[Alpine300zhp]

Originally Posted by TCBavarian

Yes. Which includes the Bowers. Therefore if the lease residual were 50%. Then all options including port installed accessories are only 50% of their msrp. If you negotiated say 5% off msrp then the amount would be slightly less than the $1750.

I don't know where the $100 is coming from

That's been my experience....

[-cj-]

Has anyone considered retrofitting the sound system? I couldn't pass up the deal on my loaded f95, but the only option it doesn't have is the B&W sound system. I upgraded to the bavsound stage2 on my f80 m3, but I've read it's not as straight forward on our cars. Plus I'be heard good things about B&W..

[Syscrusher]

Originally Posted by -Vanguard-

See thats just way too much effort to enjoy these speakers. lol

Apple Music is now supporting lossless copies of most of their songs.

[Tenac]

Originally Posted by Syscrusher

Apple Music is now supporting lossless copies of most of their songs.

That's good I was wondering when others would catch up to Amazon Music.

[TCBavarian]

Originally Posted by -cj-

Has anyone considered retrofitting the sound system? I couldn't pass up the deal on my loaded f95, but the only option it doesn't have is the B&W sound system. I upgraded to the bavsound stage2 on my f80 m3, but I've read it's not as straight forward on our cars. Plus I'be heard good things about B&W..

Unfortunately, it wouldn't make financial sense at all to do this and would be very difficult.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by Tenac

That's good I was wondering when others would catch up to Amazon Music.

You mean Amazon Music caught up to Tidal and Qobuz? So finally most services are back to 1999-level music quality, i.e. CD!

Even more interesting are things above 16/44, i.e., CD quality ... does anyone know what the B&W DAC does with high-res streams?

Example, for the iPhone:

• Apple’s lightning-to-3.5mm adapter is MFi-certified and throughput is capped at 24bit/48kHz

• Apple’s Lightning-to-USB adapter (aka CCK) will pass high-res, but then you need an Apple-compatible dongle that won't down sample the high-res ...

So, the question is, does BMW's B&W DAC downsample high-res?

And, note for Android users:

While iPhones output "bitperfect" from their lightning ports (as above), Android up/down samples to 48kHz no matter what's being output, unless you use USB Audio player pro - which doesn't work offline - and then we run into the same question as above - what does the B&W DAC do with a high-res stream?

BTW, the super cool alternative to the UAPP app is Tidal - as of last month, the Tidal android app streams bitperfect, including offline!

[-cj-]

Fyi, I use the iPhone camera connect kit to a Focal DAC and get 24/192k. My DAC supports up to 32/384 but I can't find anything that high.

Apple's entire (99%?) library is available as lossless, and some tracks are available as Hi-resolution and those are 24/192. You just need to go into Settings-Music-Audio Quality and adjust the settings.

I suspect our cars support 24/48, I'd be surprised if they supported anything higher…

[ajob]

Originally Posted by -cj-

Fyi, I use the iPhone camera connect kit to a Focal DAC and get 24/192k. My DAC supports up to 32/384 but I can't find anything that high.

Apple's entire (99%?) library is available as lossless, and some tracks are available as Hi-resolution and those are 24/192. You just need to go into Settings-Music-Audio Quality and adjust the settings.

I suspect our cars support 24/48, I'd be surprised if they supported anything higher…

Originally Posted by -cj-

Apple's entire (99%?) library is available as lossless, and some tracks are available as Hi-resolution and those are 24/192. You just need to go into Settings-Music-Audio Quality and adjust the settings.

Is there a known way to convert a locally stored iTunes music library from lossy to lossless?

[-cj-]

Originally Posted by ajob

Is there a known way to convert a locally stored iTunes music library from lossy to lossless?

I don't know if there's an easier way, but if you select the song, click the "…" on the top right and select "Remove download" (NOT remove from library), if you select another song and come back to the song you just removed, it will automatically download based on your allowed settings in Settings-Music-Audio Quality. If done right, you'll see "Lossless" or "High resolution" in the middle of the song info.

[ajob]

Originally Posted by -cj-

I don't know if there's an easier way, but if you select the song, click the "…" on the top right and select "Remove download" (NOT remove from library), if you select another song and come back to the song you just removed, it will automatically download based on your allowed settings in Settings-Music-Audio Quality. If done right, you'll see "Lossless" or "High resolution" in the middle of the song info.

