Bose vs No Bose. Which is worth it?

Chevyguy85 · November 24, 2015

If it wasn't so much work I'd have torn out the bose on my '06. I was just too lazy. I still miss the system I put in my '01 and the relative ease of install without having to do get umpteen adapters to work around and with the bose crap. My 09 has bose as well and I think it sounds even worse than my 06. Might be the fact that I think it isn't holding a stereo signal very well is what's mainly driving me bonkers about it. When doing random truck builds on GMC/Chevy site for S&Gs it annoyed me that I was forced into bose audio because it was a packaged deal with something else.

crewl1 · November 24, 2015

Love my 15 bose with Sub. Previously had a 14 without bose and while I thought it compared to my 05 Sierra with bose, it is nothing like the new Bose. If you cannot notice how good the new Bose is, you either have bad quality music (XM) or do not have it set up correctly. JMO

OR >< maybe some of us have heard better. IMHO factory stereos, even premium ones don't live up to the possibilities for what is charged.

bboyce536 · November 24, 2015

OR >< maybe some of us have heard better. IMHO factory stereos, even premium ones don't live up to the possibilities for what is charged.

Oh I have heard better, but for a stock vehicle its pretty darn good. Unless you are paying cash for your vehicle, I do feel the $500 is worth it. That is what, $8 a month? Not many want to tear into a brand new vehicle, also being that the head unit is the real downfall, what will $500 really buy you in these trucks anymore?

Aaron1085 · November 24, 2015

Isn't there a GM subwoofer upgrade people have put in under the rear seat? Detailsv

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texas18 · November 24, 2015

Ended up going with the bose package. Picking up truck tomorrow.

GsBowtie · November 24, 2015

I'm sure the bose sounds great. Not taking anything away from it, but the stock system in my 15 is excellent! Very good bass for what it is, very clear too. It blows away every other stock system I've ever had in any vehicle. I had a 14 honda crv before and the stock system in that was a total joke! !!! Horrible bass, no volume, just junk. Even the supposedly "premium" system in my mom's 14 crv with a sub sounds like crap compared to my silverado. Gm has always seemed to put decent systems in their vehicles and I appreciate that!

Silverado-Hareek · November 24, 2015

Oh I have heard better, but for a stock vehicle its pretty darn good. Unless you are paying cash for your vehicle, I do feel the $500 is worth it. That is what, $8 a month? Not many want to tear into a brand new vehicle, also being that the head unit is the real downfall, what will $500 really buy you in these trucks anymore?

The head unit may be the downfall to some degree but I will say after putting aftermarket Focal speakers in my 2007 Silverado, that system sounded night and day different with the stock head unit. In fact I didn't even feel the need to drop money on the head unit after the speaker replacement it sounded so good.

I'd encourage anyone here to check out Focals. Well worth the money.

GMCguy78 · November 24, 2015

Like my Bose, no distortion whatsoever doesn't matter how high the volume is

ncd1966 · November 24, 2015

I like my Bose system. sounds great, nice and clean. I like listening to Blues so I like a clean sound with some bottom end to it.

Tattooo · November 24, 2015

The bose in my 16 sounds clean & has great base....but the non bose in my 14 I had sounded pretty damn good too...no complaints

DCazares · November 24, 2015

I have the Bose and added the Kicker Substage to it. Sounds amazing

SheeB · November 24, 2015

I'm assuming that most that are commenting are using a sound source other than the crappy over-compressed XM radio? Using my USB stick sounds so much cleaner and richer in sound with the Bose system.

galliher_nc · November 25, 2015

I'm assuming that most that are commenting are using a sound source other than the crappy over-compressed XM radio? Using my USB stick sounds so much cleaner and richer in sound with the Bose system.

I listen to XM 99% of the time. I still think the Bose sounds system is pretty good.

Aaron1085 · November 25, 2015

Yes, I listen to XM most of the time as well. That said, it's clearly a better sound wish SD card music.

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UsernameAlreadyTaken · November 25, 2015

I am enjoying my Bose system. It's the best vehicle sound system I have ever had. I have had another chevy pickup, and two Buicks, all with stock stereo systems. The Bose completely blows all of them away. Of course, an aftermarket setup would be better, but I'll stick with what I have.