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I know a bunch of people are probably going to hate on this post for a few reasons, so first, a bit of background, and a few disclaimers: I’m a new owner of a MY25 2DR Badlands, with the ‘upgraded’ B&O 12-speaker audio system. I’m also a retired music industry guy, who’s spent time in the recording studio and the mixing booth with lots of artists over the last couple decades. I’ve got three music projects in production right now, and over the last year I’ve listened to new mixes from these albums hundreds of times on a half dozen different audio systems (from studio monitors to very expensive home systems to small, but good-sounding bluetooth setups). I listen carefully looking for detail, clarity, distortion, muddiness, separation, etc. I know what the recordings I’m working on *should* sound like from hearing the masters directly. And like you all, I also have many classic recordings that I know like the back of my hand, some of which are the go-to staples of listening tests at high-end audiophile shops. I was eager (and worried) to hear what everything would sound like in my new vehicle.
Like a lot of prospective new Bronco buyers, I wondered if the OEM audio system was garbage and a waste of my money that I’d just end up replacing, or whether the enhanced B&O offering was decent, adequate or maybe even not that bad. Any answer to this must address two subjective points: Does the system reproduce recordings faithfully (enough)? Does it perform decently at middle to higher output levels?
Last caveat: Any music producer will tell you that building a satisfying auto sound system is a challenge, simply because you’ve got an irregular space and lots of different absorbent and reflective surfaces. The main listener is decentered while the speaker system is usually symmetrical. Different types of music or even different recordings within the same genre might require some radically different EQ to sound their best. Also, playing compressed digital audio means you’re usually starting out with some quality loss already. Streaming will be more compressed and lossier still, but hey, welcome to the way most people get their music in 2025. My preference is to play files downloaded to my phone via cable and CarPlay.
So, here’s one man’s review:
My simple, short answer is that for most normal music listening situations, the MY25 12-speaker B&O system is fine. More than fine, honestly—maybe even bordering on good. The first test was listening to a bunch of newly-released and highly produced recordings, each with a lot of dynamic range. Did it hold the highs and mids without sounding tinny or thin? Yes. Did it reproduce bass and lows with a satisfying solidity? It does. Can you actually feel the low end sub through your body at mid-volumes? You can. I don’t notice any distortion or muddiness at the middle of the output with the volume set at 15-20. It’s adequately loud in this range. Unless you’ve got the top off or the windows wide open (which would make a silly test of any vehicle’s sound system), I would say 18-20 is about as loud as you’re going to want to play anything just driving around town with the windows up.
Second test was harder to reproduce stuff, like some boomy hip-hop and jagged industrial, electro. These types of recording will drive speakers harder and demand a different type of cone response, as they often combine very unforgiving edgy highs and near subsonic thumping lows. Speakers hate square waves and a lot of these tunes are full of them. But these too sounded fine on the B&O system. Not exactly muscular, but solid. Not ragged or overdriven. Crisp highs, tight resonant bass, good feel from the sub in the body of the driver’s seat. I can even feel it lightly in the foot pedals.
Last test is a few classic albums long regarded as studio production high-water marks. Can the B&O system make them sound as rich and deep as they do on most quality stereos? I’d say almost. One of the producers I work with would call the Bronco’s system a bit “flat”—meaning it doesn’t add to or color the tonality of the sound at all. It doesn’t warm it up. Ironically, this is how studio monitors should sound, faithful to the recording and not enhancing it. “Flat” is good in the studio where you want to hear how a track really sounds, but most home systems juice things a bit and give you more EQ options than the Bronco. Personally, I don’t find this problematic. Maybe other people do, and I appreciate that. A few more options would be good. But I did make some simple setting adjustments that I think helped quite a bit: I have my tone settings set with treble about 50%, midrange at about 60% and bass about 70%. I’ve toggled back and forth between stereo and surround quite a bit (which are essentially EQ and speaker presets), and I’ll say, surprisingly, that surround improves the overall quality noticeably.
Final thoughts: I can understand how the B&O system doesn’t meet some Bronco owner’s needs — just like how suspension, wheels, bumpers or headlights are something a lot of people run out and replace on their brand new vehicles. This is NOT a booming system that you’re going to light up a block party with. It’s not trying to be powerful, but very few car audio systems that come straight from a dealership are. The car stereos that sound much better are in cars that are much quieter. The Bronco itself is a loud ride, so there’s a lot going on in one’s ears when behind the wheel of this machine, especially in a soft top or with the roof off. I’ve got a hardtop and the new sound-deadening headliner seems quite good. I can’t speak to soft/no roof sound, but really, one’s expectations of great sound in a vehicle without a roof should be very, very modest (the aftermarket is for you if this is what you’re after). My Bronco is also a 2DR, and while that shouldn’t be especially significant, it does mean the rear pods are a bit closer to the driver and the overall interior space is smaller with less soft surface areas. I’ve owned 5 European cars, from Land Rover to Volvo to Mercedes, and I’d say the MY25 Bronco sound is comparable to or better than any of the manufacturer systems I’ve owned. If I was going to drop thousands of additional dollars on my already expensive new toy, the sound system would not be close to the top of my list. Would I describe it as outstanding or amazing? No. But it’s fine. More than fine. Good even. Cue up something recently remastered that sounds good already. Enjoy it. You’re driving a 4x4. Here’s to rocking in the free world. Peace out people!
