It’s pretty much a given that when spending north of $100,000 on a German vehicle, you’ll be blessed with a good sound system. Audio quality is a major factor in the uber-luxury segment; for many buyers, speaker count, wattage and brand of the car’s sound system are up there with horsepower and acceleration numbers. In most cases, it’s even more relevant.
Today, we examine the audio systems found in a pair of ritzy, V8-powered three-row SUVs: the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 580 4Matic ($133,500 as-tested) and the 2020 BMW X7 M50i ($134,700 as-tested). The GLS runs with Mercedes’ standard Burmester system, while the X7 is fitted with BMW’s optional Bowers and Wilkins audio that sets buyers back $4,900.
The Specs
BMW has been in bed with Harman Kardon for years, but here the Swabians are playing the field with premium audio provider Bowers & Wilkins, a British outfit that can trace its roots back to 1966. B&W made its name designing and building high quality reference speakers for home and recording studio — Abbey Road, for one. Its first automotive affiliation was Jaguar, and currently partners with BMW, Maserati, McLaren, and Volvo.
The X7 M50i gets the Bowers and Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound system that brags 20 speakers powered by a bespoke 20-channel amplifier. Total output is 1,475 watts. Along with two subwoofers — one under each front seats — there are seven mid-range speakers and eleven tweeters. The “Diamond” part references B&W’s signature technology that actually incorporates real diamonds in their speaker construction.
The GLS 580 gets standard Burmester Surround Sound audio with 13 speakers — four tweeter, four mid-range, three broadband, and two woofers. A nine-channel 590-watt DSP amplifier does the heavy lifting and features both digital and analogue filters. Woofers are mounted in the longitudinal beams in the footwells of the driver and passenger.
“This is the best position, as these deep tones can really spread out and fill the space,” says Dieter Burmester himself. There’s an optional 26-speaker, 1,600-watt Burmester 3D system for those willing to part with $6,900.
The Burmester and B&W each feature lovely filigreed metal speaker covers that not only dress up the interior, but also — according the manufacturers — provide superior acoustic transparency. BMW adds to nigh time visual flair with super cool speaker illumination.
Ease of use
Both these vehicles have multi-layered infotainment systems that require some study and practice. BMW sticks with its tried-and-true iDrive that still features plenty of good old-fashioned buttons and knobs, along with a 12.3-inch touchscreen. The Benz’s MBUX interface presents us with a huge slab of digital real estate (two 12.3-inch screens) and fewer analogue controls. It wins points for its precise roller volume controls on both the steering wheel and console just to the right of the shifter, but loses a few for only having USB 3.0 ports — if you keep your favourite high-quality audio files stored on a regular USB 2.0 key, you’re out of luck here. The GLS 580 supports Apple CarPlay (via Bluetooth), but not Android Auto.
The BMW has volume buttons on the wheel and a dash mounted rotary control, but it also has trick up its sleeve that is sure to impress your passengers. BMW’s gesture control allows you (or your passengers) to twirl a finger in mid air above said knob and magically adjust the volume. Sure, it’s not as accurate as moving your hand a few centimeters and actually twisting the knob, but where’s the fun in that? A more useful gesture is the “two-pointed finger poke” that has the system skipping to the next track. The X7 supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Sound
With this test, I used MP3s via Bluetooth — I would’ve plugged in via USB 2.0 ports, but the GLS doesn’t have ‘em. The systems are tested flat, meaning the equalizer settings are neither cut nor boosted. Let’s face it: the engineers who toil for months (and sometimes years) on these sonic wonders tune them to run flat, and the thought of us bozos cranking the bass and treble up to 11 must give them hives. That said, the BMW’s B&W system has bass and treble boost, while the Benz’s Burmester offer bass, mid, and treble.
Base or not, the Burmester audio in the GLS 580 fills the cabin with a concert-like experience. I’m betting much of the nuance and warmth comes from the combination of both digital and analogue filters. It makes the already big cabin feel huge, and the sound is rich and even with no peaks or valleys in the spectrum. It’s perfectly natural — the kind of hi-fi audio that fully encompasses, but never tires. Switching the sound profile from Pure to Surround Sound broadens the experience as advertised, enveloping you and your passengers further into the rich sound. The Burmester system really is an aural love-in.
Dive into the BMW X7’s Bowers & Wilkins system and you’re presented with five sound profiles and some mighty slick visuals to go along with them. Studio is just that, delivering very flat, unforgiving sound reproduction — about as un-coloured and in-your-face as any studio engineer could hope for. Being a bit clinical and one-dimensional, most listeners with probably go for the next option: Concert 3D, which introduces surround sound (along with a lovely picture of a concert hall). The sounds warms up considerably, although for me, the most natural profile is On Stage 3D, opening up the sound up further without going overboard. Movie Theatre 3D just sounds like BMW has just cranked the surround-sound algorithm up to 11, and the Lounge 3D — to my ears, at least — sounds messy and confused. There’s also a digital slider to adjust “3D intensity,” allowing further tailoring of the experience.
Conclusion
Needless to say, both these high-end audio systems are hugely impressive, the likes of which were essentially the stuff of dreams not that long ago. I never felt the need to mess with the EQ settings, such was the accuracy and evenness of sound reproduction. Throw on a rap track and in both systems the sub-bass frequencies are loud and proud.
But there has to be a winner. Going by the numbers, the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound slays the Burmester Surround Sound when it comes to wattage, pre-programmed sound profiles, speaker count, and yes, financial outlay. Yet as fabulous as the BMW X7’s B&W system is, I’m handing the win to the Mercedes-Benz GLS 580 and its sound system from Dieter Burmester — it’s free of gimmickry and pure of purpose. There’s a lightness and natural airiness to the sound experience, reflecting Herr Burmerster’s pledge: “I want to bathe in the music and I don’t want anything to disturb this moment.”
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August 30, 2020 at 05:00PM
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