[Richard]

Does the Bose Radio have Digital Signal Processing (different sounds stages such as Driver's Seat, Auditorium, etc.)? I believe I read that it does.

If it does, how do you activate it? Also, what are the different sound stages available with DSP?

 

[Richard]

Does the Bose Radio have Digital Signal Processing (different sounds stages such as Driver's Seat, Auditorium, etc.)? I believe I read that it does.

If it does, how do you activate it? Also, what are the different sound stages available with DSP?

Does anybody have the Bose Radio? I still haven't figured out how to activate the Digital Signal Processing. The article I read about the Bose Radio on the Malibu references DSP. And this is generally a feature on the Delco Bose Radios? This is a great feature - you can add echo, enhance the stereo effect, add simulated surround sound, etc. I just haven't figured out how to access it.

What are the different sound stages available with the DSP on the Malibu?

 

[chevyguy8893]

It should be activated with the premium bose system that is optional on the 2LT and standard on the LTZ. It seems like a really nice feature.

 

[Richard]

It should be activated with the premium bose system that is optional on the 2LT and standard on the LTZ. It seems like a really nice feature.

What I mean is I don't know how to turn on the Digital Signal Processing Feature. I had a Bose Radio that had separate button that said DSP. I don't see that button. It must be in a menu. I just can't seem to find it.

 

[Silver LTZ]

Looking at the pic of the Bose audio, it is the same head unit that the previous premium audio used. As far as I have read, the Bose just has different speakers and a slightly different amp. So I don't think there is any selectable DSP.

 

[hoagiesan]

Deleted By Poster

 

[chevyguy8893]

Here's the link from Bose describing the system that I found.
http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/automotive/whats_new/malibu.jsp&src=AUTO0001
It sounds like to me it just adds some more frequency tweaks for the user to change. Something like a 6-band equalizer versus the stock 3-band equalizer. I've always hated only being able to change a limited amount of frequencies. That's why I bought the cd player I have, but now since the adapter is so expensive I don't even want to put it into this car. My cd player has a 16-band EQ to fine tune the sound. I can't find anything that really goes into depth on what it does. My impala had the Bose system and it was just too much bass and no highs. It just lacked a good all around sound for the price of the option.

 

[Richard]

having "digital signal processing" does not necessarily mean that it will have user selectable soundfields. Technically, a manufacturer could claim that almost all of their products have DSP.....that is the nature of consumer electronics now...they are full of "digital" chips that accomplish a myriad of tasks, including a manipulation of the digital signal to increase fidelity prior to being sent to the speakers. In a factory products made for a motor vehicle (not the ideal soundspace), a basic equalizer is probably the extent of the adjustment that is featured. Some high end units tout surround sound etc....but really....in a MV? It's a sales gimmick with little source material to make it practical, but it can con users into paying outrageous prices.

My previous car (CTS) had the Bose Radio with DSP and there was a selectable item within a menu in the radio that turned on DSP and allowed you to select the different sound stages. The standard radio and the Bose radio on the CTS looked identical. But the Bose Radio had additional menu items to access features that were only available on the Bose Radio. One of those features was DSP.

And DSP is not just an equalizer. It gives you different sound stages or listening experiences.

There were 5 different DSP settings on the last Bose Radio I had:

1. Spacious / Auditorium - Made the listening space seem larger.
2. Rear Seat - Gave passengers in the rear seat the best possible sound quality.
3. Driver Seat - Gives the driver the best possible sound quality.
4. Simulated Surround - Enhanced the stereo effect to provide a surround sound type experience.
5. Talk - Makes spoken words sound very clear.

DSP is one of the hallmarks of the Delco Bose Radios and there is always a selectable item to turn it on or off, and select the various listening experiences that I described above. On the Malibu, I'm sure it's located in one of the menus. I just have to find out which one.
Unlike the CTS, the Malibu doesn't have a separate section in the owner's manual for the Bose Radio.

I would ask the dealer, but the sales rep that "explained" my car to me had no idea what he was doing.

 

[Richard]

Does anyone else have the Bose Radio? Have you figured out where the DSP control is?

 

[hoagiesan]

Deleted By Poster

 

[phantom1584]

I've got a 2010 LTZ and bose. Under the EQ button (I think) was a few preset options where it had the Equilizer fine tuned for pop, rock, classical, etc. But thats the same kind of tweaking you could do manually as well. Thats the closest thing I've seen to this

 

[Silver LTZ]

I've got a 2010 LTZ and bose. Under the EQ button (I think) was a few preset options where it had the Equilizer fine tuned for pop, rock, classical, etc. But thats the same kind of tweaking you could do manually as well. Thats the closest thing I've seen to this

The previous premium audio has that too.

 

[boobu]

My premium audio has 5 pushbuttons for 5 different AM stations. With my 4 speakers, I have surround sound! (for the Learjet 8 track)

 

[Richard]

I've got a 2010 LTZ and bose. Under the EQ button (I think) was a few preset options where it had the Equilizer fine tuned for pop, rock, classical, etc. But thats the same kind of tweaking you could do manually as well. Thats the closest thing I've seen to this

No, that's just an equalizer that sets the Bass, Mid-Range, and Treble to suit different types of music. Digital Signal Processing is completely different. The Bose Documentation says that it has DSP. If it does, there should be a separate button (maybe within a menu) that controls it.

 

[Richard]

saying that DSP "is not just an equalizer" is not necessarily true. Whether Bose has made it into something more on the Malibu I don't know. My point was that the term "DSP" is thrown around like the word "digital" used to be when consumer electronics first included digital logic chips. And selectable soundfields in an environment such as a car are really gimmicky in my opinion. I seriously doubt that Bose has anything serious in an automotive head end in a car at Malibu's price point. I wouldn't expect much.

I had a non-GM car with a Bose Radio and it was nothing. No better than a stock radio. However, the Delco (GM) Bose Radios are something special. The speakers and amps are custom tuned to the interior of the car.
This is now the 3rd GM Vehicle that I've owned that has it and it sounds great. The clarity is unbelievable. GM has added DSP to all its Bose Radios for over 10 years now. It really is a great sound enhancement. The first radios to have it had a separate button that said DSP. With my last car, it was located within a menu, so you needed to know which menu to look in to see how to activate it.

 

[boobu]

alright Richard....do you work for Bose??? ....or GM!

j.k.

 

[Richard]

alright Richard....do you work for Bose??? ....or GM!

j.k.

I'm a big believer in buying american cars and I always liked the style of GM cars. When the new style Malibu came out, I knew I was going to get it.

Regarding Bose, the truth of the matter is all the Delco Bose Units that I've had were teriffic. My first was a '90 Eldorado with the Delco Bose Gold Series Radio. A very simple 4 speaker amplified system, but it sounded great. From that point on, I was hooked on Bose. But I had 1 foreign car with Bose and it was crap. I had stock radios that sounded better. I think the combination of Delco and Bose is what makes it such a great radio on the GM Cars.

I was very happy when I heard that they switched to Bose on the Malibu. I didn't preorder my car, but I told the dealer that I wanted the Bose upgrade. He had something like 15 LT2's in stock. None of them had the radio upgrade. He found one at another dealer with the radio upgrade in the color I wanted. Dealers often do that. They will swap one of their cars with one from another dealer based on customer demand. And the price of the Bose upgrade was only $500. It was double that on the CTS I owned.