Has anyone ever had the system just cut out. This happened 4-5 times in my 05 RL since last oct. Only way to get it going again is to stop, turn off the car and then re-start it. Hasn't happened in the last couple of months though. Any ideas as to why?????

 

Yes, just last week, however....

I was setting up my bluetooth phone link and I suppose something went
wrong. The car audio system was suspended during an entire 2-hour trip
while the HTL (I think that is what it was called) LINK was displayed in the
dashboard text screen above the navigation system.

I don't think my case is the same as yours.

 

I've blown too much money on my home system- 1,000 watts via separate 2 and 5 channel amps (Classe), Aragon Stage One, Squeezebox, B&W Matrix 801 -- you get the jist. And this is one Audiophile that is delighted with the system in my '06 RL.

I've had 3 BMWs prior (1996 Z3, 2000 & 2003 5 series)- and the sound system in every one was terrible. My neighbor's new 5 sounds muddy too- seems very little has changed.

I've never respected Bose- until I inherited a Bose/Delco/GM system in '94 Camarro I had. Wow- separate amps located at each speaker- separate sub- very clean- loud without distortion- non-irritating clean high end. I realized Bose **can** put their name on things that actually sound good on rare occassion.

I think VBR MP3's sound good on this system- and the right DVD-A immerses me such that I stop thinking about the sound system at all. Like I've said- I'm delighted. John

 

I tis interesting how one Bose sytem differs from another. I had a '98 Pathfinder with a Bose setup and I was very impressed, and then there's the Bose system in my old'01 TL which was muddy and blah.

 

Head unit is a clarion.

 

The RL's audio system is the best stock auto sound system I have owned, but that is comparing it to a Volvo 850 (OK-Alpine headunit and Pioneer speakers), Honda Odyssey (worst sound I have heard in a car since my 63 LeSabre) and my old Astro Van (had no sound system when new). I'm certain it can be improved upon, but that can be said for almost any system (witness the turnover of high quality components on web sites like Audiogon, where buying ands selling audio components is as much a hobby as the music itself). Although I have noticed a few deficiencies, they seem to be more related to the source quality than the overall system itself. I am somewhat spoiled, having two 5.1 a/v systems at home both with Dynaudio speakers and Rotel amplifiers alll around. That said, the main beef I have with the RL's system is the midrange, which doesn't sound as natural as I would like (again, my reference is the Dynaudio speakers, which have some of the best midrange sound available). It would be nice to try out the Dynaudio autosound drivers in the RL, but I don't know if they are compatible-Dynaudios are notoriously inefficient, and may be too much for the RL's power amp. Maybe I will wander over to the audio forum and see if anyone has tried this yet.

 

I find the system sounds great. I would agree that everyone who has listened to it has stated it is the best OEM system they have heard. DVD-A is the best, then CD, then iPod, then XM as far as the sound quality. The system is so nicely integrated with the car I couldn't imagine doing anything with the head unit.

Being maybe the only poster on this board that believes Acura did a great job with the Acura MusicLink, this is the best complete system available. I still hate driving my other cars where I have to use the iPod menu to search for songs and playlists.

 

I'm not an audiophile, but I'd say the RL stereo is definitely not "average". I've never tried DVD-A yet, but the CD quality with the AudioPilot (or whatever it's called) is awesome. I've been in BMW (Harmon Kardon), Audi (Audi Symphony/Bose), Lexus (Back when they used Nakamichi) and they don't compare. So for an OEM system, the RL rocks. I wish I could hear what the Bang & Olufsen system sounds like in the Audi S8.

 

Has anyone bought the Acura branch 18 inch rims? if so, your thoughts on the ride and handling would be appreciated. Thinking of getting for my 2005 RL and dealer service rep told me not a good deal as they ride very rough.

 

I'm someone who is very critical of their music and I can honestly say that the Bose radio is the best OEM radio that I've heard. This is coming from someone who has yet to hear a Bose speaker system that I liked. As a comparison, I have a MB SLK with the Harmon Kardon Logic 7.1 system. It sounds good, especially the midrange, very little distortion (even with the top down), but doesn't have the same quality sound as the RL. My wife's Navigator has the THX system that doesn't come close. Before this car, the best car radio that I had heard (better than the Mark Levinson in the Lexus even) was the Harmon Kardon in my Saab 9-5. That was an amazing system and definitely rocked. Still the RL is better. The DVD-Audio discs are awesome (I have plenty because my home system plays both DVD Audio & SACD). Now I have another place to enjoy the DVD Audio ones (too bad it doesn't do SACD!!).

 

I'm an audiophile/home theater nut and my love of surround music (which many audiophiles frown upon as gimmicky) peaked my interest in the RL. I discovered there was a really great car packaged with the sound system, so to speak. I think SACD and DVD-Audio really add to the fun and enjoyment of music. Multiple speakers allow a very dense mix to be "pulled apart" so the various layers can be more discretely heard and, in most cases, it really improves the overall experience...at least in my opinion. The SACD surround mix for Depche Mode's Violator is simply awesome. Too bad the SACD version is available as an import only.

