B/O vs Harmon kardon

AWF10M5 · 01-29-2018, 02:12 AM

What's up guys

I never really cared about speakers to be honest but my old M5 had B/O sound (that was the only option it had lmao!). I had no clue when I bought it but living with it I loved the sound and the lights and floating speaker.

Looking for a new m5 and it seems B/O cannot be found easily or if it is has some other options missing or a bad color.....

Do you guys think the Harmon kardon is an okay system? I do not want to buy a car and end up being regret that I didn't wait for B/O again.

Majority of M5 out there do not have B/O but I Listien to a lot of music so speakers have now become important to me esp after having the b/o.

Do you guys think B/O makes that much of a difference? Curious to hear you guys thoughts.

josec70 · 01-29-2018, 04:49 AM

I think it certainly does make a difference in terms of the quality of the audio. The HK may sound especially bad to you since you’ve already owned an M5 with B&O. I’m not familiar with aftermarket systems but that may be another option if unable to source a B&O car of your liking.

Darkshear · 01-29-2018, 06:59 AM

Having had an F10 M5 with both (first the HK then the B&O) I can say there is a measurable difference between them. I'm grateful I have the B&O now. The sound is better and they are very aesthetically pleasing. I'm not sure I would have paid the price tag for it, but I'm glad the first owner did.

Phatcat · 01-29-2018, 09:20 AM

B&O is better but still not very good. Other systems in other brands are better. Although F90 M5's B&W isn't so bad during my short time hearing it.

steeve13m · 01-29-2018, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E63amg

What's up guys

I never really cared about speakers to be honest but my old M5 had B/O sound (that was the only option it had lmao!). I had no clue when I bought it but living with it I loved the sound and the lights and floating speaker.

Looking for a new m5 and it seems B/O cannot be found easily or if it is has some other options missing or a bad color.....

Do you guys think the Harmon kardon is an okay system? I do not want to buy a car and end up being regret that I didn't wait for B/O again.

Majority of M5 out there do not have B/O but I Listien to a lot of music so speakers have now become important to me esp after having the b/o.

Do you guys think B/O makes that much of a difference? Curious to hear you guys thoughts.

I have the H&K and they sound mediocre ...I am in the middle of testing/upgrading to plug and play speakers (Bavsound or Dayton Audio)....already have a 12" subwoofer with separate amp in the trunk(highly recommended)

AWF10M5 · 01-29-2018, 01:24 PM

thx for the advice guys guess i will wait for the perfect car with b/o then

bquicksilver · 01-29-2018, 11:33 PM

I'm not an audiophile but I test drove a car with HK and was disappointed enough that B&O became a must. I don't regret it, the B&O is amazing.

josec70 · 01-31-2018, 05:31 PM

B&O is well worth it IMO.

PRKELLY · 02-02-2018, 04:07 PM

I'm in the same boat. Found a 2014 AW M5 with CP, B&O black wheels and all the
goodies. My rep at Carmax fuct up and the car will likely be sold to a gent tomorrow.

Looking at a lower mile SBM with black interior CP car with the HK sound.

I'm coming from a C6 Grand Sport Corvette so the sound in that car was pretty much shit. The HK will be a huge upgrade from what Im used to but I still want the B&O sound.

Sucks, I looked for a year to find this car and a sales rep ruins it for me.

Crossing fingers and hoping the buyer backs out.

M5Rlz · 02-02-2018, 05:35 PM

B&O has always been a let down (it was a let down for a 3700 dollar option vs. my GTRs' avg. bose which I couldn't tell a difference between the two), its a disappointment in my R8, basically every car I've been in with B*O its sucked lol

Sucked may be strong, but it wasn't worth the premium or fit the bill for the premium car it is.

The Bowers-Wilkins in the F90 changes that got a chance to demo a 5 series and adjust the settings 1000000000 times better than the B&O when calibrated.

Worth the wait vs. the HK especially if you plan on being in your new car often.

MuffinFlavored · 02-03-2018, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeve13m

I have the H&K and they sound mediocre ...I am in the middle of testing/upgrading to plug and play speakers (Bavsound or Dayton Audio)....already have a 12" subwoofer with separate amp in the trunk(highly recommended)

> already have a 12" subwoofer with separate amp in the trunk(highly recommended)

How hard was that to do?

