snagitseven

Not sure what the point is here. This article is almost five years old and is comparing an S8 (at that time) to a couple of non-Audi brand cars. Does nothing for evaluating a current 2012 A6 with either B&O or Bose. (Frankly, I'm completely disinterested in purchasing a Lexus, Acura or an Aston Martin of any vintage so I could care less about their sound systems).

I agree that the only way to determine if the B&O in the 2012 A6 is worth the price is to drive both using the same quality source. Each person will then ultimately make their own determination of value, one way or the other.

The G Man

My point is B&O is over priced. My dealer didnt have a A6 with B&O, but had a A8 with the B&O. No way is that system worth $6300. Like many professional said, the $1800 Mark Levison reference system sounds better. The OP ask if the B&O worth it and I am saying no.

BugeyeRX

I sure it's not worth it, either is the car, but if you got the cash both are pretty f'n cool and cool is worth something. Them pop-up speakers will WOW almost everyone.

gb4.2

I read the other second article and have to agree with snagitseven that the only way to "know" if the B&O system is for you is to compare one vs. the other in the A6 vehicle. If you don't like it, don't order/buy it! Your ears and your wallet will tell you if the system is worth $6300 or not.

The G Man

I guess that really depends on how fat your wallet is. Almost every option on A6 is justifiable to me except for the B&O system. The B&O sounds a bit better than the Bose but no way is it 6 times better, assuming the Bose cost a $1000. The Lexus Mark Levison reference is about $1800, is the B&O in the A6 three and a half times better than the ML in the Lexus? B&O does have a cool factor with those pop up tweeters though, but its more form over function. When the OP ask if the B&O in the A6 is worth it? My opinion is that sound quality wise, it is not. Cool factor wise and exclusivity wise, it is worth it.

snagitseven

Your key phrase here is "justifiable to me". Others may not agree.
Finally, once again, that comparison to the Levinson system was done 5 years ago to a different Audi. That's like 15 audio years with the advances in technology.

I read similar posts back in 2008 when I was ordering my B8 that the B&O was not worth it in the Prestige and I love it. Everything is relative and one opinion is just that - one opinion.

As was said in the previous post, "if you don't think it's worth it, don't buy it". I'll decide when I order my 2013 A6 this summer whether it's worth it or not to me after I listen to both the Bose and the B&O.

snagitseven

Actually, it's $5900 in the U.S. less 5% or so discount (plus tax). But who's quibbling?

C7fan

The acoustic lens has a real and technically justified function. Think about the situation where a tweeter faces up on the dash and bounces all its sound off the curved glass. That glass is convex so it will focus the nearer tweeter sound at you and not the passenger. Plus all speakers radiate sound less well at higher frequencies, so that tweeter is more likely to shoot it's sound at the nearest person because the person on the other side of the car is at a very oblique angle to that other tweeter. The result will be a poor distribution of high frequencies across the sound stage. The lens changes the way the tweeter radiates sound to make it sound better. As to whether or not they need to pop up or if they could be fixed (ala Mercedes)?


Value is a very personal judgement so nobody can be said to be wrong/right. Second, as with all things which are already well engineered, every increment of performance is not achieved with a linear increment of cost. Getting to the next level is nearly a nonlinear increase in effort and cost.

Finally, I hope nobody thinks they're getting $30k of B&O or $60K of ML in their Lexus or $3k of Bose for pennies on the dollar. Every option on the car you buy is highly profitable for the automaker. Otherwise, they wouldn't offer the optional.

Personally, on an A8/S8 I'd upgrade everything to the top choice. The total impact on the cost of the car is less than 25% and I'll enjoy them everyday.

The G Man

I have to disagree with that, the A6 offers a lot of bang for the money if you compare it to the competition.


That’s what I did, I brought along my CD of the Eagles, hell freezes over to the dealer with me. The bass guitars sequence in the beginning of the Hotel California song is simply amazing. I listen to it on A6 Bose and well as the A8 B&0 because the dealer didn’t have a A6 with B&O. The B&O system had a bit better high freq response and it had a bit more power, but like I said, I would have maybe paid another $1000 for the B&O, but certainly not $6300. I guess being unique has a price tag as well, how much is it worth to have the only B&O system among your friends or in your neighborhood?

C7fan

If you cannot hear a bass guitar even with the bass tone all the way up, either the recording is bad, your audio system is broken, your hearing is damaged/irregular, or "hear" means something different to you than for the rest of us.

Have you compared it to any other cars down at the Audi dealer?