caesar2011

Hello All,

Does anyone have any sense if the Bang Olufsen stereo upgrade is a substantial sonic improvement, or just a style and "show-off" feature?

Has anyone heard both stereo systems? Is it worth the money?

Thank you!

kwilkins

I'm also interested to hear from who has first hand experience with the B&O system. How does it compare to the Mark Levinson in the Lexus?

gd10

no it is not worth it at all... $5900 for a sound system that doesn't sound better then the standard system is not worth it.

chicagoA6

Obviously you need to listen to both to make the call and I would ask the dealer to sit in an A8 with B&O to compare. While I haven't heard the B&O system, I have the Lexus ML system in my '10 LS460. When playing CDs its spectacular and I would only think the B&O system would be better. However, where these systems fall down is with sources that do not have great resolution. Sat Radio, iPod/iPhone and ripped MP3 music. These are the great equalizer with high end audio systems. In my Lexus with ML playing from my iPhone is no better than my previous '08 A6 with Bose.

So think about what your sources will be and play that source in the B&O and the Bose.

gb4.2

I've had the B&O system for about three and a half years in my 2008 A8L and love it. It's a major improvement in the listening experience for iPhone-sourced or CD-soured music. For terrestrial or satellite radio, the difference is much less noticeable. I have almost 80,000 miles on my car (mostly interstate-driven) and have come to appreciate its sound quality, especially at highway speeds.

Is it worth all of the extra $$$$ that Audi demands? In my opinion, no. It's probably twice as expensive as it should be. On the other hand, would I get it again on my next Audi (probably an A7)? Yes.

The only way to really understand how this system performs is to compare it in the same vehicle model side-by-side with the standard Bose system. Try it with the engine off and then drive at 60 mph+. Compare the radio performance and pop a CD into it. If you aren't impressed, don't order it!

Blownaway

I love the perception of some of these people. How on earth can you say they sound the same? Have you heard both systems in the A7. The B&O system is a fifteen speaker sound system that has double the power of the upgraded Bose system. The main advantage is the sealed speaker cabinets, which also add privacy to phone conversations while on bluetooth. The standard and upgraded Bose system do not use fully sealed cabinets. If you are an Audiophile, it is worth a listen.

gd10

in no way is $5900 worth it for a sound system. Its worth $850 in my S5, or $1800 for an R8, but not close to being worth $6k.

Blownaway

They are very different systems and in your opinion it is not worth it. I know people that have spend more than that on a turntable. It is in the eye of the beholder.

pkancel

The premium sound is always significantly better than the standard so while its certainly expensive, I would say it may be worth it if quality music enhances the your driving experience. The flip side is, you may be able to take the car to a quality sound shop and for less than that, get some things added to get pretty close.

Mcqueen

http://www.bang-olufsen.com/advanced-sound-system

In comparing systems, it appears that the Advanced Sound System from B&O found in the A8, A7, and A6, is very much different from the Sound System found on the R8 and S5, etc. Different specs, different technologies.

That said, I won't claim to have not flinched at the sight of a $5900 price tag. (compared to $850 on my S5) However in the world of Bang and Olufsen, $850 barely gets you one cordless phone, making the sound system in the S5 a relative bargain. The $5900 price point is in-line with B&O home audio equipment, provided the system delivers in the car. No doubt if these specs are correct, that I'll have triple the power, and better acoustics, it should sound impressive - I've been pretty happy with the S5 sound) It's a question of if you are buying a $70,000 car, what options do you leave off.

And as far as coolness goes, having the tweeters raise out of the dash has some panache to it.

I wonder if we have 'movie mode' as outlined in the B&O features linked above?