Ford Focus
SECOND REPORT Stuart gets some sound advice on setting up B&O audio
ARE audio upgrades really worth paying extra for? Making a decision is often harder because there’s no guarantee your dealer will have a demonstrator in stock with the audio system you want. And even then, it’s hard to judge which is best.
Ford has made much of its relationship with Bang & Olufsen, the Danish audio company best known for making high-end stereos and speakers. And with an asking price of £550, the B&O Play set-up in my Focus looks like a very good deal.
In terms of specification, the B&O Play impresses: 675 watts, a digital sound processor and 10 speakers, including a subwoofer that sits on top of the spare wheel (and robs a bit of boot space).
While I love music, I’m no audiophile. I know what I like, but I don’t have the finely-tuned ears of Christopher Minasians, deputy reviews editor of our sister title
expertreviews.co.uk, who I asked to put the
system to the test. He was immediately struck by the B&O Play’s price tag – more so after connecting his phone to play some of his music. While I’ve not really fiddled around with the tone, balance and other audio settings, Christopher jumped straight in, switching between ‘Stereo’ and ‘Surround’ modes, and the difference was stark.
Christopher explained that the Surround mode takes out some of the mid-range frequencies, but he was pleased that the benefits of having a 360-degree ‘sound stage’ didn’t affect it overall. “It’s like being in the middle of a small nightclub,” he said.
Even when cranking up the volume to antisocial levels, the speakers sounded crisp to my untrained ears, although there was some rattling around the cabin – possibly from the door cards. But you’d have to drive everywhere with the volume turned up to 11 for that to be a problem. Next, Christopher switched to a bass-heavy R&B track. Straight
away he noted how the system sounded warm. “The sub-bass extends really well, but while the mid-bass is present it sounds a little uncontrolled, like it’s a bit wobbly,” he said.
Away from the R&B track’s big bass notes, Christopher praised the frequencies in the centre of the audio range, which are responsible for delivering voices, adding: “The mid-range is very accurate, which makes the vocals sound very lifelike, and at high frequencies, there isn’t any harshness.”
Christopher’s advice has led to me tweaking the sound settings to suit my musical tastes. I’ve always tended to turn the bass levels up a little, but his advice of reducing them by one or two steps is really paying dividends, and it feels like I’m making the most of the system.
Audio test over, I ask the all-important question: should buyers choose this option? “For £550? Absolutely. It’s a great add-on,” Christopher replied. And who am I to argue?