07 Maxima Bose System With Hissing Noise

[cuyoda]

I purchased an 07 Maxima with the upgraded Bose system this past August. Immediately after picking it up, I noticed that there is a constant hissing noise emminating from all 8 speakers when the stereo is on and in any mode (CD, radio, satelite radio). It is a constant noise that does not variate with engine speed, etc. The noise is most noticeable if you toggle between mute and level 1 of the volume. It is a fairly low level noise, but is very distracting when listening to music that has quite areas in it. The noise kind of sounds like a "white noise" hiss. I have tried modifying every adjustment I can find- the balance, fade, bass, treble, speed sensitive settings- nothing helps. The noise is always constant and always there- from all eight speakers evenly. I have taken it to two different dealers for a diagnosis. Both concluded that it is normal for the system and let me sit in identical Maximas on the lot- indeed, they did have the same noise. Incidentally, one of them showed me a car with a base system that didn't have the noise. Needless to say, I am _very_ dissappointed in the performance of the system. I feel like I paid extra for an upgraded system that sounds worse then the base system. IMO, any decent stereo should be nearly silent unless there is music playing. This thing sounds terrible. I have also tried calling Nissan Costumer "Care" and Bose directly to try an remedy the problem- both avenues where a waiste of time as I can't even get anyone to return my repeated phone calls.

Has anyone else heard of or experienced this problem with their factory installed Bose system? Is there anyway to eliminate the noise I am hearing? Seems to me like a bad ground or something, but I don't know enough about how the system is installed to know how to check much of anything.

I can't say I am really impressed with the system otherwise either- its not very stronge and does not have the best bass in the world. As a last resort, how feasible is it to replace the system? I ask since the HU is interlaced with the climate control read-outs- its not like you can buy any aftermarket HU and just stick it in there. I guess I am wondering how to go about the whole process if I am wanting to improve the system. Is it incredibly difficult or expensive based on the current setup?

Thanks for any input.

[dothedew23]

yo I got the same damn problem in my 08 altima coupe,except I dont got the BOSe system in there.I had the normal stock system,and my music was perfectly clear,then I put an amp and a sony deck and 2 subs in there and now I got that same hissing sound when my volume is low,or im listening to a song that doesnt have a lot of bass,just vocals.i hate it cuz i listen to a lot of r and B and its so noticebale.the guy at circuit city tried to tell me it was normal to get this when you install an amp and then another tried to say he couldnt even hear it,which was a damn lie.I dont know why it even happens and if its preventable

[cuyoda]

yo I got the same damn problem in my 08 altima coupe,except I dont got the BOSe system in there.I had the normal stock system,and my music was perfectly clear,then I put an amp and a sony deck and 2 subs in there and now I got that same hissing sound when my volume is low,or im listening to a song that doesnt have a lot of bass,just vocals.i hate it cuz i listen to a lot of r and B and its so noticebale.the guy at circuit city tried to tell me it was normal to get this when you install an amp and then another tried to say he couldnt even hear it,which was a damn lie.I dont know why it even happens and if its preventable

Thanks for the response. Its nice to know that I don't just have some kind of weird hearing problem. After conversations with Nissan and Bose directly, the only conclusion I have come to is that it has to do with a pourly balanced amp/speaker combination in the way of power. In other words, either the amp or the speakers is sending (or recieving) too much power then what it needs. If you really think about it, it is kind of a "power" type of noise. I have very little knowledge in the way of audio equipment, so that is about the extent of how much detail I can explain. I have external speakers hooked up to my computer- I have noticed that if I purposefully manipulate the operating system volume such that it is really out of whack with the external speaker volume, I can hear a similar hiss.... interesting but not sure what it means. I understand by talking with Bose that my speakers have built in amps along with the external amp.... It sounds like an entirely over-engineered system to me, but what do I know. I have tried unplugging the external amp to see if that eliminates anything, but then nothing works. Maybe you should try that- it probably depends on how your system is set up. I am tempted to take my care to Freeman's Car Stereo here in town sometime and let them listen to it. Maybe they will have some ideas on how to improve it- of which will probably be to rip the entire piece of junk out. I keep reading comments here and there on different forums about how great this system sounds.... I just don't get it. Bose sucks!

