Granturismo BOSE parts for sale

Palmball

New Member
Messages
268
Guys,

Just thought I'd give you a heads up to my eBay listing for some of the Bose parts from the Granturismo I had last year which I'm selling (I'm fed up of them accumulating dust in my garage!).

The eBay listing is 300681198485 and the link is here

Starting price is just a fiver plus delivery with no reserve so if anyone knows anybody who can make use of these parts, please let them know.

Cheers
 

bigbob

Member
Messages
8,952
Best of luck with the sale.

I see that the M3 did not last long - think I expected a C63 Coupe in it's place mind!
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,594
Hey Palmbal can I ask what audio system you put in GTS in the end? I wind the Bose in my GTS terrible, there is just no bass whatsoever. Maybe I have a sub failure of was your Bose the same?

Was it worth putting in an upgrade?
 

Palmball

New Member
Messages
268
Best of luck with the sale.

I see that the M3 did not last long - think I expected a C63 Coupe in it's place mind!

Cheers BB....for a car I owned for such a short period, it's a long story on the M3! I swapped it for a Jag XFR which I really liked until I drove a new XKR which I liked more and that is what I have now owned for the last 5 months (so that's doing quite well!). Just done a 3k mile trip round Europe in it which was great fun!



Hey Palmbal can I ask what audio system you put in GTS in the end? I wind the Bose in my GTS terrible, there is just no bass whatsoever. Maybe I have a sub failure of was your Bose the same?

Was it worth putting in an upgrade?

No, you don't have a duff sub...it's an appalling system in the Maserati and probably one of the worst audio systems of any car I've had which is incredible given its an expensive cost option from new.

I ended up fitting mine with a JL Audio HD900/5 Amp, a JL 8W3 Sub in the rear shelf and JL C5 Component Speakers (so all very high-end and expensive kit) which could have sounded so good BUT I found that the poor fundamental design of the standard set up (and prominently the lack of rigidity in where the components fixed to the car) meant that even with a this fantastic kit, that car couldn't provide a solid enough 'base' for it to work properly. Even comparing my upgraded system to the Harman Kardon system in my subsequent M3, in which the components would have been far inferior to the kit I put in the GTS, the fact that the BMW's system was engineered properly into the basic car design made all the difference and it sounded far superior. And comparing to the two Jag's I've had more recently, both of which have the well-regarded Bowers and Wilkins audio system, well, that just blows away any other factory-fit stereo because that appears to combine reasonably good components with a design that's properly engineered into the car.

In all honesty, I spent a good £2.5k on the system in the Maserati and wouldn't do it again, not even at 1/3 of that price - I know the GTS's Bose system is pants but the car couldn't even handle the bass on that without vibrating so when I put in a more powerful system, especially one that produces some real bass, the car allowed too much distortion (OK, it was fine at normal volumes but lets face it, you don't want to upgrade a car stereo to not enjoy some serious sound from time to time!)

Heres my thread on just how bad I thought the Bose system was and some pics of the poor components http://www.sportsmaserati.co.uk/showthread.php/4008-Whats-Bose-like?highlight=stereo
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,594
Thanks Andrew, my GTV's were the same, spend big on upgrades and still the sound was poor.

I too felt that this was down to the poor design of the cavities where the components sat.

Oh well, windows down, engage SPORT button then I suppose for my audible entertainment.
 

Palmball

New Member
Messages
268
Thanks Andrew, my GTV's were the same, spend big on upgrades and still the sound was poor.

I too felt that this was down to the poor design of the cavities where the components sat.

Oh well, windows down, engage SPORT button then I suppose for my audible entertainment.

Yep, thats the best strategy I think!


It is all down to the design of the installation and you've probably hit the nail on the head with regards poor cavities - in the Maserati for instance, the speakers just screw into the metal of the door and right next to it is a big open hole to gain access into the door - this hole is covered only by a weatherproof sheet glued to the inner lining which means there isn't really a proper enclosure and not enough metal around the speaker. Compare what you see in my pictures for the Maserati door with the picture taken of the door of my previous Jaguar XFR (I actually took the door trim off the XFR out of sheer curiosity as to how the speakers could sound so good!) and you can see the speaker mounted to a 'subframe' and, most importantly, the access hole on the inner-skin is much, much smaller and properly sealed by a bolted-on hard cover...it therefore creates a proper enclosure for the speaker to perform properly.

Maserati:

P1010874-1.jpg



Jaguar:

P1030671.jpg
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,594
Yep the GTS with the foam cover is the same as the GTV.

But saying that the Alfa GT I have has the BOSE and that sounds really good. It has a separate base box but into the boot also and has the same design four with foam cover.

IMG_0449Large.jpg
 

MAF260

Member
Messages
7,662
Interesting to see the Jag's design, it's quite unusual. The door is almost fully-sealed and so provides a decent enclosure for the speaker to operate properly. Mounted into a solid subframe also stops distortion when the speaker moves. There's plenty you could do with the GTS Matt, but it will of course cost you. A specialist installer could line the inside of the door skins with a sound-deadening material (Dynamat for example) and then cover as many holes in the frame under the door card as well. This would stiffen the door and provide a better environment for the speaker to work. You could also have a mounting frame made that fits between the speaker and the metal of the door - usually made from MDF which again adds a stiffness and 'deadening' effect. This would make a massive difference. With regards bass you could install a separate subwoofer in the boot of the car, but this sacrifices space. Teamed with the right amplifier (dedicated to running the subwoofer only) you could achieve a decent level of bass, which when coupled with the improvements to the door enclosures should improve the sound dynamics considerably.

All of these things also add weight to the car of course!
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,594
Thanks Maf, I might have a 'Play' over the summer.

I can't believe BOSE signed off on this system, its terrible....well, when I say terrible, its crystal pin sharp treble, so audiophiles would probably rate that, but I need some base to go with it. The car has a massive oval speaker in the rear shelf, I wonder what lurks beneath, 6.25 from a Punto probably.

Actually, that is unfair on the Punto, had one in Italy last week, its a cracking little car and a great HiFi for a budget car.

Incidentally Maf, I know you don't rate the BOSE in the Alfa GT, I think its really good, whats your issue with it? The base on mine shakes my teeth!
 

MAF260

Member
Messages
7,662
Thanks Maf, I might have a 'Play' over the summer.

I can't believe BOSE signed off on this system, its terrible....well, when I say terrible, its crystal pin sharp treble, so audiophiles would probably rate that, but I need some base to go with it. The car has a massive oval speaker in the rear shelf, I wonder what lurks beneath, 6.25 from a Punto probably.

Actually, that is unfair on the Punto, had one in Italy last week, its a cracking little car and a great HiFi for a budget car.

Incidentally Maf, I know you don't rate the BOSE in the Alfa GT, I think its really good, whats your issue with it? The base on mine shakes my teeth!


Feel free to bring it up to me Matt and we can take a proper look at what can be done. I hate the BOSE system in the Alfa (and most other cars I've heard). It is absolute rubbish IMO. All of the components are cheap, probably built to a budget. I have already changed the front speakers to Infinity components, changing the position of the tweeters and mounting the drivers on a MDF ring/frame which bolts to the door - already about 500% better. The head unit is a joke, the subwoofer is tiny and doesn't add much to the system overall. I have just ordered a new head unit (Pioneer touch screen double din unit with iPod, bluetooth etc.) and will be fitting a different subwoofer in an enclosure with its own dedicated amplifier, removing the original completely. It will knock the socks off the BOSE unit and still come in under £1k all in. It can all be returned to factory when I sell the car in the future.