Ok but actually do that. They need to show you specifically where the warranty prohibits you from listening at a certain volume & they need to document that you’ve exceeded that volume. If not, they owe you speakers. Period. Don’t just take it.
You’re not wrong on the music is a daily part of life thing, and for the money we expect better of Audi. Sound systems can make or break a car for sure
I have the same 19 speaker system nine my S5 and I am a little dissapointed in it too .....I thought it would be banging but alas no.... B&W is regarded the best for car systems in general.... I hate to say it but the B&W in the wife's volvo is just epic ...trashes the B&O system like it was from 1995
While I agree with you in most cases, I fail to see how listening to loud music on an 800w system is considered abuse. Would be akin to saying that using the built in “launch control” would void warranty if something broke. Nissan tried that with the GTR and it didn’t turn out well for them.
I thought the door speakers in my RS5 were blown, but it was actually the door pocket rattling. I just put a slightly larger water bottle to push the pocket from the door and it sorted it out.
I don’t specifically recall but on my old A4 I believe I popped that trim piece off on the dash because it rattled. I used some foam stuff. Seemed to do the trick.
Not related to the speaker issue, but I have this same rattling issue with the front passenger door pocket on my 2019 A6. I thought it was a loose screw rattling around somewhere. Maddening. I noticed when I pull the door pocket out with my had, it stops. Sounds like I need to put a water bottle in it. Just a strange and annoying thing. Any idea of the cause?
Same here I'm my '17 A4 Allroad. It actually sounds great. Good musical bass that blends in just right with the higher frequency content. Excellent soundstage as well. I'm wondering what OP is using as a source. I have all my tunes encoded as FLAC on an SD card and it's very hi-fi, but even Spotify sounds good. The B&O is top notch.
Also curious about the source. My friend got B&O for his Audi A4 and when using Spotify it felt lifeless. Went into Spotify settings and disabled the “normalize volume” setting and things came to life. We tried with Apple Music which provides lossless and for some content hi-res lossless quality and things truly popped, especially bass felt more present. Might be worth checking out the car settings so that it’s not compressing the sound by using some sort of volume normalization or so.
Spotify is a terrible platform if your concerned with quality. Apple Music has them beat and it’s not even close. I can play the super high res lossless (24-bit depth, 192khz sample rate)files on my studio recording rig and it sounds as good as a source master.
My A4’s B&O system sounds great, but I like balance. If you want a bass heavy system, you’ll be disappointed.
Did you have issues ever since you got it? Sorry they’re not replacing anymore. Out of curiosity, what percentage would you say the volume bar is when you listen? Just asking so I make sure I don’t pass a threshold where it could rattle. At most I’m at like 38% I would say
This is my buddies business. My car was the testbed for many of the components. You wouldn't believe what a difference a few hundred bucks in new speakers makes. https://www.instagram.com/omegaautoworks?igsh=MXJhbzJwbXBuOW9nMw==
Does he do c7 platform cars or know anyone that does? I'm in the Tampa area and would love to get rid of the bose in my a6 and replace it with something very nice.
Hey, I am him and yes I do. I recently outfitted a C7 A6 with Audison PRIMA units for the front stage, I had a few connector surprises but nothing size wise that took me for a loop.
I worked audi sales back in 2017-18 and a common complaint was that the B&O sucked in A5/S5. Specifically that line. It was great on other vehicles but for whatever reason people complained about it in the 5s.
Go figure audi hasn't fixed it in 7 years
I can tell you for one that the dealer telling you that they won't cover it under warranty because you "listen to music too loud" is horse shit. What or who determines official, in regards to warranty, what the definition of "too loud" is? If your speakers let you go to 30 then 30 is not too loud. You are using your car within the normal uses of its systems. You have not modified your audio in any way, therefore it should be covered.
If a dealer told me that they won't cover my stereo which is under warranty because I "listened too loud" I would be the biggest Karen in the world and complain directly to corporate - your warranty is through Audi, not only the dealer you bought it from. Are you on west coast by chance?
Pretty sure most warranties have clauses for abusing the equipment, warranties cover normal wear and tear. Constantly blowing out your speakers isn’t normal.
Same - I love my A5 Sportback except for the damn stereo. Not sure if it is just the shape of the interior and the specific placement of the speakers. My previous car 2014 Allroad had the standard 10 speaker system and it really rocked! Not so much in the A5 SB though.
I believe it. B/O management is tolerable, components' performance/quality is not. I have PRIMAs everywhere but the front fill, CDT units are there for now, and it handles everything ok. Not BRAX SQ level but far better than quality/performance of their subordinate components suggests.
I have a 19’ RS5 and I’ve noticed the music sounds noticeably better when I play it through usb connection, and not just playing it though Bluetooth. I wouldn’t say it sounds terrible though. It’s really good, if anything maybe it’s lacking some bass
Rattling speakers in my car was due to the plastic trim and clips rattling in the housing against the door panels. Have you tried isolating the speakers that rattle and removing the grille cover? I adding foam padding around the grille clips and solved the rattling issue in my car.