An article in Sound and Vision (think that was the publication) about factory installed surround sound systems praised the Bose system in the RL. So, although I know all of the knocks on Bose, I approached things with an open mind. Bose has been partnering with car manufacturers for years and tailoring systems for various makes and models. All of the variables that lead to good sound are pretty much locked down in a car. You know where the speakers will be, you know the distance between the speakers, where the listener will be, where the reflective boundaries are, how the boundaries reflect or absorb sound, etc., so you can really optimize for that listening environment.

I really like the system in my RL. I think Bose did a great job setting up a system just for the RL. Is it as good as my home theater system, no, but I wouldn't expect it to be. I'm impressed with how well it takes good old stereo and spreads the sound around. I don't like the Centerpoint feature. Doesn't seem to do much better than just letting the system handle stereo on its own. DVD-Audios sound great. I just wish the music companies would have supported the format more and not hobbled it from the start with competition from SACD and later with Dual Disc....which many have used a Dolby Digital mix for surround sound instead of DVD-A format.

My only issue is that the tweeters need a bit of "up tilt". High frequencies are very directional and on one of my P.J. Harvey CDs, PJ is playing acoustic guitar and singing, so almost all of the content is being pushed through the tweeters. The sound stage is well centered and full, but it sounds like it's aimed at my shoulders, not at my ears. When a mix is full range, the effect is not really noticeable.

Finally, when I bought the RL, I also cross shopped the Lexus IS350 and GS350/450. I specifically test drove an IS350 with the Mark Levinson system. While it was quite powerful and dynamic, I thought the DSP processing of stereo music to spread the sound around the car was really aggressive and didn't work for me. They tried to create 5.1 discrete channels, but the soundstage was pulled way back to the edges with a hole in the center or overly centered with minimal surround. Tonal balance was a bit off, too. I couldn't tweak it to get it right. I thought it would be a "must have" feature, but I walked away questioning the value. I walked across the street, test drove and RL, and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

I am an "audiophile-in-training", being new to the habit for three years. I would NEVER be caught overpaying for Bose stuff in my home. In fact, I own Onix Rockets...a pretty good-sounding, and gorgeous-looking speaker for the price.

However, the Bose system in the 2006 RL is simply outstanding. Bose definitely hit it out of the park with this one. I was skeptical because of my attitude about Bose products in the home speaker market, and because the bass in the 2002 TL I owned five years ago was so muddy.

But having had the RL for a week, I must say this is one of the best OEM systems on the market. I have no plans to change the speakers out. It's also a bit better than the already excellent ELS surround system in the TL--I really enjoyed that one (when the rear deck wasn't rattling ).

 

If I may add a little tid bit of info to the fray...The simplest and most obvious thing to remember is that Bose is not a speaker company, it is a marketing company.

Everyone is their own audiophile in my opinion, thus not everyone will enjoy what they hear, it's a matter of taste. A few vehicles of mine ago, I spent close to $16,000 on audio equipment for it. This was all top of the line, matched and tuned. I was not going for volume, I did not care if anyone outside the vehicle could hear what I was playing, I was not going for any of that like most kids today aim for. I find that listening to the right music on the right system at any given time can do for me than what most drugs I have abused ever did. If you can imagine music as pure liquid gold (hypethetical of course), shimmering and dancing as it pours into your ears, this is what it sounded like. Well, of course you had the few who did not like the way it sounded. Some thought it did not have enough bass, the bass was to tight, the highs were to bright, or the sound stage was too close. The thing to remember is that Bose, being the focused marketing company they are, built a system that would appeal to the braodest group of people and I think they hit the bullseye with the system in the RL. Not to say I don't have my gripes about it, but it does sound damn good for an OEM. I am not a fan of Bose at all and I agree that their product is sup-par, especially considering what they charge for it. Ever wonder why Bose never goes on sale? It's becaue it is price protected, no store can sell it for less than what Bose tells them they can sell it for. Bose has to pay for all that marketing they do...

 

I think bose sucks, as commercial as you can get. I had an Audi A6 with the upgraded Bose system and it sucked.

I just got my RL 2 weeks ago and take a drive every night just to hear the system. We pop in some DTS CD's like Sting, Steely Dan and am absolutely amazed at how well the separation and clarity of sound is.

Is this really a Bose system? Wow

 

I am very happy with the system i my RL. Have yet to listem to my Steve Miller 'Fly Like An Eagle' DTS CD in it. All listen ing so far has been low volume. The Bose sytem in my RSX-S is another story. From what I understand Bose designed a more activce sytem for the RSX-S but Acura engineers did not want a better sytem i the entry level car than their flagship - hence the flat sound of the RSX-S system. Come on, a 5.25" rich-bass sub woofer. Maybe a mid bass at most.

