quality_sound

The cost isn't even a factor. Bad sound is bad sound. If I could have it removed from my order I would. The ONLY plus side to it is that the car is pre-wired for an active setup which will make the upgrade a LOT easier. It would have been nice if they'd used standard sized mids, but considering they were nice enough to use 8s in the doors I'll get over it.


I'm not saying that no one should like it, but I do think that you guys would be absolutely floored at how good even a mediocre aftermarket setup that's tuned correctly can sound. It's all about what you've been exposed to.

ELEVENS

The sound equipment's job is to reproduce the recording as accurately as possible given the price point. Exaggerated base, mid, or highs might sound interesting at first, but it's not right and will end up fatiguing the user. First signs are turning it down or eventually not listening to it at all, or listening to talk radio. Even with the B&O, I rarely listen to music in a car. It's just too hostile of an environment for accurate music reproduction.

Regarding the system "breaking in". Yes, that happens to a small extent, but the ears are really what's "breaking in". They are simply becoming acclimated to the sound, same thing happens to the nose with odors. After a while, you hardly even notice a smell.

quality_sound

This is BEYOND untrue. I'm not saying it's not a bad environment, I'm saying there are car systems that rival outstanding home systems. Seriously.

You are spot on here. I keep trying to tell people this but few will believe it.

The G Man

If cost isnt a factor, then anybody can have good aftermarket system in their car. You are like a race car driver complaining about how slow the Q5 is. Its all relative, if you compare the B&O to a standard Toyota Corolla radio, then its great, but if you comapre it to a $3000 aftermarket system, then not so great.

quality_sound

Cost ISN'T a factor. Good audio does not have to be expensive. Most systems need little more than some equalization. More power helps with compression and dynamics, but it isn't strictly necessary. Even if you need better drivers you can get them very inexpensively if you get them from the actual manufacturers and not a car audio company that usually does little more than design a pretty box to put those drivers in. Alpine's UBER high end F#1 Status speakers are nothing more than Scan-Speak Revalators with a treated cone. Now, Revs aren't cheap, but the Alpine versions cost about 4 times as much.

Accurate isn't a relative term. It either is or is not.

The G Man

That’s easy for you to say, you know how to do all that stuff already and have the time and the inclination to do it. For someone who knows nothing about equalization. drivers or do not have connections actual manufacturers and not a car audio company, it can get very expensive. I think the OP was simply trying to compare optional factory systems, not after market systems.

ELEVENS

I'll agree with you but only under controlled conditions: The car is not moving, the engine is not running, and the temperature is favorable. Ambient noise is a deal-breaker in a car. ANY ambient noise.

rs4vr

I definitely agree that some speakers have to break in.

I've found this to be the case with some higher end headphones.

I remember a couple of pairs where the sound was really almost shrill and I almost sent them back.

After about a hundred hours, they totally smoothed out and sound amazing.

I have been really surprised by how nice the System in our Rs4 cab sounds... especially the balanced bass response.

i'll take the same music over to the dealershipnso i can compare how it sounds on the q5 with b&o.

cheers.

quality_sound

Again, price has nothing to do with it. Would you say a car is fast for it's price? No. Speed, like accuracy is audio, is measurable and as suck isn't controlled by cost.

Yes, I do have a lot of experience with this, but I didn't pop out of the womb with it. in the digital age and VAST amount of knowledge on the internet anyone can learn anything. Also, people already KNOW what sounds good. They're just not used to getting it in a car or have been brainwashed by OEM marketing to think the crap that's foisted on us is as good as it gets.

I will disagree, not because I think you're wrong, but because, unless you're listening in an anchoic chamber, every environment will have ambient noise. It can be compensated for in a car, as it can in a home. It will take a LOT more EQ, but it can be done, to the point that it's mostly, not totally, a non-issue.

After a hundred hours you adapted to them. I guarantee you a driver that's as small as anything in any headphone will be broken in in about 30 seconds. Even Dynaudio drivers, which we all know are notorious for "requiring" a long break-in" showed almost NO change in their T-S measurements after 200 hours of pink noise. Break-in is a myth. Kind of like audio crystals and a whole slew of other crap the HT crowd backs.

The G Man

The Subura WRX is fast for its price and the Lexus IS250 AWD is alow for its price. Again we are talking oem equipment here, not some sup up NOS system or a aftermarket sound system.
You gain your knowledge by spending time learning on the internet or what ever, to most people, time is money. On top of that, most people dont even like to work on car electronics or dont feel comfortable doing it. That is why the majority of people dont install aftermarket sound systems, they simply a pretty good sound system right out of the box, thats why they compare one oem optional sound system to another instead of comapring the owm to custom systems.