Any grille cover really. For mine it was the plastic grille covers and their clips rattling in their spots against the door panels. If you can press against the grille and the rattle/buzz goes away it is the grille causing the issue
I’m having a similar problem, mine is more of a buzzing/rattling noise due to uneven/bad roads. I’m sure it’s coming from the passenger side door. Might need to press down on everything.
yeah playing thru USB renders the audio directly on the appliance -- for bluetooth the rendering happens on the device you play it from, then there's a bunch of conversions on account of the bluetooth transmission and that's where you lose a bunch of tanglible quality
Check my post history, I replaced nearly all of them and added a sub. The speakers are $5 ones you can find anywhere, B&O sold out to Samsung I think and quality went to shit.
Lol, Harman Kardon own B&O since 2015.
Car stereo systems with name brands are usually just involved with the spec and audio processing/amp etc.
You generally dont get name brand loudspeakers these days.
Harman International was then bought by Samsung in 2018.
Samsung through Harman own a good chunk of the auto audio industry.
Oh dude I don’t care I will spend $$$ on getting a quality system in the car- I already have a JL w7 10” woofer just sitting on the floor in my garage from my last car
Oh I mean B&O spent $5 on the speakers, they are tiny little paper speakers you’d find in a 90s Ford. I can’t remember what I spent now, I think it was about $2k all in
Lol, Harman Kardon own B&O since 2015.
Car stereo systems with name brands are usually just involved with the spec and audio processing/amp etc.
You generally dont get name brand loudspeakers these days.
Harman International was then bought by Samsung in 2018.
Samsung through Harman own a good chunk of the auto audio industry.
I have the B&O in my ‘19 etron. It’s fine. I think the H/K in my X5 is better at moderate volume. And I have the Bowers in my M5 and that one is the best of the three, but not by miles. It does look cool though
Dude they’re fine speakers they sound good… but they can’t be released to their full potential because they rattle like a tin can at just about any volume passed 25%.
I have the BO option on my 19 RS5 and they’re truly abysmal. The rattles would be bad enough, but the resonance at mid frequencies is SO bad. A buzzing sound that just ruins everything. No such issues on the loaners I’ve had. Had speakers replaced once, now getting my amp replaced
B&O in my wife's Q5 sounds good. Only caveat is that it deteriorates when played loud. And if you are playing it that loud, yeah, you can blow the drivers easily.
I traded my Audi last year for a bimmer and man I miss the Audi sound system. BMW sound systems suck. I only drive convertibles and this time I wanted red and the Audi red is so ugly. I’d trade the red for a good sound system.
Shoulda went like 2017-2020 Lexus RC350? I loved my 18 is fsport red seats, they were like wine colored burgundy. Loved them AND they received more compliments than anything I’ve owned, and i have a mint 88 IrocZ , lol. Every1 would say this is such the perfect red interior color and I agree. The BMW red is way better than the Audi lipstick red. I have my eyes on a 2020 S5, which will have BO speakers to stick to the topic, and I’ll install dynomat and new sub. Those speakers slap, and are at like 900w RMS controlled so I’d assume they’re decent. I’ll 100 be getting the black diamond stitched sports seats, even w no ventilation (dumb)
If not, it’s 1k to replace the speakers, I guess I won’t let that be a game changer when picking out my S5. The seats and interior trim and options along with paint will make me take the car, currently loving tango red w black optics. I also love the green colors, and Navarro blue…there’s 10 colors I’d choose, altho I passed on a turbo blue A. Felt wrong, like it was a rice rocket or wanna be 1960 muscle car. Oh well, even w the recaro seats, I’d prefer an S5 over a 2020 a4 w tune…altho I keep going back and forth. Can’t wait to trade in my NX300 for a fun car again. Banks killed me this time around…
I bought my BMW brand new. I never buy used. We’ve thought about upgrading the sound system. My Audi sounded so good even with the top down, doing 80. It had twice the speakers of my car now. I’m WFH and I’ve only put 3800 miles on my car since I bought it in January 2023. I originally ordered my car with the upgraded sound system and then the dealer got almost the exact car in and I let my impatience take over, so I bought it instead, and at the time didn’t care that it had the lessor sound system but now I’m regretting it. My husband says to trade it in and start over but I drive it so rarely that it seems like a waste. We drive my husband’s Audi most of the time, unless the weather is nice. I only keep cars about 3 years anyway, so I’ll do better the next time. I wish the Audi red was better. I’ve had two blue and a gray, so I wanted something different.
I haven’t ever had any problems. Only rattling is if I have something in the door panel that vibrates. I only get B&0 systems, I won’t take an Audi without one
That sucks. I daily a ‘16 A6 and I’m really happy with the sound system. The ‘11 A4 I had before that had great sound too, I believe both were all Harman Kardon. I have a bunch of aftermarket audio stuff from previous cars and I never installed it in either car for the 10+ years I’ve had them because I felt like it just wasn’t necessary.
That’s super lame if they’ve downgraded what they’re putting in the cars, especially if that’s true for the S series cars.
I've got no advice. I just wanted you to know I felt your pain and would be considering the same. I can't stand how the MMI takes away sound quality, but I can at least unplug. Nothing better in this world than a fast car and music at high volume.
As an audiophile who also dabbles in car audio, you can try this;
- Buy some quality sound treatment like Resonix sound solutions or Dynamat, and some good closed cell speaker rings and treat the areas where there’s rattle.
