# Bang & Olufsen



## Nad70 (May 24, 2020)

I recently bought a TT with the bang and Olufsen sound system, can someone tell me if I have to set it up because right now it does not sound special :? 
My wife has a BMW with Harmon Kardon and it sounds miles better.


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## powerplay (Feb 8, 2008)

B&O in the TT is not great; there's no sub for starters, which is very disappointing. It goes loud, sounds crisp but lacks depth.

Just how it is unfortunately.


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## Nad70 (May 24, 2020)

Thanks for your reply
Ah well... I still love my TT just the same


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## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

Badges are the best part of the system.
It just lacks umph,


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## Webarno (Dec 10, 2019)

I've got the B&O system too and think it sounds excellent. I'm no audiophile, but can tell the difference between poor sound and great sound.

I've tweaked the treble and bass so it sounds just to my taste.


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## BarrieB (Aug 24, 2011)

I have the B&O system. Like all of these things the sound quality seems very dependent on the source material. DAB is poor, as are things like Spotify and iTunes, but play music of a higher resolution, something like Tidal mqa or Amazon 24 bit and this seems to make a big difference.
The other factor is the general noise level in the TT. Things are never going to be ideal. Of course, if you judge sound quality by the bass response of the speakers it is never going to blow your mind.


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

Nad70 said:


> I recently bought a TT with the bang and Olufsen sound system, can someone tell me if I have to set it up because right now it does not sound special :?
> My wife has a BMW with Harmon Kardon and it sounds miles better.


HK in anything under a 3 series can sound ropey too due to there being no adjustable eq or woofer sub, much on a par with the tt..


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## Rich146 (May 17, 2020)

Nad70 said:


> I recently bought a TT with the bang and Olufsen sound system, can someone tell me if I have to set it up because right now it does not sound special :?
> My wife has a BMW with Harmon Kardon and it sounds miles better.


Is this in a brand new TT ?


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## Kasper (Dec 3, 2018)

Rich146 said:


> Nad70 said:
> 
> 
> > I recently bought a TT with the bang and Olufsen sound system, can someone tell me if I have to set it up because right now it does not sound special :?
> ...


It is a 2018 model.


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## kevin#34 (Jan 8, 2019)

2018 or 2019, no difference, B&O is exactly the same


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## Mark Pred (Feb 1, 2017)

VERY subjective, as we all have difference ears. IMO, it's excellent for my needs and gets praise a plenty from passengers as well. Not all of us go round with it turned right up, wing mirrors vibrating...


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## Quattro-ita (Jul 5, 2016)

Lots of TT owners are not audiophile, that's why you could here some comments like "it sounds great".
I've been working as a musician for more than 20 years and I must admit I have a trained ear.
I have B&O option and I can confirm it sounds just so so. Power/volume is right there, sound quality simply doesn't


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## Pronto (Oct 25, 2019)

I have the B&O system and according to the mmi manual for compressing mp3 files Audi recommend a bit rate of at least 160kbps that exactly half of the highest quality MP3 bitrate 320kbps.

Unless you use pay for sites like Amazon music HD. Downloading music from the net like YouTube etc is usually a low bit rate say around 128kbps a lot lower than Audi recommends.

I use a lot of downloaded music but now only for the phone headphone listening. I watch a lot of Blu-ray and 4k Blu-ray music titles for instance Hans Zimmer: Live in Prague Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos (I have a 7.2.4 speaker set up cinema room)

It is now possible to extract the audio from a Blu-ray or the LPCM track and compress to FLAC but keeping the quality very high, the file size is still big but the mmi can take Memory cards up to 128GB Capacity. I cant go back to mp3 in the car ever.


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## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

While that's all true, you don't need to do ANY of that in the bigger Audis are other manufactures cars either.....
It's mediocre at best.


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## mr gee (Apr 20, 2007)

Agree the TT doesn't sound B&O special but better than the Bose in the previous mk2. I find it sounds better playing FLAC files and louder than I would find comfortable.


