Burnmester vs Bose
02-02-2022, 05:32 PM
#16
Rennlist Member
Being an audiophile doesn't necessarily mean an audio snob.
The basis of recommending the Bose over the Burmester has to do with the marginal utility of the upcharge, which, in a ICE vehicle, might not be worthwhile. If money is no object, then the point is moot. However, if one is on a budget, the close to $5K premium might be better spent somewhere else.
The basis of recommending the Bose over the Burmester has to do with the marginal utility of the upcharge, which, in a ICE vehicle, might not be worthwhile. If money is no object, then the point is moot. However, if one is on a budget, the close to $5K premium might be better spent somewhere else.
02-02-2022, 05:49 PM
#17
Burning Brakes
If you have to ask, then just get the Burm. It's better to get it than to regret later. Been there done that. The Burm sounds significantly better than the BOSE. Trust me, it's not just marginally better and I'm half deaf from banging on the drums in my youth.
It will cost more than $5k in aftermarket audio parts to make the BOSE sound equal to or better than the Burm. $5k pill is difficult to swallow for some and I get it. OP, go find a Macan with a BOSE and see for yourself. You may or may not like it. To each his own. First world problems.
It will cost more than $5k in aftermarket audio parts to make the BOSE sound equal to or better than the Burm. $5k pill is difficult to swallow for some and I get it. OP, go find a Macan with a BOSE and see for yourself. You may or may not like it. To each his own. First world problems.Last edited by luv2sleep; 02-02-2022 at 05:51 PM.
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02-02-2022, 06:19 PM
#18
Rennlist Member
agree with above.
Burmester is not marginally better, it is substantially better. you can argue whether it's worth the extra 5k over the Bose and that is personal opinion. Any substantial aftermarket system will likely be better than the Burmester, but you will pay significantly more than just spec'ing the Burm, and it takes a week for the install. Personally, I get really frustrated when music distorts or sounds like crap. Bose tends to be less clear on the treble, and more boomy on the bass. To me, worth the upgrade.
Burmester is not marginally better, it is substantially better. you can argue whether it's worth the extra 5k over the Bose and that is personal opinion. Any substantial aftermarket system will likely be better than the Burmester, but you will pay significantly more than just spec'ing the Burm, and it takes a week for the install. Personally, I get really frustrated when music distorts or sounds like crap. Bose tends to be less clear on the treble, and more boomy on the bass. To me, worth the upgrade.
Last edited by chong0; 02-02-2022 at 06:22 PM.
02-02-2022, 09:42 PM
#19
02-03-2022, 09:38 AM
#20
I have a 2016 Macan S with Bose and felt it lacked the depth and the sound seemed muffled. I originally specced BOSE for my 2022 GTS but decided to change to Burmester right before the lock date.
My GTS is built and waiting for a container, still on target for mid March.
CODE
My GTS is built and waiting for a container, still on target for mid March.
CODE
02-03-2022, 11:36 AM
#21
Rennlist Member
Recovering audiophile here. What matters isn’t the spec sheet or the opinions of this forum. Real world matters.
Let’s start. What tires are on your GTS? That impacts road noise. Assuming most of your listening will be while driving and not sitting in a showroom, take a Macan out for a drive - any Macan with a Bose system and the media source you will use. The closer the spec to your car the better. Then fire up the Bose and go for a drive. You will end up adjusting the sound once you are under way. Your desire to change settings will change with the source. If you like the sound while you focus on driving then the Bose meets your needs.
I am really fussy about audio. I have a boatload of music encoded in FLAC on an SD card. We have satellite radio. We have access to Amazon Music. To me, after a few tweaks, the sound isn’t “glorious”, but it is better than “okay”. Full disclosure, I am experiencing some typical senior hearing loss. But that doesn’t change the fact that car cabins can be noisy. Listening to music in our 2014 C4S cab is pointless while under way. We had a Burm in our 2013 c2s cab and it was a total waste of $ because of road noise (original buyer spec’s it). Even news radio is tough to follow unless the road surfaces are really good. The Macan is much quieter yet it is still a car cabin. Unless really pushed the Bose doesn’t seem to distort; it might not be perfect - but for having music during a time when my attention should be elsewhere (like, driving) IMO it is a good system.
I also forgot to note driving conditions. If most of your driving is on well maintained highways for in slow commute traffic then there will be an associated drop in “road noise” making premium sound a better value proposition - but your question was whether or not Burm was worth the extra $. Maybe the $ could fund an extra date night, a special monthly thing with kids, “scotch of the month club” membership, etc.
