[Fennario]

Not saying that the B&W system isn't nice, but from an audiophile perspective it is putting overpriced lipstick on a pig. While the B&W is a clear improvement over the HK it is way too expensive for what you get, and the unavoidable fact is that a car is too compromised as a platform. But for the HK's unacceptably sloppy bass, it would not be a consideration.

One thing to consider is that the ambient noise floor of the X5 is about 60db at 60mph whereas a listening room is around 40-45db. That is over 64 times as quiet. To mask this flaw most cars use DSP, active noise cancellation, and other technical work-arounds to lower the perceived ambient noise. This does, however, affect the overall quality when compared to a listening room.

Your money would be much better spent (i) replacing the OEM HK amplifier with one that has enough watts of quality to play at your desired volume while still retaining control of the low end; and (ii) possibly replacing/adding subwoofers.

[buddenfan]

Originally Posted by ALPINA_DREAMS

If you're leasing remember that you're only paying a fraction of that option price.

Also, if you like the interior lighting ambience, then the B&W is a must have as the speakers light up as well.

Not sure about the guy commenting on bass lacking, this is an absolute falsehood. If you EQ everything correctly the bass will be knocking.

I have the B&W in my 750 and it absolutely blows the H&K out of the water. A recent 750 loaner I had came with the Harmon, and the most noticeable aspect is clarity and loudness. I could easily turn the H&K all the way up to max and not be blown out of the car, but with the Bowers by the time you get to 3/4 volume it's painfully loud.

Whats the proper way to EQ speakers in a car? I was never good with that

[buddenfan]

Originally Posted by MystroX5

The B&W has very full clear and separated punchy bass if you want to eq it that way. The mallet of a kick drum will punch you in the chest but you’ll still hear that initial attack. Even the bass guitar is punchy but you can easily hear the clean metallic overtones of fresh new strings.
HK is more of a muddy bass to the point it’s mids get lost in the mix.
Where the B&W excels is the soundstage front and rear. It’s the sum of its parts is what makes it a outstanding system. I can change the sound stage to the rear monitors and it will be THE best rear entertainment experience money can buy from a factory system. Factor in the ambient light and the sky lounge with the smell of ambient air and you are rolling large in the passenger seats.



I use many custom B&W monitors in my studio reference rooms for our far field mixes. They are incredibly pleasing and accurate without sounding flat.

Nice photo! Which added options gave you the screen monitors for the back? and also the led for the sunroof? (This is for x6 not 5 or 7 right?)

[MystroX5]

Originally Posted by buddenfan

Nice photo! Which added options gave you the screen monitors for the back? and also the led for the sunroof? (This is for x6 not 5 or 7 right?)

Fully loaded 2020 X7 M50i. Many of those top tier options have been removed for the 2021 model year due to parts shortages.

[MystroX5]

Originally Posted by Fennario

Not saying that the B&W system isn't nice, but from an audiophile perspective it is putting overpriced lipstick on a pig. While the B&W is a clear improvement over the HK it is way too expensive for what you get, and the unavoidable fact is that a car is too compromised as a platform. But for the HK's unacceptably sloppy bass, it would not be a consideration.

One thing to consider is that the ambient noise floor of the X5 is about 60db at 60mph whereas a listening room is around 40-45db. That is over 64 times as quiet. To mask this flaw most cars use DSP, active noise cancellation, and other technical work-arounds to lower the perceived ambient noise. This does, however, affect the overall quality when compared to a listening room.

Your money would be much better spent (i) replacing the OEM HK amplifier with one that has enough watts of quality to play at your desired volume while still retaining control of the low end; and (ii) possibly replacing/adding subwoofers.

That is incorrect. The HK speakers are not in the same league as what the B&W designed for the vehicle. The noise floor in the X5 is irrelevant. It’s certainly low enough to hear a clear difference in components and sound stage. The B&W processors alone are worth the upgrade. This is where HK and its limited sound stage processors are extremely basic and its poor attempt to create even one good accurate sound stage. B&W has many and they all are reference quality and can be moved around the vehicle depending of application and seating presences.

