The Best Luxury Car Sound Systems & Audio Brands

A good car sound system should be immersive and connect you emotionally to whatever's playing – be it tune, podcast, or audio book. It should set the mood and build an in-cabin experience, one that you can't wait to re-live over and over, like that record you constantly replayed till your roommate claimed to have watched a seagull fly off with it. Or, at the very least, your vehicle's audio system should eliminate the boredom that accompanies your typical work commute (yawn).

Why not give your ears a gift? They deserve it – after all, they've been putting in overtime for decades. Follow along as we compare the best luxury car sound systems and brands below, including Naim, Bang & Olufsen, Bowers & Wilkins, BOSE® and more.

Naim for Bentley

Of all the luxury car audio brands, we think Naim audio is king of the jungle. Hailing from Britain—Naim speakers have been manufactured exclusively for British brethren Bentley since 2008—Naim delivers the ultimate in-car sound experience. And just like Bentley vehicles, every hi-fi Naim sound system is hand-built and rigorously tested prior to exiting the factory.

Naim's sound quality is best in the business, beating out other luxury car speaker brands like BOSE®, Burmester®, and Bowers & Wilkins®. In fact, Naim engineers, in their relentless pursuit of the purest sound, set the 21^st-century standard for in-car audio technology by developing the most powerful, best-in-class car sound system on Earth: A ridiculous 2,200-watt, 21-speaker system with 21 independent channels. Per horsepower, that's 746 watts of purely organic, unadulterated music to the ears.

"In short, [Naim's audio setup] is astronomically good. So good in fact, it's literally changed the way I listen to music." - Ollie Marriage, Top Gear Magazine

Although tailored to each Bentley model, Naim audio systems are designed around a unique Digital Signal Processor (DSP) that delivers up to 8 unique modes of optimization—though, as alluded to by Marriage, keeping it in "Digital Media" or "Spoken Word" is perfectly fine—depending on seat position and listening preferences.

To top it off, thanks to Bentley's innate noise-dampening materials, cabin acoustics help Naim's audio systems produce lively, concert-hall level sound. That level of sound quality persists no matter the road conditions, wind speed, or how deeply that Bentley W12 growls – stupendously crisp speech and audio, always. DSP even has special modes for the Bentley Continental Convertible that enable it to automatically adjust sound settings when the top's down. Talk about the ideal vehicle for your next Key West road trip.

Hey, even if you don't own a Bentley Flying Spur with Naim speakers, you can still join the Naim revolution with Mu-so 2, the brand's in-home wi-fi audio system. The Naim Mu-so 2 (and Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation) delivers 300 watts of amp power—much more than the rival 240W Bowers and Wilkins® Wedge speaker—supports Chromecast playback, and features 15 individual touchscreen buttons.

Bang & Olufsen

If Naim for Bentley is king, consider Bang and Olufsen its queen. In 2018, the Danish audio brand B&O transformed the auto industry by integrating their revolutionary BeoSonic sound system into the latest Bentley Continental GT.

One of the main selling points of Bang & Olufsen vs. BOSE®, Harman Kardon®, Mark Levinson® or any other luxury in-car audio brand: Its innovative and intuitive haptic touchscreen. With your finger, you can choose one of four unique DSP audio spaces (Bright, Energetic, Warm, Relaxed) to adjust your in-cabin sound experience, as well as the option to change surround intensity via the illuminated BeoSonic interface. The ball's in your court.

“The BeoSonic user interface allows you to change equalization based on your mood, which means fewer inputs are required to achieve their desired audio experience. When changing between sound spaces, you will instantly hear the difference..." - Ashley Blakemore, Head of Infotainment and Audio at Bentley

As bright and clever as the Bang & Olufsen Bentley BeoSonic UI is, the sound system is just as powerful. The audio setup features 16 active speakers, a 1500-watt DSP amplifier, and a BeoCore ICEpower converter that increases efficiency by over 90%. By specs alone, B&O certainly makes one of the best luxury car audio systems.

B&O vs. BOSE®

Although known for their headphones, BOSE® is also recognized as an automotive audio brand that fits premium in-car sound systems in vehicles built by luxury brands like Porsche. The top-of-the-line BOSE® system, found in the Porsche Panamera, can't really compete with the likes of Bang and Olufsen, however. It offers 14 loudspeakers, 14 amp channels, and 710 watts of amplifier power. Technology adds like CenterPoint® 2 and AudioPilot® deliver improved sound quality and dynamics for MP3 playback, but streaming quality is less than ideal. If you're comparing BOSE® vs. Bang and Olufsen, the winner is clear.

"I've heard mixed reviews on the BOSE® system but in my experience it sounds terribly flat? I mean its loud, but it gets muddy easily and I can't sense any bass whatsoever." - tind3r

B&O vs. Harman Kardon

Harman Kardon makes premium car sound systems, though their products are quite underpowered compared to Bang and Olufsen's. Their luxury auto audio package, found on models like the Maserati Levante and Alfa Romeo Stelvio, adds 14 speakers, a 900-watt 12-channel amplifier, Logic 7 Surround Sound, and Speed Dependent Volume Compensation technology. (Larger sound 19- and 20-speaker systems are available, but those aren't for the luxury segment.)

"Main issue with the HK system is the rear deck rattle when you crank up the bass. I listen to a lot of Hip-Hop music so it was really noticeable for me. Dealer did their best to fix it but ultimately I still wanted better bass..." - nitrobass24

B&O vs. Bowers & Wilkins

Bowers and Wilkins, or B&W, are worthy rivals to Bang and Olufsen. B&W builds sound systems for numerous auto brands, such as Volvo, and are highly rated and recommended by audiophiles the world over. The B&O sound system in Bentley vehicles narrowly edges out B&W's Volvo setup in amplifier power (1500W vs. 1400W output, respectively), overall sound experience (B&O's various DSP audio modes offer more customization) and user interface.

"...The B&W system doesn't quite have the impact and drive we'd like. Drum thwacks feel a tiny bit hesitant, and highs could do with more of a cutting edge." - Simon Lucas, What Hi-Fi?

Bentley Miami: Home to Uber-Premium Car Audio

Whether you stick with a base 650W Bentley Signature Audio system or make the upgrade to a Bang & Olufsen or Naim for Bentley system, you'll be making a great decision. After all, you're building a new Bentley, one of the world's best luxury cars.

Contact Bentley Miami at (786) 577-5218 to get a price quote on a new Bentley Flying Spur, Continental GT or Bentayga in South Florida. We'd be happy to lead you through the customization process and help you pick out your ear holes' gift.