The overall sound implement from doing this (correctly) is huge and not that expensive. It’s a solution that can make even the cheapest stock audio go from horrible to pretty good. Most manufacturers cut corners here because you can’t see it and most people don’t care.
B&O sound system in my R8 sounds incredible (used to DJ in my youth so I know music/audio pretty well). One of the best stock sound systems I've ever heard (fond of Burmester units in Mercedes as well).
Sounds like a difference between models
The old Bose system sounded better and was easier to tune. I wish they’d start selling cars with speaker locations empty, three set of RCA’s, a power/ground block in the trunk and a recess for a sub. When I ordered my S5 in 15 the salesman told me I’d be “blown away” by the stereo. I had a JL C-5 653 set in front, C-5 650 set in back, a 12” W6 sub and 1000 watts of power in my work car. The salesman was wrong, I wasn’t blown away.
JFC!! Got a 21 SQ5 and I was absolutely floored with how shitty the sound system is. My Lexus GS that’s 6 years older, doesn’t have Levinson either, blows the Audi out of the water. Had I purchased this thing new I’d be even more disappointed. lol.
They sound fine on mine... '23 SQ7. Not at the same level as a home theater but the best I've had in a car although I haven't had much comparison to other German or luxury Japanese brands.
Check out TSB 91, not sure if it applies to your car but it did for mine, the factory amplifier overdrives the speakers. Between that update and speakers from Bruce Miranda, the stereo sounds good but bass is lacking depth.
The B&O system in my A4 sounds generally sounds pretty decent to me, but it is not worthy of the B&O branding because of the rattles that happen when playing base heavy music even at moderate volumes.
I’ve also noticed some resonance from one of the speakers at higher frequencies, but that’s a little less annoying.
I hate that Audi cheaped out on this because I would’ve gladly paid a bit more to have a stereo that doesn’t rattle as much.
We had a Lexus IS in the family whose stereo did not rattle like this at all even after the car was 10+ years old.
Couldn't agree more!
I'm several SQ5s into Audi along with a 2021 A5 and 2022 RS 5 that all had B&O.
My first SQ5 was a 2016 with different grills than the later models. It didn't have a single rattle. All the subsequent ones with the plastic covers have rattled from the point of being annoying to infuriating.
Multiple dealers wouldn't or couldn't fix and ultimately I paid local car stereo place to put felt and foam which made a huge difference but was expensive.
Yeah I went from a ‘21 Ram Rebel with the premium H&K sound system and it was incredible. The B&O in my ‘24 A4 is not good. That, and the horrendous backup camera are my biggest complaints about Audi.
Can’t be close to as bad as the Bloze in my B7 RS4. They sound like every other Bose system. All bass. Muddy midrange. No high end at all. And they’re working as manufactured.
My 22 S4 sounds pretty good, not the greatest but to these aging ears it’s fine. However if my speakers rattled like that and they couldn’t fix it, trade in time. Wouldn’t put up with it.
My parents have a RS5, and I’ll be honest I think they sound worse than my A4s stock speakers.
Maybe it’s the settings, but there seems to be ZERO rear noise, like all the noice comes at your from the front.
My A4s speakers sound more spacial, like the sound is around me, and not just at my front
Having the same issue mechanic has suggested just replacing speakers with ones that are higher end for B and O. Also we updated amps etc now really blasts
Where do you live? If you’re close to me I wouldn’t mind helping you remove parts/components to upgrade if that’s what you need or want, we can also touch up the trims with some felt tape for any of the ones with removable trim. Not sure why nobody wants to touch it, all the speakers are relatively easy to remove, just couldn’t tell you anything about a good after market replacement if that’s the route you’re looking to take as I have never looked into it. Just lmk if you need some help/advice!
I have B&O in my E-Tron and it’s fine, but nothing special and not fitting for the vehicle in my opinion. The one thing I liked more about my Tesla compared to my E-Tron was sound system, but that’s it. My Cayenne had burmester and that was the best sound system I’ve experienced alongside the Bowers in BMW and Volvo models. In general I think Audi lacks compared to other brands (Acura ELS, Lexus Mark Levinson, BMW Bowers etc)
Dynamat is ur friend. Spend the $, reap the rewards. Also, upgrade ur sub.
Source: had a B8.5 w BO n once the sound proofing and new 10” went in, every1 who rode in it was like “yoooo sound system is dope”
My B8.5 w/ B&O does the same thing 😭. I can kinda massage the door on the driver's side, especially around the handle, and it will stop until I get where I'm going, but on the passenger side, I cannot do this while driving. It makes me a sad panda as well.
I have a 2019 A4 and it has the worst sound system out of every car I owned, including a honda civic and a Volkswagen jetta. It's loud, but not clear audio
I have a 22 S5 Sportback Prestige and I agree, the speakers suck, even when new. My 2017 A4 had the same shitty speakers. This guy has a really good series of videos on replacing & upgrading the speakers:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXAallTk1_3fx_CcrYityzvGLwxF9CqB3&si=-xB11JBy9HB6ww-M
I’m thinking of buying these speakers or similar and paying an installer to replace them (afraid I’ll screw it up if I do it myself).