A last consideration is “who is in the car”? Is most of your driving alone? With someone else? If not alone, who? Sig other? To you chat? Kids? Can you hear anything with them in the car?
Music moves me. I get a rush from the right song at the right time. I can honestly say that the Bose in our turbo has never not delivered when the circumstances were right (e.g., driving thru Glacier National Park last Sept) and that’s what matters to me.
Let’s start. What tires are on your GTS? That impacts road noise. Assuming most of your listening will be while driving and not sitting in a showroom, take a Macan out for a drive - any Macan with a Bose system and the media source you will use. The closer the spec to your car the better. Then fire up the Bose and go for a drive. You will end up adjusting the sound once you are under way. Your desire to change settings will change with the source. If you like the sound while you focus on driving then the Bose meets your needs.
I am really fussy about audio. I have a boatload of music encoded in FLAC on an SD card. We have satellite radio. We have access to Amazon Music. To me, after a few tweaks, the sound isn’t “glorious”, but it is better than “okay”. Full disclosure, I am experiencing some typical senior hearing loss. But that doesn’t change the fact that car cabins can be noisy. Listening to music in our 2014 C4S cab is pointless while under way. We had a Burm in our 2013 c2s cab and it was a total waste of $ because of road noise (original buyer spec’s it). Even news radio is tough to follow unless the road surfaces are really good. The Macan is much quieter yet it is still a car cabin. Unless really pushed the Bose doesn’t seem to distort; it might not be perfect - but for having music during a time when my attention should be elsewhere (like, driving) IMO it is a good system.
I also forgot to note driving conditions. If most of your driving is on well maintained highways for in slow commute traffic then there will be an associated drop in “road noise” making premium sound a better value proposition - but your question was whether or not Burm was worth the extra $. Maybe the $ could fund an extra date night, a special monthly thing with kids, “scotch of the month club” membership, etc.
A last consideration is “who is in the car”? Is most of your driving alone? With someone else? If not alone, who? Sig other? To you chat? Kids? Can you hear anything with them in the car?
Music moves me. I get a rush from the right song at the right time. I can honestly say that the Bose in our turbo has never not delivered when the circumstances were right (e.g., driving thru Glacier National Park last Sept) and that’s what matters to me.
Last edited by beaverlake; 02-03-2022 at 11:39 AM.
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02-04-2022, 01:15 AM
#22
Rennlist Member
Recovering audiophile here. What matters isn’t the spec sheet or the opinions of this forum. Real world matters.
Let’s start. What tires are on your GTS? That impacts road noise. Assuming most of your listening will be while driving and not sitting in a showroom, take a Macan out for a drive - any Macan with a Bose system and the media source you will use. The closer the spec to your car the better. Then fire up the Bose and go for a drive. You will end up adjusting the sound once you are under way. Your desire to change settings will change with the source. If you like the sound while you focus on driving then the Bose meets your needs.
I am really fussy about audio. I have a boatload of music encoded in FLAC on an SD card. We have satellite radio. We have access to Amazon Music. To me, after a few tweaks, the sound isn’t “glorious”, but it is better than “okay”. Full disclosure, I am experiencing some typical senior hearing loss. But that doesn’t change the fact that car cabins can be noisy. Listening to music in our 2014 C4S cab is pointless while under way. We had a Burm in our 2013 c2s cab and it was a total waste of $ because of road noise (original buyer spec’s it). Even news radio is tough to follow unless the road surfaces are really good. The Macan is much quieter yet it is still a car cabin. Unless really pushed the Bose doesn’t seem to distort; it might not be perfect - but for having music during a time when my attention should be elsewhere (like, driving) IMO it is a good system.
I also forgot to note driving conditions. If most of your driving is on well maintained highways for in slow commute traffic then there will be an associated drop in “road noise” making premium sound a better value proposition - but your question was whether or not Burm was worth the extra $. Maybe the $ could fund an extra date night, a special monthly thing with kids, “scotch of the month club” membership, etc.
A last consideration is “who is in the car”? Is most of your driving alone? With someone else? If not alone, who? Sig other? To you chat? Kids? Can you hear anything with them in the car?
Music moves me. I get a rush from the right song at the right time. I can honestly say that the Bose in our turbo has never not delivered when the circumstances were right (e.g., driving thru Glacier National Park last Sept) and that’s what matters to me.
