Audi S8 gets Bang & Olufsen sound

Audi has turned to high-end stereo maker Bang & Olufsen to get seriously premium sound in its A8 and S8 models. We've previously covered the THX-designed sound system in the Lincoln Zephyr. The new Audi/Bang & Olufsen collaboration may point to a trend: This is the first time Bang & Olufsen has taken its home expertise and applied it to a car. I looked at it in the Audi S8, which is a pretty nice place to start. The cabin of the S8 is spacious and luxurious, making it a good spot for Bang & Olufsen's 14 speakers. Each speaker is powered by its own amp, with all the amps totaling 1,100 watts of power. Bang & Olufsen used aluminum covers for the speakers so that they stand out, as opposed to hiding them in the car's interior. Even more notable, the tweeters on either side of the front dash automatically rise from a flush position when the system is turned on. As with the THX system, a center-channel speaker is set into the middle of the dashboard. The system also uses a microphone and a speed sensor to automatically adjust the sound to accommodate for road noise. Instead of merely raising the volume, specific frequencies are adjusted to intelligently compensate. Also similar to the THX system, the sound can be focused on the driver, the front seats, or all seats. Other carmakers that want to add a premium audio name to their models are going to have to hurry to snap up the few remaining brands.