Cadillac Owners Forum banner

Panaray Audio System

12K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  chazglenn3 
#1 ·
I would like to open this thread for specific reports about the new Panaray Audio System by Bose. So far, it has been given "honorable mention" by a few with positive connotations; but how about some real meat? Real input and reviews. As much as I have been unimpressed by virtually every BOSE car audio system I've ever owned (or heard); I'd sure like to see/hear that this is a winner. So anything reported of substance, let's bring it here. Thank you!
 
#3 · (Edited)
I'm itching to see the CT6 overall firsthand...and yes, hearing the Panaray. Having said that, the car itself seems to be such an overall WIN that if the BOSE sounds good, that will be a nice bonus. lol... I definitely see the CT6 in our garage.

To answer your question, I enjoy any system that sounds good to my ears. Acura's ELS is pretty good (I have not heard the Krell variant). So is the ML in the Lexus LS460. Having said that, I haven't heard every system in every model (and every model year) vehicle known to man. Now, there have been some folks in recent years who really like the BOSE OEM systems in their cars and that's great for them. It just hasn't worked out that way for me.

The OEM unit in my wife's '07 RT/RT Charger was a far better sounding system than the BOSE that was OEM in our 2001 Mazda MilleniaS (2.3 supercharged V6). I've heard many other OEM Bose systems in different autos that were painfully similar. If you've ever seen a BOSE transducer removed from the car- they are shockingly, disgustingly cheap in build. Notice I didn't say "build quality"...as there has to be quality there. Gee I hope the Panaray is different. I did hear a BOSE system in an Infiniti Q50 that sounded better (at least in bass response) to what we had, but I didn't take any time listening for other than a few seconds.

The best thing I could say about the BOSE system in our former car (that we had bought new and owned for many years), is that it was flat & uninspiring. No decent bass. No treble or "air" to the sound.

Overall, the system sounded sort of like, well, Yamaha NS-10 studio monitors. lol...
(For those unaware, NS-10 monitors are considered industry-standard for near-field monitoring at the recording console to insure the mix will sound good on about any system)
 
#4 ·
To each his own, I suppose. You might sit in an Escalade if you get the chance (or any Caddy with the CenterPoint option). In my opinion it creates a wonderful balance that simulates a well-mixed live sound. I haven't been in the Lexus LS in a while but I was in an S-Class the other day and was thoroughly underwhelmed with the Harmon-Kardon in it. I'm sure MB has an upgraded system that sounds better but I'm not sure.

I wish there was a way of sharing the experience of an audio system over the internet, but... : P
 
#6 · (Edited)
Thank you for posting that, Nihsel10! Well, they are getting warmer...Is it just me, or they went to great lengths to stress that there are 34 (34....34) speakers. Interesting breakdown of the transducers (some of them, anyway). They told us where they are....now all they have to come up with is the BEEF. ie: How does it really sound?

All this tip-toeing around the central issue of proof in the pudding isn't exactly reassuring.

CTE OP- good idea. maybe I need to plant my backside in the new Escalade to get a hint of where BOSE is at right now and give it a listen...
 
#7 ·
Cabin volume and interior materials (exterior sound deadening, type of headliner, etc.) are other factors to consider when comparing automobile audio systems. An Escalade has significantly more volume than a sedan and will sound differently. My XLR's Bose system sounded pretty good, but isn't anywhere close to the acoustic level in my XTS. Sure, Bose has advanced their game, (CenterPoint & Active Noise Cancellation) but the amount of space to fill within the cabin makes a difference too. With thirty-four speakers, the Panaray should envelope the cabin with a lot of arrival paths, giving the impression of a wall of sound to each zone. It should be fun to check out.

CCC
 
#10 · (Edited)
Yup, yup, and YUP! Can't wait to do so! BTW, in the CT6 review thread I posted a few, new reviews that did give the Panaray more than honorable mention. Both pretty much said the Panaray is a must have. More than just "enveloping sound"- what BOSE uses in marketing, it seems they have done a good job of capturing dynamics and lows and highs, too. Rather than being awash in midrange, they seem to have really been conscious of overall realistic frequency response in audio reproduction.

Yes the cavernous cabin of an Escalade is totally different than the XTS...much like playing different venues live is often like night and day due to room size alone.