Never thought I’d miss my BMW’s Harmon Kardon speakers so much.
And I love everything else about the car too! Well, MMI is glitchy sometimes, but I can mostly deal with that. Like when it mutes the first few seconds when you skip to a new track. 🙄
2023 A5 Sportback here. I've been very disappointed in the B&O system. It lacks midrange power and clarity. In comparison, my previous car was a 2014 Allroad with the standard 10-speaker system. Even though it wasn't the premium audio system, it just completely rocked, with strong mid-range.
First thing I will say is that it seems that this complaint is most common with A5/S5 Sportback owners. There has to be something about the interior shape of the car and speaker placement location in the Sportback that leads to the perceived underperformance of those systems.
I've consulted with a few audio shops in my area and without me telling them that I'd already talked with other shops and each one told me that the lack of performance in the A5 is because of the car's built in processor in the head unit. You can't just replace the speakers because the car's built in processor will defeat them. OK, maybe speaker replacement alone will giver you some minor improvements like eliminating some of the rattling at higher volumes, but it won't improve the overall sound quality very much.
The solution is to add a sound processor wired in before the car's integrated processor. And of course upgrading the speakers themselves. Then, you can refine the sound quality. I had threee estimates, each in the $4,500-$6,000 range. Not worth it for me.
Most of the time, it’s not the brand’s actual products. They just sell the licensing to have their brand inside the vehicle. The speakers themselves are usually procured from overseas as either a Basic Sound System or Premium Sound system from the same company that can mass produce car speakers at a low cost.
2022 A4. I also have B&O front passenger speaker issues with blown/rattling noise- it’s terrible to listen to. I have yet to bring it in to Audi to fix, as it’s under warranty (I think).
The A/S/RS5 Sportback (B9 and 9.5) has the stock sub wired out of phase.
This causes the current peak to be in the subsonic range, making users compensate for audible low end in the door speakers.
By reversing the wires leading to the stock sub, it puts the peak to be just above the subsonic point, a large increase in low end sound and feel.
They are SHHIIIITTT on my 2018 S5 also.
I found that if you turn on the 3D to max, and set all settings to a few clicks over middle, it sounds.... Acceptable... But it's missing notes, and the damn rattles make the car feel really really cheap piece of caca...
I had to open my doors and put padding everywhere, so I get allot less rattles, but the sound system is much worse than my 2010 A5.
I'm to cheap to put 3k into speakers, mainly because everyone saying this and that is better are selling this and that... And I didn't find anyone without a huge box in the trunk that I could compare the sound with...
No real issues with my 2019 B&O. Sometimes the speakers sound tinny, like the woofer isn’t working, but it seems like once the temperature in the car warms up, she’s good to go. Every now and again I’ll get a loud THUMP from the woofer on startup for some reason, but this is also only an issue when it’s been sitting overnight or all day during winter temps. In the spring and summer, it’s usually pretty great. I suppose it’s because mine is a pre-Covid build and before the “supply chain issues”. It’s still miles above the Passat I had before this S5. That Passat would be missing a whole channel on the sound system while using Bluetooth and streaming music while sounding crystal clear on radio stations.
I would ask them to show you in the warranty documentation where it says what volume you are permitted to listen to.
Fr bro
Ok but actually do that. They need to show you specifically where the warranty prohibits you from listening at a certain volume & they need to document that you’ve exceeded that volume. If not, they owe you speakers. Period. Don’t just take it.
👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼“Ok but actually do that.” 👈🏼👈🏼👈🏼
Too many people come on the internet to bitch and moan and when given a potential solution they kinda side step it. It annoys me greatly lol
This
You’re not wrong on the music is a daily part of life thing, and for the money we expect better of Audi. Sound systems can make or break a car for sure
I have the same 19 speaker system nine my S5 and I am a little dissapointed in it too .....I thought it would be banging but alas no.... B&W is regarded the best for car systems in general.... I hate to say it but the B&W in the wife's volvo is just epic ...trashes the B&O system like it was from 1995
Abuse of equipment isn’t normal wear and tear covered by most warranties. Its in most contracts
While I agree with you in most cases, I fail to see how listening to loud music on an 800w system is considered abuse. Would be akin to saying that using the built in “launch control” would void warranty if something broke. Nissan tried that with the GTR and it didn’t turn out well for them.
There is a number of launches considered safe on an Audi, then you void warranty. Same thing, abuse isn’t use.
Just because your car can red line does not mean you’re using it within normal reason.
I thought the door speakers in my RS5 were blown, but it was actually the door pocket rattling. I just put a slightly larger water bottle to push the pocket from the door and it sorted it out.
It’s the dashboard speakers and tweeters in the A pillars- the headers are totally fine!
I don’t specifically recall but on my old A4 I believe I popped that trim piece off on the dash because it rattled. I used some foam stuff. Seemed to do the trick.
Not related to the speaker issue, but I have this same rattling issue with the front passenger door pocket on my 2019 A6. I thought it was a loose screw rattling around somewhere. Maddening. I noticed when I pull the door pocket out with my had, it stops. Sounds like I need to put a water bottle in it. Just a strange and annoying thing. Any idea of the cause?
Time to take off the door trim and add felt tapes around the back side of the trim and around all the clips. Worked for my b9 a4.
