Is the upgraded Bose system worth it? Is it that much better than the standard issue to justify the added cost? Or is it better to buy the Enthusiast and install an after market?

 

i believe you will get a 99.99% response of BOSE SUCKS!!!! I'm in a similar position as well as a few others here...we want leather but don't want to pay more for the bose...Aftermarket systems will kill the bose...even if you just upgrade the HU...so it's not worth it imo...at least not just for the stereo

 

+1 Bose sucks. Don't waste the money, get an aftermarket system.

 

I own a Touring Roadster and my brother owns a Enthusiast Roadster, trust me its worth getting the Touring. The Bose has a subwoofer behind the driver seat and makes all the difference in the world between the two.

Im happy enough with my Bose that I don't feel I need to put a aftermarket stereo. My brother on the other hand is shopping to replace his, mainly because at highway speeds with the top down all you hear is the highs, its not very enjoyable... I can drive a 90 mph with top down and the bose plays plenty loud enough...

Plus the seats are better with the Touring then the Enthusiast.

IMO the extra $2k to go with the touring is worth it...

And as long as you don't expect to have a sound system that sets off car alarms as you drive down the street, you should be happy with the bose.

Best thing to do is take one of your Favorite CD's and go to the dealership and play the CD on both systems...

 

Bose blows.






That one is my favorite.

 

I don't think it blows enough to justify dumping another 2k-3k in just a stereo system that someone will probably break in and steal... With the stock system you can park your car with the top down and not worry about someone stealing yoru stereo

But it might be my age to... When I was younger I dumped thousands of dollars into stereo systems... Now that Im older I just don't see the point long as you have a decent stereo system, which the bose is.

Not to mention trying to get somoene to install a new stereo system without jacking up your wiring or having to listen to your engine rev thru your speakers or after the installers tear your car apart and put it back togeather you end up with several new rattles...

Bottom line is if you buy the Enthusiast your definatly going to have to upgrade the stereo, with the Touring (bose) you might like it... I would definatly give it a try at the dealership...

 

Just to add my 2 cents. I had an '03 enthusiast with the base stereo (non Bose). It was terrible, and within 3 months i installed a Kenwood setup. I ended up not pulling my Kenwood setup when i traded. It was a decent system, with a nice Rockford Phosgate AMP and two 8" subs below the strut bar.

My '06 Roadster has the Bose system. One of my first thoughts was would i be able to live with the Bose system compared to the Kenwood...

For the way I listen to music, i would say the '06 Bose is 80% as good as my Kenwood. No, i can't make internal body parts shake with the Bose system like the Kenwood, but it's plenty loud enough. The bass is where the system lacks for me, but it's definately workable. I added the PAC-NIS adapter with two aux inputs, so i can have loads of MP3s on an external device. I am happy with my setup (for now!).

 

imo i think the bose 6cd/mp3 compatible changer is sufficient for the average person. i've had experiences with aftermarket (alpine) headunits, i'm fairly satisfied with it's performance as a stock system... trust me i would want to modify my sound system in my zr... but rather keep it stock for awhile for car value purposes. i don't see why people hate on it soo much. maybe that group just understands what sound quality meant... i'm debating on putting my JL W7 in the trunk... leaving no space left...

 

If you really need good sound, id say go aftermarket. For normal use, the bose is more than fine and doesn't take up as much room as an aftermarket, looks nicer too.

 

I like the Bose system. The sound is fine. Of course, my hearing has been degraded somewhat by years of motorcycle riding.

Ken

 

I'm 20, had a fully upgraded system in my last car, and i am perfectly content with the bose system in my touring roadster. The sub is placed perfectly behind the drivers seat, and is plenty loud enough. Unlike most other people on here, this 20 year old is for the bose.

 

I am more than satisified with the Bose in my ZR. I can cruise top down and hear nothing but my music - all outside sound is gone - just stereo, and it is plenty clear and loud enough for me. I echo concerns about having the interior pulled apart and put back together.
But the real joy comes from no stereo at all...just listening to the amazing sound of the car. Having been in both coupe and soft tops, the soft really does all for a more enjoyable exhaust note, and that, in my opinion is the best sound of all!

 

The Bose isn't great, but I think it's a must have on the roadster unless you plan on upgrading. My buddy has an S2k and its stock stereo is WORTHLESS with the top down. I assume this is the case with the non-Bose. I find the Bose gets plenty loud and has decent dynamics.

My front left Bose speaker is going in and out though so I'm going to see if the dealer can fix it.

 

I had the stock radio on my enthusiast and upgraded to a Premier DEH-P8MP MP3 deck. The difference is night and day. My neighbor buddy has an OEM Bose on his G35C and my headunit alone with the stock speakers blow away his OEM Bose setup. All you need to do is upgrade the HU on an enthusiast model Z and you'll be happy.

How is this a valid statement when all the seats have the same fill material. the only difference is the cloth vs. leather.

 

bose = better off with something else

+1 on the headunit,

if you have a non bose system and you alot better sound without sending thousands.

get yourself a decent headunit with mp3 capability. ~ $150 or a bit more
get a under the strut box ~ $100
get a decent sub ~ $100 or less
get a decent amp for the sub ~ $100 or more

for less then $500 you can have a system that hits a lot better then the bose pos sub, better headunit and better mids and highs. the stock clarions are decent speakers with a good headunit. i got a eclispe headunit and installed it and the difference night and day with it alone. but this did lead me to getting focal components, jl sub and amp etc, etc.

 

My butt makes it valid

I drive my Touring Roadster (given it has netted seats) 2 hrs to my parents beach house and im able to get out of the car feeling pretty good, when I drive my brothers roadster (enthusiast) on the same trip I get out extreamly stiff and a little sore, especially the tail bone.

 

If you do the install yourself, otherwise figure another $200-$300 for a shop to install it.

 

The Bose is certainly not great, but it is decent enough. I believe it depends on the type of music you plan on playing, because I find some things sound really good on it while others don't.

 

Are you talking about the brunt orange leather seats with the netting for the roadster? If you are then yes there is a real difference. but the solid leather seats all have the same fill as the cloth.

Oh yeah people upgrade your Bose to an aftermarket HU.

 

I would suggest that you invest $360 in the JL Audio cleansweep 441-dsp interface for your OEM upgraded bose system with the subwoofer. You will get a dsp analyzed equalization over 30 channels. This will be a vast improvement over the stock Bose and leave you with another channel for ipod,dvd,or satellite radio. With this system there is no pull out, rewire, troubleshooting. Just hook the cable feeds as instructed and the factory harness, plug in a cd for analysis and you are set. Professional installation $300