[Fennario]

Originally Posted by MystroX5

That is incorrect. The HK speakers are not in the same league as what the B&W are.

Agree 100%, however, due to ambient noise while driving a car you cannot hear their subtleties. The HK system is boomy b/c the OEM amp is incapable of delivering clean watts to the woofers while having to power all of the other speakers and starts to clip/distort when you turn up the volume. Bass in cars is also "one note" due to the limited cabin space - there is not enough room for the longer wavelengths (eg. a 40hz wave is around 28 feet long).

Edit: The noise floor is entirely relevant. 63db is equivalent to sitting next to a dishwasher or air conditioner. Absolutely affects soundstage and your perception. Further, the more you apply DSP and other psychoacoustic tricks the greater the degradation of the dynamic range. Same thing happens when you turn noise canceling headphones on. Yes, its better because the background noise is suppressed but it does not sound nearly as good as it would in a quiet room with no NC.

[MystroX5]

Originally Posted by Fennario

Agree 100%, however, due to ambient noise while driving a car you cannot hear their subtleties. The HK system is boomy b/c the OEM amp is incapable of delivering clean watts to the woofers while having to power all of the other speakers and starts to clip/distort when you turn up the volume. Bass in cars is also "one note" due to the limited cabin space - there is not enough room for the longer wavelengths (eg. a 40hz wave is around 28 feet long).

Edit: The noise floor is entirely relevant. 63db is equivalent to sitting next to a dishwasher or air conditioner. Absolutely affects soundstage and your perception.

Owning both systems a G05 HK and G07 B&W I can hear a huge difference in clarity and the sound stage is night and day difference. The speaker quality and placements are just not there with the HK system. You could power them to be louder but the accuracy will never be there. They are what they are which is a adequate mid-level audio system. The noise floor is constantly changing with road and occupancy. It’s always going to be a unavoidable presence but it’s never so overwhelming to discount a decent dynamic range when listening to movies and music on the move.

Keep in mind I have a masters degree in acoustic engineering and have owned two very successful production studios for the last 25 years. I custom order my reference speakers to my specifications for my studios from B&W for the last 20 years. They are a outstanding product even at the consumer level. The B&W system that was designed for BMW is a steal for what they are asking. I get paid to tune reference rooms and pick apart acoustics. The BMW B&W is not perfect but damn impressive compared to any top factory audio system from any luxury brand for mobile audio.

[Fennario]

Cool. Have done work with Meyer Sound in the past. Agree with 98% of what you said - only nit being that I was not referring to volume per se, but clean power in light of the volume being asked for. For me, mobile audio is mobile audio and I have a different set of expectations. Too difficult for me to justify the additional spend for the B&W system regardless of how nice it is. Would rather put the money into a nice office and/or headphone set-up.

[MystroX5]

Originally Posted by Fennario

Cool. Have done work with Meyer Sound in the past. Agree with 98% of what you said - only nit being that I was not referring to volume per se, but clean power in light of the volume being asked for. For me, mobile audio is mobile audio and I have a different set of expectations. Too difficult for me to justify the additional spend for the B&W system regardless of how nice it is. Would rather put the money into a nice office and/or headphone set-up.

Yup, mobile audio has to be kept on its own parameters of expectations. I am amazed how far factory premium systems have come in just the last 10 years. Car audio was joke with harsh tweeters to thumpy pumpy SPL contests. Now we are getting a reasonable audiophile level of accuracy. Sound stage and the way it can be moved has set a new bar that we could never hope for 10 years ago. Acoustic glass and extra sound baffling from the factory shows manufactures are taking it seriously.

