BOSE = Badly Overpriced Stereo Equipment

:hello:

all I'd like to know is
if I buy the touring can I still change the speakers and all the other stuff without any trouble.
I don't know much about audio systems at all but I just hate the Bose system in my 350 and I'm sure I won't like the one in the 370.

I checked crutchfield.com and it listed a handful of aftermarket speakers/sub/etc that is supposedly compatible with touring editions(BOSE.)

Now I'm wondering if it actually IS compatible or if it just listed crap that's compatible with the base model.

^bump

There are quite a few threads about this. I don't quite remember off hand. I believe the one is called DNX7140 I wanted it.

Basically to sum it up he had trouble finding a headunit that was compatible with the way the bose system is set up. I suggest that you get the molding for the base 370z that goes around the head unit. This molding is a very good fit for alot of the double din units. If you notice on some pictures the touring z vs. the base z have a different molding that goes around the headunit. Hope this helps

I really had to respond to this trashing with my opinion.
350Z Bose CD Changer was really bad. Mine was replaced 3 times under warranty.
370Z is a different story at least as far as quality goes. If you are a hooligan and looking for extreme lows then this is not for you. However if you are looking for high quality sound Bose would be the right choice. However to get the most out of the system you MUST use the CF card. You can transfer 350kbps mp3s and play them at an astonishing full quality. If you put the CD in, or XM or rip the song on the HD it will not do justice to this optional Bose setup. I don't know what stock system supports but my guess is not much more then 128kbps.

On my Bose with CF card I am hearing sounds in songs that I didn't even know existed. If you don't plan on using CF card, don't bother going for Bose.

Whats a CF card and is it a standard item in our Zs?

Yes, please give more detail on this "CF card"

I really don't want to rip out my bose system which I paid extra for. If there is a miracle card to really open the bose system up, I want details.

Compact flash card

Just a quick note about the CD v. XM v. rip.
The CD will be the best quality unless you do a lossless rip to your compact flash card, which it sounds like you have but CD is still technically better. I rip all my music at lossless WMA which makes it maybe 1% less than a CD quality but I am to lazy to get that 1% back. :P

Also, the base stereo can only handle CDs or Auxiliary input but the limiting factor is not the head unit but the speakers. They have no lows and the highs are pinched.

32 kbit/s – MW (AM) quality
96 kbit/s – FM quality
128–160 kbit/s – Standard Bitrate quality - probaby stock 370Z system
192 kbit/s – DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) XM (but not quite. depends on channel and reception)
224–320 kbit/s – Near CD quality

For me CDs do not play anywhere near 300 kbps or CF Card quality for some reason. This is the CF card I bought: Newegg.com - Kingston 4GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card Model CF/4GB - Flash Memory
You will also need a card reader and save high quality MP3s to it. Do a lossless rip as theDreamer said from a CD or download on internet. Plug it in and the Bose system becomes alive. The switching between songs is instant, not like with Musicbox or CD or XM where there is a little lag. Full text is available including file name on the screen if you have navigation.

In my opinion BOSE is to stereos what Rolex is to watches. It's the high end brand that the general public thinks is the best, but afficianados know that there is better stuff out there. There is a marketing strategy to Nissan putting Bose systems in their higher end cars. They are assuming (usually correctly) that older customers will be buying the car with no intention on upgrading and they will recognize the BOSE name as being "high end". This is the same reason that they use the Rockford Fosgate systems in the Sentra and Exterra, because those cars are typically bought by younger people, and they tend to be more in to car stereos and to them the Rockford Fosgate name has more street cred.

Having said all that, I tend to just buy the best I can afford that comes with the car. I rarely keep a car longer than 3 years and I'm not going to spend a ton of money on something that I won't get any return on. I have the Nav system and the sound is definitely something I can live with, although I once had a Spec-V Sentra with a Rockford Fosgate and it did sound much better. I do think that Nissan's ipod interface is one of the best in the business for stock radios. If I were 15-20 years younger and I planned on keeping the car for 6 or 7 years, I would have bought a base model with sport package and gone nuts with the stereo and interior.

Let me give Bose props for one thing, the best customer service I have ever seen. About 6 years ago I bought a Mitsubishi big screen and a Bose Lifestyle system at a high end TV store. I live in smaller places and the Bose does get good sound through tiny speakers. I had a ton of trouble with the Bose system and had to send it back 3 times. The third time was out of warranty, but they covered it anyway. Four years after I bought it I went back to the same store to upgrade the TV. I told the salesman about the problems I had with the Bose system and he had the district manager get in touch with me. After hearing of my troubles the guy sent me a brand new version of Bose's latest Lifestyle system and had a guy come out and custom install it. This was like a $3500 value and I only paid like $2000 for the original system. The new system has been trouble free. There is better stuff out there for the money, but they have great customer service.

NO Highs, NO Lows, Must be Bose!

Rolex is the best watch Bose is not the best audio but pretty good

I agree with the Rolex analogy. Rolex is a pretty good watch, but by no means the best. Patek, JLC, IWC... and many other watch houses produce a craftsmanship well beyond Rolex. Rolex is just the leader in marketing -- like Bose.

I bought a Rolex for my wife, so I am not slamming the brand.