Tesla vs. BMW Sound System – Which is Better?

At a first glance, Tesla vs. BMW might be a strange comparison. However, there is actually more to compare between the two than you can imagine; trust us, we deal with both of them a lot. While Tesla continues to be the top selling EV brand on the market according to Car And Driver and many other sources, BMW is catching up with their recent push for EVs.

One of the most noticeable features about an EV is the fact that they make no engine noise. This makes your sound system even more important since every note, tone, and harmonic has an even greater potential to be heard. 

Given the fact that we’re “dabbling” in car audio, we’ve decided to take a look at this particular aspect of both these brands. So, which has the better sound system – BMW or Tesla? Let’s put them head-to-head and find out!

Overview of Tesla Sound Systems

Let’s start our comparison with an overview of Tesla’s audio. 

Over the years, Tesla has tried experimenting with different amounts of speakers and companies to make their sound systems. It seems now they have pretty much standardized what you’ll get. Originally, they employed the German company S1NN to make the initial Sound Studio package for Tesla Model S. That company then got purchased by Harman Kardon and Tesla eventually decided to go a more “in-house” route.

Bang & Olufsen makes some of the best audio systems for vehicles on the market. While we’ll talk more about them and BMW later, Tesla decided to hire some ex-B&O engineers for their in-house venture. This led Tesla’s systems to sound pretty good in their stock form.

At the time of writing this article, Tesla offers two sound systems in their vehicles. There is the Standard Sound System (which is found on rear-wheel drive models) and the Premium Sound System (which is found on higher end, AWD models).

Note that the amount of speakers may differ between the actual models of Tesla (and the production years). Let’s cover just a quick rundown on the Standard and Premium Sound Systems, and what you can expect from them on the newest Tesla models.

• Tesla Standard Sound System 

Model 3 and Y vehicles with this setup will come with 7 speakers and a single 200 W amp.

• Tesla Premium Sound System

Teslas equipped with this option come with 15 speakers and 1 subwoofer. Driving them are two amps with a total of 560 W power (160 W dedicated to the sub).

Want to learn even more about Tesla sound systems? Check out our guides to the Tesla Model 3 Sound Systems and the Tesla Model Y Sound Systems!

Overview of BMW Sound Systems

Despite Teslas having differing speaker amounts in different vehicles, you basically get one of two systems. Well, BMW also has differing speaker amounts in different vehicles, but they offer more than double the audio options depending on the model and trim.

Since these were subject to change over the years (by a lot) and BMW has far more models than Tesla, we’ll sum it up to the following. BMW offers a Base system, Hi-Fi system, Harman Kardon, Bang & Olufsen, and Bowers & Wilkins. As with Tesla, let’s cover the basics of these systems. For these, we’ll pretty much take the average since the individual options can also vary drastically between models.

• Base System

This is about as low as it gets, even for BMW. You generally get a 6 speaker system with no amp and no tweeters. All the “power” comes from the head unit. The speakers are thin and weak. This is most common over in Europe where lower spec BMWs are more prevalent, but they also became popular during COVID era production due to chip shortages.

• Hi-Fi System

This is BMW’s entry level “premium” sound system. In the US, it is one of the most common systems. Generally speaking, you’ll have at least 8 speakers, which include tweeters in the doors or a-pillars. You can expect the amp to produce about 205 W depending on the model.

• Harman Kardon

Now we start to get into the higher end stuff. While still basic compared to B&O and B&W, it’s better than Hi-Fi and leaps and bounds better over the Base system. It will generally come with center channel speakers in the dash for a more rounded sound and higher quality speakers for great volume and clarity, but it can have even more speakers than that. The amps in these systems generally produce about 464 W of power.

• Bang & Olufsen

This is one of the high end systems for BMW, not offered on all models. In addition to a powerful and well tuned amp, you’ll have at least 16 speakers that the amp will be pushing. B&O amps make an average of 1200 W, with about a third of that dedicated to just the subwoofers.

• Bowers & Wilkins

Arguably considered top of the line, this system goes just a little (or a lot) extra on everything. For example, the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System in the new iX has thirty speakers. Yes… Thirty (30). Why? Because sound! B&W amps make an average of 1400 W of power, but can get as low as around 700 W and as high as around 2000 W! Wow!

Tesla vs. BMW: Side-by-Side Comparison

Now that we have all of that out of the way, let’s compare the two car brands side by side, as best we can at least. Keep in mind again that BMW systems vary a lot and Tesla systems don’t differ as much.

What about the amps?

Let’s take a look at some other aspects that set the two apart.

1. Speaker placement 
   
   This is where things vary for the brands. The biggest being the mids and woofers. BMW (aside from cases like the Z4 and Supra) always puts the woofers under the front seats. Tesla (like many other brands) has them in the doors. Tesla does have one or more factory subwoofers located in the trunk, while BMW does not offer it.
   
   The mids for BMWs are always in the doors (front and rear), with one center channel in the dash. Tesla has three across the dash in Standard Systems and that plus ones in the door for Premium Systems.
   
