B&W Sound System in Ultimate model - very poor

[LRS]

Originally Posted by sk546

If I knew what this woke thing was then maybe I would take offence but as I'm not really old (or really young) I have no idea what its all about.

I just want people to actually read the whole post before making replies that either contradict or don't actually answer the original questions.
Comments like 'when I last checked' aren't of much use to people as no-one knows when it was that you did 'last check' and it has obviously moved on since then.

And before you start claiming victimisation here, I'd say the same to anyone doing similar as I like to keep things inclusive.....

I can understand your intensions in saying what you said, but your response did feel a bit disproportionate and aggressive in relation to my saying 'when I last checked'. This was not a false or misleading statement, but rather an honest ‘point in time’ reference for me personally. I would always expect a reader to check and validate what they read for themselves based on a current time reference, as things can change over time.

A community forum is a place where ideas and views on a particular topic can be exchanged, but if it is felt by the site Administrators/Moderators that any wording posted must be factually accurate and able to be supported with admissible evidence, then all posts should first be validated by the admins before being published. Some community forums do conduct this process.

Let’s try and keep the site a relaxed and informal place to have a bit of banter, where people are not afraid of what they may say in fear of offending someone (obviously within acceptable standards) or not getting it textbook accurate. And obviously anything that is posted and read should always be taken with a pinch of salt, as sometimes people do get things unintentionally wrong.

[Marmaduke]

Originally Posted by LRS

I believe you should be OK with the B&W level system, as it still retains the Balance and Fader controls, when I last checked.

It was the High-Performance Sound system and the HK system that both had the Balance and Fader controls removed under AAOS.

It may be prudent to go and check a just-delivered car at the dealer with B&W – just to be sure it's still there.

I took delivery of my new XC90 Ultimate just over a week ago and there are no balance or fader controls.

[Marmaduke]

I'm going to have a prolonged fiddle today to see if I can get anything sorted.
I went on a forty minute drive yesterday and the sound was just as if I'd got the radio off and instead put a transistor radio in my driver side pocket - 100% biased to the right, no sound from anywhere on the left and no stereo picture whatsoever. Maybe the passenger side speaker is not working, dunno. I'll report back.
If I'd have known about this issue beforehand I most definitely would not have bought the car. How can all the blurb about B&W 'audiophile' level quality and ninetween speakers be squared with not being able to have a proper stereo picture?? And as someone who spends most of his time in a recording studio, who on earth needs nineteen speakers? The most highest-spec studios in the world only have sets of two (to check mixes in simulated different environments) L and R.

More later....

[Franko1960]

Originally Posted by Marmaduke

I'm going to have a prolonged fiddle today to see if I can get anything sorted.
I went on a forty minute drive yesterday and the sound was just as if I'd got the radio off and instead put a transistor radio in my driver side pocket - 100% biased to the right, no sound from anywhere on the left and no stereo picture whatsoever. Maybe the passenger side speaker is not working, dunno. I'll report back.
If I'd have known about this issue beforehand I most definitely would not have bought the car. How can all the blurb about B&W 'audiophile' level quality and ninetween speakers be squared with not being able to have a proper stereo picture?? And as someone who spends most of his time in a recording studio, who on earth needs nineteen speakers? The most highest-spec studios in the world only have sets of two (to check mixes in simulated different environments) L and R.

More later....

If the B&W sound system is as bad as everyone says it is, then I will cancel my lease car due next week.

As a side note, can you cancel a lease car before the 14 days cooling off period. Going to check my B&W system first, then hand back if unacceptable.

[LRS]

Originally Posted by Marmaduke

I took delivery of my new XC90 Ultimate just over a week ago and there are no balance or fader controls.

Very sorry to hear that - no pun intended. But thanks for the up to the minute status on the Balance / Fader topic.

I too had the same disappointment of finding that the Balance/Fader controls had been taken away when I collected my AAOS car. What is annoying is when looking at a brand new car sitting in the showroom at the same time I was ordering my new one, I could see Balance/Fader controls pop up on the screen as the sales person gave me a quick run-through of the system - but alas this would have been one of the last Sensus cars he was showing me on. At that Sensus/AAOS cross over time I genuinely feel the dealers did not know how different the new AAOS system was going to be compared to Sensus.

