Acura Announces Partnership with Bang & Olufsen

[LennonCobain]

It seems that ELS will be phased out…
https://acuranews.com/en-US/release...XrgNkiXCJQOudILTkp-HeWxS2hn34&mibextid=Zxz2cZ
Hopefully the multichannel support that Acura owners have come to expect will continue and possibly expand (e.g. Atmos).

 

[LennonCobain]

Acura has announced that the 2025 MDX will feature a Bang & Olufsen audio system. No more ELS. This is very surprising since the 2025 model is a mid-cycle refresh and not a new generation. My guess is that the touchpad which controls the ELS infotainment system is so unpopular with owners that Acura felt the need to go touchscreen for its top selling model.

I haven’t seen any specs for the Acura B&O system so it remains to be seen if it will be an upgrade from a surround perspective. Will it support 7.1 or even Dolby Atmos? Hopefully we will find out soon.

 

[MrSmithers]

The Bang & Olufsen surround system I tested in Audi played back 5.1 from flac no problem. On the Audi Q4 electric model they switched to a Sonos system which didn’t work with 5.1 when I tried.

The new Fisker Ocean electric SUV has the option of adding the ELS Studio 3D so maybe they wanted an exclusive deal? Looks pretty good actually.



The new Polestar 3 has a Dolby Atmos Bowers & Wilkins system.

 

[DuncanS]

The Bang & Olufsen surround system I tested in Audi played back 5.1 from flac no problem. On the Audi Q4 electric model they switched to a Sonos system which didn’t work with 5.1 when I tried.

The new Fisker Ocean electric SUV has the option of adding the ELS Studio 3D so maybe they wanted an exclusive deal? Looks pretty good actually.



The new Polestar 3 has a Dolby Atmos Bowers & Wilkins system.

I've an Audi A5 with the B&O audio system and it plays 5.1 flacs without any issues, the issue is the playback software will play the album then repeat it, there is no back button - not fun searching for another album on the touch screen whilst driving!

 

[Tres Discrete]

I've an Audi A5 with the B&O audio system and it plays 5.1 flacs without any issues, the issue is the playback software will play the album then repeat it, there is no back button - not fun searching for another album on the touch screen whilst driving!

I have a Q3 with the B&O system…I wonder if mine can play 5.1 FLAC files?
Can you give me a brief tutorial?
I’d be much obliged

 

[DuncanS]

I have a Q3 with the B&O system…I wonder if mine can play 5.1 FLAC files?
Can you give me a brief tutorial?
I’d be much obliged

All I did was put my 5.1 Flacs onto a USB stick or SSD plug it into the USB socket on the console, open Media, select the source, then find the folder with the surround albums or album and select play, it just comes out in surround - I did play with the front/rear slider to push it more to the back as that improved it for me. I think the surround option (& pseudo-surround from stereo) has been in the B&O system for 6+ years.

 

[Tres Discrete]

Thank you…
So there is no particular need (or ability?) to choose “surround”…it will recognize it & play it that way…that was my main question

 

[DuncanS]

Thank you…
So there is no particular need (or ability?) to choose “surround”…it will recognize it & play it that way…that was my main question

No need to select any surround option, at least not on mine

 

[Tres Discrete]

No need to select any surround option, at least not on mine

Thank you for the tip…seems to be working…although fiddling with the settings this morning was suboptimal…driving to work…barely awake…late for a meeting…at 80 mph…not sure how that translates to kph…but too fast to be mucking about with the touchscreen

 

[DuncanS]

Thank you for the tip…seems to be working…although fiddling with the settings this morning was suboptimal…driving to work…barely awake…late for a meeting…at 80 mph…not sure how that translates to kph…but too fast to be mucking about with the touchscreen

We're mph in the UK, its difficult enough at 70mph (UK motorway speed limit - which I'm having to stick to due to a camera catching me at 82 )

 

[Tres Discrete]

We're mph in the UK, its difficult enough at 70mph (UK motorway speed limit - which I'm having to stick to due to a camera catching me at 82 )

I did not realize that you all were in mph - I thought it was just us Yanks - as decreed by General George Washington himself

 

[LuvMyQuad]

We're mph in the UK, its difficult enough at 70mph (UK motorway speed limit - which I'm having to stick to due to a camera catching me at 82 )

So it's MPH in the US and UK, but KPH in Canada? WTF?

 

[DuncanS]

So it's MPH in the US and UK, but KPH in Canada? WTF?

Yep.

But your Gallon is smaller than ours, one UK imperial gallon = 1.2 US Gallons - don't know why!

 

[GOS]

Yep.

But your Gallon is smaller than ours, one UK imperial gallon = 1.2 US Gallons - don't know why!

Because we like to drink more! lol

 

[DuncanS]

Because we like to drink more! lol

My first time to the USA was 1994 the beer wasn't that great, by the time of my last trip in 2020 it was excellent, nice IPAs, so drank more!

 

[Tres Discrete]

Because we like to drink more! lol

@DuncanS & @GOS -
Watch the video I pasted above - it explains everything
Adding @LuvMyQuad

 

[DuncanS]

the 8.3267382 imperial gallon hat doesn't have the same ring to it as a 10 gallon hat

 

[GOS]

@DuncanS & @GOS -
Watch the video I pasted above - it explains everything
Adding @LuvMyQuad

Hilarious. Never seen that.

 

[Tres Discrete]

Hilarious. Never seen that.

That guy is a riot. My understanding is that SNL brought him on during the actor’s strike (he is a stand up comic).
His opening monologue might be funnier

 

[LennonCobain]

Acura has unveiled the 2025 MDX which goes on sale in May. Regarding the audio system, this is what today’s press release mentioned:

• 11-speaker (+2), 8-channel audio system
• 19-speaker (+3 on Advance Package and A-Spec, +7 on Technology) Bang & Olufsen luxury audio system (Technology Package and above)

At the top of the MDX lineup, the 2025 MDX Type S with Advance Package exclusively features a new 31-speaker Bang & Olufsen's luxury audio system. Boasting six more speakers than the outgoing system, it is the most powerful Acura audio system ever with Bang & Olufsen Acoustic Lens Tweeters, an 8.8" subwoofer, two amplifiers, 24 channels of power and an incredible 31 speakers, including 12 mounted in the headliner.

The MDX with Technology Package, MDX with Advance Package, and MDX A-Spec models get a new 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system featuring 16 channels with Acoustic Lens Tweeters, and four speakers in the headliner.

The two bespoke Acura audio systems feature Bang & Olufsen's latest 3D Sound Control, as well as the brand's exclusive Beosonic™ feature and proprietary Acoustic Lens Technology. Bang & Olufsen's intuitive Beosonic™ one-touch sound control interface enables Acura MDX clients to create a personal in-car audio experience with four distinct audio moods: Bright, Energetic, Warm and Relaxed. Bang & Olufsen's Acoustic Lens Technology uniformly disperses high frequencies horizontally 180 degrees while limiting vertical reflections, improving the overall sense of space and realism for all passengers as they hear every note and every nuanced sound.

Moreover, brushed aluminum speaker grilles laser etched with the Bang & Olufsen logos further enhance MDX's premium interior design.

The standard MDX audio system receives two additional speakers for 2025.

Notably, there is no mention on Dolby Atmos support. The base trim claims to be 8 channel, so I wonder if this means true 7.1 playback. Hopefully all trim levels support at least true 5.1.