GotRS?

Ha ha, exactly!

SilverGrey

Thank you for the comment. I will make sure about the replacement process before a new speaker grille unit is installed in the dealership. Are you sure that your car does not have it? The car I find on eBay is 2008 RS 4 Cabriolet and it has the Bose emblem on a speaker grille.

ESFO

It's better than the Bose but it still seriously lacks in transparency and imaging. The bass still sounds a little contrived. When I listen to any car's stereo I'm coming out of my car to do so, so that's going to make it difficult to give a good review.

I do like the Dynaudio systems in the Volvos and in the Passat. They need some time to break in but they sound the best that I've heard in a factory system. If I had one of those I'd probably replace the sub and leave the rest alone.

dtwa8

My RS 4 Cab (built September 2007) has no emblems on any speaker grille. Maybe production variation isn't such an offbeat theory after all!

RS Maniac

Cost me no more than $400 to replace all tweeters and midranges on my M5 with the Reference series MBQs. Huge difference (even though Reference series is no where close to top of range for MBQ products), better sound than people that have the ///M Audio option which was something like $1700. Got very crisp sound, tight bass, and crystal clear highs.

I hate the stock Bose's, about to replace them soon, but need to do some research what works best while keeping stock amp (not planning to use crossovers either).

craiglieberman

Don't tell me....you shop by name brands. The sound system in this car is an embarrassment. The best systems I've heard have been in a Lexus and an Escalade. Audi, like BMW, Porsche, Lamborghini and others couldn't count their nutz twice and come up with the same number when it comes to audio systems for these high end cars.

Belligerently
Overpriced
Sound
Experience

brianja

It looks like the speaker grill comes as a separate part in "Bose" and "non-Bose" versions. I think a few have made good points about the risk of greater damage in the process of fixing the problem.

I'm not defending Bose at all. I dislike Bose as much as anyone here... hell, I spent thousands of dollars ripping the entire system out of my RS4 and replacing it with quality components. I just don't know how we got so far off track

I hope the OP found the answer he was looking for.

ESFO

But the point of my post was the last sentence, "I'm positive you have a Bose speaker there but you're not short changed if you don't." From there I think the thread grew wings.

brianja

everyone is very eager to share their opinions of that company.

craiglieberman

Bose makes some good stuff. Audi just skipped those pages in the Bose catalog when they built the RS4 and put a system that sounds no better than a Pioneer Supertuner with a pair of Kricket 69's from the 1980's.

They're not alone...Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari all figure their engines provide enough music. If you want to have a decent sound system in a car these days, seems like you have to live with Escalade or Lexus wrapping.

The thread starter seemed more hung up on the label on the speaker grille than the sound quality...as if a Bose label would get him laid or something.