B&O System is garbage

[Farmer Fran]

Honestly on my last 4 cars I rarely turned on the stereo and will not on this one either but I cranked it up the other day and it is just awful. Absolutely awful. All media sources.

EDIT: I guess I should be more specific, the front speakers have decent sound clarity, but the volume is low at best. If you shift it to the rear the volume is super low and clarity is meh at best. Bass is ok on certain songs.

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[MCS]

Honestly on my last 4 cars I rarely turned on the stereo and will not on this one either but I cranked it up the other day and it is just awful. Absolutely awful. All media sources.

EDIT: I guess I should be more specific, the front speakers have decent sound clarity, but the volume is low at best. If you shift it to the rear the volume is super low and clarity is meh at best. Bass is ok on certain songs.

You should check out the Mustang6G forums. They have a large amount of audiophile guys who have been modding their Mustang audio systems becuase of the very things you mentioned.

Unsure how much the B&O has changed between the S550 and S650 however you can always take a peak over there or better yet, convince them to get a S650 and come here!

 

[Southpaw78]

If streaming from a phone make sure the app you're using doesn't have an equalizer on. I had the same issue with YouTube music. Low volume, washed out sound. The car's EQ and app EQ were fighting each other. Made a huge difference.

 

[POHLHAMMER]

I don't understand all the hate.. With a good digital source , the music sounds fine with the B&O. Cranked up , it's going to cause hearing damage , so not sure what people are looking for in a car stereo. The more you add , the heavier it gets , and then people bitch about the cars overall weight.. wtf

Someone who usually never listens to the radio is now disappointed. Just sounds strange to me.

First world problems imo.. To the average person , the system sounds ABSOLUTELY fine. I understand some people get a bit nutty about their stereo, but saying this system is crap makes me chuckle.

Just my opinion. I am sure some people will not like me saying it.

 

[Fruitstang]

When you go to a concert, be it Rock, Pop, or classical, where does the sound mainly come from?
From the front. Rear is only acoustic reflexion, called "reverb".
In audiophile, especially car hifi audiophile world, what is tried to establish with priority #1 is therefore the so called "Front Staging".
You unlikely turn your back towards the stage of a performer and so focus on front speakers also in a car makes sense.
Many car hifi guys either disconnect their rearspeakers altogether and use all their money and amplifier channels for the front speakers, or install cheaper speakers in the rear just for what is called in car hifi "rear fill" where they are playing very quietly.

So I recommend you forget about rear speakers and be happy if you can locate the instrument and singer locations on the virtual stage in front of you just as you'd do when visiting a concert and forget about the rears.

 

[135Hoser]

B&O system is hot garbage for low frequency. Same for the B&O system thats a $6300 upgrade on my Audi S8. Little to no low frequency.

In my Honda CRV the Bose system sounds great / no distortion and has a plentiful amount of bass.

The Ford Sync system is also very laggy. Seems like something they could have fixed with adding an extra GB of ram to the unit, or putting in a half decent SSD. The UI layout also takes a lot of getting used to and isn't super intuitive for me.

 

[MCS]

The Ford Sync system is also very laggy. Seems like something they could have fixed with adding an extra GB of ram to the unit, or putting in a half decent SSD. The UI layout also takes a lot of getting used to and isn't super intuitive for me.

I can't speak to the stereo issues as I love my B&O in my S550 (aside from a little rattle from drivers door during certain songs with more low end) however my SYNC3 seems to have been pretty good; UNLESS I am using a wireless carplay adapter. Then I cannot run WAZE and PLEX (for streaming music) at the same time as the map will be about 2 seconds behind.

However, using the native apple maps I haven't had a problems and I would imagine SYNC4, being built in, would be an improvement no?

Maybe I should just keep my adapter for the Dark Horse lol

 

[Gregs24]

Yet another pointless thread!

The B&O system is just fine (certainly not garbage) and with a sub change it is clear and controlled. Different sources impact the quality (radio will always be the worst because of compression)

If you don't like it then turn it off (which the OP seems to want to do anyway) or upgrade it by throwing as much money at it as you see fit.

 

[Farmer Fran]

Apparently I hit some nerves, this was not my intention. It is true I usually listen to the car and not the stereo. But sometimes I want to listen to the stereo. Deal killer for buying the car, no.

