BOSE Delays

[FElon]

I've installed this in my car along with a matching Match/Audiotec-Fischer sub in the trunk. Lows, highs and clarity significantly improved. Huge upgrade from the standard system which is truly subpar with especially muddy mids and lows, distorting even at mid-volume. Had a professional tune the DSP with mic and soundstage (at least in drivers seat) is pretty decent. This setup does not cut existing cables, it is a plug & play to standard VW Group system and it can be uninstalled without a trace when you want to sell car later. Had dealer confirm this does not void warranty.

Have not compared to Bose, but at least the standard can be upgraded significantly with little effort, although price-wise you are looking at Bose option if you cannot install yourself.

Thanks for the firsthand report! Is the Matchup 7 you used the standard one or the MEC one? For those who may go the Matchup 7 route, I found this thread on a BMW forum by owners who got railroaded into a BMW standard audio setup on a 21 X5. https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?s=d44d530bff089406893ff4d67d8ffce1&t=1830327

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[peraz]

Thanks for the firsthand report! Is the Matchup 7 you used the standard one or the MEC one? For those who may go the Matchup 7 route, I found this thread on a BMW forum by owners who got railroaded into a BMW standard audio setup on a 21 X5. https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?s=d44d530bff089406893ff4d67d8ffce1&t=1830327

You need the one with MEC - this is the adaptor needed:
https://www.audiotec-fischer.de/en/match/adaptors-harnesses/pp-vag-2.6

Getting the amp in place is fairly straight forward, but running cable to trunk (sub) is a little more difficult as you need to take off doors. Also amp is useless (not great) without it properly tuned and there is no default profile for Taycan from Audiotec Fischer / Match like they have with their BMW setups.

 

[Deleted member 6348]

Honestly, between the war in Ukraine and the pandemic supply chain issues, none of it phases me at this point. Life is short and we can’t predict what’s next.

If your biggest stressor is whether or not you’ll be able to get Bose in your Taycan, you’re doing okay.

Honestly, while it is a step up from the base audio, the Bose system is merely adequate. I regret not spec’ing the Burmester for my Taycan. The car is quiet and allows you to truly enjoy the fidelity of a good sound system.

In a 911, the Bose is all you need thanks to the engine and road noise. For a Taycan, splurge for the Burmester, if you can get it.

 

[NuJerzPorsche]

Honestly, between the war in Ukraine and the pandemic supply chain issues, none of it phases me at this point. Life is short and we can’t predict what’s next.

If your biggest stressor is whether or not you’ll be able to get Bose in your Taycan, you’re doing okay.

Honestly, while it is a step up from the base audio, the Bose system is merely adequate. I regret not spec’ing the Burmester for my Taycan. The car is quiet and allows you to truly enjoy the fidelity of a good sound system.

In a 911, the Bose is all you need thanks to the engine and road noise. For a Taycan, splurge for the Burmester, if you can get it.

I mean I understand a little bit but some folks who even wanted the Burmester had to “settle” with the Bose because of the delays with Burmester. Now no Bose.

 

[masmole]

Unlike Burmester, Bose is not an expensive option, especially when bundled with the premium package. Burmester is a splurge, while Bose is a necessity IMO, especially if you've had firsthand experience on just how poorly the base audio system sounds. I'm not an audiophile by any means, but I can at least tell if something sucks, and the base system truly sucks and betrays the otherwise amazing car that the Taycan is. Crappy base audio systems might be tolerable in a GT3 or 911 thanks to it being just a "secondary" sound system to the real engine sounds, but on a Taycan with it's quiet cabin, it actually matters.

 

[DL_AU]

I would have gladly paid for the Bose upgrade… but I preferred the sound of the ‘base’ system. Perhaps it depends on each persons preferences in terms of the type of music they listen to and the volumes that they enjoy. To my ear, Bose is like a boom box, whereas the ‘base’ provides a flatter, truer response curve. Not that the base system is audiophile quality… but for classical music or spoken word I prefer it to the Bose system.

 

[W1NGE]

I would have gladly paid for the Bose upgrade… but I preferred the sound of the ‘base’ system. Perhaps it depends on each persons preferences in terms of the type of music they listen to and the volumes that they enjoy. To my ear, Bose is like a boom box, whereas the ‘base’ provides a flatter, truer response curve. Not that the base system is audiophile quality… but for classical music or spoken word I prefer it to the Bose system.

Bose has a linear switch to provide pure sound - no enhancement.

Surround and auto volume control also provided.

Definitely not a boom box IMHO but rather a rich sound overall. Clearly if you over do the bass and additionally have bass settings set on your phone if streaming that way you will be in quagmire territory.

 

[f1eng]

To my ear, Bose is like a boom box, whereas the ‘base’ provides a flatter, truer response curve. Not that the base system is audiophile quality… but for classical music or spoken word I prefer it to the Bose system.

