# 6" vs 7" bose vs none



## Cruzen18 (Jan 28, 2018)

I test drove one with a standard system as well as the Bose and definitely like the Bose system better, which mine has. You do still have to play with the settings a bit, tho.


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## Fadclt (Jan 9, 2018)

Get the Bose with 8in screen. Anything lower has problems with audio cutting out at higher volumes.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

The 8" headunit is much better than the 7", as are the speakers. There is no 6.


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## Fadclt (Jan 9, 2018)

Yes forgot to mention that about 6in screen. There are 2 versions of the 7in as far as some don't have xm radio and no apple car or android auto. 18's 7in screen now has the ability to update through wifi


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Definitely worth getting the 8" screen - the 7" screen comes with the previous version of MyLink (which is newer than the version of the 7" screen in the 1st gen Cruze). The Cruze loaner we had a couple weeks back had the 7", and while it was fine, the current version of MyLink is extremely good and worth the upgrade.


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## timtp2004 (Jan 3, 2018)

Yeah its 7" vs 8" I have the 7" in my 18 Cruze and my wife has the 8" in her 17 Malibu and I like hers a lot more than I like mine  lol


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## Don Hamilton (Jan 13, 2016)

Have a 2017 LT with the 8" Bose system and it sounds terrible but the dealer thinks it is just fine. I have visited 3 car radio shops in town and they all agree it is awful but hey won't touch it. I know about the tweaking provided in the menus but they aren't much help.


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## Fadclt (Jan 9, 2018)

Don what is it about the Bose system that makes it sound terrible?


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## Don Hamilton (Jan 13, 2016)

My Bose system is flat, no definition and that is when the background buzz and echoes are suppressed as much as possible with the tools provided. Everything sounds like a crazy reverb filter has been applied. You have to hear it to believe it, have placed a 10 year old battery powered kitchen radio on the front seat and it sounds better. I am truly astounded that the GM techs tell me that it sounds great with a straight face, there must be a hidden agenda here some place.


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## Fadclt (Jan 9, 2018)

Wouldn't be surprised. I have had loaner cars with the Bose system and it sounds good. Maybe you should contact Bose. They have a reputation to uphold. Maybe they can help you.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Mine's no 1000w luxury car stereo with 20 speakers, but the Bose system is pretty good for what it is.


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## Don Hamilton (Jan 13, 2016)

(Wouldn't be surprised. I have had loaner cars with the Bose system and it sounds good. Maybe you should contact Bose. They have a reputation to uphold. Maybe they can help you.)

I did contact them this morning and received a reply a few hours later. The reply was specific to my problem not a boilerplate "no reply" message. I am impressed and will keep you in the loop as this case progresses.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

jblackburn said:


> Mine's no 1000w luxury car stereo with 20 speakers, but the Bose system is pretty good for what it is.


Agreed. My Volt's Bose system is nothing compared to what is in my Cobalt, but it certainly is no slouch (it also has an actual sub, rather than just 6x9s "subs" in the sedan's deck, or the tiny little 5" woofer in the hatch's floor).


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## Premier17 (May 20, 2017)

I'll definitely be interested to hear how that turns out. That's not normal at all. My Bose system in my Cruze sounds good too for this class of car. It doesn't have thundering bass by any means, but it does have good clarity and sound. It definitely does not have an echo or 'reverb' sound to it at all in mine. Is this all audio sources that you're getting this same type of sound? Or is it only some sources? If it's through your cell phone, your phone could possibly have some sound effects or DSP turned on. Just an idea. When you say Tech's say it sounds great, I'm wondering if they're listening to it on a difference source than you usually do.


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## Don Hamilton (Jan 13, 2016)

Premier17 said:


> I'll definitely be interested to hear how that turns out. That's not normal at all. My Bose system in my Cruze sounds good too for this class of car. It doesn't have thundering bass by any means, but it does have good clarity and sound. It definitely does not have an echo or 'reverb' sound to it at all in mine. Is this all audio sources that you're getting this same type of sound? Or is it only some sources? If it's through your cell phone, your phone could possibly have some sound effects or DSP turned on. Just an idea. When you say Tech's say it sounds great, I'm wondering if they're listening to it on a difference source than you usually do.


The problem is present with engine running or not, AM FM memory stick all the same. No CD slot in this system. I have been in the car with the shop foreman when he put the thing through a variety of settings and told me with a straight face that he thought it sounds great.


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## Cruzen18 (Jan 28, 2018)

Everyone is different in their preferences and hearing. All comes down to how/what one hears may not be the same as anyone else does...I know how I like my music to sound and to my parents and kids it is too loud and too heavy.:lala: :banghead::yahoo::rock:


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## Don Hamilton (Jan 13, 2016)

Cruzen18 said:


> Everyone is different in their preferences and hearing. All comes down to how/what one hears may not be the same as anyone else does...I know how I like my music to sound and to my parents and kids it is too loud and too heavy.:lala: :banghead::yahoo::rock:


Very true, the best system available in a car should be able to satisfy all preferences to an extent, mine satisfies and is defended by only the vendor.