The Bavsound stuff looks like snake oil to me. Lighter subwoofer = more bass? What do you think?

steeve13m · 02-04-2018, 11:33 AM

I just installed the Bavsound upgrade and it is way better than hk oem.....much clearer highs on treble....and sharper mids.....the trick is to balance it with a 12inch sub and separate amp(pro installed)......forget upgrading ghost underseat speakers......now the car sounds great.....I would put this kit against the b&o.....I am not an audiophile but can tell difference between low end and quality system....I run full klipsch for home theatre and full jl audio/boston in Lambo

mastatikle · 02-04-2018, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeve13m

I have the H&K and they sound mediocre ...I am in the middle of testing/upgrading to plug and play speakers (Bavsound or Dayton Audio)....already have a 12" subwoofer with separate amp in the trunk(highly recommended)

What plug and play options does Dayton offer? I was going to do a custom build and use their raw drivers. I didn’t see any simple kits though.

mastatikle · 02-04-2018, 04:54 PM

If looking for a used and theres a significant price difference between the B&O option I’d get the one without and put a custom audio system in it. New build it’s not worth the hefty price tag. I have the B&O setup in my M6GC with the fancy lights and grills and still feel that it’s not clear enough so I’m doing a custom build. B&O in these cars are just for marketing and extra money for manufacturer; the actual speaker drivers are mid level and made in third world countries. For 3-4K you can have a system built that will be AMAZING compared to B&O.

steeve13m · 02-04-2018, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mastatikle

What plug and play options does Dayton offer? I was going to do a custom build and use their raw drivers. I didn’t see any simple kits though.

This is the Dayton upgrade kit....but not as plug and play as bavsound and requires soldering and tweeter fitment etc....I didn't bother installing it since the Bavsound sounds great for simple plug and play kit

http://vi.vipr.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayI...1&secureDesc=0

mastatikle · 02-04-2018, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeve13m

This is the Dayton upgrade kit....but not as plug and play as bavsound and requires soldering and tweeter fitment etc....I didn't bother installing it since the Bavsound sounds great for simple plug and play kit

http://vi.vipr.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayI...1&secureDesc=0

WOW the markup on that is absolutely nuts. I wouldn’t pay half that for those speakers. They’re like $30 each on partsexpress. That guy must be making a fortune. Makes me want to create a better kit at half the price.

steeve13m · 02-05-2018, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mastatikle

WOW the markup on that is absolutely nuts. I wouldn’t pay half that for those speakers. They’re like $30 each on partsexpress. That guy must be making a fortune. Makes me want to create a better kit at half the price.

I wondered how good they are vs bavsound but didnt bother to install(I bought the parts from partsexpress)

mastatikle · 02-05-2018, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeve13m

I wondered how good they are vs bavsound but didnt bother to install(I bought the parts from partsexpress)

Definitely better than bavsound in every way. They are well designed pieces. I’m curious how they are compared to B&O. If I have some free time I’ll see if I can buy some and test them out.

steeve13m · 02-05-2018, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mastatikle

Definitely better than bavsound in every way. They are well designed pieces. I’m curious how they are compared to B&O. If I have some free time I’ll see if I can buy some and test them out.

you would have to buy the ebay kit as I wasnt able to find good brackets elsewhere

steeve13m · 02-05-2018, 01:28 PM

For me as long as there was a significant improvement over HK....Bavsound is worth it in terms of gain/price/install effort.

If anyone is interested I have all the new/never installed Dayton x7 mids, x7 tweeters, Tweeter 7x crossovers/capacitors, brackets(slightly larger but can fit except for 3 smaller mids)

mastatikle · 02-06-2018, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeve13m

For me as long as there was a significant improvement over HK....Bavsound is worth it in terms of gain/price/install effort.

If anyone is interested I have all the new/never installed Dayton x7 mids, x7 tweeters, Tweeter 7x crossovers/capacitors, brackets(slightly larger but can fit except for 3 smaller mids)

Can you pm me specs and price

Herofmine · 02-06-2018, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E63amg

What's up guys

I never really cared about speakers to be honest but my old M5 had B/O sound (that was the only option it had lmao!). I had no clue when I bought it but living with it I loved the sound and the lights and floating speaker.

