It has been a month since I bought and use this brand-new Mazda CX-5 as my daily cars. No doubt for the car performance, this is one of the most reliable, yet very comfortable car to drive. This Mazda CX-5 is the Elite version with 2.5-liter engine and package with Bose audio system as a "bonus" features.
This is car is very interesting, I will try to explain it from my own perspectives as a casual user, especially for the Bose audio system.
Early disclaimer, I listening to this Bose audio system and in my opinion, the overall sound quality is not very special. Surprise, surprise!
The sound quality is average but for sure better than most cars with non-audio brand collaboration.
Let's deep down to it.
For years, the cars industry has been competing with the driving features for safety, driving experience and enjoyment. The most noticeable features they offer is on the audio system because cars manufacture only know how to make a car but doesn't how to make good sound in car. So, they collaborate with the well-known audio manufacturer, like in this example, Mazda with Bose audio.
Bose audio system in this Mazda CX-5 utilized 10 speakers. The simple illustration of those speakers' configuration are explain on the Mazda/Bose official website.
For the 2023 and 2024 model, Mazda doesn't put any CD drive to playing physicals disc anymore. All connection is either using Bluetooth or dual port wired USB-C connection to smartphones.
The Bluetooth audio quality specifications are unknown since there are no detail bit-rate information for this kind audio connection. I'm often using this Bluetooth connection since it is the simplest connection compare when using wired USB-C connection and I don't think the sound quality are inferior.
Playing music using the Bluetooth connection is automatically reload the Gracenote music library inside the Mazda head unit. It displays the album-art of every music play.
The Apple Car-play and Android-auto can be activated by using wired USB-C connection only. No wireless connection possible with these features. Since my iPhone 11 is still using Apple proprietary Lightning Connector, so I should buy another USB-C to Lightning cable for this kind connection.
This wired connection charging my iPhone quite fast. On my 30-minute driving, my battery level is goes up from 19% to 65%.
I am using Apple Music in this audio quality test with the bitrate setting to the highest quality possible.
The audio setting in this Mazda CX-5 Bose audio system is pretty standard. The audio setting is simple enough for the beginner to use them and I will explain one-by-one along with the effect to the music.
The first audio setting you will see are the Bass and Treble setting.
They are quite common in every car audio system having this standard audio setting. The purpose of those setting is to levelling the amount of bass or treble so the music play more richer and fuller. Since the default setting for bass and treble are at 0, it doesn't sound good at all. The sound is dull and flat with this setting and I recommend to raise the level of bass and treble to +1 up to +2 level to get better sound quality. Over than that level, for example +3 on bass, then on certain music genre, it may occur bass resonance which cause distorted sound. Same with the treble which cause peaks high frequency sound.
This Bose audio system bass is comes from a subwoofer unit placed on the spare tire at the back of the cars. Bose uses only a 5-inch sub-woofer driver unit which very small for a sub-woofer to sound good enough. This small driver makes the bass sound will not presenting deep and rounded bass characteristic. Not to mentioned the sub-woofer enclosure materials is using plastic and it is bad for bass resonance.
The next audio setting is Listening Position with the option: All Seats or Driver's Seat.
This setting is not a breakthrough in car audio setting since it is only recalling the setting for speakers balance (meaning which sound are louder from left or right speakers) and fader setting (meaning which sound are louder from front or rear speakers) so the sound are likely coming in front of the driver's seat. Then for all seats setting are return back the balance and fader setting to the center position.
Anyway, each balance and fader setting can be adjusted manually as well. I recommend not to change the fader other than on the center. In my opinion this position gives the best overall balance in sound quality.
Why is that?
Since the 2-way speakers at the front and rear has different kind speakers drivers, so adjusting the fader either to the front or to the rear will makes the shift in the overall audio frequency and music presentation.
The next audio setting is Bose Stereo Mode which in my opinion is a powerful tool for better audio quality.
The setting is for standard or linear. Standard setting doesn't sound good at all. Instead, the linear setting just like loudness setting in most audio system but here in Bose stereo, the linear setting gives the music more emotion and presence. I like how the mid-range sound are presenting more detail while the bass and treble sound more balance and fuller.
I am quite happy with this setting so far, but I check the last audio setting which in my opinion is the game changer.
Bose Centerpoint is the king of the show. The game changer that setting up the audio to the next level by utilizing Bose own Digital Signal Processor (DSP) inside the Bose amplifier module.
The sound with it activated on level 1 are significantly makes the music staging goes to the center of the dashboard. In this setting, the center speakers along with DSP presets are activated, so the left and right sound comes to listeners at the same time, no matters while you listen on the driver's seat or on the passenger's seat. Same with the subwoofer at the back of the car sound like the bass coming from the front.
If you've experienced how DSP setting are works in non-ideal room like in cars, you know how well the result with this kind of sound technology.
I set the Bose Centerpoint to level 2 or maximum on level 3, but I stayed at level 1 instead. Those level gives subtle result to the sound changes, but I think the setting more than level 1 makes the music more electronic, more like computer than analog sound.
Activating this Bose Centerpoint will disable the setting for Listening Position and Bose Stereo Mode since those features aim for the same goals as DSP involved in the Bose Centerpoint setups.
Last setting is not very useful, and I always avoid to activate the Bose Audiopilot.
Again, nothing special in this feature. Just an automatic volume control depends on how loud the cars environments are. Such as cruising speed and tire noise when the car moving that effect to the ambiance noise inside the cabin, so the music volume will automatically adjust to compensate those noise.
I prefer to adjust the volume level manually using the volume knob on the center console or on the steering audio setting.
After all, I really enjoy this car so much. This is one of my dream cars to have and to drive every day, not to mentioned the Bose audio system which is quite good enough to accompany me while driving this car.
Disclaimer: Any statement and photos in this article are not allowed to copy or publish without written permission from the writer. Any injury or loss from following tips in this article is not under writer responsibility.
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