i went from an s2000 with aftermarket H/U to a 2005 G35x with bose sound system and it is SOOO much better. But that might just be because I can now actually hear the music rather than wind, engine, and exhaust noise surrounding me. Just might be.

 

Worth it to those who already have it installed.... for the lot of the rest of us, we've somehow managed to remain in the 21st century w/o it and live to tell the story. I'd rather invest (even tho the economy sucks).

 

Bought a used G, and the only thing I don't like about the car is the Bose. In fact I Hate the Bose (Clarion). It ate a CD a year ago and still hasn't spit it out! Dealers want $500 or something like that to replace. I remember 20 years ago talking with a stereo specialist and he mentioned how Bose is great at marketing inferior products. I have to believe that comment since they are still around.

The only reason why I haven't upgraded the Bose, is that a stereo won't make my car go faster. But maybe it would have been cheaper to upgrade the stereo instead making my car faster so I wouldn't have to listen to the bose...

 

Not a fan of the Bose stereo.

The 6-disk Mach 460 system in my Mustang that I traded in for my G sounded much better. It was 500 watts and 8 speakers in a small little coupe. The Bose is 7 speakers and ~250 watts?

It sounds okay, but my first impressions were "This is supposed to be Bose?"

 

The Bose sounds OK, but is poor quality. My head unit, as well as many others it appears, crapped out. I am replacing with a double din... which is relatively expensive and more of a pain than it should be. Avoid the Bose if possible, but as stated previously, it shouldn't be the deal maker/breaker.

 

I'm curious. What does the center console area look like with the OEM bose setup removed and a Double Din setup installed?

I've never liked the look of aftermarket stereos unless they can be made to look OEM, so i'm curious how it would look.

I also have factory NAV. Could i even replace the Bose?

 

You can get JDM kit (which looks better) or an aftermarket kit that replaces the area of your dash that your stereo sets in. I personally have the aftermarket one (Metra) and it looks nice EXCEPT cheap looking buttons for the climate control. You can both kits on Ebay. You can get the JDM kits from Grubbs or Riverside Infiniti.

 

You can get the Clarion HU fixed for under 200$ through Clarion
and buy some good front components and drive them with a
good 2 channel amp and its good to go, it worked for me anyway.

GBoy

 

Do the factory Bose systems come equipped for SAT Radio? I have an '05 with the factory Bose system but cannot tell if the system has the guts for satellite radio. If it does, then I guess all I need is the little shark fin on my roof but does that have to be wired to something or does it pick up the signal to my system without wires?

 

Probably 85% of Gs come with Bose system. Does it increase value at resale time? Probably not. Just like Mark Levinson systems don't increase resale values in Lexuses very much. Nor do Logic7 systems in BMWs.

Car stereos have to contend with internal car noises and ambient (road or environment) noises. So they will never sound as good as systems designed for more controlled listening environments such as homes.

Does you home sound system include:

1) Wilson Audio, Klipschorns or Dynaudio floor standing home speakers?

2) At least Mark Levinson/ McIntosh solid state if not Classe Audio Tube Amplification?

3) Conrad Johnson tube pre-amplification?

4) An AR - turntable with a Sumiko tonearm and stylus to play LPs that were digitally recorded and mastered as your source?

If not, and especially if you are listening to music in MP3 or other compressed formats, whether you have Bose or non-Bose will not matter so much.

 

From 1 audiophile to another...

You WILL notice a difference. The BOSE system is a lousy excuse for a "premium" system.

And for your enjoyment my (very) basic home theater setup consists of DefTech mythos 7: Center, floor-standers, sub, and rear surrounds, Denon receiver (model # escapes me at the moment), and a 52" Samsung 700 series with the TOC surround It sounds JUST fine for me.

Now, my CAR audio system, which needs to be all put together, will be DynAudio Esotars...

 

I have the Bose system with a SAT button on the head unit but the car is not pre-wired for SAT radio. To determine if your car is pre-wired for SAT, you need to look at your VIN number:

If you have a 2003 sedan and the last 6 digits of your VIN are 321894 or higher, you are pre-wired for SAT. All 2004-05 sedans are pre-wired for SAT.

 

I didn't intend to imply that someone with a good ear, particularly musically trained, would not notice the difference between the Clarion/ Bose system and some other premium systems such as the current Infiniti Bose Studio on Wheels, BMW Logic-7 BMW or Lexus Mark Levinson. Then, again, those cars have far different interior acoustic characteristics from the G35. And the manufacturers charge from least $1500 to $4000 for those systems. Don't forget that the Bose system for the G35 was designed in 2001. You cannot reasonably expect 2008 level OEM audio system for a car whose OEM system was designed in 2001.

I merely suggested that I doubt that for most G35 buyers the deciding factor in deciding to purchase is whether it has the Bose system, particularly since most cars produced came with it. Whether a G35 has Bose, non-Bose, or an esoteric aftermarket (for car audio) system, in reality will not increase the value of the car.

If it doesn't satisfy you, yes then by all means upgrade the Bose system.

 

I love the Bose.

I've never been an audiophile, but I like a decent sounding system. I've also never been an aftermarket sound system type. So, for a stock audio system, it's the best I've heard and suits my needs just fine.

 

Fun thread.

Sound: When I was younger, it wouldn't matter because it was just getting replaced with an aftermarket system anyways. Since then, I just keep what comes with the system. If getting the base or the premium, I would go with the premium. But I will also completely agree the comment about the highs just being missed with the bose system. I have the treble cranked and it makes me want to lower the bass more to pretend I am getting more high and mid.

The intelligent key: When I first bought a car with remote keyless entry, I knew it was a feature I could NEVER lose. It was fine opening the door before then, but once I had it, there was no going back. I have had the intelligent key for about 12 days. I like it. It is convenient. I could do without it easier than the remote keyless entry, but it is cool. I like just walking up to my car, pushing the button next to the handle and opening the door. I never pull my key from my pocket. Also, with the premium package and setting up the seat memory, just sitting in the car, it knows to set to your settings (after you set that to synch with the fab). Now, I don't really let anyone else drive it yet either (although it is being washed right now and they will move the seat closer). But when I get it back (and they have moved it), just getting in the car with my intelligent key will put my seat back to how I always have it, which always had me second guessing it before if I have put it back just right.

As is the way I treat electronics, unless you plan to upgrade every year, get the best you can today so you won't be so antsy to upgrade so soon and/or suffer buyers remorse (Like buyers remorse can be avoided).

Fun side game: I finally upgraded my Denon 3200 last year to the Onkyo TX-NR905 (I wanted the video capabilities also). I run a Samsung 61 inch DLP, with NHT speakers (7.1), Toshiba HD/DVD (should have won) and Pioneer BDP-51FD BluRay. It really is for movies. See you at the AVS forums, too.

Dave