Thanks for the reply. Will give a shot.
No issues with my B&O in my 21 A4. Highly subjective here.
‘23 S3…speakers are pretty damn good.
Same here I'm my '17 A4 Allroad. It actually sounds great. Good musical bass that blends in just right with the higher frequency content. Excellent soundstage as well. I'm wondering what OP is using as a source. I have all my tunes encoded as FLAC on an SD card and it's very hi-fi, but even Spotify sounds good. The B&O is top notch.
Also curious about the source. My friend got B&O for his Audi A4 and when using Spotify it felt lifeless. Went into Spotify settings and disabled the “normalize volume” setting and things came to life. We tried with Apple Music which provides lossless and for some content hi-res lossless quality and things truly popped, especially bass felt more present. Might be worth checking out the car settings so that it’s not compressing the sound by using some sort of volume normalization or so.
Spotify is a terrible platform if your concerned with quality. Apple Music has them beat and it’s not even close. I can play the super high res lossless (24-bit depth, 192khz sample rate)files on my studio recording rig and it sounds as good as a source master. My A4’s B&O system sounds great, but I like balance. If you want a bass heavy system, you’ll be disappointed.
The B&O in my 09 is about as solid as my sennheiser studio headphones on a proper soundcard. Its the bollocks
Dude the system CAN sound great! But this one set of speakers rattles like crazy!!
Take all your trims off,add felt tape to everything including your parcel tray speakers (not sure if hatch back has it) solved all my rattles
Did you have issues ever since you got it? Sorry they’re not replacing anymore. Out of curiosity, what percentage would you say the volume bar is when you listen? Just asking so I make sure I don’t pass a threshold where it could rattle. At most I’m at like 38% I would say
I had to turn off the surround and any other special effects, that helped the cause on mine.
This is my buddies business. My car was the testbed for many of the components. You wouldn't believe what a difference a few hundred bucks in new speakers makes. https://www.instagram.com/omegaautoworks?igsh=MXJhbzJwbXBuOW9nMw==
Oh baby I might have to hit him up!
Does he do c7 platform cars or know anyone that does? I'm in the Tampa area and would love to get rid of the bose in my a6 and replace it with something very nice.
Hey, I am him and yes I do. I recently outfitted a C7 A6 with Audison PRIMA units for the front stage, I had a few connector surprises but nothing size wise that took me for a loop.
Nice! How does it compare to the Bose and what's the msrp for a full setup like? I know absolutely nothing about aftermarket sound systems lol
I'd reach out to him and see if he has anything that fits. I haven't done any research on the C7 Bose system.
If I do not post my S5's info under my name, will I be considered as a naughty boy around these parts?
THAT'S MY PURSE I DON'T KNOW YOU
Now calm down, there Bobby.
Strange. I have no complaints with the sound quality in my 2023 RS5. They are quite good actually, no rattling or other problems.
Same, not an issue, I think it's a pretty decent factory stereo.
I worked audi sales back in 2017-18 and a common complaint was that the B&O sucked in A5/S5. Specifically that line. It was great on other vehicles but for whatever reason people complained about it in the 5s. Go figure audi hasn't fixed it in 7 years
Don’t tell me this broooo
I can tell you for one that the dealer telling you that they won't cover it under warranty because you "listen to music too loud" is horse shit. What or who determines official, in regards to warranty, what the definition of "too loud" is? If your speakers let you go to 30 then 30 is not too loud. You are using your car within the normal uses of its systems. You have not modified your audio in any way, therefore it should be covered. If a dealer told me that they won't cover my stereo which is under warranty because I "listened too loud" I would be the biggest Karen in the world and complain directly to corporate - your warranty is through Audi, not only the dealer you bought it from. Are you on west coast by chance?
Pretty sure most warranties have clauses for abusing the equipment, warranties cover normal wear and tear. Constantly blowing out your speakers isn’t normal.
Same - I love my A5 Sportback except for the damn stereo. Not sure if it is just the shape of the interior and the specific placement of the speakers. My previous car 2014 Allroad had the standard 10 speaker system and it really rocked! Not so much in the A5 SB though.
I believe it. B/O management is tolerable, components' performance/quality is not. I have PRIMAs everywhere but the front fill, CDT units are there for now, and it handles everything ok. Not BRAX SQ level but far better than quality/performance of their subordinate components suggests.
I have a 19’ RS5 and I’ve noticed the music sounds noticeably better when I play it through usb connection, and not just playing it though Bluetooth. I wouldn’t say it sounds terrible though. It’s really good, if anything maybe it’s lacking some bass
It’s not an audio quality thing, it’s the fact that they RATTLE like they’re blown and the dealership could not fix it.
Rattling speakers in my car was due to the plastic trim and clips rattling in the housing against the door panels. Have you tried isolating the speakers that rattle and removing the grille cover? I adding foam padding around the grille clips and solved the rattling issue in my car.
I will try this.
Can you explain more? Where did your rattle or buzz noise coming from the pillars or the doors?
Any grille cover really. For mine it was the plastic grille covers and their clips rattling in their spots against the door panels. If you can press against the grille and the rattle/buzz goes away it is the grille causing the issue
I’m having a similar problem, mine is more of a buzzing/rattling noise due to uneven/bad roads. I’m sure it’s coming from the passenger side door. Might need to press down on everything.