   Another big difference is tweeter locations. Tesla will put them up high in the a-pillars, yet BMW will put them close to the side view mirrors. Of course all of this doesn’t apply when looking at some of the super high-end systems in BMWs.
   
   
2. Customization and equalizer settings
   
   Since BMW has been around longer and has more systems, you will find varying levels of control. Comparing the modern systems in each, they both give you a generous EQ to play with  and allow you to control the balance of where you want the sound coming from. In Tesla, being the youth minded trolls they are, if you have subwoofers and you push the level all the way up, it will show funny messages like “BOOOM” and “BRRRRRR.”
   
   Tesla also has an option called “Immersive Sound.” In short, this changes the digital signal processing (or DSP) of the audio you are listening to make you feel more like you are there. It does this by turning on some extra tweeters and altering things like the delay between speakers and other aspects like the reverb. How effective it is is subjective to the listener.
   
   
3. Performance in real-world conditions – Noise isolation, cabin acoustics & sound quality
   
   So, you now have all of these numbers, stats, and facts. What does that actually mean though? 
   
   Here’s the fun part… That’s up to you. Sound is VERY subjective. What sounds fantastic to you might sound like poop to someone else. Ears, music preferences, and driving conditions are all different depending on the driver, but let’s try to get some average thoughts listed here.
   
   Cabin noise is a big factor. How much sound you hear coming from the outside can drastically change your music listening experience. Wind, tire noise, engine sounds (if applicable), and passing traffic all change things up.
   
   BMW is first and foremost a luxury brand. Tesla technically is not. BMW does spend some extra time and money to make sure their vehicles are quieter. This leads modern models like the G20 averaging decibel readings in the low 60s, while Tesla on the other hand can get up to high 60s. Tesla has gotten much better over time though.
   
   While not to get too scientific, material choice, cabin size and shape, and the amount of “stuff” in a vehicle makes a difference in the sound. Hard angled surfaces reflect more sound, but more of them lead to greater sound absorption. A bigger cabin might allow for a rounder sound, but a smaller one might allow for more targeted sound. Each brand has similar material choices, and cabin sizes can vary, but the biggest difference is the “stuff” aspect.
   
   BMW has big, raised screens, deep gauge clusters, gear shifters, and more angles and curves to give you a packed, luxurious feel. Tesla is very minimalist in the cabin which gives sound flatter surfaces to bounce off of. Think of it when you walk into an empty room and clap or yell, versus a room full of stuff or people. There are less reflections in the room with all the stuff!
   
   This is really neither good nor bad as each system has been designed with this in mind, speakers placement to tuning. An interesting observation is that BMW’s Neue Klasse concept is moving to that minimalist approach in the interior.

So, all of that seemed like a lot of nothing, right? Told you it’s all subjective!

Final Verdict: Which Sound System Is Better?

If the last section wasn’t subjective enough, guess what? Here’s another. Both vehicles have rather good options. BMW might win with its thirty speaker B&W system, but the Standard Audio System offered by Tesla completely outclasses BMW's Base and Hi-Fi system.

Compare Tesla’s Premium System to BMW's Harman Kardon and maybe even B&O, and it comes down to which model BMW or Tesla we’re talking about and your ears.

In short, this sums it up:

• Base/Lower end systems – Tesla wins.
• High end systems – toss up depending on the model.
• Very high end systems – BMW wins, Tesla doesn’t really have any ultra-high-end option.

Customization and Upgrade Options in BMW and Tesla 

What if neither system is doing it for you? Well, that’s where the aftermarket comes in. Aftermarket options—such as the best audio system on the planet, like Alpha One—exist to allow you to tailor your audio system how you want.

Even the highest end system in both models from the factory are just that… FACTORY audio systems. They are not designed for YOU. They are designed for the vehicle they are going into. Aftermarket allows you to add more powerful amps, better speakers, trunk subs, and more. 

Amps like Alpha One not only allow you to get far more power, but they are custom tuned for your ears, the style of music you listen to, and your specific vehicle. You’ll never get that from the factory. Period. 

When it comes to the amount of options, BMW wins. While Tesla may be the best selling EV, BMW has been around much longer and has sold far more cars. More cars means more companies making things for them.

Thankfully the days of cutting, splicing, and mixing or matching equipment are going away. While that’s always an option—and a great one at that for competitions, brand loyalists, and nitty gritty detail—our plug-and-play kits make things so much easier. Disconnect the factory equipment and plug in the new stuff. Both brands have both routes to travel down in your auditory journey!

Want to learn more about the best plug-and-play amps? You can check our Alpha One amps for Tesla or our full audio solution for your BMW with Alpha One.

To Sum It All Up

We covered a lot, but which is better? After all that, even if some answers can be proven with stats, figures, and more… It really comes down to what you want out of the system, and if you like it. We hope you found this article a bit helpful! Don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel for other helpful maintenance and DIY focused videos for Tesla, BMW, MINI, and Supra.