Anyone underwhelmed by B&O system...

Jimrpa

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Yes, actually I do mean that. In very many cases the wave of corporate mergers and acquisitions that accelerated after 2008 has diluted the identity of the acquired companies. Look no further than the Jeep Renegade to see an example in the automotive world. From Craftsman tools to Whirlpool appliances many brands no longer mean what they once did.

Does this apply to MME's B&O system or your “tuned my Meridien”? Honestly I have no idea, but before this thread I have never heard a complaint about the sound quality of any B&O system. Time will tell whether the problems some have reported here is a quality issue or simply a integration error that can be fixed with an update.
Most audiophiles I know consider B&O to be more of a “fashion statement” brand than a pure audiophile brand. They’re not saying it’s Bose or anything, they’re just saying that B&O will make compromises in the name of esthetics over pure sound quality.
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Jimrpa

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For anyone using Apple Music, be aware that Apple Music uses low bit rate by default when streaming over cellular. You have to change the setting:

setting -> Music -> cellular data -> High Quality Streaming
You should always change the rates for any streaming over cellular (video and audio) to the highest quality available, whatever service it is. Let the player and codec adaptively handle any bandwidth constraints.
 

agoldman

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If anyone figures out how to save the # of lines of favorite sirius/radio stations to show, and make it stick, please let us know.
 

markboris

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As Jeff said in an earlier post, disconnecting the middle speaker is the first thing he does and I am right with him. Have done that in every car I've had in the last few years and really helps out the imaging. The MME's center speaker is under the grill in the middle of the dash up by the windshield. The only speakers under the long speaker grill that spans the entire front of the dash are two tweeters one in each corner facing out. I have read there is not enough sound coming from the rear and I bet disconnecting the center dash speaker will help out there as well.

I also read in an earlier post in this thread that the speakers are probably cheap and yes while I am sure they are not high quality speakers, they are not completely on the cheap side either. My 2020 Mustang has the B&O audio system and the speakers in the doors have very large magnets for an OEM speaker which I was surprised at thinking that Ford would want to save on weight. Also the midrange in the top of the door had a thick plastic cone with a nice foam surround while the lower mid-bass driver had a heavy paper cone with a foam surround. The Sony systems I have had in earlier Ford cars had very cheap speakers compared to these B&O's.

I don't have my car yet (hopefully will be in at the end of this month) but I am just researching as much as I can about the audio system in case I want to change some components of it. In the Mustang, I sound deadened the entire car (as I do every car) and the MME will not be any exception. The audio system, especially when the speakers are in the doors will sound quite a bit better. The sub was tragic and I replaced it with a JLAudio stealth box and separate amp. I don't drive the car as a daily so was not going to go through and revamp the entire system as some here do and I certainly have done in the past with other vehicles. Same with the MME, while I wont be driving it on a daily basis, I am hoping the sound will be good enough after I do a few of my tweaks to the car and audio system.
 


dbsb3233

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As Jeff said in an earlier post, disconnecting the middle speaker is the first thing he does and I am right with him. Have done that in every car I've had in the last few years and really helps out the imaging. The MME's center speaker is under the grill in the middle of the dash up by the windshield. The only speakers under the long speaker grill that spans the entire front of the dash are two tweeters one in each corner facing out. I have read there is not enough sound coming from the rear and I bet disconnecting the center dash speaker will help out there as well.
Be careful with that. Android Auto (and probably the native Ford nav system, although I haven't tried it) are smart enough to isolate what sounds like just one or two front speakers, so it doesn't bother the rest of the people in the car as much.

Once I get the FADE set correctly (i.e. 3/4ths of the way to the rear), I think it sounds pretty good from the front seats. It does seem like there's speakers across the front dash (left-center-right). Which is important because both front seats seem to get a pretty even balance from front-left and front-center. Without the center speaker, both front occupants would find the front speaker on their side overwhelm the front speaker on the other side.

With the speakers on the dash aimed right at you, they're closer and much more direct than when down low in the doors, or aimed upward out of the dash near the windshield. That's why the FADE needs to shift further to the rear to get a good surround, because the front speakers are so close and direct.
 

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Dro e it today w my USB full of my CDs. Awesome. Talking on the phone audio from the other end more crisp than my Escape.
 

markboris

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Be careful with that. Android Auto (and probably the native Ford nav system, although I haven't tried it) are smart enough to isolate what sounds like just one or two front speakers, so it doesn't bother the rest of the people in the car as much.

