PeerBlock

I heard it and I didn't think it was any better than the stock Audi system which is already pretty good as far as factory systems go.

sleater_kinney_rox

Unfortunately I didn't have an opportunity to hear the B&O and compare it to the stock Audi stereo when I ordered my Q5. There wasn't one on the lot. My salesperson demo'd the stock system using an action movie DVD that had a soundtrack with a lot of rumbling bass. It sounded impressive. I suspect that I would have passed on the B&O if I could have done a side-by-side test.

However this is all subjective, and the B&O does have good clarity and separation. For people who don't crave a lot of bass, the B&O should be very satisfying.

BirdmanQ5

I agree with this, I love my stock system, but I think that the B&O probably beats the stock system in durability, and will last the whole lifetime of the car without degradation. But hey, to each his own.

eppoh7

+1. Having had both systems, I miss the stock system i had in my 2010 (p+ w/ NAV). When I got the 2012' it had the B&O and I was excited for the "better" system. I am no audiophile and to my untrained ear the stock system sounded a lot better. The main difference is the lack of bass in the B&O. Oh well, at least the brushed aluminum rings around all of the speakers look cool.

sleater_kinney_rox

I came across a high level schematic for the Q5 with B&O and I see that I had made a few incorrect assumptions. The amplifier behind the left panel in the cargo area is not dedicated to only the subwoofer. Looks like this amplifier drives all of the speakers in the vehicle.

The radio receiver is apparently in the same space with the amplifier, not in the head unit. The receiver and the amplifier both have fiber optic connections, so it appears that the B&O system is mostly digital everywhere except the outputs from the amplifier to the speakers. Given that the amplifier is driving multiple speakers and performing digital to analog conversion, the size is not overly large.

jupiterfish

B&O ice modules are small but powerful, they are all digital and give off almost no heat.

MikeInMiami

Sleather Kinney rox where did you get the schematic? Does anyone have a full set that includes all electrical? I finally found the type of connector on the glove box side is (for Ipod,ect..). Mitsumi IAM-H73. Not a local purchase. Keep us posted on the project. I will be upgrading the sub along with some type of custom MMI control interface for the back seat.

sleater_kinney_rox

I finally received the 10" JL Audio subwoofer. The first online retailer I ordered from had a great price but it was on backorder and their supplier's dates kept slipping. So I cancelled that order and bought it from Crutchfield who is more dependable.

This morning I put the sub in a carpeted enclosure and hooked it up in the Q5. It sounds wonderful. It was hot in the garage but I was enjoying listening to different CDs so much that I was out there for quite a while. I had the bass setting on the MMI at the 12 o'clock position (halfway) and also the Punch amp about halfway. There was tons of bass, more than I need actually.

I feel better about the B&O stereo now. With the addition of the subwoofer it sounds really good.

GregH

Hi sleater kinney rox,

I also have B&O, of the opinion that my prev Q5 without B&O had better bass, albeit not the same hi fidelity. Do you think there may be merit in leaving the existing amp, just replacing the subwoofer? I do have the sub in the spare wheel, definitely not an option to remove the spare wheel permanently for me though.

Is your new amp driving all 14 or so speakers or just the sub, leaving the B&O amp to drive the rest?

Cheers,

Greg

sleater_kinney_rox

Yes, there is merit to replacing just the sub. There is another thread in the Q5 forum where someone did exactly that. They replaced the B&O subwoofer with a 2 ohm Kicker - a simple swap out. Because the Kicker has lower impedance it draws higher current therefore more power is delivered. The B&O amp will run hotter which is a risk, but the poster said he monitored it and there was no problem with overheating. This is a quick and relatively inexpensive solution that should provide a little more bass.

My new amp is driving just the sub. The B&O is still in place driving all the other speakers. I have discovered one small issue that I will have to troubleshoot. With this powerful amp, I can hear a transient motor noise out of the sub when I raise and lower the hatch lid. Not a big deal since I do not normally have the stereo going when I am loading things in the vehicle.