JohnnyStaccato

I recently purchased a 2018 SQ5 Prestige with the B&O audio. I had some trouble from day 1 with the MMI system acting weird. Some of the issues affected audio playback. The other day, I had the 5F module replaced and almost all the issues are resolved. One thing I thought was related to the problem has not been fixed however. The rear speakers just don't sound good. They're not distorted like they're blown or anything, but they just sound thin and much lower in volume than the fronts. When I listen to music with the balance/fader centered, and the focus setting set to "all", I can't hardly hear music from the back at all, it sounds as if it's coming from entirely in front of me. If I fade it to the back, then the front, there's a noticeable difference in the volume and quality of the sound. There's more speakers in the front from what I can tell, so that might partially explain it, but it just doesn't sound right in the back. I had a '13 S4 w/ B&O before this and it sounded much better overall. Did they just do a crappy job with the sound system in the '18's B&O system, or do I have a issue with the back speakers or amp or something? I'll probably ask my dealer to let me sit in another one on the lot and listen to some music to see if it's the same, but I was wondering if anyone else noticed a significant difference between the sound from the back and front speakers.

Chawski

Sounds like you have an issue. I think the B&O system sounds quite nice. Needs a little bump in the low end but otherwise sounds good

C-Los

You joke, right? I've got more than enough "bump" in the low freqs. 2 of my friends who DJ for a living have commented that the B&O sounds amazing and has lots of bass.

KaDeTime

ahcatanese

I've had adult rear seat passengers complain about the poor volume and quality of sound in my 2018 Q5 Prestige w/ B&O. Adjusting the fade and Bass/Treble to accommodate the rear seat passengers compromises the front seat listening experience. I've chalked it up to poor design.

rbreeze

^ I'm in agreement with you and the thread starter. I have also had rear seat passengers complain about the poor volume and quality of sound when sitting in the back seat of my 2018 Q5 Technik S-line. And yes, adjusting the fade, bass/treble, etc. to accommodate the rear seat passengers does compromise the front seat listening experience. With that said.. when things are set-up correctly (to favor front seat occupants) the volume and quality of sound from the B & O system - when sitting in the front seats - is very good indeed.

dgeffs

Don't see how it would be possible to have perfect sound at every listening position simultaneously considering the control available and the differences in speakers and placement. My solution is to have it perfect for the driver (me) and screw everyone else. Just drive an Audi without the B&O and see how that sounds. Mine has been in the shop for two days and my loaner is a Q3. I don't know how anyone would ever buy one of these.

VipinLJ

VipinLJ

JohnnyStaccato

I agree with the point that it's not reasonable to expect it to be perfect everywhere, but I would argue that it can't be perfect anywhere, including for the driver, unless there's some decent sound coming from the back. Right now, to me, with default settings, it sounds like it's all coming from one or two speakers in front of me. A true premium audio system would fill the cabin with sound, and that's not possible with such a significant difference in quality between the front and rear speakers. I've tried all manner of settings to open up the sound stage, but in order to get even close to what I'm after, I have to set the fader to halfway towards the back, and then the low quality of the back speakers becomes evident, reducing the overall quality of the sound. And the 3D and surround effects are gimmicky digital processing that make things worse in my opinion. I won't pretend like it's the worst car stereo I've ever had, but it is disappointing. And I understand that audio preferences are highly subjective, so I'm not trying to say that others who think it's great are wrong, but it's definitely a step down from my '13 S4 in my opinion.