bose vs. aftermarket?

[whtshrkmd]

From what I've been able to gather from reading various posts here, it sounds like there aren't too many people that are high on Bose stereos. Why is this? What brand of head unit/speakers would you say sound better? Do I have to spend a ton of money to get a high quality sounding system?

I bought an Aiwa HU about a year ago purely because it was reasonably cheap ($150 US) and had an aux input on the front. I'm using the SiK imp to connect my iPod. I also bought some Infinity speakers for front and back, and wow, what a difference it made. I didn't have a Bose system, but I am thinking about buying a new car and most of the ones I'm looking at come with Bose. But there isn't a good iPod option for Bose systems, from what I've seen, and there definitely for Nissan Bose systems.

So, why does Bose suck compared to [fill in the blank] and given my Aiwa/Infinity set up, what would you do to add to the sound quality? I've thought of upgrading to an Alpine (but I won't use the iPod interface -- I like to control the iPod while it's plugged in to the stereo), or adding an amp, or even replacing the stock speaker wire.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[RMoore]

I think it really just comes down to your own music preference (quality wise). I have the Bose factory sound in my Grand Prix. It doesn't sound too bad at all, but I'm sure any kind of aftermarket stereo will sound better. So far I've swapped out the Bose HU for an Alpine and have the iPod interface adapter. The rest of my audio system is still completely stock (Bose). The HU is generally the weakest link when it comes to factory sound (unfortunately). In the future I plan to add a 4-channel amp to power some Infinity Kappas front and rear. I'm still undecided on whether or not I'll add a sub (leaning toward no right now though).

Hope this helps.

Robert

[bobb-mini]

Add a subwoofer, not to boom-boom but for sound quality. More presence, more impact.