Excellent advice, I tried it immediately, works as instructed - BIG THANKS !

[Brendan///M]

Originally Posted by ajob

Excellent advice, I tried it immediately, works as instructed - BIG THANKS !

Is B&W system gone or standard on the 2022 models? I no longer see it in the options on the configurator.

[kyrocks]

Originally Posted by Brendan///M

Is B&W system gone or standard on the 2022 models? I no longer see it in the options on the configurator.

Gone for now

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by -Vanguard-

Placebo my friend.

Unless they are listening to uncompressed music from their phones all the time. I don't do that, I mainly listen to XM and it sounds the same as the HK.

MAYYYYBE it has a little more depth, but cmon. You have to be a real sound snob to find the difference.

Like what sounds better? What are people hearing that is that much better than HK? I have very good hearing, but obviously not a trained audiophile. Hell, I can hear those high pitched noises coming from many electronics that others cannot hear.

I think a lot of high end audio is based on placebo effects. If it wasn't, they would have charged $3,500 for the speaker upgrade and kept the same grills/lights. People would have noticed the sound improvement and end of story! So the fact that you need to have different grills and lights tells me that it's the whole AV experience you are buying…not just the audio.

I've seen the B&W speakers listed on eBay and they are not enclosed like one would expect with true audiophile speakers. In the back they are just open like regular HK speakers. They have the same design.



Like anything in life, if you can have it. Why not? Better is always better….

[aussieintexas]

When I go to the sound menu and click on ‘Immersive Sound’ I get function not available. I should be able to select different sound profiles from there shouldn’t I?
Any tips or anyone else seeing something different?

[playswcars]

After having owned both the h/k and the B&W systems in different X5s, I can say I'd never get a G05 without the B&W. The punch, bass, separation, soundstage and effortlessness of the system are unmatched. Another bonus of the B&W: Even after listening to the system for hours, it never becomes tiring to the ear.

Oh, and it looks killer

[MADBMWX5MC]

^I agree 100%. I had the H/K in my 2019 X3 M40i and the B&W on my 2023. Day and night, in my opinion.

[kolosy]

when I got my M5, it was a lot car, so it had B&W already spec'd. I was pretty annoyed as I'd *never* voluntarily spend $3.5K on an audio upgrade when the HK system was great.

... i assume we all know what's happening now as I'm looking at X5MCs? yep, disqualifying cars that don't have B&W. My wife has the HK system in her X5, so I go back and forth between the cars, and the difference in audio is palpable. I'm not an audio snob, and don't know the first thing on why the difference is there, but I can hear it, and at least on a used car I won't take one without it. Not sure I'd spec it again due to cost, but would definitely have to think about it.

[aussieintexas]

Originally Posted by aussieintexas

When I go to the sound menu and click on ‘Immersive Sound’ I get function not available. I should be able to select different sound profiles from there shouldn’t I?
Any tips or anyone else seeing something different?

Now it suddenly seems to be working an f I have access to sound profiles - and it sounds bloody amazing!!!

[Condorll]

Originally Posted by kolosy

when I got my M5, it was a lot car, so it had B&W already spec'd. I was pretty annoyed as I'd *never* voluntarily spend $3.5K on an audio upgrade when the HK system was great.

... i assume we all know what's happening now as I'm looking at X5MCs? yep, disqualifying cars that don't have B&W. My wife has the HK system in her X5, so I go back and forth between the cars, and the difference in audio is palpable. I'm not an audio snob, and don't know the first thing on why the difference is there, but I can hear it, and at least on a used car I won't take one without it. Not sure I'd spec it again due to cost, but would definitely have to think about it.

I have the HK upgrade in my '23 X5. Recently heard the B&W in a '21 X5M C and there is a difference, but not that big to my ears to warrant the extra cost.

[Falcon900]

I ordered B&W because I think it sounds better and it will hurt resale to have a high end car without the best stereo option installed.

[Ibiza]

I noticed a significant improvement with the B&W in a ‘24 X5 M60 with iDrive 8.5 coming from a ‘21 X5M comp iDrive 7.0 (could be the change in head units?). Apple Spatial music is killer.

Is there a music quaility difference from wireless Car Play vs USB connected Car Play with iPhone 15 pro/pro max? SirusXM is nothing special sounding with B&W.

[xmanpro]

I need to test this in my 24 x6m. Will report back.