B&O Sound system vs Shaker

[superspartan]

The first Mustang I owned was a 2013 V6 Convertible which did not have the Shaker sound system but from what I read the Shaker sound system is not that great. I have never heard it before and I am still one month away from getting my Mach 1 which has a B&O sound system.

Interested to know if the B&O is a good sound system. I did have a B&O Sound system before in my 2018 Audi RS3 and it was great.

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[m3incorp]

This B&O is name only; it is nowhere near as good as the one you had in your Audi.

 

[VooDoo_Ed]

My opinion is the B&O is not that great in a mustang. My wife has a 15 convertible with the Shaker I have a 20 GT350 and a 21 GT500 both with B&O my wife has 20 Explorer with B&O and that sounds pretty good in the SUV but no so good in the mustang. I so really like the Shaker system

 

[_zOmbIE_]

Can't speak for B&O in any other vehicle, but I would say I'm incredibly underwhelmed with the volume and sound quality in my '22 GT.

 

[Zelek]

Change out the sub and the B&O becomes a lot better. Check the audio section for the guide. Best $60 upgrade I did to the sound.

 

[superspartan]

Thanks for the honest replies guys. I had my hopes up as B&O is a big name in the audio world strange how it has such negative feedback.

 

[Kachøw]

Change out the sub and the B&O becomes a lot better. Check the audio section for the guide. Best $60 upgrade I did to the sound.

I think there was also a post on here where some guy who does audio for a living suggested some EQ tests to make it sound a lot better too — between that and upgrading the sub, i think it's probably worth it when you consider that to get something better, you're going to have to spend double what the package costs, maybe more.

I'm hoping the EQ changes and the subwoofer replacement will be enough to make it worth the savings vs doing a custom system.

 

[StangTime]

Thanks for the honest replies guys. I had my hopes up as B&O is a big name in the audio world strange how it has such negative feedback.

The reason is B&O had nothing to do with the design in the Mustang. It's a Ford stereo system with royalties paid to B&O to use their name. Unfortunately it's quite a common thing for companies do this sort of "branding".

 

[_zOmbIE_]

i think it's probably worth it when you consider that to get something better, you're going to have to spend double what the package costs, maybe more.

I doubt that very much, I spend $1k CAD to upgrade my (admittedly only 6 speaker) setup in my Bronco and it sounds better in every single way compared to the B&O in my Mustang.

You don't have to buy very expensive speakers to upgrade from factory, regardless of whether they're the "high end" factory speakers or not... at least not with domestic brands, lol.

 

[Kachøw]

I doubt that very much, I spend $1k CAD to upgrade my (admittedly only 6 speaker) setup in my Bronco and it sounds better in every single way compared to the B&O in my Mustang.

You don't have to buy very expensive speakers to upgrade from factory, regardless of whether they're the "high end" factory speakers or not... at least not with domestic brands, lol.

Did you replace them yourself or have a shop do it? I've got no clue how hard it is to do wiring in a Bronco but I have redone the 6 speakers in my V6 + added a sub. It wasn't really an easy experience and the door panels were a massive pain in the ass to get off and back on. It was worth it because i had a friend help me for much less than shops wanted to charge me ($1900...this was about 6 years ago).

You can put some really nice speakers in a Mustang, but unless you add some sound deadening too (which is even more $$$), then it's kind of just wasting your money after a point imo.

While I haven't experienced the B&O myself, I've sat in the 9-speaker 2021 Mustang's sound system and it wasn't terrible, but it definitely lacked some bass imo. I think with an upgraded subwoofer + EQ settings, the B&O should be "good enough", but i'm not an audiophile so your opinion might differ from mine.

 

[superspartan]

I think there was also a post on here where some guy who does audio for a living suggested some EQ tests to make it sound a lot better too — between that and upgrading the sub, i think it's probably worth it when you consider that to get something better, you're going to have to spend double what the package costs, maybe more.

I'm hoping the EQ changes and the subwoofer replacement will be enough to make it worth the savings vs doing a custom system.

got a link to those EQ settings?

 

[_zOmbIE_]

Did you replace them yourself or have a shop do it? I've got no clue how hard it is to do wiring in a Bronco but I have redone the 6 speakers in my V6 + added a sub. It wasn't really an easy experience and the door panels were a massive pain in the ass to get off and back on. It was worth it because i had a friend help me for much less than shops wanted to charge me ($1900...this was about 6 years ago).

You can put some really nice speakers in a Mustang, but unless you add some sound deadening too (which is even more $$$), then it's kind of just wasting your money after a point imo.

While I haven't experienced the B&O myself, I've sat in the 9-speaker 2021 Mustang's sound system and it wasn't terrible, but it definitely lacked some bass imo. I think with an upgraded subwoofer + EQ settings, the B&O should be "good enough", but i'm not an audiophile so your opinion might differ from mine.

Yes I did it myself, it's not rocket science, just takes time, the ability to use online resources (youtube, forums, etc) and patience

I did the speakers in my S197 as well, wasn't any harder than the Bronco (from memory, that was awhile ago).

I added a LOC, upgraded the 6 factory speakers and added a 12" sealed sub, all for less than a grand CAD (so like 780 USD) including all the the factory harnesses, speaker adapters, etc.

I think sound deadening is important if you're looking to compete, but also overrated, personally. My Bronco has a soft-top and there's no amount of sound deadening in the world that is helping it.

 

[Kachøw]

got a link to those EQ settings?

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/how-i-improved-the-b-o-sound-quality-for-free.141052/

Here you go. Honestly I'd go see if there's a Mustang with the B&O on a lot near you and see how you like it...Sound quality is one of those things that everything has a different opinion on.

 

[murick]

B&O in Mach 1 (at least the Euro version) is a far cry from a quality audio system. It is on par with cheap systems in Peugeot, Škoda, VW, etc. It is nowhere near to Harman-Kardon I had in Mercedes 15 years ago. Ford should have branded it Premium Shaker.

 

[TonyNJ]

The first Mustang I owned was a 2013 V6 Convertible which did not have the Shaker sound system but from what I read the Shaker sound system is not that great. I have never heard it before and I am still one month away from getting my Mach 1 which has a B&O sound system.

Interested to know if the B&O is a good sound system. I did have a B&O Sound system before in my 2018 Audi RS3 and it was great.

I have both, 2018 Shaker 1000, 2020 B&O. They both sound good to me. It's hard to tell the nuanced differences but I'm happy with both. I never sat in one listened to a song, then jumped in the other and played the same song at same volume/settings. Maybe I will and get back to you.

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