 

I see that most of you are very happy with the Audio in the RL. My highs seem very dull. I have the treble up all the way but still feel like the tweeters are not producing the highs I am used to.

I am wondering, is there a setting that I am missing that could be killing the brillance of the high end?

 

Are you playing xm or dvd audio cd's. You need to play some DVD-A or DTS 5.1 to really bring out the beauty of this system. Try Stings albums recorded in 5.1. Absolutely outstanding treble and bass and separation. Same with Steely Dan.

 

without a doubt the best oem stereo i have experienced...when i owned the 2003TL i fealt the Bose system was ok but was never going to deliver the sound qualities i wanted...although i never changed out the system. (I was impressed with my wifes 2002 Toyota Avalon $250 factory upgrade stereo) This factory Bose system has better balance of music qualities than even the best quality you can hear from any of the custom systems i have heard. I will give you one point, the sub woofer is limited (but I am ok with that) Almost never do I go above vol 25 even with all windows open. I do want to buy more DVD=a, but i google it and can't find more that a dozen selections. Where do i go, what should i google.

 

I like to consider myself an "under budgeted" Audiophile.
In my home collection I had a number of SACD disks, but no DVD-Audio disks, so I turned to my favorite website...'music.ebay.com'.

Try using the following search in ebay to look for your favorite DVD-A disks: http://music.search.ebay.com/DVD-Aud...MEFSRCHQ3aSRCH

Bob...

 

Just a reminder for all that this system will not play SACD. Also as discussed in another forum a few DVD-A's will not play.

One site that has a fairly good selection of dts format is http://www.dts.com/ Gaucho is a great price and excellent recording.

Another site that offers both DVD-A and DTS formats is http://www.5point1.com/index2.html

Hope this helps

BTW does anyone have Alan Parsons album in DTS. If so your opinion on the album please.

 

just to clarify some things up, the Head Unit is made by Clarion, the Speakers are from bose and the system is tuned by BOSE.

The RL has a very good sound system in it, granted, it may not be some extraordinary system, but it is one of the few great sound systems from the factory. The Bose in the RL has a bit of clarity compared to other cars, but it has issues in the range departments.
.
I listen to a variety of music, Country, Rap, classical, reggae, Indian stuff and some Rock. The TL i have contours much better than the RL to the music in terms of range, but the RL offers somewhat more clarity in the mids and highs to an extent. For example, in the TL at volume 5, which isn't balring lound nor whisper soft, but can't be heard outside, you can feel the deep notes of a piano in classical and the beats of the music in rap and reggae, but in the RL, you don't feel the notes of the piano nor do you hear it as pronounced in the music. ( good song is the one for the opening of HOUSE(medical show on fox) to test this) In all honesty I would rate the RL and TL the same overall, but not the same in specific categories. Granted, I listen to the TL every day and listened to an RL system last year for a week and a few times on test drives for 20 minutes.
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If you wanted to improve the system of the RL, a sub would be in the mix with some better tweeters at most if you wanted to keep the car in timber. The TL has a very shallow mounting depth for the sub, but the JL 8w3v2 can fit it it. I wonder if it could be adapted in the RL to compensate for the lack of bass.


This is just my opinion on the RL's system, and by the way, alot of audiophiles use this statement in reguards to most bose systems:
"No highs, no Lows, must be Bose"
though the RL follows some of it, it is still a very good system to my ears.

csmeance

 

Do you know what tweeters could go in there? I would love to upgrade the sub and the tweeters. I think that might make it sound awesome!

 

I don't own an RL yet, but i think some Infiniti 1011T's might fit in there, they are a very snug fit for the TL and work perfectly, but I am not sure.

 

I've owned a few Lexus GS-series before the RL. Back when the GS400 had a Nakamichi system, I thought it was one of the better systems that I'd heard in a car; great stereo separation, reasonably good amps, and clean sound. The Bose system in my RL is really, really good. I agree with all of the posts that indicate that you really need to listen to DVD-As to appreciate it. I own a number of different Bose products, so I was already a fan. But.....

The new Mark-Levinson system that I had in my '06 GS430 absoutely kicked butt! Does an extra $3,500 or so justify the sound over the "stock" Bose system in the RL? Probably not. A lot of what the Mark-Levinson system had going for it was all that power in the discrete amps; you almost couldn't get it to distort even if you wanted to fracture your eardrums by turning it all the way up and the low-end grunt of all that amp power made for great bass and killer highs. You really didn't need to turn it up all that loud to be able to fully appreciate your tunes. Plus, put in a good THX-encoded DVD to watch a movie and you got sound rivaling any of the best home theaters. Now, if you could have just watched the movie while driving....