Ordering a new car. If you could have either the B&O stereo or active exhaust?

[Risto2G]

I have both that do get used equally and agree with @rocky5517. If there's a way you can get both, do it! But ultimately it comes down to your own preference.

B&O sounds great to me, but I'm no audiophile and didn't want the headache of shopping around for aftermarket options. And with the seats down the bass hits decently enough that you can feel it when you want to. And if you find you still want more sound or bass there's this thread you can follow for a somewhat simple bass swap (I'll probably do this down the line only because of the itch to keep modding the car).
https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/b-o-10-sub-replacement-guide.148813/

Active Exhaust isn't just about the quiet mode. In track mode it's essentially a straight pipe bypassing the muffler for when you really want to be noticed. Quiet, normal, and Sport+ all get routed through the muffler in varying degrees based on the butterfly valve position of the AE. If you ever decide to get an H-pipe or X-pipe down the line you'll be GLAD you got it.

But if you can't swing both, what's more important to you in the short term, outside noise or inside?

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[Melty]

I'd personally pick active exhaust. Most of the time it stays in track mode, but I will change it depending on what I'm doing. If someone is riding with me it stays in normal or quiet so I can have a conversation even with LTH it sounds really tame/quiet while cruising. Quiet start is nice if I leave early in the morning for cold starts, it's still loud as I have a resonator delete and LTH, but it's not wake the dead loud so my neighbors don't kill me. It was one of the options I went for when looking for a car and I'm glad I got it. I end up using it a LOT more than I thought I would, multiple times per day even sometimes. At this point I don't see a reason to pick up an axleback/exhaust as I love the way it sounds with a resonator delete. Speakers can always be upgraded down the road but attempting to add AE to a car is quite a project if your car even comes with the correct wiring.

 

[Twin Turbo]

Go active exhaust. And even if that isn't loud enough for you, get an H-pipe fitted

 

[Mach VII]

Active exhaust. Had it on my EB and wish I could have got it on my GT, enough so I have spent a small fortune to install it after the fact.

 

[FreePenguin]

if you get a premium you should get 9 speaker system standard, the subwoofer/b&o 12 speaker isn't worth it, but imo if your car comes with 9 speakers, thats worth it. a little work add a subwoofer and you'd be happy.

id get AE

 

[Bikeman315]

Shake out the piggy banks, look under the rear seat, cash in those old soda bottles, and get both. I did and I never regretted it. In a pinch, yes, AE over the Bose but since I;m a bit older, I got the upgraded stereo because it's the only way to get a CD player. And no wisecracks about 8 tracks.

 

[FreePenguin]

I read that a base system/car is easiest to upgrade as there's no amps etc to defeat, but I think its only 6 speakers, and older models got that like 4 inch screen.

if I had to pick between sync 3 and Ae... id prob pick Sync 3, and pick one badass exhaust to hear all the time. sorry neighbors. but not sure if that standard set up is offered anymore. unaware with current offerings

 

[NoVaGT]

Is it still worth it if I’ll never use quiet mode?

You will. Trust me, you will.

Anyways, you can upgrade the stereo relatively cheaply and easily (or expensively), but retrofitting the AE (AFAIK) isn't an easy thing.

Get the AE, and then upgrade the stereo later.

 

[NoVaGT]

Active exhaust. Had it on my EB and wish I could have got it on my GT, enough so I have spent a small fortune to install it after the fact.

Did you get it to work properly? Integrated with the modes and such?

 

[StangTime]

All factory audio systems in the 2018+ Mustang regardless of level are huge steaming piles of dog shit. Active exhaust everyday, all day, all the way.

Later on, upgrade the audio the right way by ripping everything out except the head unit and start from scratch. Lot's of details on the forums.

 

[Bikeman315]

I read that a base system/car is easiest to upgrade as there's no amps etc to defeat, but I think its only 6 speakers, and older models got that like 4 inch screen.

if I had to pick between sync 3 and Ae... id prob pick Sync 3, and pick one badass exhaust to hear all the time. sorry neighbors. but not sure if that standard set up is offered anymore. unaware with current offerings

OP is going Premium as it would be the only way to get the B&O. So he gets the 9 speaker system. As already mentioned not hard to upgrade with speakers and amps.

As far as Active Exhaust I rarely use quiet mode. Only on long highway trips. But I use track mode all the time. Plenty loud for me but if you want even more go H or X pipe.

 

[FreePenguin]

OP is going Premium as it would be the only way to get the B&O. So he gets the 9 speaker system. As already mentioned not hard to upgrade with speakers and amps.

As far as Active Exhaust I rarely use quiet mode. Only on long highway trips. But I use track mode all the time. Plenty loud for me but if you want even more go H or X pipe.

OP, get active exhaust dude.

9 speaker system is actually tits imo.

1. snip one little wire under kick panel or pull the pin from the connector to disable center speaker (sounds better with it off) can plug it back or re attach the wire to turn back on. no big deal
2. buy forescan and disable factory EQ (makes the music sound better, and disables bass roll off)
3. buy a subwoofer and amp, can tap into the 6.5 door speaker (full/line level) run that into your aftermarket amp, and feeds the subwoofer the signal.

From what I understand (my car this was how it was), 9 speaker cars get 4ohm 6.5 in door and rear shelf speakers. the rears are single channel, but in the 12 speaker cars, the rears are shelf 2 way. In the 12 speaker cars, the 6.5's are all 2ohms. Going from 4ohm to 2ohm 6.5's increase the output of those speakers a lot. ! way more sound.

You could probably just toss 2ohm 6.5's in door, and 2 ohm 6.5 2 way speakers in the rear without the amp change, but I paid 75 bucks and put an amp from a 12 speaker car in my 9 speaker car. takes 10 minutes, pop kick panel off, then unclip harness, remove 2-3 bolts, swap amps, clip back in, done. - I also added an ACM from the 12 speaker car (I wanted HD radio) that was 100 bucks off eBay.


total cost. 300 bucks? subwoofer/amp obviously cost more. but you can get away with this

75 bucks for amp from a 12 speaker car (not sure if its actually needed but I did it just because)
90 bucks for door 2 ohm 6.5 speakers - instead of 4ohm 6.5
69 bucks for 2 shelf speakers 2 ohms 2 ways - instead of 4 ohm 6.5 single speaker
29 dollars for the forescan tool to disable factory EQ.

diggity dog, way better.

then, subwoofer sky is your limit. id say 200 for an amp, and 500 for an awesome sub.

you are less than a grand and have a sweet ass system that you can do in future.


that would put you equal, or better than the OEM b/o system, as it has 10 inch woofer that has like 100watts power? something low. the important part is getting a premium to have the sync 3 stuff.

 

[Mach VII]

Did you get it to work properly? Integrated with the modes and such?

I have all the parts necessary but installation will wait until spring if I am going to install myself. Winter in New England is not the time to do such work outside.

 

[opengl]

My rec is, definitely get the 12" IPC (but I guess if you get active exhaust you have to get it anyway) and active exhaust.

AE is not exclusive to the digital cluster. You can get it on cars with the base/analog cluster.

 

[NGOT8R]

I have the B&O and active exhaust and the stereo was not worth the money. Get the AE and use the money for the stereo to add other mods, unless of course you’re an audiophile. You will still spend a lot of money to make the stereo B&O sound great

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