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View Full Version : Difference between Bose B&O and standard audio



Carlin4737
15-04-2012, 04:09 PM
Hi all, my previous cars had Bose and B&O, but new car just has the standard audio. Is there that much of an improvement from the standard audio when compared with the Bose and B&O systems. Think I will be making use of the sd card slot for music, so with MP3 format the quality will not be that good anyway. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience of comparing standard audio to Bose /B&O

cheers.

ti rich
15-04-2012, 08:43 PM
In my opinion the Bose is a lot better than the standard audio and well worth the extra but it depends what you are used to.

I also use the SD Card and can say it gives better audio quality than the same track on an ipod interfaced via the AMI.

Carlin4737
15-04-2012, 09:07 PM
I also use the SD Card and can say it gives better audio quality than the same track on an ipod interfaced via the AMI.

Thats interesting to know, I have experienced the exact opposite ? music played from iphone via ami far superior than from sdhc card. Had nothing but hours of trouble trying to get tracks to play from sdhc. Most of my music is in itunes on Imac, even after converting apple lossless to mp3 tracks still did not play. All music files on sd card showed up as "tracks damaged" when card inserted, however, did manage to get a couple of albums to play but not sure how so gave up in the end. Unfortunately new car does not have AMI so looks like I'm going to have to find a solution to this problem, or its back to countless numbers of cd's sliding about in glove box !
Thanks for your input ti rich, very interesting.

ti rich
15-04-2012, 09:15 PM
No problems at all with the SDHC, i am using a 32GB card, mode 4 I think. The manual states 32GB is the limit - are you trying to use anything larger?

I copy straight from itunes onto the SD card so no difference in encoding at all. To my ears the SD card is more clear with better stereo imagery. Also i can get the album artwork to work via the SD card but not via the iPod/AMI route as i have the older blue colour lead (you need the red).

Timothy Nathan
16-04-2012, 10:41 AM
I use a 32Gb SDHC with total success. AMI is also fine.

Carlin4737
16-04-2012, 05:38 PM
using Transend 4gb sdhc card, if you chaps had had no problems with itunes media then I'm wondering if the software for my A5 audio is out of date or just doesn't like itunes, no album artwork showing in mmi either.
You say that there was no need to convert from apple lossess to mp3 , if so, this sounds promising, excellent.

cheers

KAM
26-04-2012, 05:56 PM
All music files on sd card showed up as "tracks damaged" when card insertedI've just found an mp3 album which produced similar problems. All tracks played OK on my PC using foobar and WMP. However a quick check with MP3Val (http://mp3val.sourceforge.net/) revealed some errors. Fixing these solved the problem and they now display and play in the A6 like they should.

Carlin4737
26-04-2012, 06:42 PM
I've just found an mp3 album which produced similar problems. All tracks played OK on my PC using foobar and WMP. However a quick check with MP3Val (http://mp3val.sourceforge.net/) revealed some errors. Fixing these solved the problem and they now display and play in the A6 like they should.

Thanks for info/link KAM, looks like mp3val only runs on windows, was trying to stay away from running windows on Imac but looks like i may have to give it a go. Pick car up this Saturday so will see how I get on with just dragging and dropping directly from Itunes.

Carlin4737
29-04-2012, 11:48 AM
tried sd card today but still same problem in new A6 , when tracks are scanned in they still show up as "tracks damaged" all media is .m4a either from itunes store or original CD's transferred onto imac using apple lossless format ..... rather puzzling me thinks.

cheers

Carlin4737
09-05-2012, 06:39 PM
Hopefully all sorted now, initially the only tracks that would play when copied from itunes to sd card were AAC purchased media from itunes, the remaining tracks that didn't play and showed up as "track damaged" were all from cd's copied into itunes using the apple lossless encoder. Just converted the apple lossless encoded media to AAC and then removed/deleted all the apple hidden ._ files with a program called Blueharvest , http://www.zeroonetwenty.com/blueharvest4/ Job done :)

robbyg
23-06-2012, 06:27 PM
I havent actually compared, i just went for the standard stereo as 90 % of my listening is podcasts or radio 4.

Today i gave the stereo a work out, tried a few eminem tracks quiet, med and loud. No distorsion even at full vol, crisp clear base clear mid range. Tried the same with some classical, same result. Full volume is too much for more than a minute or two.

