Michaeljones

For anyone who has the Bang & Olufsen sound system, I am really wondering how well it performs? I do not have it in my Audi but I must say the 10 speaker stock system is very impressive. I also have a BMW 335i with the premium Harmon Kardon sound and the stock A4 sound system almost out performs it. I am really wondering how good the B&O system in comparison.

gunsmoker

I have the Concert system and although I find it good enough for my needs, it sounds like it's not calibrated compared to my home theater system. Or it doesn't have enough bands for a decent acoustic correction.
The sound is boomy. That means the 125Hz band is higher than it should be or they are compensating for the weak low-end response this way. There is no mid range detail - the 2kHz and 4kHz bands are not high enough. You can play with the tone controls, but they are not addressing the above bands. I keep my treble at the second tick below the max and the bass and the tick before the max. The mid is in the middle.

I realize I'm not answering the question. I haven't listened to the B&O. There was an Audi video about it and it said the B&O was calibrated (no such statement about the Concert). It also said the speakers had cabinets as opposed to using the inner space of the doors.

You need to hear both systems to be able to compare them. The people that have the B&O say it's amazing. The people that have the Concert say it's plenty good. You can't make a conclusion whether the difference is worth $800 based on such statements.

jdong

Yeah I only sat in a Concert system for a bit while comparing it to B&O at the dealership, and the B&O sounded more crisp to me though I don't have any scientific measures to back it up. But for $800 I thought it was well worth it to go B&O

Like the previous person, I'm not willing to answer your question based on my anecdotal and unscientific experiences.

pdiddy26

I've B&O + Audi Symphony (w/o NAVI). It isn't worth it for sure.

Couple of issues + sound qualitty.

Rate - 5 out of 10.

Scotty (UK)

I'm not sure you can rate the sound system when yours is not operating correctly?

I love mine although you do to wind it on to get the bass to really develop.

Sound, like colour, is very much in the eye (errrm ear) of the beholder.

quality_sound

You cranked the bass and wonder why it's boomy? Most OEM systems center their bass controls at 100Hz. Turn it and the treble back to the middle setting and leave it that way for a couple of weeks and then, if you need to, make SMALL adjustments at a time.

I only heard B&O while listening to the radio but listening to the radio the standard system sounded fuller, but less accurate. Standard was more enjoyable to listen to with the radio but I have no doubt that the B&O is better with better source material. However, if B&O wasn't included in Prestige I wouldn't get it. I can build something better without breaking a sweat.

pdiddy26

I just don't like that dealer refuses me and tells me that everything is OK with B&O. I believe in case of working properly the sound is much better.

Bargamon

Very true that music is color and the quality is subjective.

A car vs a home theatre is a poor comparison.

So many factors.

I really never got to fully compare and never had a choice as I would not up for a prestige but would easily would have added $850 to a $44,000 car as a stand alone option.

Im a bit of an audiophile and have never sat in a system that totally left me satisfied. The automobile is a bad place to put a stereo system in.

I had an 07' 530i with the upgraded Harmon Kardan Logic 7 and it was a nice upgrade but really the added value is subjective to ones expectations. IN prevous cars, including Audi's with a "Bose" upgrade I would also say the same. I have auditioned many aftermarket systems with those premium components and to some extend the sum of nice pieces does not always add up. Maybe do certain things well but does not come together. Alpine and others have some nice calibrating systems now but the complexity and lack of warranty makes it undesirable to install in a new car. I think those that do put together a new system for the car are bias after spending the money and the pride of ownership taints their opinion. Nothing wrong with that BTW! Its why we do what we do.

back to the issue at hand. Is the B&O worth it?

stand alone option I would do it. Can one upgrade like that for less money with the fit and finish of factory, integrated and warranted? Nope. Can one upgrade better? For money anything is possible.

Is B&O worth it? I find it funny they are in the Car business because their reputation has always been very high fashion quality units that are almost "art" in its appearance. They add some visual content to the car. Pop up tweeters are a nice touch.

As a "Near" audiophile I must say the base system has a nice open sound and I think is pretty good. My speakers are far from broken in so my final judgement is still a few weeks away. They need 20-30 hours of operation to get broken in. It sounds a bit brassy and the bass is not tight yet.

I prefer a heavy sound with little treble. I am surprised how loud this unit can play! I tend to go two thirds on the base and woofer output and half way on the treble. Im preoccupied most of the time and just like a fine ambient sound instead of singing along to my favorites. That would have worked in my 20's.

so many options with sat radio, Jukebox and Ipods!

quality_sound

This is untrue. The difference in Dynaudio drivers with VERY stiff suspensions that have manufacturer recommended break-in times of 200 hours show less change in their measurements than the difference between two units in the same production run.

Your OEM B&O speakers are not going to change. Over the course of a couple of weeks the only thing that changes is your brain. It adapts to the peaks and valleys and fills in any gap and cuts down peaks. This is why ALL high end home speakers require break-in, to reduce returns.

a4-bob

I've spent a lot of time with a symphony system and a few weeks w/ B&O. I liked the stock system though thinking it was more tight and accurate than I expected. It did not hold up well with loud volume. I think I blew a speaker in the front and never took it insanely loud.

The B&O is also accurate & tight. At low volumes you may not notice much difference but the B&O shines as you turn up the volume.

Both systems focus more on accuracy. I like them both but am glad I went with the B&O on the second car. If you love bose systems or if you insist that all the cars around you hear your booty-shake tunes then you probably won't like either of these.