Looking for a new m5 and it seems B/O cannot be found easily or if it is has some other options missing or a bad color.....

Do you guys think the Harmon kardon is an okay system? I do not want to buy a car and end up being regret that I didn't wait for B/O again.

Majority of M5 out there do not have B/O but I Listien to a lot of music so speakers have now become important to me esp after having the b/o.

Do you guys think B/O makes that much of a difference? Curious to hear you guys thoughts.

Planing to sell my 2015 M5 with 18k miles
It has almost all the options except competition and carbon ceramic breaks.

01-29-2018, 02:12 AM	#1
AWF10M5 Banned 224 Rep 553 Posts Drives: f10 m5 Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Bikini bottom iTrader: (7)	What's up guys I never really cared about speakers to be honest but my old M5 had B/O sound (that was the only option it had lmao!). I had no clue when I bought it but living with it I loved the sound and the lights and floating speaker. Looking for a new m5 and it seems B/O cannot be found easily or if it is has some other options missing or a bad color..... Do you guys think the Harmon kardon is an okay system? I do not want to buy a car and end up being regret that I didn't wait for B/O again. Majority of M5 out there do not have B/O but I Listien to a lot of music so speakers have now become important to me esp after having the b/o. Do you guys think B/O makes that much of a difference? Curious to hear you guys thoughts.
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01-29-2018, 04:49 AM	#2
josec70 Major General 4074 Rep 5,233 Posts Drives: 22' Individual Chalk M5C Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Miami iTrader: (2)	I think it certainly does make a difference in terms of the quality of the audio. The HK may sound especially bad to you since you’ve already owned an M5 with B&O. I’m not familiar with aftermarket systems but that may be another option if unable to source a B&O car of your liking. __________________ CURRENT: 22' INDIVIDUAL M5\| CHALK \| TARTUFO \| CCB \| MPE \| H&R \| IND GONE: 19' M5C\| SINGAPORE GREY\| ARAGON\|VELOS VLS-06\|H&R\|iPE\|IND\|XPEL\|CF\|RADENSO GONE: 15' F10 M5\|BSM\|BLACK\|VELOS VSS-S2\|KW\|AKRA\|IND\|CF \|ESCORT 360\|VELOS PIGGY GONE: 13' F10 M5\|SG\|BLACK\|AKRA\|KW\|IND LONG GONE: 09' E60 M5\|02' E39 M5
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01-29-2018, 06:59 AM	#3
Darkshear Second Lieutenant 154 Rep 269 Posts Drives: BSM 2019 M5 Comp Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Tampa iTrader: (2)	Having had an F10 M5 with both (first the HK then the B&O) I can say there is a measurable difference between them. I'm grateful I have the B&O now. The sound is better and they are very aesthetically pleasing. I'm not sure I would have paid the price tag for it, but I'm glad the first owner did. __________________ 2021 Brands Hatch Grey M5 Competition
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01-29-2018, 09:20 AM	#4
Phatcat Lieutenant Colonel 751 Rep 1,857 Posts Drives: BMW M5, X5M Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Asia iTrader: (0)	B&O is better but still not very good. Other systems in other brands are better. Although F90 M5's B&W isn't so bad during my short time hearing it.
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01-29-2018, 01:24 PM	#6
AWF10M5 Banned 224 Rep 553 Posts Drives: f10 m5 Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Bikini bottom iTrader: (7)	thx for the advice guys guess i will wait for the perfect car with b/o then
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01-29-2018, 11:33 PM	#7
bquicksilver Private First Class 26 Rep 125 Posts Drives: 2014 F10 - Alpine White CP Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	I'm not an audiophile but I test drove a car with HK and was disappointed enough that B&O became a must. I don't regret it, the B&O is amazing.
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01-31-2018, 05:31 PM	#8
josec70 Major General 4074 Rep 5,233 Posts Drives: 22' Individual Chalk M5C Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Miami iTrader: (2)	B&O is well worth it IMO. __________________ CURRENT: 22' INDIVIDUAL M5\| CHALK \| TARTUFO \| CCB \| MPE \| H&R \| IND GONE: 19' M5C\| SINGAPORE GREY\| ARAGON\|VELOS VLS-06\|H&R\|iPE\|IND\|XPEL\|CF\|RADENSO GONE: 15' F10 M5\|BSM\|BLACK\|VELOS VSS-S2\|KW\|AKRA\|IND\|CF \|ESCORT 360\|VELOS PIGGY GONE: 13' F10 M5\|SG\|BLACK\|AKRA\|KW\|IND LONG GONE: 09' E60 M5\|02' E39 M5
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02-02-2018, 04:07 PM	#9
PRKELLY Private First Class 67 Rep 100 Posts Drives: 14 M5 CP Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: RVA iTrader: (0)	I'm in the same boat. Found a 2014 AW M5 with CP, B&O black wheels and all the goodies. My rep at Carmax fuct up and the car will likely be sold to a gent tomorrow. Looking at a lower mile SBM with black interior CP car with the HK sound. I'm coming from a C6 Grand Sport Corvette so the sound in that car was pretty much shit. The HK will be a huge upgrade from what Im used to but I still want the B&O sound. Sucks, I looked for a year to find this car and a sales rep ruins it for me. Crossing fingers and hoping the buyer backs out.
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02-02-2018, 05:35 PM	#10
M5Rlz Colonel 249 Rep 2,202 Posts Drives: R8, f10m59(Rip), m4, GTR Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: MD iTrader: (3)	B&O has always been a let down (it was a let down for a 3700 dollar option vs. my GTRs' avg. bose which I couldn't tell a difference between the two), its a disappointment in my R8, basically every car I've been in with B*O its sucked lol Sucked may be strong, but it wasn't worth the premium or fit the bill for the premium car it is. The Bowers-Wilkins in the F90 changes that got a chance to demo a 5 series and adjust the settings 1000000000 times better than the B&O when calibrated. Worth the wait vs. the HK especially if you plan on being in your new car often.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

