Filed under: Audio, Gadgets, Ferrari
Bose Media System debuts in Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
If you're going to introduce one of the world's most advanced automotive media systems, you might as well showcase it in one of the world's best vehicles. Bose has chosen the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti as its debut model. The new Bose Media System features customized 5.1-channel surround sound, an AM/FM/XM satellite radio tuner that can be accessed by genre, a 200 hours hard-drive, navigation system, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity with access through the system's display and a USB 2.0 input.
Oh, and it has an industry-first multi-format disc player. It can read and play virtually any type of disc you feed into it: CDs, DVD audio discs, DVD video discs, Super Audio CDs, MP3s, AAC and practically every other format available on recordable CDs and DVDs. It even has the Bose uMusic intelligent playback system that uses tags to identify listener "moods" and calls up similar songs from the hard drive. Of course the speakers have been optimized for the 612, as well. The system looks fairly easy to control with two large knobs and an upper and lower bank of preset function buttons. Follow the read link for more details on the system.
[Source: Bose]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
mlucas2006 7:33PM (3/08/2007)
That's a bose product I would actually buy.
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spencer 7:41PM (3/08/2007)
Bose speakers are horrible.
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Seabass 7:45PM (3/08/2007)
The speakers are thesuck for sure, but that head unit is snazzy. Throw in HD-radio and I'm sold.
That is, if I could ever afford it.
...in my Saturn VUE...
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ruggels 8:05PM (3/08/2007)
"Bose speakers are horrible."
Really? In cars? vs stock stereos? [since we are.. ugh... on an automotive site]
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jg 8:07PM (3/08/2007)
Nice ad for WBCN too.
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Jim 8:56PM (3/08/2007)
Hard drive sizes are expressed in hours now?
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Adam 9:03PM (3/08/2007)
No highs, no lows -- must be Bose!
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Gale 9:07PM (3/08/2007)
Looks cheap as hell, like something out of a 1897 GMC truck. Is this a joke?
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Pinkerton 9:19PM (3/08/2007)
>> Hard drive sizes are expressed in hours now?
I found that funny too. They expressed it that way maybe because the HDD is relatively small? 200 hours equals about 12GB when encoded at 128. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say the HDD is no bigger than 20GB.
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HeavyArmsSix 10:03PM (3/08/2007)
Every Bose system I have ever come in contact with was absolute rubbish. And this head unit doesn't seem to be any different, take a look at some aftermarket units from Alpine or Pioneer they make this look like its from 2 decades ago.
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M 10:19PM (3/08/2007)
I think some bose systems sound fantastic, like the one in our '97 Acura. I haven't heard a better, more balanced system. It sounds even better than the Mark Levinson in our Lexus ls430
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naugahyde 10:47PM (3/08/2007)
Not enough flashing animated displays and grain-of-rice sized buttons - c'mon! Also, what are those round things on each side?
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Max 12:16AM (3/09/2007)
All this sourcing from American parts manufacturers can't be a good thing. That headunit would look at home in a Chevy Impala...and nothing else. With other high end manufacturers going to Dynaudio, Nakamichi, Mark Levinson and other respected audio names, why in god's name would Ferrari scrape the bottom of the barrel with Bose? Honestly, Ford's sync system is better than this.
Hopefully owners will realize that the only soundtrack they should be listening to is coming out of the exhaust pipe.
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Jaren Jackson 4:10AM (3/09/2007)
But the thing is that it may likes the other peoples too. Any guess why??
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Pouya 6:33AM (3/09/2007)
BOSE systems have poor tonal accuracy, spectral balance, dynamics, sound stage width, sound stage height, sound stage depth, image location, and image focus. But people sure fall for their gimmicks and advertising.
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Scott 9:23AM (3/09/2007)
Wonder how much they're paying Ferrari to get this product in their cars, because there's no way Ferrari is paying BOSE.
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Galley 9:54AM (3/09/2007)
So, Bose beats Sony to the market with an automotive SACD player?
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Mr. Oak 1:28PM (3/09/2007)
15. BOSE systems have poor tonal accuracy, spectral balance, dynamics, sound stage width, sound stage height, sound stage depth, image location, and image focus....... Blah, Blah, Blah...
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You said a mouthful. Is anyone else here impressed by Pouya's grasp of technical jargon? Yes there are more expensive, sophisticated and accurate sound systems out there. Like the Sony STR-DE that I gave away. However when I want to watch a movie the simplicity of the BOSE beats having to frig around with a million settings. Change the movie or genre of music and you gotta screw with it again. I have a LifeStyle system in my bedroom. The highs are crystal clear, the explosions shakes the bed, an unexpected gunshot causes you to instinctively duck. When comes time for mood music, I'd rather be fiddling with the girl than the controls of a stereo system any day.
When the need for support arises, can you call the Nakamichi factory?. The remote to my system fell off the bed once too often. Called Bose, they shipped me a new one promptly, FREE OF CHARGE.
BTW: they also offer upgrades (for a price) to their newer systems. Waiting for the new multi-format drives to hit and I'm upgrading. The outdated system doesn't have become junk in my basement.
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Jed Wood 5:00PM (3/09/2007)
- naugahyde has it right. It intentionally references the decades-old design of dual knobs as a push back to having dozens of tiny buttons.
- Hard drive is 30 GB.
- Check out the notes and slideshow from CNET: http://reviews.cnet.com/4326-13249-6564463-1.html
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LloydChiro 5:14PM (3/09/2007)
Make fun of BOSE all you like; I'm right there with you. But, at least they arent using that crap Becker radio that was in my 1999 Boxster. You get that with the Ferrari F430 because they realize that you drive that car to hear the music of the engine, and you should keep the radio off.
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