Once I get the FADE set correctly (i.e. 3/4ths of the way to the rear), I think it sounds pretty good from the front seats. It does seem like there's speakers across the front dash (left-center-right). Which is important because both front seats seem to get a pretty even balance from front-left and front-center. Without the center speaker, both front occupants would find the front speaker on their side overwhelm the front speaker on the other side.

With the speakers on the dash aimed right at you, they're closer and much more direct than when down low in the doors, or aimed upward out of the dash near the windshield. That's why the FADE needs to shift further to the rear to get a good surround, because the front speakers are so close and direct.
If the MME is like my Focus, Escape and Mustang, disconnecting the center dash speaker had no effect on loosing spoken navigation directions, phone call voice or even reminder tones of the car. I will have to see once I get my car unless someone else tests this out first.
 

dbsb3233

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If the MME is like my Focus, Escape and Mustang, disconnecting the center dash speaker had no effect on loosing spoken navigation directions, phone call voice or even reminder tones of the car. I will have to see once I get my car unless someone else tests this out first.
You'd probably still hear it from the left-front speaker. But you'll pretty much ONLY hear the left-front speaker (for everything) if you disconnect the front-center speaker. Unless you set BALANCE and FADE so far to the right and rear that only the driver can hear them all.

At least with the front-center speaker active, both front occupants get good surround. (The rear occupants will only be able to hear the rear speakers, but that's unavoidable).
 

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I was initially underwhelmed. But after playing with the setting, I have the B&O sounding pretty good. I'm happy with it now. I turned off surround and use stereo, and I have the balance faded just slightly towards the rear. Now I think everything sounds pretty good. It's not an incredible audio system, but it's above average imo.
 

TheVirtualTim

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I don't know what others are doing ... but mine sounds GREAT!

I was just listening to this on the way home.... car is in 'Surround' mode (it was in Stereo mode but I switched it). I do have an Apple Music subscription ... but I also have a lot of the music downloaded to my local library so streaming isn't an issue. It was VERY clean and I could hear it from every corner of the car.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/adagio-for-tron-remixed-by-teddybears/1440617977?i=1440618222
 

markboris

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You'd probably still hear it from the left-front speaker. But you'll pretty much ONLY hear the left-front speaker (for everything) if you disconnect the front-center speaker. Unless you set BALANCE and FADE so far to the right and rear that only the driver can hear them all.

At least with the front-center speaker active, both front occupants get good surround. (The rear occupants will only be able to hear the rear speakers, but that's unavoidable).
I just listened to my 2020 Mustang with the B&O system which would be the closest to the system in the MME of the vehicles I have and all of the Sync sounds, voices and tones come out of both the left and right speakers (all 6 of them) equally. Disconnecting the center speaker will lower the volume on those also but since I do not plan on listening to my audio system in surround it is not a concern. I think everyone likes to listen to music in a different way. I am big on surround in my theater system sure but not my audio system. I guess I am old school. ?
 

dbsb3233

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I just listened to my 2020 Mustang with the B&O system which would be the closest to the system in the MME of the vehicles I have and all of the Sync sounds, voices and tones come out of both the left and right speakers (all 6 of them) equally. Disconnecting the center speaker will lower the volume on those also but since I do not plan on listening to my audio system in surround it is not a concern. I think everyone likes to listen to music in a different way. I am big on surround in my theater system sure but not my audio system. I guess I am old school. ?
I didn't mean "surround" as only the surround setting, I just meant being able to balance it so you hear the speakers from all 4 directions (or at least L-R in this case). I'm just saying that this isn't like most cars with the front speakers down low in the doors, where the sound is indirect and thus mixes together more before it reaches your ears. The Mach-E front speakers are located and aimed much closer to the front passengers' heads, thus are more overpowering than typical lower door speakers.

As such, that front center speaker offers a huge advantage for providing balance from both the right and left sides of the driver and the front passenger. But if one doesn't want balance, then by all means, one could try to disconnect the center one.
 

markboris

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So I take back my criticisms of the B&O system.

What changed? Android Auto arrived.

For some reason I don't pretend to understand, YouTube Music streaming over "Bluetooth Audio" sounded muffled and not clear at all... but YouTube Music streaming over Android Auto sounds fantastic.

I've now switched from underwhelmed to impressed.
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