretty damn nice guys.

 

[earwicker7]

Surprisingly, it's fairly quiet inside... actually quieter than the old Focus (that may have had something to do with the Focus being made out of tinfoil). I'm reading the owner's manual and it gleefully tells me that (slight paraphrase, it's not in the room) "Autoloudness is automatically engaged to boost the low and high frequencies." There appears to be no way to turn the feature off. Thanks, Bose! Most music lies in the midrange, and you've chosen to de-emphasize that in order to get mouth-breathers to say "Lookit dat, them speakers shure do go boom, and I ken hear that there trebly stuff from across the lot!"

 

[spacemanspliff]

Bose = empty sound.

DIY Mobile Audio - Technical, Advanced & Informative

 

[Listen2this1]

I have used this one in a car and loved it, Rockford Fosgate® - 3SIXTY.1

 

[Happy Camper]

You obviously haven't burned it in yet. 2-400 hours with pink noise at two thirds volume.

I understand your desire to react to the name. We are conditioned that way around here. I did the sound package with every car I've bought (that had the option) and have been pretty disappointed with them over the long run. But then look at the environment. What are the weaknesses in your opinion?

Have you had the chance to see what the Z can do on some interesting roads? I bet the thing can handle as well as the Cayman.

Nice scooter for sure. Pics?

 

[dharma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by earwicker7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just got a 2009 Nissan 370Z.

But car is super very good choice (close to God-zilla - Nissan GT-R)

 

[earwicker7]

I haven't gone super crazy on the driving part yet... I'm a firm believer in motor burn-in, so it ain't going above 4000rpm until it's over 1200 miles (that's the number Nissan recommends). I probably won't do much over 80mph; I'm more of an acceleration person, so it will most definitely get floored from a few stoplights. From what I can tell so far, the handling is awesome, the brakes in particular... I've almost been rear-ended a few times because of how quickly it stops.

 

[zeroibis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Listen2this1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have used this one in a car and loved it, Rockford Fosgate® - 3SIXTY.1

My entire car audio system is from them except for the alpine headunit.