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## Fadclt (Jan 9, 2018)

I would stay in contact with Bose. Like I said they have a rep to uphold. Maybe they can push gm or the dealer to do something. I received a Bose Bluetooth speaker free through my job and it came not working. Contacted Bose and they shipped me a new one no questions asked. The new one worked perfectly.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Fadclt said:


> I would stay in contact with Bose. Like I said they have a rep to uphold. Maybe they can push gm or the dealer to do something. I received a Bose Bluetooth speaker free through my job and it came not working. Contacted Bose and they shipped me a new one no questions asked. The new one worked perfectly.


Bose has always had some of the better customer service in the industry.


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## Don Hamilton (Jan 13, 2016)

If the car stereo experts that I have consulted are right when they say that my Amp is too weak to power all my speakers properly would disconnecting the parcel shelf speakers (they are easy to access and are the biggest in the system) free up the amp's load enough to allow all the other speakers to function normally? Just a test, not a permanent solution.


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## Don Hamilton (Jan 13, 2016)

I am taking the car into the dealership tomorrow for the free oil change etc and would like to present my radio problems again. The only components readily accessible are the 2 large speakers in the parcel shelf. They do vibrate to the touch but they produce very little sound and the material beneath the trim rings seem very solid, not a mesh.

I parked the car, turned on the Bose system to play an Eagles tune with lots of bass from a USB memory stick. I opened the trunk, folded down the rear seats and crawled into the trunk where I could hear the music and reach the speaker connections.
My understanding of sound systems is very rudimentary, I believed that the 2 large speakers contributed a lot to the sound and disconnecting them would be very noticeable, not so in this car. I disconnected one speaker with almost no difference in the music being played, disconnected both with almost no discernible difference again. Music still sounds awful.

These components are not working, why? Parcel shelf is solid, faulty speakers, head end not working?


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

The 6x9s in the tray are not full-range speakers, they are basically low-range woofers.


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## ProDigit (Aug 31, 2015)

I find the stock system pretty good.
If I were to improve it, I would probably add a subwoofer.

it wouldn't be the first system where the more expensive sound system is less good sounding than the cheaper ones.
Believe it or not, but the 2011-2012 Spark's premium sound system (the standard was just 2 door speakers that sounded dull) sounded much better than the Cruze's standard sound system. 
It used the same sound system, but without the door style tweeters that the cruze had, and the sound is more balanced on that spark.


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## Don Hamilton (Jan 13, 2016)

Drove down to the dealer and had time in daylight to disconnect the speakers and fiddle with the controls for a while with the result that everything sounded acceptable, good enough to listen to until I can get It fixed. 
None of the people who had previously declared the system to be just dandy were on duty so I went home rather than start all over with someone else. Another day.


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## Rudeboy13668 (Sep 6, 2016)

The Cruze with premium sound vs standard sound has different speakers and a different receiver/amp? I ask because I want to upgrade the sound in my 2016 Gen 2 Cruze. I was wondering if just upgrading the speakers and adding a subwoofer would improve the standard sound system close to how the premium sound is.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Rudeboy13668 said:


> The Cruze with premium sound vs standard sound has different speakers and a different receiver/amp? I ask because I want to upgrade the sound in my 2016 Gen 2 Cruze. I was wondering if just upgrading the speakers and adding a subwoofer would improve the standard sound system close to how the premium sound is.


Yes. With good equipment, you might even do better than the Bose system.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

jblackburn said:


> Yes. With good equipment, you might even do better than the Bose system.


Yep - the Bose is a nice stock system, but you still end up with paper cone speakers.


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## Rudeboy13668 (Sep 6, 2016)

Thanks for the responses! Guess I'll get some new speakers and a subwoofer. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks again!


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## spaycace (Feb 9, 2012)

My Envoy is no Cruze ... but it had a factory Bose system and it sounded "ok" for the larger vehicle it is, but it simply wasn't good enough for my taste, not even as good as the Bose stereo in my '13 Volt. I finally broke down and purchased aftermarket last weekend and added a 10" JL Audio sub w/500w JL Audio amp along with a new Kenwood head unit, as well as new Alpine speakers in the doors/dash. I actually added the Alpines a few days before the sub/amp, and head unit, but they still sounded better than the factory speakers by far (the factory amp still powers the head unit and door/dash speakers) ... NOW it sounds like a car stereo SHOULD sound from the factory in my opinion. It's so good in fact, that I've almost gotten my wife to stop driving the Camaro! 

Good luck in your search (I know Kicker had a "custom fit" setup for the G1 Cruze, not sure about G2)


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## spaycace (Feb 9, 2012)

Now then ... Don Hamilton, if I'm not mistaken, I believe there may be some active noise cancellation going on in the Cruze with the Bose system. That would be something you might want to look into as well. I could be wrong, but I watched a video on youtube for a '16 Malibu that was having issues with his after installing aftermarket equipment ... but his description of the problems to me sounded similar to yours. Anything is possible these days with all the electronics in cars these days that can fail.


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## GEN2bluRS (May 16, 2018)

I have a Gen2 w/ the Bos Radio and I agree. There is night and day difference in my wifes 2014 base Malibu radion an the Bose upgrade. The Malibu sounds 3x better yes better. Clarity volume an even base. My 2004 Grand Am sun & Sound package was even better @ the of age of 13


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## Rudeboy13668 (Sep 6, 2016)

So I've ordered Kicker- CS Series 6 1/2" 2 way speakers with polypropylene cones component system with crossover for the front. And a Alpine powered 10" Baseline subwoofer, Model PWA-S10V  for the trunk. Going to see how this sounds before I do anything with the rear door speakers.


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