My comparison list of my cars

2014 Shaker Mustang is better
2020 Bose Camaro SS is better
2021 Alpine Challenger is better
2023 Bose Camaro ZL1 is better
2020 RAM 1500 HK WAY better
Even the Alpine in my 2023 Gladiator is better

 

[smurfslayer]

Honestly on my last 4 cars I rarely turned on the stereo and will not on this one either but I cranked it up the other day and it is just awful. Absolutely awful. All media sources.

EDIT: I guess I should be more specific, the front speakers have decent sound clarity, but the volume is low at best. If you shift it to the rear the volume is super low and clarity is meh at best. Bass is ok on certain songs.

Definitely #FirstWorldProblems but about the only Ford stereo I’ve heard that was worth the $$ was Lincoln’s Revel. My wife has it. I’m not saying it’s audiophile quality, but for a factory stereo, it’s something you can roll with and not be super disappointed in like Ford’s Truck stereos.

I will agree that for the $$$ the B&O sets you back, volume is LOW and Bass is insufficient.
Windows down at 70, you’re hearing road noise and exhaust over any factory stereo output.

Probably need 40-60rms on the main speakers and 300-450 through a single 10” sub to account for the ‘ambient’ noise in this platform. I spend ~$2800 on my Raptor stereo, it would have been less if I’d listened to the audio guys who knew better than I did and suggested I save and do the whole system at once. Also, I had the 2017, so last year of the Sony, which was much friendlier to a “one piece at a time” upgrade- I did sub first, then speakers and dynamat, then swapped in front components, and lastly did the amp & dsp.

I don’t know enough about the Mustang B&O to know what we can get away with by way of mods, beyond the stock enclosure sub swap. <-- the issue with that is if you do it and then decide you don’t have enough power in the main stereo or clarity, you’re going to get to do the sub all over again; money and effort. So I’ll do some more reading up before modding.

 

[135Hoser]

Yet another pointless thread!

The B&O system is just fine (certainly not garbage) and with a sub change it is clear and controlled. Different sources impact the quality (radio will always be the worst because of compression)

If you don't like it then turn it off (which the OP seems to want to do anyway) or upgrade it by throwing as much money at it as you see fit.

Yet another pointless comment. Of course different sources impact the quality. What do you mean I can't use my phonograph.

If you don't like the thread don't reply. I paid good money for a car and a $90 CAD incl. shipping subwoofer is an upgrade?! Oh please ford.

 

[Farmer Fran]

I have tried

Amazon HD with eq on and off
FM
XM
USB with different content

 

[ZBOBMAN]

I have a convertible. I use my XM through my phone app. I have no problem with the top down. I have no problem with the quality.

 

[Gregs24]

Definitely #FirstWorldProblems but about the only Ford stereo I’ve heard that was worth the $$ was Lincoln’s Revel. My wife has it. I’m not saying it’s audiophile quality, but for a factory stereo, it’s something you can roll with and not be super disappointed in like Ford’s Truck stereos.

I will agree that for the $$$ the B&O sets you back, volume is LOW and Bass is insufficient.
Windows down at 70, you’re hearing road noise and exhaust over any factory stereo output.

Probably need 40-60rms on the main speakers and 300-450 through a single 10” sub to account for the ‘ambient’ noise in this platform. I spend ~$2800 on my Raptor stereo, it would have been less if I’d listened to the audio guys who knew better than I did and suggested I save and do the whole system at once. Also, I had the 2017, so last year of the Sony, which was much friendlier to a “one piece at a time” upgrade- I did sub first, then speakers and dynamat, then swapped in front components, and lastly did the amp & dsp.

I don’t know enough about the Mustang B&O to know what we can get away with by way of mods, beyond the stock enclosure sub swap. <-- the issue with that is if you do it and then decide you don’t have enough power in the main stereo or clarity, you’re going to get to do the sub all over again; money and effort. So I’ll do some more reading up before modding.

Not sure why you would drive at 70mph in a modern car with the windows down? So much white noise from the tyres would make any sort of sound system pointless. You would need a lot of volume to overcome that, ear damaging levels of volume. Window open at 70mph will be 90dB ish, add music above that and you will be 100dB plus

 

[Gregs24]

Yet another pointless comment. Of course different sources impact the quality. What do you mean I can't use my phonograph.

If you don't like the thread don't reply. I paid good money for a car and a $90 CAD incl. shipping subwoofer is an upgrade?! Oh please ford.

$90 sub will be more than almost any OEM speaker value in any car.

Click on ignore if you don't want to read my comments

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