Cabin volume and interior materials (exterior sound deadening, type of headliner, etc.) are other factors to consider when comparing automobile audio systems. An Escalade has significantly more volume than a sedan and will sound differently. My XLR's Bose system sounded pretty good, but isn't anywhere close to the acoustic level in my XTS. Sure, Bose has advanced their game, (CenterPoint & Active Noise Cancellation) but the amount of space to fill within the cabin makes a difference too. With thirty-four speakers, the Panaray should envelope the cabin with a lot of arrival paths, giving the impression of a wall of sound to each zone. It should be fun to check out.


CCC
----------

I will try and remember that. Thanks!
 
#8 ·
#11 ·
I'm really looking forward to hearing this system in person... even just to try out the different settings Driver, Centerpoint, Rear, and Normal and see how agile the sound field is. I love how even the amount of surround is adjustable on the Tone Settings screen! My dream is that the Panaray system's sound quality matches the Mark Levinson stereo found in the Lexus LS460, but I've been let down by Bose before, so I'm not holding my breath.

My only concern is that, since I'm waiting for the Chinese-built CT6 Plug-in variant of this car, that the powered subwoofer on the rear parcel shelf might not have the same punch since it'll have the car's 18.4 kWh battery in between it and the main cabin.
 
#12 ·
Update: in the appropriate section, I posted about test-driving a new 2016 Escalade Platinum yesterday, and I played-around with the BOSE w/Centerpoint a little bit as CTE OP suggested. (Thanks again!)
While we were there more or less evaluating the SUV as a whole, I didn't spend much time with the BOSE system, but did play with the Centerpoint presets and manual, on the fly adjustments of it. I also dialed-in a decent kwickie EQ by going roughly minus one third- 1/2 off flat for the bass, bumped the mids up above flat just a bit, and then the highs bumped up just a bit more. Not bad. Passable just for twiddling momentarily. Started with pulling the bass back until I lost the BOOM and had more fundemental....not too bad and much better than the BOSE stuff I've heard in the past. Hopefully, the CT6 Panaray System will hit the ball out of the park.
 
#13 ·
The Escalade is easy. They always cram big woofers up front. Actually, they did the same for the '09-15 CTS-V. Big 9" woofers in the front door. Made the fairly weak 10" woofer in the rear deck inconsequential. Though, the woofer they show in Motoman's video seemed pretty beefy.

My V had a good Bose system.
 
#14 ·
Here a new review of the Panaray system from Car & Driver:

http://blog.caranddriver.com/the-cadillac-of-audio/

An excerpt:

"Panaray is an audio system that always assaults your ears with big sound, which undoubtedly will appeal to some owners. It’s certainly powerful and sure to dazzle neophytes with its motorized center speaker, but I find it lacking in detail and separation compared with the best in-car audio. Once you get past initial impressions, the sound just doesn’t mesmerize like the high-end systems in other luxury models, such as the $4700 Burmester system in the Porsche Macan or the $2500-to-$2650 (depending on trim) Bowers & Wilkins upgrade in the Volvo XC90, which are two of our current favorites."
 
#15 ·
Panaray is nice...details like 34 speakers, is nice to know, i see nothing wrong with sharing that fact, where the marketing goes wrong, IMO, is leaving it at that...saying 34 speakers alone doesn't really give you a sense of why we should be impressed with by that....the next sentence after one saying "34 speakers" ought to be "11 of which are dedicated to surround sound for the rear passengers alone"...and this sentence should be followed up with "bass notes in CT6 don't stop with the 10" sub on the parcel shelf, but continues with 8 speakers in enclosures located in the floor of the driver and front passenger footwells, each enclosure is equivalent to a 12" subwoofer", or "9 of which are used to deliver the equivalent of one 10" and two 12" subwoofers"
 
#16 · (Edited)
I have had Mark Levision, Lexicon, Harman/Kardon and Meridian Premium Sound and IMO the Bose Panaray is the best. I am not at all disappointed.
The sound quality and separation between speakers is very good. The base is strong and speakers and interior parts of the car seemed to handle things well even at a high volume, no rattles or speaker distortion.
I agree, there is more to the Panaray Sound System than 34 speakers, IMO it is as close to live as you can get:cloud9:
 
#17 ·
I test drove a CT6 with the Panaray Audio System and was not impressed compared to the ELS in my 2012 Acura TL. I was listening to a local radio station with a strong signal in the CT6, maybe that had something to do with it since I listen only to music on SiriusXM and from my iPhone (not streaming) in my Acura TL. I'll have to give Panaray another chance at some point.