Glad to read that as a hater of boom-boxes and a listener to spoken word and classical.
You’ve made my day!

 

[f1eng]

Bose has a linear switch to provide pure sound - no enhancement.

That depends on what customers accept as “no enhancement.

One of my best friends is a loudspeaker designing consultant, he designs both drive units and complete systems and has some neat software he licenses - one is funny because he can record any audio system then play it back through neutral monitors making them sound the same, it was designed as a development tool but is fun, nevertheless.
Listening through a big pro system emulating a laptop one minute, an outdoor concert PA another.

Anyway he got involved in developing one of the super high end car systems and got it to be pretty well neutral but customers wanted lots of boom and tizz and in the end the “neutral” default setting was nothing but, but was what the customers wanted.

 

[kempez]

That depends on what customers accept as “no enhancement.

One of my best friends is a loudspeaker designing consultant, he designs both drive units and complete systems and has some neat software he licenses - one is funny because he can record any audio system then play it back through neutral monitors making them sound the same, it was designed as a development tool but is fun, nevertheless.
Listening through a big pro system emulating a laptop one minute, an outdoor concert PA another.

Anyway he got involved in developing one of the super high end car systems and got it to be pretty well neutral but customers wanted lots of boom and tizz and in the end the “neutral” default setting was nothing but, but was what the customers wanted.

I feel for him. I always try to tune out that extra low and high end sounds to make a car system sound closer to the source/neutral, with pretty varying results. Actually on one of my Audi's I specified the base system (well, base for an RS), because it seemed to be a lot more accurate than the next step up. Under the cover was a Bose system, but it hadn't been tuned to sound like one, and so sounded much better (imo). Not sure if you use some of the room tuning software with your mega-setup, but it's interesting to see where the peaks and troughs are at home and try to tune them out, mostly with positioning and furnishing.

 

[W1NGE]

That depends on what customers accept as “no enhancement.

One of my best friends is a loudspeaker designing consultant, he designs both drive units and complete systems and has some neat software he licenses - one is funny because he can record any audio system then play it back through neutral monitors making them sound the same, it was designed as a development tool but is fun, nevertheless.
Listening through a big pro system emulating a laptop one minute, an outdoor concert PA another.

Anyway he got involved in developing one of the super high end car systems and got it to be pretty well neutral but customers wanted lots of boom and tizz and in the end the “neutral” default setting was nothing but, but was what the customers wanted.

Remember this is a £900 option for an audio system in the worst possible environment and is not trying offer hi-fidelity. I've tried Taycans with all 3 options - Sound Plus, Bose and Burmester - Bose stands out as the best compromise.

I unfortunately have Sound Plus in my Boxster and it is just poor at coping with the general noise - engine and road - as it lacks depth to overcome. The standard offering in the Taycan is better but the Taycan is not silent and road noise is present. Bose at the same volume does a much better job at disguising it.

 

[f1eng]

but it's interesting to see where the peaks and troughs are at home and try to tune them out, mostly with positioning and furnishin

It is, and this friend checked my tuning over using his MLSSA system.

There is a trend to tune using DSP nowadays but that can improve in one listening position whereas, as you write, if you do it by positioning and furniture it is better - mind you the currently fashionable “bare” aesthetic is impossible to get good IME.

Also we listen “through” a room acoustic, and a car too.

 

[ace008]

Looks like Bose has been removed from the US configurator from CT4 and RWD sedan models. Anyone know a good shop in the US bay area to install an aftermarket solution?

 

[Fish Fingers]

Just out of interest (and I know musical / hi-fi tastes are personal) but....

Will someone who has got experience of all 3 systems in a Taycan give a rating for the Bose, assuming Base system = 1 and Burmester = 10.

Only reason being, I have got Bose and haven't experienced the other two. And it may help others while we have supply issues.

We could even go one step further and rate system for basic listening preference (talk / classical / pop / dance etc)?

I have got Bose, but am sure I would be OK with base system if my listening was always talk / sport radio (it isnt, it varies a lot).

 

[f1eng]

Just out of interest (and I know musical / hi-fi tastes are personal) but....

Will someone who has got experience of all 3 systems in a Taycan give a rating for the Bose, assuming Base system = 1 and Burmester = 10.

Only reason being, I have got Bose and haven't experienced the other two. And it may help others while we have supply issues.

We could even go one step further and rate system for basic listening preference (talk / classical / pop / dance etc)?

I have got Bose, but am sure I would be OK with base system if my listening was always talk / sport radio (it isnt, it varies a lot).

Given that opinions vary from, "must have" via "not worth the money" to "the standard system is more neutral for voice and classical" good luck with this

Plus the opinions seem to be entrenced

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