BMW X7 Bowers & Wilkins car audio review
Despite us being a home audio retailer, we’re not afraid to admit that the Smart Home Sounds team love cars too and our latest video has combined our passion for audio and cars together.
The BMW X7 features the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound system, from one of our favourite home audio brands which also happens to be one of the best car audio systems currently on the market. We were lucky enough to test the audio out for a couple of days, so we could bring you an honest audio review.
The BMW X7 in a nutshell
The X7 shares all the same luxuries with the standard 7 series, the largest car in the range but in SUV format so it sits at a much higher position and is more than 5 metres long. The range has a base price of £72,000 and the model we were using in the video is the M50i version, worth £103,000 with the extras included.
Its credentials on paper are truly impressive with a 0-62 time of 4.1 seconds, featuring a 5-litre V8 engine and a whopping 523 BHP.
Why invest in a premium car audio system?
Listening to music whilst driving has been on the rise since the evolution of music streaming services, audiobooks & podcasts. Anything you want to listen to is now possible through your car stereo system thanks to additions like Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay.
It’s not just demand for music choice that’s increasing either, it’s a demand for better quality car audio systems, as people on average are spending more time in the car and averaging around 8,000 miles a year.
BMW has teamed up with Bowers & Wilkins to create the Diamond Surround Sound System to ensure that every BMW passenger feels like they are experiencing the most accurate reproduction of the original recording as possible.
What we really love, is that Bowers & Wilkins have made the effort of creating a bespoke audio system for each BMW car, as the acoustics are always going to be different in each car. Unlike in a home, where you’ll need to think about speaker placement yourself, in the BMW, acoustics will be as close to perfect as possible for the space.
Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System - system Specification
In the X7, there are a total of 20 speakers powered by a bespoke 20 channel amplifier. Each speaker has its own custom job on handling specific frequencies, bass and treble.
The amplifier sends these individual parts of the sound to a particular channel so you get the most immersive and true-to-life experience of how the music was originally recorded.
There are 2 x 25m Diamond dome Tweeters in each A-pillar which are responsible for making the voices and higher frequencies as clear as possible.
They actually use real diamond because of their unique stiffness-to-lightness ratio which makes it the perfect tweeter material and is also the first time diamonds have been used in a car audio system.
They are inspired by Bowers & Wilkins’ most prestigious and distinctive speaker they’ve ever made, the Nautilus which is an iconic speaker worth £58,000. *Gulp*
The grills are made from a stainless steel with what they call a Fibonacci effect pattern which ensures the highest acoustic transparency possible.
There are 5 other aluminium tweeters positioned at various points in the car, which are taken from their 800 series which were actually used in the Abbey Road studios so a pretty impressive legacy.
There are also 7 x 100mm Aramid Fibre midrange speakers, aramid being a highly trusted fibre in the military and aerospace industries.
These speakers handle around 80% of where all sound occurs in music so they’re very important elements of a speaker system. The Aramid Fibre construction minimises distortion resulting in a clearer, more natural sound.
A great feature we’ve never seen before is that the diamond speakers in the front and rear doors are illuminated and look incredible at night, finishing off the premium aesthetic of this model.
You’ve also got 4 x 40mm mid-tweeters which have been positioned above each of the seats to give every person a 3D all-encompassing sound. Speakers above the seats are quite a rare-find but so important for immersion.
Finally, there are 2 x Rohacell subwoofers. They are 21.7cm wide each and are placed underneath each of the front seats. These finish off the audio with deep rich bass. Rohacell is used in racing car bodies for its ideal balance of lightness and rigidity and helps create the perfect material for tight bass.
The bass was probably the most impressive feature of this audio system and we can honestly say we’ve never heard bass like it. Even at very loud volumes, it was not invasive and did not distort the sound whatsoever.
All of these components come together to produce a total output of 1475 watts which is absolutely sensational for a car stereo system.
Controlling music in the BMW X7
There are a number of ways you can start the music in the X7. Bluetooth is probably the most popular method for wireless use of your device but there’s also Apple CarPlay for Apple users.
If you’re on Android, unfortunately, there’s no Android Auto but you can take advantage of Bluetooth or even native Spotify, Deezer or Napster via the car’s sim card so you can browse and stream music using the car’s infotainment system.
You’ve also got voice control using BMW’s own voice assistant (Hey BMW) although you can’t use this to start the music, just for general control.
Gesture control is also quite useful for when you are driving and music is already playing and you can use it to skip tracks etc without needing to divert your attention from the road.
In general, we love the iDrive controller on all BMWs. It’s responsive and reliable and hard to beat.
Listening modes
There are a total of 5 listening modes, all designed to give you different interpretations of the music.
Here are our recommendations for each mode:
Studio - designed to give you the most accurate studio recording of the music. Best for everyday listening.
Concert 3D - disperses the sound as if you are sitting in a concert hall. Best for jazz and classical music.
On Stage 3D - puts the vocalist at the front of the soundstage so it’s like you're watching the performance live. Best for live performances and vocal-heavy tracks.
Cinema 3D - focuses on surround sound experience as if you’re sitting in a cinema. Best used in combination with video, maybe from a headrest screen.
Lounge 3D - focuses on the experience of the rear passengers. Best if you’re wanting to show off the sound system to your friends!
Why not have a listen to Bowers & Wilkins own Spotify playlist? These are a compilation of their favourite tracks that sound awesome on their speakers!
Verdict - is the sound system worth it?
We can’t shy away from the fact the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound system is a £3,200 extra with the BMW X7. You have to make a really thoughtful decision whether to add this extra or not.
Unfortunately, we can’t answer whether this is truly worth it for everyone because it depends on how seriously you take your music system.
If you’re like the Smart Home Sounds team who listen to music everywhere and cannot sit in silence (and you happen to do a lot of miles in your car), then your money will be very well invested in this audio system. You will not find a better sounding car stereo system on the market.
£3,200 is, of course, a lot of money to spend and could buy you an exceptional home audio system. But being a Bowers & Wilkins dealer, we know the amount of effort and R&D that goes into Bowers & Wilkins speakers is rigorous and has definitely shone through in this audio system which goes far beyond what you see in most other cars.
This system will appeal to everyone from casual music listeners all the way up to audiophiles, providing budget is available.
BMW has built the ultimate driving machine with the ultimate Bowers & Wilkins audio system to go with it.
Check out our range of Bowers & Wilkins home audio speakers
