Just ordered 2013 S6
07-10-2012, 01:46 PM
#12
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Is the Bose really that bad? I mean aside from the "its in ear of the beholder" arguments, is the Bos system really substandard? I struggled with the B&O decision for a few weeks, but couldn't get my head wrapped around the $5,900 price. It's practically Six Thousand Dollars! For that money you should at least get a Blu-ray player and maybe built in video screens or a pair of dockable iPads for the passengers. Maybe later I'll regret not getting the B&O, but for right now that money is better kept in my pocket!
07-10-2012, 02:47 PM
#14
The best thing to do IMHO is to listen to both and then decide if the $6K is worth the difference to you; this is one of those topics that are very subjective.
My take was that the B&O did indeed sound better, and that both systems need a bit more bass. If I sat in my car with the engine off for significant periods listening to music, then it might be worth it for me. At commuter/highway speeds, however, I thought any audible difference was completely masked by road/wind noise. I also felt the Bose had enough oomph to drive the speakers at a reasonable volume even with highway-speed noise in the cabin. Since my typical driving pattern is suburban/freeway driving, most of the time I'm traveling at 30-80MPH with the associated ambient noises. Under these conditions, I couldn't justify the (in my view, huge) price difference.
I also did some listening with an iPod as well as a CD; I did not try BT streaming. I could not tell a dramatic difference with 128KBps AAC; with a CD there was more detail with the B&O, and I thought the treble was a bit more balanced. THe B&O also seemed to push higher volumes before I could hear distortion, but since I did not measure SPL, this is subjective as well.
Again, once driving, the differences became immaterial in my view; noise dominates any subtle differences I could hear when parked.
The way I see it, if I want better sound (mid/high) after driving the car for a bit (I'm still waiting for delivery; my car is somewhere in the Panama Canal right now), I can always replace the speakers on the front doors and the tweeters on the dash for well under $1K and get a dramatic upgrade. I will be upgrading the subwoofer and probably would have done so even with the B&O. In my experience, replacing rear door speakers/tweeters makes virtually no difference to the front seat occupants, and the rear passengers tend to be tethered to ipods.
Good luck with your decision making. I spent weeks trying to pick a color, and I only stopped worrying once my car was built, since I could no longer change my mind....
My take was that the B&O did indeed sound better, and that both systems need a bit more bass. If I sat in my car with the engine off for significant periods listening to music, then it might be worth it for me. At commuter/highway speeds, however, I thought any audible difference was completely masked by road/wind noise. I also felt the Bose had enough oomph to drive the speakers at a reasonable volume even with highway-speed noise in the cabin. Since my typical driving pattern is suburban/freeway driving, most of the time I'm traveling at 30-80MPH with the associated ambient noises. Under these conditions, I couldn't justify the (in my view, huge) price difference.
I also did some listening with an iPod as well as a CD; I did not try BT streaming. I could not tell a dramatic difference with 128KBps AAC; with a CD there was more detail with the B&O, and I thought the treble was a bit more balanced. THe B&O also seemed to push higher volumes before I could hear distortion, but since I did not measure SPL, this is subjective as well.
Again, once driving, the differences became immaterial in my view; noise dominates any subtle differences I could hear when parked.
The way I see it, if I want better sound (mid/high) after driving the car for a bit (I'm still waiting for delivery; my car is somewhere in the Panama Canal right now), I can always replace the speakers on the front doors and the tweeters on the dash for well under $1K and get a dramatic upgrade. I will be upgrading the subwoofer and probably would have done so even with the B&O. In my experience, replacing rear door speakers/tweeters makes virtually no difference to the front seat occupants, and the rear passengers tend to be tethered to ipods.
Good luck with your decision making. I spent weeks trying to pick a color, and I only stopped worrying once my car was built, since I could no longer change my mind....
07-10-2012, 04:35 PM
#15
Yes, at least the way I see.
I think it should have been standard on all the A6 models, or at least starting from the P+.
It delivers decent sound, but it lacks in base quite a-bit. Also, maxing it out isn't hard for me, I see the volume reaching 30(34 is max) when the windows and sunroof are all down. Something I do on a daily basis since I miss having a convertible. It's mostly highways here, so 80mph and over is my usual speeds.
Maybe I should have got a Shelby...
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, the "Prestigious" Bose system, isn't very fancy, it's mid-range.
I think it should have been standard on all the A6 models, or at least starting from the P+.
It delivers decent sound, but it lacks in base quite a-bit. Also, maxing it out isn't hard for me, I see the volume reaching 30(34 is max) when the windows and sunroof are all down. Something I do on a daily basis since I miss having a convertible. It's mostly highways here, so 80mph and over is my usual speeds.
Maybe I should have got a Shelby...
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, the "Prestigious" Bose system, isn't very fancy, it's mid-range.
07-11-2012, 06:19 AM
#16
AudiWorld Senior Member
Is the Bose really that bad? I mean aside from the "its in ear of the beholder" arguments, is the Bos system really substandard? I struggled with the B&O decision for a few weeks, but couldn't get my head wrapped around the $5,900 price. It's practically Six Thousand Dollars! For that money you should at least get a Blu-ray player and maybe built in video screens or a pair of dockable iPads for the passengers. Maybe later I'll regret not getting the B&O, but for right now that money is better kept in my pocket!
07-11-2012, 08:31 AM
#17
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I don't think the Bose sounds that bad. Its sufficient for my taste. My A4 with the B&O does however sound better than the Bose in the A6. Can only imagine how good the B&O system is in the A6 but the price is far higher than it was for the A4. $5900 vs $900 (can't recall exact amount).
07-11-2012, 01:10 PM
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I don't think the Bose sounds that bad. Its sufficient for my taste. My A4 with the B&O does however sound better than the Bose in the A6. Can only imagine how good the B&O system is in the A6 but the price is far higher than it was for the A4. $5900 vs $900 (can't recall exact amount).