[the converted]

I just don't get it. Bose sucks!

Nope, I think you got it.

I've also never seen this dual amplified system that they are talking about. I'll have to dig through the fsm and see if its true or not but I doubt it.

[cuyoda]

Nope, I think you got it.

I've also never seen this dual amplified system that they are talking about. I'll have to dig through the fsm and see if its true or not but I doubt it.

ehh? You implying that my take on Bose is accurate? Thanks for digging. Anything you can find on how to eliminate/improve on the hissing situation would be appreciated. I've pretty much hit dead ends everywhere I look. I could be wrong about the dual amps, but I'm pretty sure that is what they told me. But then again, I'm not an expert. I've picked up a few things here and there on a Chevy forum about Impala owners with a Bose system who have the same issue. Some recieved a new amp from Bose that improved things a bit (although the noise was still there to a certian degree) and some weren't able to get that far with it.

[dothedew23]

I hate how people act lik a little bit of hissing or static noise is no big deal...but if we are paying good money,there should be NO extra sounds that we have to "deal" with,you know? I mean I know when people go to crazy expensive audio shops they dont come out with hissing sounds or static in their speakers,so obviously there is a way to prevent this,people at basic stereo places just act like they have no damn clue how to fix it and that really pisses me off.....

[the converted]

Yeah your take is somewhat accurate. There's no arguing that it is a nicer system than the basic ones that go into these cars. That being said, if manufacturers still offered a stereo delete package so you could buy your own you would be better off for what you have spent.

With a static issue like what your describing typically the culprit is something being overdriven and then fed into an amplifier. My guess is that the output on the headunit it jacked a little too high and it all goes down hill from there.

So I guess a summation of my opinion on bose is that it is better than base stereos when it works, otherwise its just a pain in the ***. And just think about this: Why would Bose use Onkyo receivers for some of their surround sound packages?

[cuyoda]

I hate how people act lik a little bit of hissing or static noise is no big deal...but if we are paying good money,there should be NO extra sounds that we have to "deal" with,you know? I mean I know when people go to crazy expensive audio shops they dont come out with hissing sounds or static in their speakers,so obviously there is a way to prevent this,people at basic stereo places just act like they have no damn clue how to fix it and that really pisses me off.....

Amen! I am sooo glad I found someone who agrees with me. That is _exactly_ how I feel- there should be NO extra sounds. Especially coming from a company that supposedly prides themselves on supurb sound and a stereo that is "accoustically designed especially for the car". All that hipe and this is the best they can give us?? I just laugh picturing a bunch of accoustic engineers sitting around agreeing that this thing sounds good. Come on guys! And it really pisses me off that they make it so it is pretty much impossible to replace the system due to the fact that the head unit is heavily integrated into the climate control/trip computer display. I don't know if you have taken a look at the 04-08 Maximas, but I have no idea how you would work around that head unit setup. Ironically, the base setup has the same head unit layout. And I have been told by Bose that their speakers are a special shape- such that you can't simply take them out and replace them with different ones. You would have to somehow retrofit things- big bucks. The guys at basic stereo places probably act stupid because they don't want to mess with the hassle of retrofitting every part of a new system. Its like the purposefully make it so that we are stuck with it.

My previous car was an 02 Grand Cherokee with an Infiniti system in it- 6 speakers and one amp. It sounded 100 times better, even with less speakers. Wish I could have carried that one over to my new car.

[cuyoda]

Yeah your take is somewhat accurate. There's no arguing that it is a nicer system than the basic ones that go into these cars. That being said, if manufacturers still offered a stereo delete package so you could buy your own you would be better off for what you have spent.

With a static issue like what your describing typically the culprit is something being overdriven and then fed into an amplifier. My guess is that the output on the headunit it jacked a little too high and it all goes down hill from there.

So I guess a summation of my opinion on bose is that it is better than base stereos when it works, otherwise its just a pain in the ***. And just think about this: Why would Bose use Onkyo receivers for some of their surround sound packages?