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## Pronto (Oct 25, 2019)

You can put a low quality 60kbps mp3 file and convert it to a flac file but it will be the same quality poor quality sound but in a different carrier(flac)

What you can do is take a very very high quality 1536kbps 48.000kHz stereo audio file from a Blu-ray m2ts file and convert it to a flac .

also you can adjust the volume of the car player by the volume button on the steering wheel


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## 90TJM (Sep 30, 2013)

Are the speakers really B&O and higher spec or just badge engineered? I do wonder about these "premium systems" fitted in cars.


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## Blackhole128 (Dec 24, 2015)

Quattro-ita said:


> Lots of TT owners are not audiophile, that's why you could here some comments like "it sounds great".
> I've been working as a musician for more than 20 years and I must admit I have a trained ear.
> I have B&O option and I can confirm it sounds just so so. Power/volume is right there, sound quality simply doesn't


My dad was a drummer and his ears were fooked after that sort of time in the business!


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## BarrieB (Aug 24, 2011)

Pronto said:


> You can put a low quality 60kbps mp3 file and convert it to a flac file but it will be the same quality poor quality sound but in a different carrier(flac)
> 
> What you can do is take a very very high quality 1536kbps 48.000kHz stereo audio file from a Blu-ray m2ts file and convert it to a flac .
> 
> also you can adjust the volume of the car player by the volume button on the steering wheel


As I said earlier on in this thread, why not stream something like Amazon HD? You would be looking at a much higher bitrate averaging 3,730 Kbps. This is a world away from the inferior dab quality and brings the system to life. Tidal mqa streaming would also be good. Both Tidal and Amazon can be played in offline mode.


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## eatingtacks (May 30, 2020)

I went from a 2017 A4 to a 2020 TT, both with B&O sound systems. The base response on the TT system is worse than on the A4, due of a lack of a subwoofer. The sound space is also more forward-facing. Road noise also has a bigger impact, although I don't find it too bad.

But other than that, it still sounds very good, with a clear, crisp sound. I miss the oomph from the subwoofer, but I am happy with it.


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## ChesterUK (Dec 22, 2019)

It's also very much subject to sources. I played some Joe Satriani last weekend through my iPhone/Spotify (quality set to Very High) to the USB port. It was compressed to hell! Switched to Bluetooth, that was perfectly listenable.

I fade to the back probably 25-30%, add about 20% to bass and 25% to treble. The surround effect is backed off quite a bit. Can't remember if there are any other settings, but this tuning also makes a big difference to the sound. So it's worth tuning to taste to get the best out of it. I think for a manufacturer supplied system without getting very serious, it's pretty good. I'd like some deeper bass (I would, I'm a bass player!), but unless you're driving a Rolls or a Bentley with an acceptable noise floor, sort of, no car will offer a setting for critical listening anyway.


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## kellyken (Mar 30, 2020)

If you want to play high quality of Tidal music on your car, then you could give a chance to use the Tidal Music Converter for Mac to help you. It can not help you change the audio format but also can keep the original audio quality. And you could customize the audio parameters for the music as you like. Good luck.


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## Rich146 (May 17, 2020)

FLAC is a sound engine used by Amazon and others such as Apple use AAC. I find FLAC on my iPhone sounds so much better and wider/accurate on my iPhone than the other sound engines. I subscribed to Amazon HD over Spotify premium for this very reason.


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## LeighK (Jul 6, 2017)

https://corporate.bang-olufsen.com/en/partners/automotive/audi/tt


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## Nad70 (May 24, 2020)

LeighK said:


> https://corporate.bang-olufsen.com/en/partners/automotive/audi/tt


Thanks for this. If I went by this description only, I'd definitely make the Bang & Olufson a must.

Some people have mentioned converting files into other formats, which makes the best of the situation but shouldn't really have to be done in the first place with a 'premium sound system'.

A heads up to potential buyers, listen to the Bang & Olufson sound system in the TT before making it an option. 
In my opinion, it lacks the depth, which other sound sound systems offer.