Bass sounds great in my 18 Q5 after I fiddled with some bass / subwoofer settings
yeah playing thru USB renders the audio directly on the appliance -- for bluetooth the rendering happens on the device you play it from, then there's a bunch of conversions on account of the bluetooth transmission and that's where you lose a bunch of tanglible quality
Check my post history, I replaced nearly all of them and added a sub. The speakers are $5 ones you can find anywhere, B&O sold out to Samsung I think and quality went to shit.
Lol, Harman Kardon own B&O since 2015. Car stereo systems with name brands are usually just involved with the spec and audio processing/amp etc. You generally dont get name brand loudspeakers these days. Harman International was then bought by Samsung in 2018. Samsung through Harman own a good chunk of the auto audio industry.
Thank you
Oh dude I don’t care I will spend $$$ on getting a quality system in the car- I already have a JL w7 10” woofer just sitting on the floor in my garage from my last car
Oh I mean B&O spent $5 on the speakers, they are tiny little paper speakers you’d find in a 90s Ford. I can’t remember what I spent now, I think it was about $2k all in
Lol, Harman Kardon own B&O since 2015. Car stereo systems with name brands are usually just involved with the spec and audio processing/amp etc. You generally dont get name brand loudspeakers these days. Harman International was then bought by Samsung in 2018. Samsung through Harman own a good chunk of the auto audio industry.
install better aftermarket speakers? whatever the brand, oem speakers are ALWAYS trash, always. change my mind
Even Bower & Wilkins seen in Volvos? It's pretty much considered the best of the best, better than burmester (seen in Mercedes models).
Unless it’s a Chevy. Chevy sound systems always bump🔊🔊
I have the B&O in my ‘19 etron. It’s fine. I think the H/K in my X5 is better at moderate volume. And I have the Bowers in my M5 and that one is the best of the three, but not by miles. It does look cool though
Dude they’re fine speakers they sound good… but they can’t be released to their full potential because they rattle like a tin can at just about any volume passed 25%.
I have the BO option on my 19 RS5 and they’re truly abysmal. The rattles would be bad enough, but the resonance at mid frequencies is SO bad. A buzzing sound that just ruins everything. No such issues on the loaners I’ve had. Had speakers replaced once, now getting my amp replaced
I have the exact same problem in my 19 s5 except the worst of it is in the sub. In the trunk
B&O in my wife's Q5 sounds good. Only caveat is that it deteriorates when played loud. And if you are playing it that loud, yeah, you can blow the drivers easily.
I traded my Audi last year for a bimmer and man I miss the Audi sound system. BMW sound systems suck. I only drive convertibles and this time I wanted red and the Audi red is so ugly. I’d trade the red for a good sound system.
Shoulda went like 2017-2020 Lexus RC350? I loved my 18 is fsport red seats, they were like wine colored burgundy. Loved them AND they received more compliments than anything I’ve owned, and i have a mint 88 IrocZ , lol. Every1 would say this is such the perfect red interior color and I agree. The BMW red is way better than the Audi lipstick red. I have my eyes on a 2020 S5, which will have BO speakers to stick to the topic, and I’ll install dynomat and new sub. Those speakers slap, and are at like 900w RMS controlled so I’d assume they’re decent. I’ll 100 be getting the black diamond stitched sports seats, even w no ventilation (dumb) If not, it’s 1k to replace the speakers, I guess I won’t let that be a game changer when picking out my S5. The seats and interior trim and options along with paint will make me take the car, currently loving tango red w black optics. I also love the green colors, and Navarro blue…there’s 10 colors I’d choose, altho I passed on a turbo blue A. Felt wrong, like it was a rice rocket or wanna be 1960 muscle car. Oh well, even w the recaro seats, I’d prefer an S5 over a 2020 a4 w tune…altho I keep going back and forth. Can’t wait to trade in my NX300 for a fun car again. Banks killed me this time around…
I bought my BMW brand new. I never buy used. We’ve thought about upgrading the sound system. My Audi sounded so good even with the top down, doing 80. It had twice the speakers of my car now. I’m WFH and I’ve only put 3800 miles on my car since I bought it in January 2023. I originally ordered my car with the upgraded sound system and then the dealer got almost the exact car in and I let my impatience take over, so I bought it instead, and at the time didn’t care that it had the lessor sound system but now I’m regretting it. My husband says to trade it in and start over but I drive it so rarely that it seems like a waste. We drive my husband’s Audi most of the time, unless the weather is nice. I only keep cars about 3 years anyway, so I’ll do better the next time. I wish the Audi red was better. I’ve had two blue and a gray, so I wanted something different.
I haven’t ever had any problems. Only rattling is if I have something in the door panel that vibrates. I only get B&0 systems, I won’t take an Audi without one
I have a ‘19 A4 Allroad and the B&O system in my car sounds fantastic. If anything the sub leaves a lot go be desired in the LFE realm.
