Audi today announced its highly anticipated R8 sports car will feature a Bang & Olufsen audio system. “It is the finest sound system ever fitted to a sports car,” says the managing director of Bang & Olufsen Automotive, Jens Peter Zinck. It has 12 speakers driven by 10 discrete channels of amplification and digital signal processing, producing a total amplifier power of 465 watts. It features:
- 1 x subwoofer – 130 mm in bass reflex cabinet
- 2 x front door woofer – 200 mm
- 1 x centre speaker – 35×70 mm
- 2 x front midrange speaker – 80 mm
- 2 x front tweeter – 25 mm
- 2 x rear tweeter – 25 mm
- 2 x rear midrange-woofer – 168 mm
- 10-channel amplifier with a combined power output of 465 watts
- Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
- Vehicle Noise Compensation with microphone input to analyse engine and different frequency bands
- True Imageâ„¢: Proprietary Bang & Olufsen 2-to-5.1 channel upmix algorithm
- Tailor made for the Audi R8 as regards both design and sound design
- Designed by David Lewis
- The price for the Bang & Olufsen Sound System is approximately $1,500
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09/28, 6:28 PM
posted by:
Andre Neves
That’s crazy. Car is going to kill it’s competition.
09/28, 6:30 PM
posted by:
Andre Neves
Im guessing they will come out with a (Gallardo)V10 powered “S” version.
Wonder what they’d name it? Can’t be RS8(taken). SR8 sounds wierd, kinda like a Toyota model.
09/28, 6:48 PM
posted by:
Asher
$1500 for a B&O system of ANY kind is a BARGAIN, especially for a complete 12 speaker system…
09/28, 7:07 PM
posted by:
Freshshoebox
Maybe they’ll call it R8S…?
09/28, 7:09 PM
posted by:
A4
yeah i was going to say R8S.. or just the RS even?
09/28, 7:09 PM
posted by:
A4
Or maybe just the R8 V10! just like the A6 3.2 and 4.2. Simply different engines. R8S would have to change it up too much.
09/28, 9:41 PM
posted by:
Mike_Rundle
Asher, was JUST going to say that. **** I think B&O’s iPod ripoff is about $3k
09/28, 10:06 PM
posted by:
Veda
Until they test the handling against the Vantage and Porsche, we don’t know how well the car performs simply from looking at the numbers.
09/28, 10:38 PM
posted by:
VDuv Kux Klan
Nice! Audi always care about everythig!
09/29, 12:15 AM
posted by:
nowei
It’s nice, but I don’t really like it as much as I initially did.
Also, why is Audi competing with Porsche? If I was Audi and I really wanted to compete with Porsche I just wouldn’t let them use my dealership network anymore.
When I think about it, it seems like all the companies related to VW are intent on competing with each other more than anyone else. Let’s face it, a two-seat, mid-engined Audi doesn’t really compete with a 2+2, front-engined BMW. And Aston Martin produces cars in such a relatively low volume that they can’t build them as fast as people buy them, so it’s a bit ridiculous to name the Vantage as a competitor. I really see the primary target here as Porsche, which is almost Audi. If they then put a V10 in this car, it will compete with the Ferrari 430, but also the Lamborghini Gallardo. Honestly, about the only car from this mixed-up company that I can think of that doesn’t compete with another car from the company is the Bugatti Veyron.
My head hurts.
/no
09/29, 12:27 AM
posted by:
nowei
oh yeah!
I should think it would be obvious that if they do put the V10 in this car they would call it the R10
/no
09/29, 4:14 AM
posted by:
The Stig
Thankfully it’s an option.
09/29, 7:57 AM
posted by:
1c3d0g
Pfft. JBL FTW.
09/29, 8:13 AM
posted by:
Aston_
Bargain! Cha-Ching~!
09/29, 9:55 AM
posted by:
imageWIS
Who cares if VW / Porsche competes against itself, since regardless which brand gets the money, the money ultimately goes to VW / Porsche? They get the money and some other competitor doesn’t.
Jon.
09/29, 10:56 AM
posted by:
599GTB
“Finest system ever fitted to a sports car?” OK, I’ll believe it when I read the reviews. At the moment, Acura’s Panasonic ELS sound system is by far the reference standard for OEM mobile audio.
09/29, 12:13 PM
posted by:
doublearon21
599GTB you have obviously never heard a Bang and Olufson system before, or even the Harmon Kardon system in th MB S550, the HK system blows the doors off the Acura. But for a low budget car its nice. And $1500 for a 12 speaker B & O system is a bargain and a half considering the B & O system in the Veyron cost $35,000 dollars. Now if only their home audio stuff was that cheap.
09/29, 9:58 PM
posted by:
Northeasterner
oh that will be a killer sound system…
09/30, 10:37 AM
posted by:
AuDub
nowei-
and who says that a car has to compete with another when it’s made? i sort of understand what you’re saying, but it’s so ridiculous how magazines and media try to compare cars these days.. what’s wrong with a car just being itself and not being like anything else?
10/01, 5:39 PM
posted by:
LamborghiniZ
Hell yeah, oh HELL YEAH, this audio system is so sweet, they have the bang and olufsen in the audi S8 as an option, something like 1,000 watts, UNREAL. whats really just great about it is that its the upgrade from the Bose system, which is just sort of funny considering Bose is the upgrade in most cars from an even more inferior system.
10/01, 5:48 PM
posted by:
LamborghiniZ
Only in the S8 it packs more power, 1100 watts and costs $6,500…as opposed to this system which has 465 watts and costs $1,500. still sweet though.