Like a lot of prospective new Bronco buyers, I wondered if the OEM audio system was garbage and a waste of my money that I’d just end up replacing, or whether the enhanced B&O offering was decent, adequate or maybe even not that bad. Any answer to this must address two subjective points: Does the system reproduce recordings faithfully (enough)? Does it perform decently at middle to higher output levels?
Last caveat: Any music producer will tell you that building a satisfying auto sound system is a challenge, simply because you’ve got an irregular space and lots of different absorbent and reflective surfaces. The main listener is decentered while the speaker system is usually symmetrical. Different types of music or even different recordings within the same genre might require some radically different EQ to sound their best. Also, playing compressed digital audio means you’re usually starting out with some quality loss already. Streaming will be more compressed and lossier still, but hey, welcome to the way most people get their music in 2025. My preference is to play files downloaded to my phone via cable and CarPlay.
So, here’s one man’s review:
My simple, short answer is that for most normal music listening situations, the MY25 12-speaker B&O system is fine. More than fine, honestly—maybe even bordering on good. The first test was listening to a bunch of newly-released and highly produced recordings, each with a lot of dynamic range. Did it hold the highs and mids without sounding tinny or thin? Yes. Did it reproduce bass and lows with a satisfying solidity? It does. Can you actually feel the low end sub through your body at mid-volumes? You can. I don’t notice any distortion or muddiness at the middle of the output with the volume set at 15-20. It’s adequately loud in this range. Unless you’ve got the top off or the windows wide open (which would make a silly test of any vehicle’s sound system), I would say 18-20 is about as loud as you’re going to want to play anything just driving around town with the windows up.
Second test was harder to reproduce stuff, like some boomy hip-hop and jagged industrial, electro. These types of recording will drive speakers harder and demand a different type of cone response, as they often combine very unforgiving edgy highs and near subsonic thumping lows. Speakers hate square waves and a lot of these tunes are full of them. But these too sounded fine on the B&O system. Not exactly muscular, but solid. Not ragged or overdriven. Crisp highs, tight resonant bass, good feel from the sub in the body of the driver’s seat. I can even feel it lightly in the foot pedals.
Last test is a few classic albums long regarded as studio production high-water marks. Can the B&O system make them sound as rich and deep as they do on most quality stereos? I’d say almost. One of the producers I work with would call the Bronco’s system a bit “flat”—meaning it doesn’t add to or color the tonality of the sound at all. It doesn’t warm it up. Ironically, this is how studio monitors should sound, faithful to the recording and not enhancing it. “Flat” is good in the studio where you want to hear how a track really sounds, but most home systems juice things a bit and give you more EQ options than the Bronco. Personally, I don’t find this problematic. Maybe other people do, and I appreciate that. A few more options would be good. But I did make some simple setting adjustments that I think helped quite a bit: I have my tone settings set with treble about 50%, midrange at about 60% and bass about 70%. I’ve toggled back and forth between stereo and surround quite a bit (which are essentially EQ and speaker presets), and I’ll say, surprisingly, that surround improves the overall quality noticeably.
Final thoughts: I can understand how the B&O system doesn’t meet some Bronco owner’s needs — just like how suspension, wheels, bumpers or headlights are something a lot of people run out and replace on their brand new vehicles. This is NOT a booming system that you’re going to light up a block party with. It’s not trying to be powerful, but very few car audio systems that come straight from a dealership are. The car stereos that sound much better are in cars that are much quieter. The Bronco itself is a loud ride, so there’s a lot going on in one’s ears when behind the wheel of this machine, especially in a soft top or with the roof off. I’ve got a hardtop and the new sound-deadening headliner seems quite good. I can’t speak to soft/no roof sound, but really, one’s expectations of great sound in a vehicle without a roof should be very, very modest (the aftermarket is for you if this is what you’re after). My Bronco is also a 2DR, and while that shouldn’t be especially significant, it does mean the rear pods are a bit closer to the driver and the overall interior space is smaller with less soft surface areas. I’ve owned 5 European cars, from Land Rover to Volvo to Mercedes, and I’d say the MY25 Bronco sound is comparable to or better than any of the manufacturer systems I’ve owned. If I was going to drop thousands of additional dollars on my already expensive new toy, the sound system would not be close to the top of my list. Would I describe it as outstanding or amazing? No. But it’s fine. More than fine. Good even. Cue up something recently remastered that sounds good already. Enjoy it. You’re driving a 4x4. Here’s to rocking in the free world. Peace out people!
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