[Mo2002]

Originally Posted by AmooManiak

If you're an Audiophile, yes. If not, it's not worth the difference. To me it all sounds very close while my brother can notice a difference. I prefer the sound of the exhaust

I agree with Amoo. If you are an audio fanatic, then get it. Otherwise, you may not be able to tell the difference. I have the B&W and I love it!

[SnowWhiteX21]

When I was pricing out my new X6 I decided last minute to go with the Bowers and Wilkins sound system and definitely don't regret it. After listen to both sound systems, the Harman Kardon system doesn't compare. Especially considering you use the sound system almost all the time when in the car. Adding BW is a must in my cars now.

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by buddenfan

I am pricing out and making a build for a 2021 X6M Competition and the Bowen Wilkins diamond package is $3,400 whereas the Harman Kardon comes standard. I had the Harman Kardon in my i8 coupe and i8 Roadster but never heard the quality of a Bowen Wilkins.

For those verses in both can you give me the scoop on the difference in quality and whether Harmon is worth the $3,400. Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by buddenfan

I am pricing out and making a build for a 2021 X6M Competition and the Bowen Wilkins diamond package is $3,400 whereas the Harman Kardon comes standard. I had the Harman Kardon in my i8 coupe and i8 Roadster but never heard the quality of a Bowen Wilkins.

For those verses in both can you give me the scoop on the difference in quality and whether Harmon is worth the $3,400. Thanks in advance.

It sounds better and more obvious in the mid range and less distortion if you listen very loud compared to the HK. However, both can be equalized extensively to get the sound you like. From what I can tell based on my listening - the B&W seems better tuned out of the box.

B&W is worth it if you plan to listen to a lot of music while car is parked. In motion, the X5 cabin have enough noise to not be an audiophile experience. If money is no object and if you lease and will only pay 45% of the cost then it might be fine. My 2 cents worth.

It is not a night and day experience in my opinion. More clarity in the mid range and more power so it sounds more effortless as you crank up the volume and the out of the box equalization is better than the HK - I believe both HK and B&W audio products share software and other components now.

[iconoclast]

the question "is it worth it" is subjective because one could say is the x6m/c "worth it" over a plain jane x6. what has worth or perceived value in premium over another is really up to the purchaser. we can only share our opinion but i believe it would be best for you to sit in an x6 with and without the b&w audio and decide for yourself.

[TXSchnee]

I normally upgrade to the highest stereo option, however, since having kids I usually only do the mid grade. My reasoning is that I am rarely alone in my vehicle and so the stereo is usually not set very loud. Seems like a waste of money to have the nice stereo and not be able to utilize it's capabilities.

[Paladin1]

Originally Posted by MystroX5

Yup, mobile audio has to be kept on its own parameters of expectations. I am amazed how far factory premium systems have come in just the last 10 years. Car audio was joke with harsh tweeters to thumpy pumpy SPL contests. Now we are getting a reasonable audiophile level of accuracy. Sound stage and the way it can be moved has set a new bar that we could never hope for 10 years ago. Acoustic glass and extra sound baffling from the factory shows manufactures are taking it seriously.

Acoustic glass has made a tremendous difference in the listening experience for me. The B&W is the first in-car audio system that was more than just acceptable with the addition of the AG. It's not TAD Reference One territory, but it's pretty damn good for a moving metal box.

[spyfish007]

Originally Posted by MystroX5

Owning both systems a G05 HK and G07 B&W I can hear a huge difference in clarity and the sound stage is night and day difference. The speaker quality and placements are just not there with the HK system. You could power them to be louder but the accuracy will never be there. They are what they are which is a adequate mid-level audio system. The noise floor is constantly changing with road and occupancy. It’s always going to be a unavoidable presence but it’s never so overwhelming to discount a decent dynamic range when listening to movies and music on the move.

Keep in mind I have a masters degree in acoustic engineering and have owned two very successful production studios for the last 25 years. I custom order my reference speakers to my specifications for my studios from B&W for the last 20 years. They are a outstanding product even at the consumer level. The B&W system that was designed for BMW is a steal for what they are asking. I get paid to tune reference rooms and pick apart acoustics. The BMW B&W is not perfect but damn impressive compared to any top factory audio system from any luxury brand for mobile audio.