Let’s start. What tires are on your GTS? That impacts road noise. Assuming most of your listening will be while driving and not sitting in a showroom, take a Macan out for a drive - any Macan with a Bose system and the media source you will use. The closer the spec to your car the better. Then fire up the Bose and go for a drive. You will end up adjusting the sound once you are under way. Your desire to change settings will change with the source. If you like the sound while you focus on driving then the Bose meets your needs.
I am really fussy about audio. I have a boatload of music encoded in FLAC on an SD card. We have satellite radio. We have access to Amazon Music. To me, after a few tweaks, the sound isn’t “glorious”, but it is better than “okay”. Full disclosure, I am experiencing some typical senior hearing loss. But that doesn’t change the fact that car cabins can be noisy. Listening to music in our 2014 C4S cab is pointless while under way. We had a Burm in our 2013 c2s cab and it was a total waste of $ because of road noise (original buyer spec’s it). Even news radio is tough to follow unless the road surfaces are really good. The Macan is much quieter yet it is still a car cabin. Unless really pushed the Bose doesn’t seem to distort; it might not be perfect - but for having music during a time when my attention should be elsewhere (like, driving) IMO it is a good system.
I also forgot to note driving conditions. If most of your driving is on well maintained highways for in slow commute traffic then there will be an associated drop in “road noise” making premium sound a better value proposition - but your question was whether or not Burm was worth the extra $. Maybe the $ could fund an extra date night, a special monthly thing with kids, “scotch of the month club” membership, etc.
A last consideration is “who is in the car”? Is most of your driving alone? With someone else? If not alone, who? Sig other? To you chat? Kids? Can you hear anything with them in the car?
Music moves me. I get a rush from the right song at the right time. I can honestly say that the Bose in our turbo has never not delivered when the circumstances were right (e.g., driving thru Glacier National Park last Sept) and that’s what matters to me.
02-04-2022, 09:48 AM
#23
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agree with above.
Burmester is not marginally better, it is substantially better. you can argue whether it's worth the extra 5k over the Bose and that is personal opinion. Any substantial aftermarket system will likely be better than the Burmester, but you will pay significantly more than just spec'ing the Burm, and it takes a week for the install. Personally, I get really frustrated when music distorts or sounds like crap. Bose tends to be less clear on the treble, and more boomy on the bass. To me, worth the upgrade.
Burmester is not marginally better, it is substantially better. you can argue whether it's worth the extra 5k over the Bose and that is personal opinion. Any substantial aftermarket system will likely be better than the Burmester, but you will pay significantly more than just spec'ing the Burm, and it takes a week for the install. Personally, I get really frustrated when music distorts or sounds like crap. Bose tends to be less clear on the treble, and more boomy on the bass. To me, worth the upgrade.
.
02-04-2022, 11:23 AM
#24
I love how everyone recommends the burmester, but I barely ever see cars with this option lol. I think an above poster hit it pretty good. It's more audio snob than audiophile. There may be some placebo effect going on here. Because people have the upgraded sound they think it's far better, even when maybe it isn't. It is true, if you try to replicate the burmester with aftermarket parts you will definitely pay over 5k. Given the vast majority of cars do not have this option, it seems the vast majority of buyers do not think the marginal gain in audio quality is worth the upgrade.
Again, Idk why people are hating on Bose. You guys act like burmester is the equivalent of JL or B&W. At least if they had the cool tweeters popping out like B&O on the Aston martins you get a little cool factor for that 5k. It's a car with ambient sounds, wind noise, engine noise, exhaust noise...... It's a horrible environment to tell the slight differences in better sound.
Again, Idk why people are hating on Bose. You guys act like burmester is the equivalent of JL or B&W. At least if they had the cool tweeters popping out like B&O on the Aston martins you get a little cool factor for that 5k
. It's a car with ambient sounds, wind noise, engine noise, exhaust noise...... It's a horrible environment to tell the slight differences in better sound.
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02-04-2022, 02:56 PM
#25
Rennlist Member
Prior to covid and parts shortage I'd be fine with a car in stock and dealer spec'd. Almost all of those cars have the usual premium package with bose and bargaining discount > sound system.
Now that essentially all cars are ordered now, I'd rather direct my money to options I would want vs what the dealer thinks I want, thus the burm.
There is no selection or verification bias here. There is no disagreement that burm>bose. The argument is whether YOU feel it's worth the 5k upgrade. My assumption is that if you've never aftermarket upgraded your car audio before, chances are that you will feel it's not worth it because you will tolerate a stock system. If you have upgraded your system before, then you know the cost of a premium system will be most likely more than 5k.