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## gAgNiCk (Dec 25, 2017)

Nad70 said:


> LeighK said:
> 
> 
> > https://corporate.bang-olufsen.com/en/partners/automotive/audi/tt
> ...


It's the least worst option...


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## captainhero17 (Apr 10, 2018)

gAgNiCk said:


> It's the least worst option...


That should be their slogan or catalogue description in the configurator of the TT.


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## Rich146 (May 17, 2020)

Im in the process of specing a new lease TT . The Dealer im setting up the lease with can give discount on options depending on their residual at the end of the lease.
Tech pack is most popular hence why its in most pipeline vehicles and gives a lease discount of around 50% compared to around 16-17%% with all other options. Should I wish to purchase the vehicle at the end it would really be a deffered payment within the lease period as I would have to pay the remainder of the full price factored into the quote. Well thats the idea anyway.
Im almost there with options. Pretty much everything but need to check out the Nappa leather option and see if this is worth the £800ish "deffered" discounted price or not.

p.s I too am wondering whether to opt for the C+S or not. The latest TT spec includes 8 speakers which I believe was an option as part of the old Tech pack? I get more excited about leather and front sensors than I do speakers but each to their own lol


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## m4k4r0vbf (Jan 3, 2020)

Ok...so I didn't find the B&O on my 2016 TT anything special when I got the car.
After some time I've started listening to FLAC audio files and IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Also, I suggest you add an external subwoofer and also set the Bass setting close to minimum in the MMI settings.
The results make a huge difference.
If you need help with wiring a subwoofer let me know.


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## blackvalver (Jan 6, 2020)

m4k4r0vbf said:


> Ok...so I didn't find the B&O on my 2016 TT anything special when I got the car.
> After some time I've started listening to FLAC audio files and IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
> Also, I suggest you add an external subwoofer and also set the Bass setting close to minimum in the MMI settings.
> The results make a huge difference.
> If you need help with wiring a subwoofer let me know.


is there a sub-out on the B&O equipment then?


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## Pronto (Oct 25, 2019)

Audio coding formats (extensions) the TT MMI can playback are FLAC. WMA. M4A. M4B. AAC. MP3. of these extensions WMA. FLAC. are lossless codecs and the others are lossy codecs.

I now only use the FLAC lossless codec for when converting my CDs /Blu-ray music discs. the files sizes are bigger then the lossy type codecs say MP3 but they just sound better.

The problem is you can have many speakers in the car and subwoofers but it eventually comes down to the DAC ( Digital to Analogue Converter) that is in the cars player that decides the quality to the speaker crossovers, you can add treble /bass/ position/ to suit your own ears.

So try and feed the player with the best encoded material you can. The TT cabin is small so it never gonna sound like a good home system.

You could try this as well when listening to a good strong signal FM radio station(probably local) this starts off with an analogue signal and bypasses the players DAC. What does the music sound like is it better than your converted music i.e. is it cleaner more crisp more bass.??


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## Rich146 (May 17, 2020)

It all seems a lot faffing about to simply listen to music in a vehicle.

The new TT's come with 8 speakers as the minimum. Surely that's good enough for the average listener ? Can anyone comment on the basic 8 speaker setup ?


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## Pronto (Oct 25, 2019)

Rich146 said:


> It all seems a lot faffing about to simply listen to music in a vehicle.
> 
> The new TT's come with 8 speakers as the minimum. Surely that's good enough for the average listener ? Can anyone comment on the basic 8 speaker setup ?


No faffing about at all I'm just trying to make people aware that to get the best possible sound from your car stereo is to give it the best audio material you have. What is an average listener??


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## Rich146 (May 17, 2020)

Pronto said:


> Rich146 said:
> 
> 
> > It all seems a lot faffing about to simply listen to music in a vehicle.
> ...