BSEE here and an audio fan for a few dacades now. I think you are the only other person I have encountered that truly gets the reasons for B&W.

[babyghost]

In my opinion this is a must have option. At mid volume you can't hear much road noise, just great sound. I also think it has great bass, never muddy.

[Wild Blue]

A pseudo-audiophile myself, really enjoying fine music, I debated for a while whether to go with the HK or B&W. I completely agree that any vehicle, no matter how well designed, is a poor listening room for audio. The small cockpit size, the primary listener placed so far forward and to the side, away from the sweet spot. Lots of flat surfaces, lots of energy-reflective glass. Compromised outside sound isolation.

But, I'm not getting my car audio for critical listening. I have my high end theater and listening room at home for that, with kick-ass gear. In the end, I decided this car for me is special, a high-end investment that I'm going to be keeping for a long time, and so I'm going with the B&W in my X7 that's about to be delivered.

I think it's important to manage expectations. It's not critical listening for me. It's just creating the best sound is my vehicle while I drive. So I'm happily looking forward to it.

(plus... I don't think any of us want to admit it, but the B&W does look so cool in the G05 and G07, especially at night)

[sahajesh]

Originally Posted by Wild Blue

A pseudo-audiophile myself, really enjoying fine music, I debated for a while whether to go with the HK or B&W. I completely agree that any vehicle, no matter how well designed, is a poor listening room for audio. The small cockpit size, the primary listener placed so far forward and to the side, away from the sweet spot. Lots of flat surfaces, lots of energy-reflective glass. Compromised outside sound isolation.

But, I'm not getting my car audio for critical listening. I have my high end theater and listening room at home for that, with kick-ass gear. In the end, I decided this car for me is special, a high-end investment that I'm going to be keeping for a long time, and so I'm going with the B&W in my X7 that's about to be delivered.

I think it's important to manage expectations. It's not critical listening for me. It's just creating the best sound is my vehicle while I drive. So I'm happily looking forward to it.

(plus... I don't think any of us want to admit it, but the B&W does look so cool in the G05 and G07, especially at night)

It does look good yes

[thereef510]

Originally Posted by Wild Blue

(plus... I don't think any of us want to admit it, but the B&W does look so cool in the G05 and G07, especially at night)

It does look cool, but only us owners notice it. Most people, who drive normal cars, when they get into my g05 are so taken aback with all of the ambient lighting everywhere, they dont see the speaker lighting as distinct. But many have been wow'd by the sound when i've cranked up the system. so there's that; just dont expect anyone to mention the lights inside the speakers except us here lol.

[SmartSaves]

Originally Posted by thereef510

It does look cool, but only us owners notice it. Most people, who drive normal cars, when they get into my g05 are so taken aback with all of the ambient lighting everywhere, they dont see the speaker lighting as distinct. But many have been wow'd by the sound when i've cranked up the system. so there's that; just dont expect anyone to mention the lights inside the speakers except us here lol.

I am not sound enthusiast and not an expert by any means; but I am finding when I drive at night I tend to turn off ambient lights and centre screen, too much illumination for my preference. I tried the dimming at night settings, but still prefer no lights. When SkyLounge LEDs are off I enjoy actual sky more. B&W ambient light differentiation marketing is irrelevant IMO.

When someone upgrades from HK to B&W the price is actually lot more than it appears (HK + B&W). Opportunity cost and understanding for marginal benefits may sway many owners to HK. However, if you spend lot of time driving and money isn't an issue B&W makes sense, provided you utilize high quality audio source.

[iconoclast]

Same here... All the ambient lighting is shut off for us. I do not care for it or want it on. The kids enjoy it but after the novelty wears off they prefer to stare at the BMW tablets on the back of the seats or the iPads in their hands.