Never in a million years did I think to ask the salesperson at the time - "will the new AAOS system still include the balance and fader controls"?

Volvo UK really dropped the ball here by not informing their dealers better in advance.

[Lexman8]

Given how positive reviews of the B&W system were in the early years compared to the comments now, I wonder whether it's more that just the software that has changed with AAOS cars.

There are several areas where Volvo has removed features and instigated cost cutting so maybe the amps and speakers have been downgraded too? After all, as an option it used to be £3,000 and now it's fitted as standard in Ultimate models. Obviously it wouldn't have cost anything like £3k to produce but going cheap on the amps and speakers would still be a significant saving in a world where not so long ago they removed the windscreen ticket holder to save 50p.

[sandys]

Seems like a great system to me, all my music sounds good on it, not even had to fiddle with it to make that happen. Of course my family would argue rap and metal don't sound good anywhere

Yes I'm that old fart sat out side sainsburys in his sensible Volvo waiting for the missus, cranking out gangsta rap for all to enjoy

I'd option BW again, seem to recal reviews suggesting the implementation was better in a 90.

[piorunz]

Originally Posted by LRS

Volvo in their wisdom decided to remove fundamental audio controls when moving from Sensus to AAOS. They kept these removals secret by not publishing any changes in their AAOS based sales materials and specifications. They decided to remove Balance and Fader controls.

What?! That cannot be right. AAOS cars are so stripped down, I don't think I will be ever getting one.

[LRS]

Originally Posted by piorunz

What?! That cannot be right. AAOS cars are so stripped down, I don't think I will be ever getting one.

I agree, it isn’t right and felt the same after buying mine and still cannot see the logic of removing a very basic, long stayed and assumed function as balance & fader controls. Looking at things now and having lived with the car for a few years I’ve had to come to terms with playing AAOS roulette each time I get in the car.

All the AAOS bugs and issues were driving me to distraction, and still do at times, but I guess you have to try and learn to live with them as these latest systems are sadly here to stay and going back to the simplicity of my good old MY11 XC90 is gone forever.

Putting the whole AAOS debacle to one side, the XC60 is a good car and has to be one of the most comfortable long distance driving cars I’ve ever owned - even better than my old XC90, and Its cabin interior is a really nice place to be. I also think the XC range is a good looking car compared to the multitude of clone bubble shape cars out there. Regards the loss of balance & fader controls I listen to a lot more talk radio now rather than music as a result of this - or maybe its just an age thing now

Cars are going to become more and more a commodity with things like specification subscriptions becoming the norm – enable the electric seats function by paying a term based subscription.

Hey-Ho

[sk546]

Its obviously just a me thing as I personally now find that AAOS is a far superior system for how I use it compared to my previous Sensus car, yes, it would be nice no have the Drive Mode select and battery hold functions easier access but overall, everything just works better, smoother and is mostly more operable than I found with Sensus.

For the majority of the niggles that other people have found, I don't share them as I'm not using the functions (and never did in Sensus) and as such, I don't miss the fact they are not there.
For how I use my car, AAOS just works and as yet, I haven't had masses of issues with the AAOS Operating system crashing and requiring multiple resets, for this I count myself very lucky as there appears to be alot of reported issues on here about it.
Google Maps as a navigation system is light years better than the Sensus navigation, my HK sound system gives me superb sound quality that needs no adjustments by me to improve it and for things I need to adjust, adjustment is easy and the voice commands work very well.

Everyone's experience and requirements for a cars Infotainment/operating system are different and what one person finds an issue wont even be noticed by someone else. All we can do is find something that works for you and if it dosen't, switch to find something that does.
Clearly, Volvo aren't going to make AAOS into a clone of Sensus, the sensus system was volvo's own system and they controlled the rights and could change what they wanted to whenever they wanted. AAOS is not Volvo's system and making changes requires multiple buy-in's from the different partners which takes time and money on all fronts and if all do not agree, its not implemented.
Its about time people accept that AAOS is what it is (i.e. not a clone of Sensus) and move on.