SilverC230K

Just picked up my new C230K 2 weeks ago and everthing are great except the Sound system! The bass sounds awful

I tried to open the little bass component cover on the back as well as opened the hatch and it sounds a little better, at least acceptable. But I can't drive the car with the hatch open! Just wonder whether its the bad design of the whole system or my Bass component have something wrong. I want tighter bass instead of the bass sounds like its trapped in an enclosed box. This makes me feel really unhappy! I am not very picky on sound quality but this is just unbearable with the fact that I paid for the Bose upgrade as well as the $1,000 CD changer! Both of my 2 Honda's stock component doesn't sound that bad either!

Please advise whether I should bring the car to the dealer to check. Thanks.

BrabusCClass

That sucks. I dunno, I listened to my car and I hated the stock setup. Thats why I replaced all my speakers. Best thing I can think of is to replace it.... ALso I remember my coworker said the same thing to me, that her Civic speakers sound better than my stock...I was like ok thats it im gonna go put in MB Quart and a JL now. After I did that she was in awe....lol!!

trench

Make sure the programmable stereo setting isn't set for Speech - this setting sounds like crap (I think it's for listening to books on tape or language tapes). Set it to Driver - that sounds best.

Cheers, BT

NANA

Set it to Driver

How do you do that?

trench

I'm trying to recall from memory (and I don't have my car with me today) so bear with me. When the stereo is on one of the buttons at the bottom will be labled I think "AUD" for audio (similar to "AM", "FM", etc. when in radio mode). Press this and four choices come up: Driver, Speech, Ambient and Off. Activates pre-set equilizer settings. A number of people who thought their car's bass sounded bad had the stereo set for speech (which sounds extremely tinny).

Hope this helps (sorry I can't remember it better), BT

SilverC230K

I have tried to use all settings Driver, Speech as well as Ambient. Ambient is the best already and still not acceptable!

You can select it by pressing the buttons on the Radio/ cassette component. Press the Aud then select one of the 3 selection settings. Hope this help.

trench

OK - guess you'll have to get a different sub then. The MB's system doesn't have the big booming bass sound that some people like.

Have fun, BT

Buellwinkle

Replace that crap Alpine factory radio/cassette with the Becker factory Audio 10 radio/cd. Many say it sounds way better, Bose or not. More bass and clearer highs even with the factory speakers. I bought mine and I'm waiting for it to be shipped this week. I think it will be worth the $200 investment.

avlis

I don't think there is a problem with your unit or settings- the bass just isn't tight or punchy with the Bose. I'll be throwing away the $20 Bose sub soon and replacing it with something that hits.

chawk

Does the upgraded MB Bose system have a different HU? If so, how does it differ? Or is the upgrade simply behind the scene (speakers, sub, etc.)?

So far, it definitely sounds like I should get the base audio system (save $700+) and upgrade afterword.

trench

Upgrade is primarily for the Bose speakers, with a software upgrade to the headunit (which is looks identical) to allow for the AudioPilot (which a number of people hate and have turned off anyway); I'm not sure if the pre-set Driver, Speech, Ambient settings are available on the stock system.

BT

Rick

The Bose upgrade uses a different amp with Bose spatial expansion, a seventh speaker (under the center dash grille) and different drivers. Mine sounds fine...
Try setting to "AMBIENTE" with bass at +3 to +5 and treble at +7....bias the fader more to the rear and crank it to your hearts content. (Houses Of The Holy - Led Zep sounds awesome)

chawk

Thanks for the info guys ... maybe I will snag that option afterall. I'll just make sure to listen to some tracks of a fav CD from both systems before placing the order.

trench

Oh yeah, forgot about these - thanks Rick.



BT

PS: Apparantly I'm the only one who prefers Driver over Ambient; although to be honest, I could barely tell the difference between these two. Speech, however, definitely sucks.

hokusbenz

i prefer it of actually- driver is like kinda fake.... and it sucks for a passenger hehe ambiente is ok...

hokusbenz

nad i find the bass is fine in the bose system if except when you crank it all the way up.... it thins out

avlis

I played with the settings and I turn bass all the way up, treble to -2 and the AUD setting to "OFF".

theLeland

The Bass sounds an order of magnitude better with the Audio 10 in dash cd in there ... its fairly amazing what a change it made actually.

SilverC230K

Thanks to Rick's recommendation on the settings. It actually sounds a little better now and the bass is not that annoying. Well, I guess I need to adopt to this "sound"

ADavid

I agree, but I refused to pay $1000 for a CD changer that would be $300 in any store.
I expected something special from the Bose system and am terribly dissappointed. A friend's OEM stereo in the 2002 Honda Accord is far superior and comes with an in-dash CD player! Who has used a cassette in the last 10 years?

Cullen

I'm very happy my car has a cassette. Before two months ago, I hadn't used a cassette in a few years, but recently I got into audiobooks for my long drives across the state every couple weeks (and now just on my daily commute to work, its addictive)
They come on CD too but i find it much more convenient just to pop a new tape in rather than re-load the CD caddy.

Also, the Speech sound mode comes in handy. It makes music sound awful, but some older audiobooks have a high pitched buzzing noice, and the Speech mode will elimate it perfectly. It's really handy.

phahn

I have a 2002 slk 320 with a bose system and it sucks. I was told because it is an integrated system you have to replace everything. A cost of over $5000. Does anyone know if that is true. I wanted to just replace the speakers.

It is sad you get a great car with such a poor audio system. I drove in a geo metro the other day and it had a better sounding stereo.

CANTOEVO

i was thinking the sound system has bad bass because of the airbags on the doors, maybe they would be set off if you're bass is strong enough. i don't know, i just try to convince myself why my bass sucks

Lynn

You can't put big enough amps and subs in your car to set off the airbags.

jhillman

This is interesting....

I am currently in a loaner '03 C320 as mine is in the shop. My '03 C320 has COMAND (of course the loaner does not), but the Bose setup/speakers are supposed to be the same between the two cars. After listening carefully to the loaner's Bose system with the factory HU, I'm convinced my COMAND HU sounds 100% better. Alas, I'm of the opinion that the head unit it to blame!