Mazda fixes MX-5 Miata's worst fault for 2016

What? The Bose stereo in the NC Miata sounds pretty damn good, actually. It's a whole heck of a lot better than a lot of other cars in the price range.

Good day John. I have had a couple of cars with Bose factory installed systems and like you report on the Miata, they were pretty poor considering the, "Bose" name. I have listened to Bose headphones and home systems that are remarkable. I wonder why they, "Fell down" on there car systems. I'm guessing it was the cost restraints given to them by the manufacturers. Be Well

I had a 97 miata touring. I replaced the two bose door speakers with a three-way powered by an amp mounted behind the driver's seat. I had a custom box of two 12 inch woofers in the trunk with a seperate amp mounted behind the passenger's seat. And I had a capacitor in between the two amps right above the arm rest storage bin. All other sound solution including the JBL stealth box was just too weak for the top down cruising at 60 to 70 mph. And it's really the only way to enjoy the top down with the exhaust high itch revving, wind whipping, tires squelling, being fully immersed in your favorite music wishing the feeling of your drive to work would last forever.... if not, then at least you longed and waited for the drive back home.... with great open sound in the miata, I missed the look of everyone else stuck in traffic giving me their thumbs up, wishing they could be as free and fun like me.... cheers...

I have no faith in Bose. They've been coasting on their reputation for years, while falling behind their competitors. I have the the Bose option in my 2015 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring and, quite frankly, it sounds like crap. There's mid range is lacking. The door speakers are muddy, having to carry the base for a system that offers no dedicated sound woofer. It seems Bose has sold out and is happy to slap their name on anything.

Engineer here as well, with abundant experience in electronic design and integration (as well as optical and mechanical systems). Bose? I don't think they've developed anything earth shattering since the 90's. It's just a consumer name brand with an aging reputation attached to it. The flag raiser for this conversation is the fact they've become the mass produced OEM for a dozen automobile manufactures. They just became that low bidder at the lowest price point possible in the parts chain. Not very encouraging, not very exclusive, not much to write home about. The last sentence is just my opinion of course.

I disagree, Ed. I also have a CX-5 grand touring, with the 9 speaker bose system. It sounds great. I've heard parts of songs on this system that I never heard with my previous 710 watt Rockford system. The one thing the bose system is lacking is a dedicated subwoofer, however, this system still has some pretty thumping base is you adjust the settings. I'm not saying there isn't room for improvement, however, this system is far from "crap."

I replaced the Bose stereo in my 08 GT PRHT with a Pioneer AVIC-8100 NEX and couldn't be happier. The OEM system was ok - not great - but lacked bluetooth & GPS has never been a factory option. Not only did the Pioneer system fix those shortcomings but the sound quality is much improved. Even my better half who normally can't tell the difference in sound quality noticed the improvement. Wish I had upgraded years ago. BTW I've Bose home theater, computer speakers, & headphones for many years. Bose auto systems just don't measure up to their home equipment.

I have had convertibles for over 40 yrs now and never did I ever listen to tunes without headphones. I started with over the ear phones and Walkman with my MGB and currently use Havi B with my iPhone. This is the only way to listen to music in a convertible.

We have a '14 Beetle Convertible with the Fender Audio package... it downright rocks !

No, the worst thing about the Miata was that it was too small for tall people. Have they fixed *that*?

I have owned my 2002 MX-5 Miata since June of 2002. It is in near mint condition, and the last thing I give a damn about is how great the stereo is. The car is my roadster. And if people want all the bells and whistles in a car, get a sedan. This is a man's sportscar. The 5-speed stick shift, the rather hard ride, compared with my plushy VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen, is what makes the Miata a true sports car. I would not trade my 2002 dark-green Miata with black interior for any car on the market. And Mazda does not even offer the near-racing green anymore. So I will keep mine until I die. Mazda has let the Miata evolve into a "chick car." Sorry Mazda, but you have lost a good customer.

Disagree. I drive a 2008 GT PRHT and the Bose system is terrific. The only complaint I have is I wish the cd changer would play mp3 encoded disks. But other than that, the system rocks! Big sound with top up or down. The 2016 models have removed the 6-disk changer - for people like me it's a mistake. I'll never give up cds!

I retired from Delco Radio/Electronics/Delphi in 1999. The Bose DESIGNED systems were built in house with many in-house built parts. I don't recall a single Bose component, just Bose design credit. While theoretically "saving jobs" by ever increasing out-sourcing and pinching pennies and punishing suppliers, their quality declined but G M was still being rewarded by the explosion in dollar amounts for the ever increasing electronics volume per car. Most of the buildings are now empty or demolished and the local jobs saved are less than 10% of the previous highs. The industry now out-sources at very high levels with hardly surprising results such as the current air bag shrapnel problem. In any case, Bose probably still designs well but whoever executes and decides the final specifications no doubt bears the responsibility for the level of quality delivered to the car buyer.

For the record, I've got to turn it up to 15 in my '07 GTHT when driving in town...I take it to 20 at-speed, and gotta crank some CD's to 25 to get the sound right. I hope they fix the rain guards inside the doors to protect those precious, new Bose 50's. I'm thrilled they're re-introducing speakers in the headrests (fact or fiction?)

I have listened to dozens of Bose products and their reputation is far better than their quality. So, it is no surprise their auto products stink. I would never purchase a car with Bose Audio. I will not pay for that junk.

Who needs a radio in a sports car?

I just bought a Honda 2000, most amazing thing I've ever driven, sound of the vtec is amazing, and you know what? I've had the car for about 2 weeks and I literally don't even know if the radio works. Just too busy enjoying the engine, chassis, whole car to even care about the radio.

It's a sports car guys, not a Cadillac.

I bought my first Miata (a '93) in 1996, then followed that with a 1999, then a 2006. The '93 had the best stereo by far. I am not sure if it was a branded system or not, but each headrest had a pair of speakers in them (yes, two in each). Each seat had what amounted to a "woofer" built into it: a big voice coil, just no cone, but it caused the seat to thump quite pleasantly! If it had the power of the '06, it would have been the best of the three, and the stereos (both by Bose) in the later two never came close to the one in the '93.

i have never heard a Bose car system that sounded anything other than awful. Flabby, poorly defined bass lacking any kind of extension, and a lack of clarity throughout the spectrum. The inclusion of a factory installed system by Bose is actually enough to keep me away from a car.
Bose does 3 things well: their noise canceling headphones, the Wave radios - which sound darned good for glorifies clock radios, but are hideously overpriced, and marketing - convincing scads of Americans to fork over way too much money for low to mid-fi products.