I dont know..Just seems a lot of fuss over sound quality when for me its about the car and focus on driving. In the real world , most would throw on the radio or just link their phones and play whatever track takes their fancy rather than going to all the effort of converting and loading up a palette of special high def tracks. I have B & O in the house, but in the car you just wont hear all that effort unless you park up somewhere and close your eyes and you really don't want to do that whilst driving. Just my view


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## Jannerman (Nov 19, 2016)

+1, My car came with the B&O setup but it didn't cost me anything extra and it's the best system I've ever had in any of my vehicles so I'm very happy with it. This is such a first world issue, I thank goodness I'm not a pretentious audiophile otherwise I might end up in some sort of crisis over it all


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## Rich146 (May 17, 2020)

Jannerman said:


> +1, My car came with the B&O setup but it didn't cost me anything extra and it's the best system I've ever had in any of my vehicles so I'm very happy with it. This is such a first world issue, I thank goodness I'm not a pretentious audiophile otherwise I might end up in some sort of crisis over it all


Is this in a 2019/20 car ?


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## Pronto (Oct 25, 2019)

Jannerman said:


> +1, My car came with the B&O setup but it didn't cost me anything extra and it's the best system I've ever had in any of my vehicles so I'm very happy with it. This is such a first world issue, I thank goodness I'm not a audiophile otherwise I might end up in some sort of crisis over it all


pretentious audiophile.. mmmmm. im not trying to impress any importance on anyone regarding better sound, as for an audiophile not really as I don't have the income for that. hi-fi enthusiast probably .

The very first post Nad70 was asking why his B&O system did not sound special, a lot on here agree that a lossless compression is better than a lossy compression when playing through the B&O system. for me the B&O system is nothing special no better than the old Audi Symphony.

as the man said "If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got." so for me if I can make something better then I'm on it.


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

Here we go again, the perennial "Is the TT's B&O system any good" argument. To some it's brilliant to others its rubbish. How can that be?
It usually boils down to 3 main factors -
1. Individual expectations, based upon what you've been used to listening to.
2. The quality of the sound files you are using. Yes FLAC is better than MP3 but don't try converting low bit MP3s to FLAC, it won't help. Also a decent sound system will amplify the shortcomings of a low bit sound tracks. And don't use DAB radio as any sort of a benchmark, its bit rates are really low.
3. The type of music you are listening to.

Personally I'm in the camp that says you're driving round in a tin box surrounded by a noisy environment, at the same time concentrating on your driving and the road ahead. Is precise, pin drop audio really that relevant?


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## captainhero17 (Apr 10, 2018)

ZephyR2 said:


> Here we go again, the perennial "Is the TT's B&O system any good" argument. To some it's brilliant to others its rubbish. How can that be?
> It usually boils down to 3 main factors -
> 1. Individual expectations, based upon what you've been used to listening to.
> 2. The quality of the sound files you are using. Yes FLAC is better than MP3 but don't try converting low bit MP3s to FLAC, it won't help. Also a decent sound system will amplify the shortcomings of a low bit sound tracks. And don't use DAB radio as any sort of a benchmark, its bit rates are really low.
> ...


I agree with you on all points.

Given the current traffic (which has doubled due to people avoiding public transport due to covid19). I have very little opportunity to appreciate music when driving in centre of the town.

The only time I really get to listen to music and see both good and bad things about a particular sound system is during highway trips. 

I did however notice that quality of the file affect it the most (both B&O and Audi Sound System -ASS). Im not saying put everything in lossless FLAC. I think that 320bits MP3 will be just fine.

If you listen to any music that has burst of high tones and bass (metal or rock for example). You need good quality to not get ....noticable cracks (makes you feel like your speaker membrane was ruptured).

But I agree, for me right now a 20£ sound system is good enough given that I rly have to focus on the road these days.


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## simon3868 (Feb 26, 2011)

Rich146 said:


> It all seems a lot faffing about to simply listen to music in a vehicle.
> 
> The new TT's come with 8 speakers as the minimum. Surely that's good enough for the average listener ? Can anyone comment on the basic 8 speaker setup ?