Must say i am very pleased with the standard system. Exceeds my needs, and surprised me how loud and crisp it was.

Previous cars:
Porche cayman s with £1000 BOSe - very dissapointing, very boomy bass, no mid range punch for voices, a bit chavvy in my opinion. Just sounded noisy.
Volvo xc60 with £1000 premium system, similar as above but blander, the audi standard one is much better.
Volvo V50 (56 plate) with £600 premium stero - superb, crisp, sharp clear accurate at any volume, best stereo i have ever had, house or car.

Advice to anyone, unless you are a true music fanatic / professional the standard one is more than enough.

Furion
24-06-2012, 05:57 AM
Ive got Bose in my A6 and also my daughters A3,

I was an.A5 loaner last week and it sounded horrible by comparison

There is also a differnce between the A6 Bose and A3 Bose, the A6 has a soumd proccessor unit which gives diffrent suround settings amoung other things whereas the A3 just has settings for Bass Mid and Treble balance fader. Although the A3 soumds a lot better than the standard setup the A6 is a lot better.

I cant imagine not having it in my next car

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk 2

robbyg
24-06-2012, 07:42 AM
On the C6 maybe, the C6 brochure just states 10 speaker stereo. C7 states 10 speaker, subwoofer, 6ch amp, 180w. Perhaps audi have raised their game for the new model base spec?

Point was i have driven a lot of cars, with some expensive stereos, and this C7 base stereo is better than 2 out of 3 of them. Its also in a different league to standard one in wifes alfa, and in various hire cars i drive which clearly have the cheapest amp and speakers available.
For me, definitely not worth the extra money for bose. I have always found dolby 5.1 loses some of the depth of the sound and turned it off. The other main change with bose is the 600w system instead of 180w. I cant see any need for that volume.

All that said, if i had a massive wad of spare cash i would have gone B&O just for the fun of it.

5678
24-06-2012, 08:23 AM
I was in two minds as to speccing BOSE on my car or not. I enjoy my music and have Logic7 in my other car and it is the best car stereo I've ever had.

SWMBO made a good point at the time, in that how often will I be driving the car on my own, meaning I'd be able to listen to it at volume? The answer was not very much, so we stayed with standard.

I gave it a bit of a trial on the run home after picking it up and it's not bad at all really. It lacks a bit of midrange, and the highs are not particularly controlled. The sub is a bit wooly when pushed, but on the whole, it's not bad at all for a standard system.

I may look into replacing the sub for a higher quality item, need to investigate what/where it is etc.

Timothy Nathan
24-06-2012, 08:59 AM
Does the standard have a sub-woofer? It doesn't seem to, and there is no control (or rather, there is a control, but it can't be adjusted.)

5678
24-06-2012, 09:06 AM
I am of the impression it does. I have a setting in the mmi for it, that can be adjusted. The result of which sounds to my ears to be coming from a sub rather than anything in the doors.

Timothy Nathan
24-06-2012, 09:13 AM
I am of the impression it does. I have a setting in the mmi for it, that can be adjusted. The result of which sounds to my ears to be coming from a sub rather than anything in the doors.
So, to be quite clear, you have the bog standard audio system, it has a sub-woofer control in the MMI which, when you highlight it, can be turned, and the upshot is more bass?

Yours is the Saloon, right? Anyone with an Avant see the same? (Maybe the sub-woofer is deprecated in the Avant?)

a8toa6convert
24-06-2012, 09:59 AM
In the saloon, there is a sub in the standard system and it's a puny little thing in the rear parcel shelf. Would make sense if that were deleted in the Avant. You're not missing much though, and your rear passengers may even thank you for not choosing a car that has a sub right next to their ears.

a8toa6convert
24-06-2012, 10:03 AM
5678: do you have the ski flap in your rear seats ? I can't remember if it's standard in the A6. Have been chopping and changing cars too much this week.

If you have the ski flap, you could put a sub enclosure up against that from the boot. It would give a much more satisfying result I think, once you start running a decent amp and sub.

Furion
24-06-2012, 10:10 AM
So, to be quite clear, you have the bog standard audio system, it has a sub-woofer control in the MMI which, when you highlight it, can be turned, and the upshot is more base

In the A5 i had it just made it boomy, i fiddle with sub and bass setting quite a bit but the sound didnt come close to the clarity bass and treble in my A6, I actually think the A3 bose sounded.better.

