Just got a new 2015 Altima. I love the car with the exception of one thing: the audio system.
It has a 6 speaker audio setup. First of all this is horrible. Almost everything I listen to basically forces all the vocals and a bunch of other stuff right to the center with the rest of the song sounding disjointed, being shoved into the side channels and the bass pounding out from below. There is too much separation. I wish there was a way in the options to put it into a 4 speaker mode if nothing else. There's also no midrange adjustment, only bass and treble, which is incredibly stupid for such a modern head unit loaded with features.
Secondly the power from the speakers (or perhaps the max limit of the head unit itself) is a joke. I am amazed that a vehicle for this price has such a lackluster audio system. Even with the bass and treble halfway up, if I crank the volume past 31-33 or so (depending on the song), distorted bass and highs are heard that make the speaker sound like it's about to blow. They must be an awful brand because I cannot find any specifications for the speakers beyond how many there are in different Altima models for 2015. No wattage or ohm specifications, which is a red flag. They should just lock the bass and treble past the halfway point because it can't handle anything more than that. I have never seen something so absurd from a car that is held in such a high regard.
I can't be the only person who feels this way. I am truly perplexed. How could Nissan get this so wrong? It's such a nice car; it deserves an audio setup, even for a baseline 4 speaker setup, that does not underperform. The Altima is easily one of the best, if not the best in its class. How they overlooked this/didn't care enough to put in a decent system is beyond me. And I paid more money for what is basically advertised as an "enhanced" audio package with a backup camera. For that kind of money I should be getting better speakers.
Is there a hidden service menu for the 2015 models? I think I have seen videos for older models. In one of the videos it had some kind of EQ setting. I am hoping I can at least mess with that enough to minimize distortion at higher volumes.
Bottom line is my wife's ailing 2008 Hyundai has better speakers than this. I'm not even kidding. You crank up her audio, you get clean enough bass and nice highs, no distortion whatsoever. Sure it's not as nice as some of the stuff you can buy yourself. But it doesn't distort at loud volumes and even has midrange control. And we're talking about Hyundai here... does not even come close to being as good of a car as an Altima, but even they thought enough to make sure the speakers didn't suck.
Nissan might have better FEATURES for its audio system, but it kind of defeats the purpose because when you really want to enjoy loud music you are immediately reminded of all the limitations. Really misleading. They upsell you on an enhanced audio package that distorts your audio and lacks adequate power. At least I got the backup camera.
You compare a Hyundai, yet you don't specify the model. You do know they make a $50,000 car..
So I'll make a Hyundai comparison...
My friend has 2013 Sonata... Audio system is like shit compared to mine.
My girl has a 2013 Elantra and once again my system is better.
After all, you purchased almost the lowest trim..what more did you want?
LOL my 2013 Elantra radio was 100x better than this piece of shit I have now. The USB thumb drive can't support but 2000 files and you can't even play by artist/album/genre...etc. This radio is a ripoff. I have the XM Bluetooth, no touch no nav radio. I think factory radios are a ripoff period though. An ipod and a good amp could do the same job and take up the space. I don't know why nothing about the car interior has changed over the last 20 years, other than losing all the storage cars used to have.
I can't recall not liking the speakers in the Elantra, but the speakers in my Nissan crack up when I want to listen to Rammstein, Slipknot, or anything loud (as I often do).
Did you suggest there is a center speaker or vocals sound centered? I ask because the center speaker is not active on the dash on the S models, just left and right dash, left right drivers door and left right back window. The rear passenger set also is not active. I have the 2015 S model too and agree that it doesn't sound good.
James, you're reviewing this thing like you expected it to perform like it's aftermarket. Make no mistake -- you're driving an entry level family sedan. Most of the people buying it aren't even turning the volume up, and I'm certain that they couldn't care less if the vocals are forced to the center.
You'd be best served by going aftermarket...quickly.
Btw, the backup camera sucks, too. If you're concerned with imaging in a factory audio system, the low resolution camera is going to send you into a rage.
The above post brings me to something that just totally befuddles me. Why do people think that people driving entry level cars have no love of great music? So rich people are the only ones interested in great sound? Really? Sure, a lot of people with lower trim cars can't afford great sound systems, but it should at least be an option. Frankly, and I speak only for myself, I'd buy a bottom of the line trim with a $5,000 sound system if they'd offer it. I know I'm not the only one either.
Yes the sound system is a joke. Too much bass and the speakers can't handle it. I got the Rosen car stereo and it really did fix all the tuning. 90% of the songs sound great now without having to turn the bass down. I know what you mean though. Brand new car you shouldn't be forced to rip out the stereo and speakers. Oh and the Bluetooth sucked balls too. I know someone with a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe and the Bluetooth phone calls sounded crystal clear. I mean the whole parking lot could hear your conversation if she cranked it up.
so what you are saying is, you bought a brand new altima and didnt test the sound system before buying it? it's not an infiniti or some other luxury car, you're not gonna get premium audio as a base model car or one step higher than base. if you wanted better speaker, maybe you should of looked at the SL trim levels.
