We don't follow. We innovate

We don't follow. We innovate

Wednesday 15 July 2015

BOSE system in Mazda CX5

When the CBU Mazda CX5 was launched in Malaysia, its Bose sound system was a key selling feature but unfortunately, I have come across a test review providing insightful info on the sound reproduction of this system. Is it good or bad or is it merely a "brand" thing?

Unlike other reviews that ramble endlessly leaving you with thinking "huh, so what?", I'll cut to the chase here.

1.  The BOSE system is not a sales gimmick relying on a premium brandname.
It performs brilliantly. You are not conned.

2. In any new non-Conti vehicles below RM150K, there are no competing OEM sound systems that are on par with this Bose system.

3. What makes it a cut above the rest?
Soundstaging: From the driver's seat, and in layman's terms, all the "sound" comes only from ABOVE the dashboard, spanning widely from extreme left to right of the windscreen.
Imaging: From the driver's seat, with your eyes closed, you can "see"/hear very clearly the singer's face/head appearing directly in front of you, plastered on the windscreen. From my experience, the only other system that can perform at this level is in the BMW F10 528i MSport.

In other OEM systems, you'll feel that the "sound" is coming from 360degrees around you.
On the CBU CX5 with the Bose system, its all plastered on the windscreen in front of you.
Nevertheless, its not fair and not realistic to compare it to an aftermarket high-end system. We're strictly talking about OEM vs OEM here.

In a nutshell, very few OEM sound system can generate a respectable soundstage and imaging.
The Bose system definitely can.


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