The only way.to judge it is if you can compare the two side by side with the se music, i am sure you will find the standard setup doesnt come close to Bose or B&O

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk 2

a8toa6convert
24-06-2012, 01:11 PM
5678 - a cheap and easy way to make a small improvement to the standard system is to suppress most of the output from the front centre speaker. Get a folded up teatowel and put it over the front centre speaker grille and see if you prefer the sound. If you do, prise up the grille (it's just clipped firmly in place) and cut a bit of camping mat or other 6-10mm thick closed cell foam so it fits snugly inside the circle on the underside of the trim, then pop it back.

I did this to mine and it's improved the stereo image and the overall balance of the sound. Having done that, I find the best sound is on these settings:
Sub +1
Bass +1
Treble -1
Balance and Fader to centre
DSP setting "All" not "Driver".

Still a bit insipid on low bass, a bit congested and a little bit harsh/sibilant on some highs, but not bad for a factory system.

5678
24-06-2012, 02:02 PM
5678 - a cheap and easy way to make a small improvement to the standard system is to suppress most of the output from the front centre speaker. Get a folded up teatowel and put it over the front centre speaker grille and see if you prefer the sound. If you do, prise up the grille (it's just clipped firmly in place) and cut a bit of camping mat or other 6-10mm thick closed cell foam so it fits snugly inside the circle on the underside of the trim, then pop it back.

I did this to mine and it's improved the stereo image and the overall balance of the sound. Having done that, I find the best sound is on these settings:
Sub +1
Bass +1
Treble -1
Balance and Fader to centre
DSP setting "All" not "Driver".

Still a bit insipid on low bass, a bit congested and a little bit harsh/sibilant on some highs, but not bad for a factory system.

Interesting, will definitely give that a try. Thank you.

johnsimcox
24-06-2012, 04:13 PM
So, to be quite clear, you have the bog standard audio system, it has a sub-woofer control in the MMI which, when you highlight it, can be turned, and the upshot is more bass?

Yours is the Saloon, right? Anyone with an Avant see the same? (Maybe the sub-woofer is deprecated in the Avant?)

I have an Avant with the standard audio and it does have a subwoofer setting in the MMI menu (Radio>Settings). Third one down in the list after Bass and Treble

Timothy Nathan
24-06-2012, 04:25 PM
I have an Avant with the standard audio and it does have a subwoofer setting in the MMI menu (Radio>Settings). Third one down in the list after Bass and Treble
Yes, I have the setting in the MMI, but it doesn't seem to do anything. Can you hear any difference as you adjust it?

5678
24-06-2012, 06:58 PM
So, to be quite clear, you have the bog standard audio system, it has a sub-woofer control in the MMI which, when you highlight it, can be turned, and the upshot is more bass?

Yours is the Saloon, right? Anyone with an Avant see the same? (Maybe the sub-woofer is deprecated in the Avant?)

S-line avant wih standard stereo here.

Im certain it's a sub in there as opposed to some sort of effect. I've run enough of them in cars over the years! Picture to follow...

johnsimcox
24-06-2012, 08:51 PM
Yes, I have the setting in the MMI, but it doesn't seem to do anything. Can you hear any difference as you adjust it?

Turning the sub to full does seem to increase the bass.

5678
24-06-2012, 09:51 PM
Yes, I have the setting in the MMI, but it doesn't seem to do anything. Can you hear any difference as you adjust it?

Then either your car is faulty or old age has taken its toll on your hearing!

robbyg
24-06-2012, 10:44 PM
yes mine makes a difference, only noticable on certain music types though.

a8toa6convert
24-06-2012, 11:46 PM
Audi UK configurator says that a standard spec Avant, like the saloon, has "Audi sound system - comprises 6-channel amplifier, 180-Watt amplifying capacity and 10 loudspeakers including subwoofer". I think the sub will be in the spare wheel well or behind the rear wheel arches somewhere: can anyone confirm ?

Timothy Nathan
25-06-2012, 12:39 AM
yes mine makes a difference, only noticable on certain music types though.
So, which radio channel should I tune to to get the type of music where it will make a noticeable difference? (I am not going to buy a CD just to check.)