I do too. I like that the dash speakers are not overly bright, the sound is very natural to me and the sound-stage image is just right. The only thing wrong was I found myself turning the bass up too much in a struggle to get a fuller sound and really killing the tonal balance. After added the powered sub I was able to set the EQ back flat and use a lot less volume, staying in the sweet spot of the amp without over working it.
Bad news is I lost some trunk space so it's harder to carry large stuff even with the seats folded down. Sub is in the way so the usable opening is smaller.
You 5th gen Altima owners ALL crack me up, or is All you 5th gen owners ought to wake up OFF of that CRACK!!! lol There is a reason this Altima is priced what it is selling at......
So expensive cars don't have issues ? LOL, I had a BMW and I beg to differ. This Altima is a MUCH better car in every possible way. I see recalls on expensive cars almost every day now and we have had very few on the Altima.
I also paid the same for my Camry as I did for the Altima and it was even a little better quality but not near the features on the Altima.
Lol, will you guys get off the BMW band wagon already. I dont own a Bimmer. lol Just so all is clear...what i meant is that they priced the Altima they way they did to be competitive, however things like a premium stereo on a base model version wasnt one of their main focuses..... Oh and as far as a coupe, nah, Nissan wont be offering one of those in the Altima for some time, IF ever. They will sell what they want, not what WE want...and like shep, most buy it still.
Coming from an Audi...all that superiors German engineering is plain bullshit.
Never will I buy another one.
I've never seen more plastic components in an engine bay then my previous A4.
And if you want something nice like an S model, your already in the 40-50 thousand dollar range.
Agreed Crisisx1.......Id love an Altima much more than an A4 also.... well a 3rd or 4th gen Altima anyway, well wait a min, there is that one guy on here with the NICEST 5th gen Altima I have ever seen. That one is nice! Point is bro its not about German this or Japanese that, its about the crappy speakers in a base model Altima. Besides an A4 is nothing more than a really expensive Jetta or a stripped down Passat. When you buy a German car, my thoughts are if you arent going midship or higher, why even bother setteling for their entry model? Honestly I would never consider an A4. As for plastic under the hood...c'mon how many cars in almost ANY price range can you say has titanium or gold covers under the hood? Ewvery manufacturer uses composites for components like that. So whats under the hood of the 5th gen Altima?
Coming from an Audi...all that superiors German engineering is plain bullshit.
Never will I buy another one. I've never seen more plastic components in an engine bay then my previous A4.
And if you want something nice like an S model, your already in the 40-50 thousand dollar range.
Um, the factor stereo in my 2013 S, I am pretty happy with. I'd LOVE to replace the factory one-liner OEM radio, NOT touch screen, but can someone give me step by step or what to buy so I don't lose steering wheel controls?
Lemme put it another way, I am a computer Tech by trade, and as good as I am with computers, IT, IS, etc, I am exactly opposite with cars. I HATE cars in general, but they are a needed component in life. lol So, if someone can get me started on HOW to insert a new stereo, with maybe touch screen and keep my controls, I'm all ears.
Have you even seen the speakers? You can't except anything from them. The cone is shitty and the magnets are weak and small as ****. That's why I upgraded them myself.
James, don't feel bad. The Bose "upgrade" isn't any better. In fact, it's so bad that I'm now in the process of having an aftermarket system installed. The factory system is by far my biggest beef with the car (2014 Altima 3.5). Nissan should at least offer a high quality system for those of us willing to pay for it.
I went aftermarket as well. After all the bad reviews for the BOSE I figured it made more sense to just buy non-BOSE from the start if I'm upgrading anyway. One thing I'll give to the stock speakers, however, is I did like how their low-end/bass frequencies sounded up front. My setup now is a definite improvement, however I'm still not a huge fan of the amount of the sound separation up front, with the woofers being so far away from the tweeters. Has anyone ever moved their tweeters to a new spot? I think it would be tough to get them in the door similar to the way my '98 Infiniti I30 has them but in the A-pillars may be a possibility.
My last 08 Altima had a horrible sound system from the factory. Sounded inferior to the 03 Maxima even though they had the same number of speakers. I got the stock system, then paid over $3k to upgrade it...
When I was 25 I thought I was hot $hit, but over the years practicality set in. My complaints:
-Not having a functional trunk for one for my bike or items in the middle of a house move. -Too much bass began to just give me a headache
-No matter how much sound deadening was used, I would still hear a rattle coming from somewhere.
