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Is the B&O (Bang & Olufson) Sound System Worth It?
After reading some very mixed reviews of the $5400 B&O sound system for the E63 I am very much on the fence about it. I have read reviews claiming that the bass response is weak and muddy. And I have read other reviews from people who like it.
I live for strong bass. I like all kinds of music but bass heavy rap/hip hop is my fav. I would rather get the (to me) so so Harmon Kardon stock sound system and add a killer subwoofer and amp than blow $5400 on a sound system with just so so bass.
The upgraded HK in my current 2012 BMW 550xi is fantastic in terms of bass response and needs no further upgrade to B&O. But I find the bass in the E Class's HK (my mother has a 2014 E350 with P1 which includes the HK as did her now departed 2012 E350) to be subpar and find that the system has little presence compared to my 550's HK. To me, it sounds tinny and thin with very weak bass even when turned all the way up.
So can everyone who has the B&O in their E63 or who tried it and opted for the HK give me their opinion on the B&O? It is worth the mega cash? Also, if anyone went the route of the HK and then upgraded it aftermarket please weigh in as well.
I listen to a lot of rap/hip-hop, and I'm happy with the HK as is, but don't play my music for the benefit of others. B&O wasn't offered as an option here anyway.
I would go with your plan of amp/sub, if you are after the supreme doof doof sound, much better bang for your buck.
I think strong bass and hi-fi do not go together. B&O is in my opinion a more refined sound option dedicated to high quality.
So as mentioned above upgrading the bass on you HK will be sufficient IMO and more cost effective
I listen to lots of rap / hip hop. Yes I am the white guy in the suit in the Benz pounding the west side connection... Part of the reason I had tints done!
Love the B&O. If you are after pounding bass like the two 10" subs you had in the back of your mustang in high school it is not the same experience! But it is enough bass to keep me happy and no rattles at all. It is a fully integrated system so not just bass. Designed and installed to work with the car right from the factory. Tough to beat that.
No way I would chop up an E63 interior to put in an aftermarket sound system... No value on resale.
Having owned the stock HK system in a 2013 CLS 550 and now driving a 2014 E63AMG S wagon with the B&O system, I endorse it is as a worthwhile option despite the $5k+ price tag. Wagon owners compromise less storage space than sedan buyers so if buying a sedan you'll have to add the reduced trunk space into your buying decision.
My musical taste is diverse with no specific call for "thumping" bass. Where a back massage is needed, I'll turn on the massaging seat vs. throttling the bass.
A good driving experience is a sensory intense experience as it should be. Any and all inputs adding to the quality of that sensory experience...road feel, exhaust note, rattle free interior, alcantara steering wheel, quality seating, good sight lines, etc. The B&O sound system in this car is synergistic with the quality sensory inputs designed throughout the vehicle.
We have the B&O in the 2014 E63 sedan. If your source is satellite radio there is minimal difference. If a CD is used the sound is quite a bit better. In a sedan the loss of trunk space is noted. The housing for the rear deck speakers intrudes about 5" below the shelf. The inflatable spare does not fit into the well below the trunk floor, that space is used for the subwoofer ducting. The spare is provided with a nice Logo enclosure bag and strapped to the floor of the trunk. It now resides in our garage since the trunk is otherwise not usable.
The cabin detailing of the system is great.
Well I found a local dealer who has a B&O E63 S and I went and tested it out. It didn't blow me away--at least not using Bluetooth audio which is how I listen to my music. I've got about 5000 songs on my iPhone and am not going to be using CDs. I didn't find the bass very powerful at all and not even close to the upgraded HK in my 2012 BMW 550xi. The sound was not bad but was just not as full or powerful as I am used to in my current ride. Maybe it would be different if I used CDs but I am not going to and do not use them in my current 550xi and yet I love the HK in that car.
The salesman told me he was not surprised and that the B&O is not close to the upgraded Burmester found in the S Class.
Given that I was not bowled over by the system and given the loss of trunk space and spare tire under the floor I have decided not to get it. It is not the money. I don't want to lose 5 inches from the top of the trunk and the spare for a system that, at least when used the way I would use it (iPhone music), did not sound nearly as great as I had hoped for. From a looks perspective, the tweeters look terrific but that does not seal the deal for me.
The HK is fine and has great sound. There is enough bass as is not sure what you would need a sub woofer for unless you want to hear everything start rattling.
make sure to get the low rider up and down suspension and chop the roof!!!
on the "salesman" selling the burmeister as better -- I only use CDs, my burmeister is great, but I prefer the B+O for all around clarity, perhaps 20% better.
make sure to get the low rider up and down suspension and chop the roof!!!
on the "salesman" selling the burmeister as better -- I only use CDs, my burmeister is great, but I prefer the B+O for all around clarity, perhaps 20% better.
