Photo: BMW
Nowadays, with in-car sound systems being as good as they are straight from the factory, it makes little to no sense spending additional money on upgrading your speakers or subwoofer just so you can listen to really loud music.
With that in mind, it’s high-end manufacturers such as Bowers & Wilkins, Bang & Olufsen, Burmester, Mark Levinson, Harman Kardon and Naim that usually tend to stand head and shoulders above everyone else when it comes to high fidelity. These systems are usually found in premium/luxury models and to an audiophile, they’re worth every penny.
Now, we’re here to talk about one of those brands in particular, because they just made an extremely bold statement. It’s Bowers & Wilkins – specifically, and this is regarding their Diamond Surround Sound system as present in the fully electric BMW iX.
What they said is that the aforementioned sound system features “the most advanced sound quality found in a car.” I don’t know about you guys but saying “in a car” and then ending the sentence is pretty much like saying the best in the business. Could they be right? Let’s dive in.
First, BMW and Bowers & Wilkins worked closely together on the iX’s sound system, which boasts the same Diamond Dome tweeters one would find inside B & W’s 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers, which is the monitor loudspeaker of choice in Abbey Road Studios.
Then you’ve got the low-distortion tweeters with Nautilus swirls, the spiraling channels behind the tweeter domes that dissipate reflected sound waves coming from behind the drive unit. The tweeters themselves are covered in stainless steel, featuring a laser-etched logo and discreet lighting effect, while the door speakers stay hidden behind acoustically optimized fabric.
All in all, the iX packs two Diamond Dome tweeters, three Aluminum Dome tweeters, five Aramid Fiber midrange speakers (mounted as high as possible), another eight speakers integrated into the headrests, four bass speakers and 4D Shakers. Sounds impressive, pun intended.
That being said, without properly reviewing this sound system, it’s hard to say whether it’s the best or just top 3 or even top 5 for that matter.
Now, we’re here to talk about one of those brands in particular, because they just made an extremely bold statement. It’s Bowers & Wilkins – specifically, and this is regarding their Diamond Surround Sound system as present in the fully electric BMW iX.
What they said is that the aforementioned sound system features “the most advanced sound quality found in a car.” I don’t know about you guys but saying “in a car” and then ending the sentence is pretty much like saying the best in the business. Could they be right? Let’s dive in.
First, BMW and Bowers & Wilkins worked closely together on the iX’s sound system, which boasts the same Diamond Dome tweeters one would find inside B & W’s 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers, which is the monitor loudspeaker of choice in Abbey Road Studios.
Then you’ve got the low-distortion tweeters with Nautilus swirls, the spiraling channels behind the tweeter domes that dissipate reflected sound waves coming from behind the drive unit. The tweeters themselves are covered in stainless steel, featuring a laser-etched logo and discreet lighting effect, while the door speakers stay hidden behind acoustically optimized fabric.
All in all, the iX packs two Diamond Dome tweeters, three Aluminum Dome tweeters, five Aramid Fiber midrange speakers (mounted as high as possible), another eight speakers integrated into the headrests, four bass speakers and 4D Shakers. Sounds impressive, pun intended.
That being said, without properly reviewing this sound system, it’s hard to say whether it’s the best or just top 3 or even top 5 for that matter.
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