-Trunk weighted like 20 lb and would slam down hard. Once I didn't move quickly enough and caught my shoulder.
-Blowing fuses - Literally went through 4. Sucks to drive and not have any music whatsoever until being able to stop and mess around with it.
-Sliding sub - Wasn't anchored to anything so about 10 times the cable from the subwoofer amp to the subwoofer would come undone. Then I'd have to disconnect the battery, reattach it and reconnect the battery.
-Harnesses - Not as good as OEM and some of the copper wiring was fraying at the ends.
Toward the last year of my ownership, I'd keep blowing fuses and the harness was starting to disintegrate
So with the 2014 I went with the Bose, no-navi. It's a decent setup. Gives me more bass than the factory but not enough where I need to pop aspirin after my commute. It can get distorted if I crank it up super loud. 9 speakers offer more encompassing sound than the 6 so the music doesn't need to be as loud to really hear the highs and lows if you ask me.
What I would do is get some high quality replacement speakers and avoid all the stuff with upgrading head units and so on. Most aftermarket systems never integrate as well as OEM and over time can develop support issues that the manufacturer has no interest in fixing. Especially with a 1 year warranty... In my case my Alpine unit said it was iPod compatible but I had to get special cables to work with iPhone. Then an adaptor for the 30 pin to lighting connector that was super clunky. Had an issue where anything streaming would have a -01 error and wouldn't play at all. I got a different type of cable and it worked fine but not a direct digital signal.
It was also marketed as Bluetooth compatible, but that involved a $100 adapter box that didn't even work.
Also one more piece to rant about is resale. Even though I put over $3k into the system, it only added an additional $250 at trade-in. So a horrible investment that I have learned my lesson from.
^ Well, it's not a horrible investment, because you enjoyed the sound while it worked. Your values have changed now, based on your story, but that doesn't mean you didn't derive pleasure from the loud and clear $3k system while it lasted.
For everyone else reading this, go to Crutchfield: Car Stereo, Speakers, Home Theater, Pro Audio, 4k TV and just browse their afermarket selection of radios/players/head units, speakers, amplifiers, etc. that will fit your Altima. I got my 2015 2.5 S with the specific intention to immediately upgrade the entire stereo, and I did, 1 week after buying the car. I spent $2K+ but the sound is pro now, I have a pro Alpine HU, an expensive Alpine amp, JL front speakers, and Pioneer rear speakers. The sound is on a whole new level, of course, but I'm a musician and even "advanced" "general-public" systems like Bose aren't good enough for me, I'm an audiophile and require absolute top-notch gear. Crutchfield.com has plenty of selections and recommendations and they made the whole thing easy. I ordered everything online, then brought it to my local car-audio shop and they installed everything for me.
Nice work man. I spent $700 on my new audio setup and it's a lot better than before, but not quite as good as I'd like. My main issues may not be avoidable, however...I don't care for the distance separation between the front woofers and tweeters. I'm used to them both being right up at the doors ('98 Infiniti I30) and now it seems like there's a distance to the sound / too much separation. I also had to cut a lot around 250 Hz because I was getting quite a loud humming sound there...not sure if it's the acoustics of the car. Do you have similar issues (with acoustics / separation) with your sound or did you find a way to make an improvement over this stuff?
I absolutely agree with the OP. I have a 2014 SL 4-cyl with the "Bose" sound system. I always thought it sounded like sh*t and no, I didn't really put it through its paces when I test drove the car. But because it was "Bose" I didn't expect I'd have to. What a disappointment. This was finally brought home to me when I was recently visiting my brother, who owns an '08 Civic Si with the factory audio. I was blown away. Power galore, taught and punchy bass, crisp highs, and clean midrange. Really p*ssed me off. When you tout "Bose" the expectations are set. Not my fault (nor the OP's), but rather the manufacturer's. Yes, I did not buy the car for the stereo. Nevertheless, a huge disappointment... to the degree I don't want to listen to music in the car any more. And hell, my '05 Elantra sounds better. But as I've heard it said, and it certainly rings true in this case: "No highs, no lows... must be Bose."
I have replaced everything with Rockford Fosgate speakers and pioneer Navi headunit. You gotta be careful how much power to add to the rear deck. You need to add a ton of mat to stop vibrations.
At this time I have the stock system im my car S model 6 speaker and like any basic system you cant expext a lot , I have changed all my speakers 6×9 in the back and door and tweaters with all Infinity that work with eather 2ohm or 4omh system and a sub in the trunk using spotify music blue tooth from my phone .
So I have decent sound .
Like said dont buy a base model and expect execlent sound
The biggest improvent you can make is the stock speakers are poor at the best.
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