5678
25-06-2012, 08:02 AM
So, which radio channel should I tune to to get the type of music where it will make a noticeable difference? (I am not going to buy a CD just to check.)

Radio 1 ;)

Sub is not in the spare wheel well. I appear to have a spare wheel in there despite being told by the dealer that it was foam and a compressor?

johnsimcox
25-06-2012, 08:33 AM
Radio 1 ;)

Sub is not in the spare wheel well. I appear to have a spare wheel in there despite being told by the dealer that it was foam and a compressor?

Clearly they did not show you where the jack, tools and the battery are located as part of the handover! The only A6 that had foam/compressor was the C6 TDie, glad to have gone back to having a spare wheel again although I thankfully never had to use the foam in the three years I had the TDie it was always a bit of concern that with a serious tyre failure you would be stranded with no option but to wait for Audi Assist.

5678
25-06-2012, 08:42 AM
Clearly they did not show you where the jack, tools and the battery are located as part of the handover! The only A6 that had foam/compressor was the C6 TDie, glad to have gone back to having a spare wheel again although I thankfully never had to use the foam in the three years I had the TDie it was always a bit of concern that with a serious tyre failure you would be stranded with no option but to wait for Audi Assist.

I'll feed that back to him. To be fair to the guy though, I was rushing things a little to try and get away on the 4 hour journey...

Timothy Nathan
25-06-2012, 10:59 AM
I have listened to the horriblest, thumpiest, noisiest, crapiest music that R6 had to offer, and can hear no difference as I adjust the Subwoofer control.

So, has it been missed on my car, or is it a fib that there is one in the Avant?

5678
25-06-2012, 11:22 AM
If you cannot tell a difference then there is either something wrong with your car or your ears.

neilos100
25-06-2012, 12:05 PM
There is definitely one in the C6 Avant with the standard stereo system. I'd be amazed if they dropped the sub from the C7....pretty sure in the C6 its over one of the rear wheel arches and makes a HUGE difference when I adjust the settings......I would imagine it's in the same place on the C7.

Neil

Sent from my HTC One X using Xparent Red Tapatalk 2

Timothy Nathan
25-06-2012, 02:20 PM
Well, I just drove along with R1 on, and they obliged with the thumpiest, bassest music. I turned the volume right up, and played around with the Subwoofer control and it made no difference.

Can anyone point me to its location? I can't see where it would be over the wheel arch, there is just normal felt/carpet wall both sides.

Guest 2
25-06-2012, 02:29 PM
Well, I just drove along with R1 on, and they obliged with the thumpiest, bassest music. I turned the volume right up, and played around with the Subwoofer control and it made no difference.

Can anyone point me to its location? I can't see where it would be over the wheel arch, there is just normal felt/carpet wall both sides.

Haven't read the whole thread to see what you have fitted, but im 100% sure if you have the standard setup, the subwoofer is just an electronic one ;)

5678
25-06-2012, 03:12 PM
So this guy in the states has uprated the OE sub in his C7 saloon... Subwoofer upgrade complete - and it rocks! - AudiWorld Forums (http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?p=24268099)

I'm just trying to get some info on location (and even it's existance!) from a contact in Audi parts.

a8toa6convert
25-06-2012, 03:29 PM
5678: in the saloon, it's in the rear parcel shelf, sticking down on the left hand side as you peer into the boot. It's the thing with a magnet the size of a shrivelled hula hoop.

We still haven't pinned down the location of the sub in the Avant though. Someone with an Avant needs to play Massive Attack's "Angel" with the sub dialled up and then look for signs of smoke......

johnsimcox
25-06-2012, 03:36 PM
Haven't read the whole thread to see what you have fitted, but im 100% sure if you have the standard setup, the subwoofer is just an electronic one ;)

Just been out to the car and had a play. The sub is in the spare wheel well. It is the shaped plastic box on the right hand side. With the radio on and the sub turned to max you can feel it vibrate and as there are no speakers back there, it has to be the Sub. Clearly its overall effect will be impacted by the amount of stuff you have in the boot. However put the carpeted floor back I noticed that the bass sound seemed to get amplified, presumably using the floor as some form of baffle

Guest 2
25-06-2012, 03:50 PM
Just speaking on experience with my own car ;)

But I did notice on the Q5 Loan Car I had which had B&O fitted that the sub was in the sparewheel well leaving the driver with a can of foam ;)

Timothy Nathan
25-06-2012, 04:04 PM
Just been out to the car and had a play. The sub is in the spare wheel well. It is the shaped plastic box on the right hand side. With the radio on and the sub turned to max you can feel it vibrate and as there are no speakers back there, it has to be the Sub. Clearly its overall effect will be impacted by the amount of stuff you have in the boot. However put the carpeted floor back I noticed that the bass sound seemed to get amplified, presumably using the floor as some form of baffle
If I could have pressed thank you twice I would have!