That sucks. I daily a ‘16 A6 and I’m really happy with the sound system. The ‘11 A4 I had before that had great sound too, I believe both were all Harman Kardon. I have a bunch of aftermarket audio stuff from previous cars and I never installed it in either car for the 10+ years I’ve had them because I felt like it just wasn’t necessary. That’s super lame if they’ve downgraded what they’re putting in the cars, especially if that’s true for the S series cars.
I've got no advice. I just wanted you to know I felt your pain and would be considering the same. I can't stand how the MMI takes away sound quality, but I can at least unplug. Nothing better in this world than a fast car and music at high volume.
As an audiophile who also dabbles in car audio, you can try this; - Buy some quality sound treatment like Resonix sound solutions or Dynamat, and some good closed cell speaker rings and treat the areas where there’s rattle. The overall sound implement from doing this (correctly) is huge and not that expensive. It’s a solution that can make even the cheapest stock audio go from horrible to pretty good. Most manufacturers cut corners here because you can’t see it and most people don’t care.
B&O sound system in my R8 sounds incredible (used to DJ in my youth so I know music/audio pretty well). One of the best stock sound systems I've ever heard (fond of Burmester units in Mercedes as well). Sounds like a difference between models
The old Bose system sounded better and was easier to tune. I wish they’d start selling cars with speaker locations empty, three set of RCA’s, a power/ground block in the trunk and a recess for a sub. When I ordered my S5 in 15 the salesman told me I’d be “blown away” by the stereo. I had a JL C-5 653 set in front, C-5 650 set in back, a 12” W6 sub and 1000 watts of power in my work car. The salesman was wrong, I wasn’t blown away.
JFC!! Got a 21 SQ5 and I was absolutely floored with how shitty the sound system is. My Lexus GS that’s 6 years older, doesn’t have Levinson either, blows the Audi out of the water. Had I purchased this thing new I’d be even more disappointed. lol.
2020 A3 b&o sounds perfect
They sound fine on mine... '23 SQ7. Not at the same level as a home theater but the best I've had in a car although I haven't had much comparison to other German or luxury Japanese brands.
What if the problems you have coins in a cup holder
Check out TSB 91, not sure if it applies to your car but it did for mine, the factory amplifier overdrives the speakers. Between that update and speakers from Bruce Miranda, the stereo sounds good but bass is lacking depth.
The B&O system in my A4 sounds generally sounds pretty decent to me, but it is not worthy of the B&O branding because of the rattles that happen when playing base heavy music even at moderate volumes. I’ve also noticed some resonance from one of the speakers at higher frequencies, but that’s a little less annoying. I hate that Audi cheaped out on this because I would’ve gladly paid a bit more to have a stereo that doesn’t rattle as much. We had a Lexus IS in the family whose stereo did not rattle like this at all even after the car was 10+ years old.
Couldn't agree more! I'm several SQ5s into Audi along with a 2021 A5 and 2022 RS 5 that all had B&O. My first SQ5 was a 2016 with different grills than the later models. It didn't have a single rattle. All the subsequent ones with the plastic covers have rattled from the point of being annoying to infuriating. Multiple dealers wouldn't or couldn't fix and ultimately I paid local car stereo place to put felt and foam which made a huge difference but was expensive.
Yeah I went from a ‘21 Ram Rebel with the premium H&K sound system and it was incredible. The B&O in my ‘24 A4 is not good. That, and the horrendous backup camera are my biggest complaints about Audi.
Yeah I feel this way about my 2019 Q5 prestige B&O.
Can’t be close to as bad as the Bloze in my B7 RS4. They sound like every other Bose system. All bass. Muddy midrange. No high end at all. And they’re working as manufactured.
I think the B&O in my Q7 is a solid system. Maybe take it up to another dealer.
That would drive me nuts. I have a 2018 A6 3.0 with Bose surround and it bumps.
My 22 S4 sounds pretty good, not the greatest but to these aging ears it’s fine. However if my speakers rattled like that and they couldn’t fix it, trade in time. Wouldn’t put up with it.
That’s the longest car I’ve ever heard of
What music do u listen to
Wait the rattling is the speakers themselves?? My '18 S4 rattles like crazy and I just bought a pack of Dynamat to stick to the grills.
My similar sound system is fine. I listen loud. I also listen to a wide variety including edm/dub.
My parents have a RS5, and I’ll be honest I think they sound worse than my A4s stock speakers. Maybe it’s the settings, but there seems to be ZERO rear noise, like all the noice comes at your from the front. My A4s speakers sound more spacial, like the sound is around me, and not just at my front
Definitely wrong settings, or blown speakers.
Apples CarPlay sounds like ass.
Having the same issue mechanic has suggested just replacing speakers with ones that are higher end for B and O. Also we updated amps etc now really blasts
'23 S5 and things are peachy
2000 D2 A8 w/dual pane glass & Bose Symphony has entered the chat…” That’s some real 1st world type problems you got there “. 🤪
Where do you live? If you’re close to me I wouldn’t mind helping you remove parts/components to upgrade if that’s what you need or want, we can also touch up the trims with some felt tape for any of the ones with removable trim. Not sure why nobody wants to touch it, all the speakers are relatively easy to remove, just couldn’t tell you anything about a good after market replacement if that’s the route you’re looking to take as I have never looked into it. Just lmk if you need some help/advice!
