Minimal Bass - B&O Sound System (2024)

I understand this could be subjective, but I feel like my car has almost no bass. I have the 12-speaker system with the subwoofer, and all settings are maxed out for bass in my settings, but it still seems really low. Is that just how it is? Is there something more I can do to boost it?

By contrast, my 2006 S197 had the Shaker 500, and it was a lot heavier on the bass. Great sound system that I never needed to upgrade. I feel like the B&O is a little underwhelming unfortunately.

Also, could be a separate thing I need to adjust, but when surround sound is on, I feel like the sound coming from the left side of the car is lower. In other words, my right ear is getting most of the music.

I'm with you. The bass sucks in this system.

You start to feel it more at volume 15+, but that's way too high for me. I listen on 10-12 at most.

Makes me wonder if the software just needs updates to turn the bass up at lower volumes, but I plan to upgrade to a better sub.

The Ghost said:

I understand this could be subjective, but I feel like my car has almost no bass. I have the 12-speaker system with the subwoofer, and all settings are maxed out for bass in my settings, but it still seems really low. Is that just how it is? Is there something more I can do to boost it?

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You checked that there‘s sound coming out of the sub, right? I.e. open the trunk while playing music and check that it’s vibrating so you can rule out a simple warranty fix.

MidLifeManifustang said:

You checked that there‘s sound coming out of the sub, right? I.e. open the trunk while playing music and check that it’s vibrating so you can rule out a s to imple warranty fix.

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Oh yeah. I threw on "Billie Jean" and popped the trunk open. Bass sounds pretty good in the trunk but not in the rest of the car.

The Ghost said:

Oh yeah. I threw on "Billie Jean" and popped the trunk open. Bass sounds pretty good in the trunk but not in the rest of the car.

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Not to be rude but using Billie Jean as your benchmark for good bass isn't really what I would expect a modern sound system to react to.
Try A Milli by Lil Wayne on volume 20 and let us know how that goes.
Also if your source is garbage, you're going to have bad bass. What're you listening to?

Interstellar said:

A Milli by Lil Wayne on volume 20

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good god no!! You test bass by playing Organ music. Yeesh, kids these days

https://wanamakerorgan.com/about-the-organ/

Interstellar said:

Not to be rude but using Billie Jean as your benchmark for good bass isn't really what I would expect a modern sound system to react to.
Try A Milli by Lil Wayne on volume 20 and let us know how that goes.
Also if your source is garbage, you're going to have bad bass. What're you listening to?

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You mean the song with the most famous baseline in music history isn't a good benchmark for a modern system to react to? If anything, it should be more reactive to it.

I have high-fidelity downloads from Tidal on my phone as my source.

horned-toad said:

good god no!! You test bass by playing Organ music. Yeesh, kids these days

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Honestly that's a pretty cool video. Good performance.

The Ghost said:

You mean the song with the most famous baseline in music history isn't a good benchmark for a modern system to react to? If anything, it should be more reactive to it.

I have high-fidelity downloads from Tidal on my phone as my source.

Honestly that's a pretty cool video. Good performance.

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just listened to. It on the way home. Sounds like sh*t. There’s not much bass and it’s way too fast to expect that sub in the back to react cleanly.
Listen to a bass heavy song and I think the woofer is pretty good

Mustang8 said:

The bass just sucks. My shaker in the 2015 I had was way better in the bass department.

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That's what I mean. My Shaker 500 from 2006 had a lot more bass and, I think, sounded better overall.

Interstellar said:

just listened to. It on the way home. Sounds like sh*t. There’s not much bass and it’s way too fast to expect that sub in the back to react cleanly.
Listen to a bass heavy song and I think the woofer is pretty good

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Hot take!

I really shouldn't have to listen to music I wouldn't normally listen to in order to appreciate my subwoofer.

Interstellar said:

Try A Milli by Lil Wayne on volume 20 and let us know how that goes.

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This song gave me a lot of bass, granted, I had the volume up to 15. I had the equalizer reset, didn't touch it, and had the sound set to stereo, not surround. But yea, it seems like less than 15, the subwoofer isn't doing much, at least in the cabin area.

Eurasianman said:

This song gave me a lot of bass, granted, I had the volume up to 15. I had the equalizer reset, didn't touch it, and had the sound set to stereo, not surround. But yea, it seems like less than 15, the subwoofer isn't doing much, at least in the cabin area.

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I’ve read the bass drops off after volume 24. That’s basically the “max”. Might’ve been 22 but I’m pretty sure it’s 24

The Ghost said:

You mean the song with the most famous baseline in music history isn't a good benchmark for a modern system to react to?

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that's not what real men call bass. Yes it's a nice beat to wiggle your ass to, sure...
Listen to a cello or even actual string bass (not guitars).

This guy doesn't use enough of the thick end but is funny no less.

and if you're a glutton for punishment