I have the basic system, it's crisp but flat and I added a powered sub-makes a world of difference!


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## simon3868 (Feb 26, 2011)

m4k4r0vbf said:


> Ok...so I didn't find the B&O on my 2016 TT anything special when I got the car.
> After some time I've started listening to FLAC audio files and IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
> Also, I suggest you add an external subwoofer and also set the Bass setting close to minimum in the MMI settings.
> The results make a huge difference.
> If you need help with wiring a subwoofer let me know.


Just about to change my current TT with standard Audi set up for one with B&O, any help with wiring up for that system would be much appreciated thanks.


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## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

Some of the comparisons being made are completely unfair...

You should never "need" to use lossless or high bit rate files to get good sound from the car. You don't need that on either other audis or on home speakers and thats the compare. While clearly it will improve the output, you'd also get a better output on everything else too.

The B&O system should work great when you play your music over it regardless. But streaming vs downloads will/could be different. I believe spotify for example only uses 96kps on streams by default where as apple music is higher. A purchase from itunes store is at 256kbps.

Same source in the TT, vs either my S5 or R8, the difference is huge. 
Someone said above its the least worse option, maybe.. Depends on the model you buy in the UK If you get the sline with nav that has/had an upgraded speaker system and its pretty much the same sound, if not better bass if you like that.


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## kevin#34 (Jan 8, 2019)

B&O is not so bad but for sure lacks of bass, with a subwoofer would sound much better.. regarding reproduction quality, surely is not linked with the number of speakers...


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## Rich146 (May 17, 2020)

Toshiba said:


> Some of the comparisons being made are completely unfair...
> 
> You should never "need" to use lossless or high bit rate files to get good sound from the car. You don't need that on either other audis or on home speakers and thats the compare. While clearly it will improve the output, you'd also get a better output on everything else too.
> 
> ...


This where the confusion with speakers variants starts. Am i correct that the said upgraded speaker you mention is now standard in the TT ? The new cars have x8 speakers and the only speaker upgrade option now is the comfort and sound pack to get the B&O system


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## kevin#34 (Jan 8, 2019)

it isn't so confusing, they just added the base "extended" option to the 3 usual versions already existing:

base (4 speakers, 50 W)
base extended (8 speakers, 100 W)
Audi Sound System (9 speakers, 155 W)
B&0 (12 speakers, 680 W)


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## Rich146 (May 17, 2020)

simon3868 said:


> Rich146 said:
> 
> 
> > It all seems a lot faffing about to simply listen to music in a vehicle.
> ...


Good to know . Thanks


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

kevin#34 said:


> it isn't so confusing, they just added the base "extended" option to the 3 usual versions already existing:
> 
> base (4 speakers, 50 W)
> base extended (8 speakers, 100 W)
> ...


In UK the 8 speaker 100 W system used to be what you got when you added the Tech pack. It seems the 4 speaker 50 W system is not offered any more and the 8 speaker 100 W is now the base system, with or without the Tech pack. Unless you go to the TTS or TTRS in which case the Audi Sound System is the base system.
So its still a bit confusing.


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## Rich146 (May 17, 2020)

ZephyR2 said:


> kevin#34 said:
> 
> 
> > it isn't so confusing, they just added the base "extended" option to the 3 usual versions already existing:
> ...


So if this isnt the Audi sound system then the Audi sound system no longer exists as the only option is the C+S pack with the B&O setup.

Im not going for the B&O (C+S). It was last on my list and the dealer isnt giving alot of discount on it. Im keeping the spec simple to Tech pack (only becuase its heavily discounted) , Sign recognition, paint upgrade (Daytona Grey) and Nappa leather
Little bit less to go wrong (hopefully!)


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## kevin#34 (Jan 8, 2019)

probably it's on a country-basis, here in Italy al the 4 options are available, but as you said, some of them are included in certain pack



ZephyR2 said:


> kevin#34 said:
> 
> 
> > it isn't so confusing, they just added the base "extended" option to the 3 usual versions already existing:
> ...


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