02-04-2018, 11:33 AM	#12
steeve13m Second Lieutenant 61 Rep 294 Posts Drives: F10 M5 Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	I just installed the Bavsound upgrade and it is way better than hk oem.....much clearer highs on treble....and sharper mids.....the trick is to balance it with a 12inch sub and separate amp(pro installed)......forget upgrading ghost underseat speakers......now the car sounds great.....I would put this kit against the b&o.....I am not an audiophile but can tell difference between low end and quality system....I run full klipsch for home theatre and full jl audio/boston in Lambo __________________ 2019 F90 M5 Competition - Marina bay Blue Pearl - Executive and Bowers & Wilkins package Gone:2013 F10 M5-DCT-Montecarlo Pearl Blue-BBMR 800 Stage 1 system 700whp+(93oct) 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo-Manual-Giallo Midas Pearl Yellow-Modified 2018 Range Rover Velar S-White Last edited by steeve13m; 02-04-2018 at 12:10 PM..
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02-04-2018, 04:54 PM	#14
mastatikle Lieutenant 69 Rep 469 Posts Drives: m3 Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	If looking for a used and theres a significant price difference between the B&O option I’d get the one without and put a custom audio system in it. New build it’s not worth the hefty price tag. I have the B&O setup in my M6GC with the fancy lights and grills and still feel that it’s not clear enough so I’m doing a custom build. B&O in these cars are just for marketing and extra money for manufacturer; the actual speaker drivers are mid level and made in third world countries. For 3-4K you can have a system built that will be AMAZING compared to B&O.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

02-05-2018, 01:28 PM	#20
steeve13m Second Lieutenant 61 Rep 294 Posts Drives: F10 M5 Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	For me as long as there was a significant improvement over HK....Bavsound is worth it in terms of gain/price/install effort. If anyone is interested I have all the new/never installed Dayton x7 mids, x7 tweeters, Tweeter 7x crossovers/capacitors, brackets(slightly larger but can fit except for 3 smaller mids) __________________ 2019 F90 M5 Competition - Marina bay Blue Pearl - Executive and Bowers & Wilkins package Gone:2013 F10 M5-DCT-Montecarlo Pearl Blue-BBMR 800 Stage 1 system 700whp+(93oct) 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo-Manual-Giallo Midas Pearl Yellow-Modified 2018 Range Rover Velar S-White Last edited by steeve13m; 02-05-2018 at 02:43 PM..
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