For those with the B&O Sound System

[Tyler Durden]

I want to start off saying I love everything about this car and can't wait to drive it everyday.
And most of the time I don't even have the sound system on just to listen to the V8 roar.
My only small gripe though, is the upgraded B&O Sound System which does not sound premium at all, music sounds a bit muffled.

For those of you with the B&O Sound System.
What is your opinion and can any of you contribute your equalizer settings (If you've messed with it) for me to try?

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[Zig]

I want to start off saying I love everything about this car and can't wait to drive it everyday.
And most of the time I don't even have the sound system on just to listen to the V8 roar.
My only small gripe though, is the upgraded B&O Sound System which does not sound premium at all, music sounds a bit muffled.

For those of you with the B&O Sound System.
What is your opinion and can any of you contribute your equalizer settings (If you've messed with it) for me to try?

Source media seems to play a part. I will admit some hd radio sounds better than the poorly ripped mobile tunes i occasionally have playing.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Source media seems to play a part. I will admit some hd radio sounds better than the poorly ripped mobile tunes i occasionally have playing.

I use Apple Music to stream my music. Which offers pretty high bitrate for streaming. But yes, what streaming source you use definitely plays a role.

 

[Crew4991]

You absolutely want to play around withe EQ settings. I believe they all are set to the middle by default. I turned the bass down a bit and increased treb. Fits my taste based on the 80s pop/rock I usually listen to.

 

[347Stang]

There are a couple great stations that you can tune into with beautiful sound! Sport Mode or Track. Great tunes on the Highway! Haha

 

[samson]

I think it sounds good but not super high end. I notice the satelite radio seems to sound better than Pandora on mine so I guess the source does make a pretty big difference. But generally I'm happy with it.

 

[Klipshpoke]

Sound is so subjective. I'm not bothered enough with the sound of this car to spend money, pop panels, and dig into the dash. I drive with the windows down....so I'm only looking for volume. The B&O does enough there.

 

[NVPony]

The sound is amazing for a factory set up. I use Apple Music. Make sure you turn off sound check. I use factory fade and its just fine.

 

[ctor]

Disclosure: I'm an audiophile, and my home system is worth more than my ride .
FM radio is just ok. Streaming using Qobuz is outstanding. But I don't get too worked up about car audio. Once you get moving, road noise masks most of the benefits of a great sounding system, especially with the top down. Unless you're looking for pure volume, which I'm not.

 

[rugedraw]

+1 on Qobuz in terms of quality.

The problem with the B&O systems in Ford vehicles is that the amp says B&O and the system is tuned by B&O, but that's about it. All the speakers are crap Ford Motorcraft branded and made of what looks like cardboard and rated at 26 watts.

In my truck, I replaced some of the key speakers with aftermarket ones leaving the B&O amp in place. It made a significant difference in terms of SQ and I can now hear my rear door speakers that were almost non-existent before I swapped them out. I have two 12' subs in an under-seat box and the B&O system is able to produce enough mids/highs to balance out the extra bass from the subs now.

What I would recommend to anyone that explores this is to look for speakers that do not require high wattage since the stock B&O amp will struggle to push them. Look for speaker with a high dB sensitivity in the specs to maximize the sound out of them.

 

[ZBOBMAN]

I have a convertible. I also use XM from my phone to the Bluetooth connection. It sounds better than average to me.

 

[Gregs24]

+1 on Qobuz in terms of quality.

The problem with the B&O systems in Ford vehicles is that the amp says B&O and the system is tuned by B&O, but that's about it. All the speakers are crap Ford Motorcraft branded and made of what looks like cardboard and rated at 26 watts.

In my truck, I replaced some of the key speakers with aftermarket ones leaving the B&O amp in place. It made a significant difference in terms of SQ and I can now hear my rear door speakers that were almost non-existent before I swapped them out. I have two 12' subs in an under-seat box and the B&O system is able to produce enough mids/highs to balance out the extra bass from the subs now.

What I would recommend to anyone that explores this is to look for speakers that do not require high wattage since the stock B&O amp will struggle to push them. Look for speaker with a high dB sensitivity in the specs to maximize the sound out of them.

They are neither 'Motorcraft' branded nor cardboard in most cases!

Some of the speakers are quite good, the sub is awful however (easily replaced as per this thread (2) B&O 10" sub replacement guide | 2015+ S550 Mustang Forum (GT, EcoBoost, GT350, GT500, Bullitt, Mach 1) - Mustang6G.com )which is the best value upgrade you can do.

 

[LCDRChemEng]

Like ctor, I also have a home rig that far outpaces the car. My main beef with the B&O is the system is designed with surround sound as a target - even when the surround setting is set to off.

Seems to me the factory setup is designed to paint a soundscape just for the front and the signal to the rear speakers is akin to surround channels, basically almost non-existent.

What I did was replace the factory sub with a Pioneer DVC, replaced the rear deck speakers with Kickers, and added an amp to drive them both (fed off the rear speaker harnesses). That seemed to cure 95% of the issues. After carefully tuning the sound with REW and adjusting levels and x-overs, Now I have the presence I wanted from the rear. Since the rear feed is already down processed, however, there's limitations on what I can do. Had I tapped off the front speakers instead of the rear, results may be better. At least now it actually sounds like a premium audio system, albeit not a competition level one.

The above solution works reasonably well and keeps the car close to stock. I can always swap back the factory wheezers and remove the amp to revert back to bone stock. Not much money required either, which allowed me to add a bunch of sound proofing/damping. Now...THAT was a game changer.

 

[rugedraw]

They are neither 'Motorcraft' branded nor cardboard in most cases!

Some of the speakers are quite good, the sub is awful however (easily replaced as per this thread (2) B&O 10" sub replacement guide | 2015+ S550 Mustang Forum (GT, EcoBoost, GT350, GT500, Bullitt, Mach 1) - Mustang6G.com )which is the best value upgrade you can do.

They may not be cardboard, but they are Ford branded, they are rated at 25w, and they are total and complete crap. That last part is IMO, obviosuly.

https://www.oemfordpartsdirect.com/oem-parts/ford-rear-dr-speaker-jl3z18808rb

 

[Klipshpoke]

They may not be cardboard, but they are Ford branded, they are rated at 25w, and they are total and complete crap. That last part is IMO, obviosuly.

https://www.oemfordpartsdirect.com/oem-parts/ford-rear-dr-speaker-jl3z18808rb

The speakers are matched to the amplifier and it's all tuned to sound the way it does.... which isnt terrible. You can swap the speakers out for better efficiency, but its more than likely not going to sound a LOT better (Just louder). Amplifier and signal are 2/3rds of the equation.

The base F-150 stereo is truly awful. I dumped a grand in a small amp/dsp combo, JL C1 speakers, and a powered sub to replace my F-150 system. I think the Mustang B&0 System actually sounds better than my F-150 aftermarket system regardless of its inferior Ford Speakers. That has everything to do with being lab tuned verses a budget sound processor.

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