People spend money on leather everywhere including fuse box covers... this is just a variant of the leather freaks.
Now that essentially all cars are ordered now, I'd rather direct my money to options I would want vs what the dealer thinks I want, thus the burm.
There is no selection or verification bias here. There is no disagreement that burm>bose. The argument is whether YOU feel it's worth the 5k upgrade. My assumption is that if you've never aftermarket upgraded your car audio before, chances are that you will feel it's not worth it because you will tolerate a stock system. If you have upgraded your system before, then you know the cost of a premium system will be most likely more than 5k.
People spend money on leather everywhere including fuse box covers... this is just a variant of the leather freaks.
02-04-2022, 09:14 PM
#26
Burning Brakes
I love how everyone recommends the burmester, but I barely ever see cars with this option lol. I think an above poster hit it pretty good. It's more audio snob than audiophile. There may be some placebo effect going on here. Because people have the upgraded sound they think it's far better, even when maybe it isn't. It is true, if you try to replicate the burmester with aftermarket parts you will definitely pay over 5k. Given the vast majority of cars do not have this option, it seems the vast majority of buyers do not think the marginal gain in audio quality is worth the upgrade.
Again, Idk why people are hating on Bose. You guys act like burmester is the equivalent of JL or B&W. At least if they had the cool tweeters popping out like B&O on the Aston martins you get a little cool factor for that 5k. It's a car with ambient sounds, wind noise, engine noise, exhaust noise...... It's a horrible environment to tell the slight differences in better sound.
Again, Idk why people are hating on Bose. You guys act like burmester is the equivalent of JL or B&W. At least if they had the cool tweeters popping out like B&O on the Aston martins you get a little cool factor for that 5k
. It's a car with ambient sounds, wind noise, engine noise, exhaust noise...... It's a horrible environment to tell the slight differences in better sound.Last edited by luv2sleep; 02-04-2022 at 09:42 PM.
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02-04-2022, 11:38 PM
#28
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I don’t believe that anyone is hating on the BOSE and there are no audio snobs here so relax, Francis. Everyone has an a** hole and an opinion. To each his own. The reason why there aren’t many Macans with the Burm is due to the price point of the said vehicle and the target buyer. It is Porsche’s best selling model for a reason and the same reason why the base Porsche models outsell the S, GTS, and Turbo models. I’m not being a snob but stating facts. Back on topic….the fact is the Burm does sound significantly better than the BOSE. If you don’t think so, that’s your opinion and honestly, you have no appreciation for a good sounding system. The premium price point of the Burm is debatable and that’s just one’s opinion, which is what this thread is about-opinions. In regard to wind, engine, exhaust, tire, etc. noise…the more reason why I want the Burm! IMO, the Burm is as good as the B&O.
Last edited by jrtouareg; 02-05-2022 at 12:12 AM.
02-05-2022, 12:19 AM
#29
Burning Brakes
The wife's Volvo XC60 Hybrid Inscription has the B&W in it which was a 4k option for that car. Bought the car in April 2019 when my dealer could not get customers inside the dealership because of covid. It was the only hybrid he had so I was stuck with that option but 70k Volvo was discounted 20k in order to make a sale. It was amazing how good that system sounded. Looked pretty also as you can see the gold colored cones inside the speaker grills. Even the wife was impressed. Glad I ended up with the "accidental" option on both my Macan and wife's Volvo. I was an audiofile in my earlier days and have lost my taste for music as I got older but now I listen to more music vs sports in my car because of the quality of sound. IMO, the B&W sounds just a tad better than the Burmeister in the Macan but you can only tell if you listen back to back. Definitely better than the Bose in my previous Cayenne. Burmeister in the 120k GLE AMG53 Coupe was TERRIBLE! And I am not exaggerating. MB should be ashamed of calling that a "premium" system. Word of advice on Mercedez Benz: The only ones worth buying are the AMGs made in Affalterbach, Germany. The ones made in Alabama are not even up to the Japanese standards. But I sold the MB for 38k more than I paid for it in 2020. Glad I got rid of it and back in a P car. Oh, I almost forgot, the B&O in my 2018 the Audi Q7 was probably worth the 5k option. It had the rising tweeters in the corner. My old man told me that an item is worth whatever the purchaser is willing to pay for it.
Last edited by luv2sleep; 02-05-2022 at 12:22 AM.