Yea, I emailed a friend of mine who spent many years in the car audio business and his take was similar to yours. He states:

"Advice is to check the factory amplifier, and see if there is a dial on it that can be used to adjust the signal strength coming out of the amp ... I don't know that a factory amp would have one, but it's worth looking for. If the amp does have a dial for signal strength, adjust it DOWN, but probably no more than 1 point (assuming a 1 -10 scale) at a time, and test to see if the hiss goes away.Also, if the speakers have powered amps in themselves, check them too to see if there is a way to reduce the signal strength.If you can't adjust signal strength, there isn't much else you can do to adjust the factory system that I know how to do. You could see if the in-dash deck has a signal adjust (like a preamp) that is accessible through a menu or is a dial somewhere on the back of the unit, otherwise, it's probably just something with the system design. The cheapest way to get rid of it would probably be aftermarket speakers - some inefficient (>90 dB) speakers might take care of it for you, since they will waste more power than the factory speakers and that may kill the hiss. Regardless, if speakers don't totally cure the problem, it's probably a little contribution from both the deck and amp, and the only way to root it out totally will be going with all aftermarket components, which will probably run you no less than $1000 for a whole system (deck-amp-speakers)."

My hunch is that there are no adjustements to the amp, etc based on the fact that the entire Bose system seems purposefully designed to detract people from doing any modifying. I'll see if I can take a few things apart this weekend to investigate further though. If I find anything I will let you know.

[moulton712]

i deal alot with this problem all the time.

all the above with signal noise is true.

the biggest thing with stock amps is they are not grounded properly. try regrounding the factory amp and radio and even your battery, if this doesn't work, i would highly recommend going aftermarket.

B.O.S.E. = Buy Other Sterio Equipment

[cuyoda]

i deal alot with this problem all the time.

all the above with signal noise is true.

the biggest thing with stock amps is they are not grounded properly. try regrounding the factory amp and radio and even your battery, if this doesn't work, i would highly recommend going aftermarket.

B.O.S.E. = Buy Other Sterio Equipment

Thanks for the advice. I will see if I can investigate the grounds a bit. Do you have any advice on how to handle a deck replacement in an 07 Maxima if I wanted to go aftermarket? My concern stems from the fact that the climate controls, trip computer, and bluetooth are all integrated into the deck unit display. So its not like you can just pop in an aftermarket head unit- everything is intergrated into the dash together. What is the best way to handle this kind of scenario while still keep functionality of everything?

[the converted]

They make a dash kit that I think relocates the deck down a little lower and keeps everything working. I honestly haven't done one myself but I imagine that it's not to bad to do.

[el eddie]

I have the same hissing problem, done lots of trouble shooting,,, what if you can control the voltage coming out of the new unit before it gets to the factory bose amp?

[audtatious]

Since those posting with this problem have relatively new cars that should still be under the factory B-B warranty, I suggest you take it to Nissan and tell them to fix it. That way you don't have to worry about it (at least until it does it again).

[coupe240sxguy]

I like that remark about... B.O.S.E. = buy other stereo equipment I have no problems with my B.O.S.E. fortunately, but it is in a mazda 626. Good luck with the problem guys. I will keep reading to findout what the real problem is.

[the converted]

I have the same hissing problem, done lots of trouble shooting,,, what if you can control the voltage coming out of the new unit before it gets to the factory bose amp?

I would guess that the actual amplifier is the issue in these bose systems because the output level is variable at the head. Replacing the bose amp with something aftermarket might help. I'd try hooking up a pair of headphones to the output of the head and see if there is any hiss there.

[cuyoda]

Since those posting with this problem have relatively new cars that should still be under the factory B-B warranty, I suggest you take it to Nissan and tell them to fix it. That way you don't have to worry about it (at least until it does it again).

I have taken up with two different dealers, Bose directly, and Nissan Customer "Care" with no help with a resolution. As anyone who has dealt with the customer care center for Nissan can attest, that was a complete waste of time- so was dealing with Bose for that matter. Both stated that it was normal operation for the system and there was nothing to their knowledge that they could do to improve it. After comparing it to several identical cars on the lot at the two different dealers, I have noticed that unfortunately the noise is indeed "normal". It showed up in every car I tested. Ironically, the base system doesn't have the noise. Bottom line, we are getting ripped off by these crappy Bose systems. What a piece of junk. BTW- the noise is constant no matter what the source is- CD, radio, etc.

[audtatious]

Weird. I know the Bose system I had in my 5.5-gen had no noise at all.