You are quite right. With Radio 1 turned up full, I can feel that box vibrating and if I turn up the subwoofer control I can feel it vibrating more. Furthermore, with my ear close to it and the boot floor raised I can vaguely hear it.

Pah! If they want to talk about subwoofers I would like to introduce them to the +1 on my home cinema, which actually moves the house on its foundations in a war film, and has opened some cracks in the road outside. Are they are seriously saying that the effort in my boot is a subwoofer?!

Well I guess one possible explanation is that maybe DAB doesn't have any signal that low.

DR_A6
25-06-2012, 06:15 PM
I just got my car on saturday and found the sub woofer in the boot. Mine has bose upgrade but in the tone settings all you can change is the actual treble and bass, am I missing something or just looking in the wrong place for control of the subwoofer? perhaps i need to look in the manual tonight

ti rich
25-06-2012, 08:32 PM
The sub woofer on the Bose system appears to be on the under side of the rear shelf IIRC. There should sub control in the menu yes.

DR_A6
25-06-2012, 08:53 PM
The sub woofer on the Bose system appears to be on the under side of the rear shelf IIRC. There should sub control in the menu yes.

I have an avant and the bose unit is behind the carpet in the far side wheel arch. Sub woofer in the rear well, but when I looked the options under bose on the MMI didn't include subwoofer control, will try and take some pictures tomorrow.

DR_A6
26-06-2012, 09:10 PM
The sub woofer on the Bose system appears to be on the under side of the rear shelf IIRC. There should sub control in the menu yes.

Thanks, does yours look like this then?

17141171421714317144

ti rich
26-06-2012, 09:16 PM
Thanks, does yours look like this then?

17141171421714317144

Your right sorry!! There is no sub control only bass and treble. I do apologise!!!!!!

BUT

My system looks a bit different to that. What software version do you have?

DR_A6
26-06-2012, 09:36 PM
ok thanks, not actually bothered i don't think - not sure which system i have but will check in the morning.

What i did notice today was that a CD was much better quality than my iPod through ami, and also a much reduced volume.

DR_A6
28-06-2012, 09:11 PM
Your right sorry!! There is no sub control only bass and treble. I do apologise!!!!!!

BUT

My system looks a bit different to that. What software version do you have?

if its media version you mean then it is HN+R,_EU_AU_P0532 if that helps. i am curious, what is the difference?

ti rich
29-06-2012, 10:47 AM
if its media version you mean then it is HN+R,_EU_AU_P0532 if that helps. i am curious, what is the difference?

The screen layout is different, thats all. Functions look the same. My software was updated recently as the sat nav keep rebooting and switching between miles and KM on its own. My current version is RMC_EU_P11311. I am guessing it's the last six digit number that's the version number, not sure.

DR_A6
04-07-2012, 10:40 PM
found this which i thought was quite interesting Apache Tomcat/7.0.25 - Error report (http://www.bose.co.uk/GB/en/Images/bose-audi_a6_avant_en_tcm6-51281.pdf)

s555
05-07-2012, 08:49 PM
I've got Bose in my 2012 saloon. I have compared it to standard in the 2012 Avant.

Better, yes. £1000 better? Not sure about that.

Both systems come with a sub, but only on the standard system can you adjust the power of the subwoofer. On the Bose, it's adjusted by turning up the bass!

The bass is pretty damn good for a device which doesn't fill the boot or make the headlamps dim on every beat (memories of my twenties come flooding back). But, I do think the volume is over clipped so as to prevent distortion - sometimes I have it on full whack and I still want it that little bit louder.

As with any system with audio effects such as the Bose "surround" mode, you will find yourself playing with the setting every day, thinking it sounds better, before putting it back to how it was the day after that. To me, this means my ears aren't quite happy with the system, but I cannot quite put my finger on why.