[Sammk]

Just about to buy my Etron. Confused whether to go for the B&O sound system or no? how much difference is there between the regular sound system and the B&O sound system? im not to big on music, so I think the regular sound system should suffice unless it’s really bad or there is a huge difference between regular and B&O. Thoughts ?

 

[omegafiler]

I'm going to vote "Yes" because it sounds awesome. But if you aren't big on music or aren't planning on using a high-quality music source (e.g, Tidal, Amazon Music HD, etc), you might as well save the money. The base system sounds perfectly fine for the average listener. And is still much better than many car stereo systems.

 

[MegeTron]

I haven't heard the base system, but I will tell you the B&O system is one of the best stock systems I've heard. Agree with @omegafiler, if you're going to use it to mostly stream podcasts or listen to talk radio, save yourself the money and go stock.

 

[Chrisechild]

Base system is good in my opinion. Plenty of speakers dotted around for an immersive sound. EQ is pretty good to tweak to your desired levels.

I haven't heard the BO system though so can't say if it's worth it or not (it B&O of course it'll be amazing).

Depends on your budget and if you're not into music then base system will be fine if thats the choice you make.

 

[Chrisechild]

@Sammk check out Kris Rifa on youtube. He has a recent review. Seems chuffed with the sound system compared with other B&O systems in other cars (Audis, Volvos).

 

[blue_sign]

I personally think the B&O system is very bright sounding in the 2khz range. I have to use my phone's EQ to tone down a range centered on 2khz so as to not hurt my ears if I want to pump up the volume. I do not know what the base system sounds like, however. The B&O system, ignoring its brightness, is not too bad. The 3d and surround sound effects are pretty awesome and the bass is really good. That all being said, I personally feel the Mark Levinson system found in Lexus vehicles is generally a better system, though that's not obviously not really a thing as it pertains to this discussion. Just opinion, nothing more.

 

[JNealCox]

You weren't able to get the tonal quality you wanted by using the equalization offered through the MMI? I have toned down the treble good deal on mine, as well as boosting the base a little. Of course the sound you get out is only as good as the sound you put in. I think the B&O sound system is good enough that it highlights some of the limitations of the streaming from some sources.

 

[Quattro]

For all the other cars I have driven in the past I wouldn't opt for any fancy sound system as long as the base system is decent. I would rather spend the money on a nice home sound system. Reason being the sound might be great when the car is standing still but once at highway speed, the wind, road and engine noise would negate any difference in sound quality. The eTron however is so quiet even at highway speed I can actually appreciate the better sound. (I have the double pane windows. Not sure how much differency there is in noise reduction).
Another bonus with the eTron is it doubles up as my relaxation room. Not sure if others on this forum do this too. When I need some chill time I would get in the eTron in the garage, turn the AC on, roll up the windows, turn the massage chair on and crank up the volume. Definitely appreciate the B&O sound then.
Can't do that in an ICE vehicle

 

[JNealCox]

The massage chair in the garage....now that hadn't occurred to me!

 

[azlkk]

My plan B car was a BMW X5 M50i with the optional $3,400 optional B&W sound system. After living with the Prestige B&O system and lossless FLAC files I have been quite happy with the e-tron sound system. Sound stage and clarity are quite good for an automotive application, especially with the acoustic double pane windows and no shouty exhaust noises. I like it better than the comparable Burmester system in the wife's car, though she would not agree.

It's quite amazing to me how far along car audio systems have come. Our '35 Ford has an AM radio tucked beneath the dash with one speaker and now we have more sound power than my college days high end receiver.

 

[Lumas]

Here are two PDFs from the Audi Academy eSelf-Study Program (eSSP) 990993 (via the NHTSA site) comparing the B&O premium sound system (9VS) with 3D sound and the Audi sound system (9VD).

Being a music lover myself, the B&O sounds incredible with 3D audio turned on, especially on those long trips where I can appreciate live concert albums or orchestral recordings. There are three channels for bass frequencies in both audio systems options, and both options include one dedicated subwoofer in the rear. Both are similar in size. The B&O has a larger resonance chamber. However, in the B&O premium system, the bass speakers in the front driver and front passenger doors appear to also have some kind of resonance chamber and stabilizing mount; vs. the basic bass speakers in the standard Audi audio set. The bass is certainly more immersive with the B&O option. But, if you are mainly a podcast listener and don't care about music all that much, the standard is more than fine.

 

[polyphonic]

I personally think the B&O system is very bright sounding in the 2khz range.

Yep, totally agree. I like the system, but it is BRIGHT.

Oddly enough the EQ controls are 'treble' 'bass' and 'subwoofer.'
Quite strange because as a system, I think it's lacking in the midrange. I experimented with lowering the treble and bass to increase the midrange mix, but it didn't work.

Mids seem to be tied to the treble control to an extent. I found that decreasing the treble and increasing the bass slightly sounded best to my ears.

Still a nice system. For the reasons laid out by Quattro in post #8 I wouldn't upgrade a car sound system on its own (it comes with Prestige package iirc). Better to have a nice system in an environment that you can control, and to not be distracted by the task of driving.

 

[kataja]

This is the first car for me where the standard audio was good enough.

 

[RobT23]

Just about to buy my Etron. Confused whether to go for the B&O sound system or no? how much difference is there between the regular sound system and the B&O sound system? im not to big on music, so I think the regular sound system should suffice unless it’s really bad or there is a huge difference between regular and B&O. Thoughts ?

My e-tron has the standard stereo and it is clear and crisp, and suits me fine for telephone, navigation, radio and music at normal volumes. I opted to invest in upgraded wheels, window tint and virtual mirrors instead of the stereo because I wanted to enjoy the serenity of an EV, rather than have it functioning as a rolling Night Club 😂