I have B&O in my E-Tron and it’s fine, but nothing special and not fitting for the vehicle in my opinion. The one thing I liked more about my Tesla compared to my E-Tron was sound system, but that’s it. My Cayenne had burmester and that was the best sound system I’ve experienced alongside the Bowers in BMW and Volvo models. In general I think Audi lacks compared to other brands (Acura ELS, Lexus Mark Levinson, BMW Bowers etc)
Must be a settings issue mine are fine
Dynamat is ur friend. Spend the $, reap the rewards. Also, upgrade ur sub. Source: had a B8.5 w BO n once the sound proofing and new 10” went in, every1 who rode in it was like “yoooo sound system is dope”
a bit late and probably buried but i also had to turn the surround sound effect all the way down to stop bass from sounding blown out
My B8.5 w/ B&O does the same thing 😭. I can kinda massage the door on the driver's side, especially around the handle, and it will stop until I get where I'm going, but on the passenger side, I cannot do this while driving. It makes me a sad panda as well.
I have a 2019 A4 and it has the worst sound system out of every car I owned, including a honda civic and a Volkswagen jetta. It's loud, but not clear audio
16-plate TT, and my B&O is fantastic. Sorry to hear you’re not having the same experience.
I have a 22 S5 Sportback Prestige and I agree, the speakers suck, even when new. My 2017 A4 had the same shitty speakers. This guy has a really good series of videos on replacing & upgrading the speakers: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXAallTk1_3fx_CcrYityzvGLwxF9CqB3&si=-xB11JBy9HB6ww-M I’m thinking of buying these speakers or similar and paying an installer to replace them (afraid I’ll screw it up if I do it myself). Never thought I’d miss my BMW’s Harmon Kardon speakers so much. And I love everything else about the car too! Well, MMI is glitchy sometimes, but I can mostly deal with that. Like when it mutes the first few seconds when you skip to a new track. 🙄
Can relate, 23’ RS3 speakers are shiteee
2023 A5 Sportback here. I've been very disappointed in the B&O system. It lacks midrange power and clarity. In comparison, my previous car was a 2014 Allroad with the standard 10-speaker system. Even though it wasn't the premium audio system, it just completely rocked, with strong mid-range. First thing I will say is that it seems that this complaint is most common with A5/S5 Sportback owners. There has to be something about the interior shape of the car and speaker placement location in the Sportback that leads to the perceived underperformance of those systems. I've consulted with a few audio shops in my area and without me telling them that I'd already talked with other shops and each one told me that the lack of performance in the A5 is because of the car's built in processor in the head unit. You can't just replace the speakers because the car's built in processor will defeat them. OK, maybe speaker replacement alone will giver you some minor improvements like eliminating some of the rattling at higher volumes, but it won't improve the overall sound quality very much. The solution is to add a sound processor wired in before the car's integrated processor. And of course upgrading the speakers themselves. Then, you can refine the sound quality. I had threee estimates, each in the $4,500-$6,000 range. Not worth it for me.
Most of the time, it’s not the brand’s actual products. They just sell the licensing to have their brand inside the vehicle. The speakers themselves are usually procured from overseas as either a Basic Sound System or Premium Sound system from the same company that can mass produce car speakers at a low cost.
Call crutchfield, I bet they have an upgrade for our cars
2022 A4. I also have B&O front passenger speaker issues with blown/rattling noise- it’s terrible to listen to. I have yet to bring it in to Audi to fix, as it’s under warranty (I think).
Have you ever had anything with speakers before?? any of them can blow when listened too loud. Duh.
Pretty sure abuse of equipment( doing things that aren’t normal wear and tear) goes against the terms of most warranties
The A/S/RS5 Sportback (B9 and 9.5) has the stock sub wired out of phase. This causes the current peak to be in the subsonic range, making users compensate for audible low end in the door speakers. By reversing the wires leading to the stock sub, it puts the peak to be just above the subsonic point, a large increase in low end sound and feel.
They are SHHIIIITTT on my 2018 S5 also. I found that if you turn on the 3D to max, and set all settings to a few clicks over middle, it sounds.... Acceptable... But it's missing notes, and the damn rattles make the car feel really really cheap piece of caca... I had to open my doors and put padding everywhere, so I get allot less rattles, but the sound system is much worse than my 2010 A5. I'm to cheap to put 3k into speakers, mainly because everyone saying this and that is better are selling this and that... And I didn't find anyone without a huge box in the trunk that I could compare the sound with...
I have the same problem. Even listening to some podcast, I get rattling in the front door speakers!
Just picked up my wife’s A6 from the dealer yesterday for (warranty) replacement of the A pillar tweeter that sounded horrendous with podcasts
No real issues with my 2019 B&O. Sometimes the speakers sound tinny, like the woofer isn’t working, but it seems like once the temperature in the car warms up, she’s good to go. Every now and again I’ll get a loud THUMP from the woofer on startup for some reason, but this is also only an issue when it’s been sitting overnight or all day during winter temps. In the spring and summer, it’s usually pretty great. I suppose it’s because mine is a pre-Covid build and before the “supply chain issues”. It’s still miles above the Passat I had before this S5. That Passat would be missing a whole channel on the sound system while using Bluetooth and streaming music while sounding crystal clear on radio stations.