LOL. I think I will end up improving the HK system with some top of the line amps and replacing the standard subs with top shelf ones. Should be about $2K or so.
If I am not satisfied I might replace some or all of the HK speakers with better ones so long as I do so within their enclosures to retain the OEM look.
Believe I am not looking for earth shaking bass (not giant trunk boxes that kill cargo room) but more than either HK or B&O provides. The HB on my 2012 BMW 550xi has truckloads more bass. It is not earthshaking but it is strong.
The HK is fine and has great sound. There is enough bass as is not sure what you would need a sub woofer for unless you want to hear everything start rattling.
It was not nearly enough bass for me. There is so much more bass in my 550xi's HK system. I want at least that much.
LOL. I think I will end up improving the HK system with some top of the line amps and replacing the standard subs with top shelf ones. Should be about $2K or so.
If I am not satisfied I might replace some or all of the HK speakers with better ones so long as I do so within their enclosures to retain the OEM look.
Believe I am not looking for earth shaking bass (not giant trunk boxes that kill cargo room) but more than either HK or B&O provides. The HB on my 2012 BMW 550xi has truckloads more bass. It is not earthshaking but it is strong.
I am on the fence too, but I am keeping the option in my order, I am more for all around crispness at this point. I have a jl audio box with 2 w10's but I don't think I want to start tearing apart the car, I am actually enjoying my current car now without adding the box from the last car. Although a c63 exhaust is quite a sweet sound over music.
Plus if I am not mistaken, doesn't the B&O package come with dampening as well to help hold the sound in the car?
Ya, I'm pretty happy with the HK in my 2012 E series and I've been a audiophile most of my adult life, I mostly stream music anyhow so figure I'm loosing some sound quality that way and it might only sound worse on a more sensitive system like the B and O. It could stand a little more clean bass, but I think I must be getting old as it does not motivate me to do anything about getting more bass like other amps and subs, I just have no desire to mess with things on this car unless it's something simple. I use to drive a Pontiac G8 GT and I remember there was a mod to reverse the wires on the sub which I did and it gave it a lot more bass and even sounded cleaner, might be worth a shot with this car to give it a try if it's not to hard to access those wires going to the sub in my Wagon, I'll have to take a look at it. The other mod on the G8 was there was a volume knob on the sub amp which was only turned up halfway from the factory and you would turn it up all the way to get more bass, it worked, not sure if the benz has any such setup? More than likely not. The theory was on G8 was that engineering messed up and wired the sub backwards and by reversing it, it was then correct, probably not gonna get so lucky with the Benz as that was a real freak thing, it just sounded so much better and cleaner when the polarity was reversed on the G8GT.
Last edited by 2012 merc amg; 09-16-2014 at 09:30 PM.
It's the same 5% cost as when posters are trying to chisel dealers for an extra 1% discount off the purchase price. Totally not worth the price in a car...and a loud car at that.
It's the same 5% cost as when posters are trying to chisel dealers for an extra 1% discount off the purchase price. Totally not worth the price in a car...and a loud car at that.
For me it wasn't about the money. I so wanted to like it. Which is why I drove almost two hours to hear it from the only car in stock at any New York City area that had a B&O equipped E63.
I would have bought it if it impressed me. Perhaps if I had played music on CDs it would have. But I stream my music from my iPhone on Bluetooth so I tested that on the B&O. In that scenario, the system just did not impress me enough to spend the $5400 on it, lose my spare tire and lose 5 inches from the top of the trunk.
My car will be a bit quieter than the 2014s as I am getting the acoustic laminated glass. All the better to hear the sound from the custom sound system upgrade I will do for least than half the cost of the B&O.
has anyone tried connecting an android phone via bluetooth to watch youtube videos? I found that the audio from the HK speakers dont sync properly with the phones screen.
has anyone tried connecting an android phone via bluetooth to watch youtube videos? I found that the audio from the HK speakers dont sync properly with the phones screen.
If you connect via Bluetooth you will always have the audio out of sync with the video. I sometimes let my kids watch movies on longer rides via a headrest mounted iPad. I bought an extension cord so that I could plug the iPad into the multimedia interface to avoid the audio being out of sync with the video.
If you connect via Bluetooth you will always have the audio out of sync with the video. I sometimes let my kids watch movies on longer rides via a headrest mounted iPad. I bought an extension cord so that I could plug the iPad into the multimedia interface to avoid the audio being out of sync with the video.
Tried it on a 2014 S class, audio is also out of sync. I am only concerned because in my Lexus it works perfectly.
09-03-2014, 06:28 PM
Is the B&O (Bang & Olufson) Sound System Worth It?