BTW, the music demo disc that came with my Acura TL (DVD-A format) takes the ELS to a whole different level and sounds just incredible. This is NOT what I'm comparing Panaray to. Too bad the DVD-A format never took off.
 
#18 ·
panaray sounds great...it has the typical Bose sound of technically accurate or tuned for classical...AKA studio monitor sound...which is why they (BOSE) tend to get knocked for bass...BUT!!!!! you can certainly dial in the tonal qualities you seek, and Panaray can hit really hard on the bass front if you want it too...i like it...you need to feed it a good source (as with a lot of systems) i have a bose created Demo Video the showcases the sysem nicely on usb stick...and Panaray is impressive playing it
 
#20 ·
Unfortunately no it's behind a Cadillac dealer only site where we get all our graphics files and artwork for dealer use....Bose had to acquire licensing from the artists in the video before they could even release it for dealer use.....you can have your dealer show it to you in vehicle on a panaray demo
 
#21 ·
I've had Many Bose systems and THIS panaray is by far the cream of the crop! 34... yes 34 speakers inside the cabin that is totally awesome. The sound stage is really complete, crystal clear highs, and excellent lows, it even has speakers IN the headrests, and the floors near your feet!And if you happen to put in your favorite action Bluray dvd be prepared to be BLOWN AWAY LITTERALLY. No joking, it sounds like your at the IMAX. As with cd's and phone music, as the saying goes IT'S ONLY AS GOOD AS THE SOURCE YOUR USING!!
 
#22 ·
For me I think the Panaray system in my 2019 CT6 V does an very good/excellent job of reproducing music using my I phone not connected and with bluetooth.What is interesting to my ears is using centerpoint or normal setting to play music. It seems to me on normal setting music seems more like being at the concert and seeing the performance on stage; my opinion. I haven't listened to any other systems in other high end models. I must say in the past bose was not known for deep base reproduction and the panaray does a great clear job.of that. For reference points here the base is set as +1, midrange +10, and treble +12. Again its all individual preference; however the adjustments need to be tailored to "centerpoint" vs "normal" setting.
 
#23 ·
I would think that your midrange and treble settings are somewhat high although I have stated before that the tone settings only do so much with this system and could be better. It's a great system overall and similar to what I had in my 2009 STS which had a 15 speaker system. Most of the BOSE systems I've had recently including my 2009 DTS have good bass and clarity but the STS had a more punchy bass which the CT6 has with some tracks it seems but not with others. But the STS utilized CD's and DVD's so the fidelity was higher compared to mp3's. At first, I used my iPhone with bluetooth and that worked well but those tracks are 192kb mp3's so decent quality but not the best. I've been experimenting with other formats such as AAC and ALAC and will be reporting soon on that. By the way, sometimes bass is better with CenterPoint and vice versa but I just leave it on the CenterPoint mode as I did with my old STS.

There has been discussion before about Apple CarPlay and further experimentation brought me to the conclusion that is is not better and sometimes worse than using bluetooth or just a USB flash drive with the same mp3's. While the interface is nice with the album covers, it doesn't help improve fidelity. I have no experience with Android devices.
 
#27 ·
The panaray doesn't have any bass until 3/4 volume but then it does sound pretty good, but not $2700 good. The issue is the headrest speakers just overpower everything else with high treble.
I stated my feeling before on the Panaray but some of its issues depend on the source. FM stations generally have more than enough bass and are louder than any other input so the issue is the level at which other inputs such as USB are at. Since that is not adjustable, you do end up placing the volume higher and the built-in loudness contour is different there than at lower volume positions where FM is plenty loud. One way to compensate is to use a different music app on a phone where you can use EQ to smooth out and raise the volume a bit. When I tried this route, it did have some impact but these were mp3 files and since I wanted the best sound overall, I ended up using Apple Lossless files on a 1TB Samsung SSD and let the CUE system handle it all. I have around 22,000 tracks and it works fine so that is what I went with. I mentioned some of this on the CUE forum previously here:


My 2009 STS had the 15 speaker system and that had more bass sometimes than the Panaray but it seems to depend on the music so they both are great systems but expensive for what they are.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top