(VIDEO DEMO UPDATE) Bang & Olufsen (B&O) Unleashed Sound System Review (2021 F-150) ???? (2024)

From what I can tell, the 2018 F-150s had a ten speaker B&O Play system with 675 total watts. This included a thin style subwoofer mounted behind the rear seat on the bed wall of the truck.

Keep in mind “B&O Play” was designed and marketed as an entry level premium sound system for Ford for the 2018/2019 model years. All the press releases and other info I’ve seen so far for Bang & Olufsen for no longer label themselves as “B&O Play” for 2021 Ford models. This could be Ford’s attempt to keep moving the F-150 up market.

The Bang & Olufsen sound system in the 2021 F-150 is listed as having eight speakers rated at 640 watts with an “Externally Coupled Subwoofer (ECS)”. This is supposed to be a slim, space saving subwoofer.

I wouldn’t get too caught up in the fact that the base 2021 B&O system makes less overall power than the earlier B&O Play systems. I have seen review videos where Ford representatives have said they allowed the staff at B&O to have pretty much free reign over the 2021 F-150’s interior in an effort to get the best sound possible. Whereas other manufacturers and vehicles give audio companies set spaces/locations and parameters to abide by.

Although I haven’t heard the base B&O system for the 2021 F-150 yet, I think it’s safe to say it will be an adequate improvement from the generation thirteen F-150s.

Also, in my opinion, because B&O Play was marketed as a cheaper and/or entry level Bang & Olufsen sound system, they may have used cheaper and lesser quality speaker cones, drivers, wires, and other components that could be different than the ones used in the generation fourteen F-150.

In reference to the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed system, it comes with eighteen speakers producing 1,080 watts. It’s two main features are headrest and headliner mounted speakers for the front row of the truck. It also uses an “Externally Coupled Subwoofer”, likely the same one that’s used in the base B&O system.

I consider myself a bit of an audiophile. After listening to the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed at one of the test drive events, I was amazed. In other cars, headliner and head rest mounted speakers were gimmicky and, in my opinion, hurt the sound of the system. This was not the case at all in the F-150. The overall sound was very clear and immersive. It’s hard to explain but the combination of the headliner and head rest speakers kind of created a shower of sound, and it was really a cool experience. Overall loudness of a system is only as good as how well the speakers maintain their clarity without getting distorted. I tried several genres of music on the B&O Unleashed system at a pretty high volume (around 20ish out of 30, if I recall), and that was plenty for me. I also didn’t want to deafen the Ford rep. who was also in the truck.

Since being able to hear it at the test drive event, the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed system was a non-negotiable option for me on my order. As the clock ticks the days and weeks away until I take delivery, the thing I’m probably looking forward to most about the truck is hearing that sound system again!

Anyway, ending my tirade. Here is the media release from Harman, the parent company of Bang & Olufsen, for the new sound systems for the 2021 Ford F-150 with additional information:

https://news.harman.com/blog/blog_articles-20200629

????NEW UPDATE FEATURING VIDEOS OF BANG & OLUFSEN UNLEASHED MENUS AND SETTINGS AND AUDIO DEMONSTRATION!????

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Orlando International Auto Show. While I was there, I noticed they had a 2021 Ford F-150 Limited SuperCrew on display. Of course, the truck was equipped with the Band & Olufsen Unleashed stereo system and I couldn't turn down an opportunity to hear it again! I know a lot of you folks on here had questions about the audio equalizer, and sub-menus of the system. The video below shows each of those things and more so you can see how to adjust the Unleashed system to your preference.

And now, what even more of you have been waiting for! An actual sound demonstration of the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed system. To be completely fair, please keep in mind there were a lot of things working against me to record this video including other people getting into and out of the truck, one of the Ford reps telling me I have to keep the window (passenger side) rolled down, combined with the overall loud ambiance of being inside a huge showroom filled with people.

Even with all of that taken into consideration, I think you can still deduce just a little bit of how good this system sounds inside the truck in ideal conditions (doors/windows closed, in the driver's seat, CD quality audio files being played, etc.).

For the demo, I was forced to use FM radio. Unfortunately, my phone would not let me stream music and shoot video no matter how arranged it. Again, though, the higher quality songs and audio files on my phone sounded incredible. I attempted to cover a vast array of music genres to suit most of your all's preferred style of music, and how the audio system presents them, but I could not get all of the music types I wanted. Here is a breakdown of what I was able to record in case you don't have the time to sit through the whole video:

0:00 - Classic Rock, Journey - Don't Stop Believin’
1:33 - Top 40/Pop
1:55 - Christmas music/classical (Tis' the season)
2:23 - New country
3:01 - Talk radio/spoken word
3:18 - Classic Rock, more Journey - Wheel In the Sky
3:44 - Reggae Rock, Bob Marley - Get Up Stand Up
4:15 - Latin/dance

Enjoy this until we can all get the real deal when our trucks finally come in!!

Knickell said:

From what I can tell, the 2018 F-150s had a ten speaker B&O Play system with 675 total watts. This included a thin style subwoofer mounted behind the rear seat on the bed wall of the truck.

Keep in mind “B&O Play” was designed and marketed as an entry level premium sound system for Ford for the 2018/2019 model years. All the press releases and other info I’ve seen so far for Bang & Olufsen for no longer label themselves as “B&O Play” for 2021 Ford models. This could be Ford’s attempt to keep moving the F-150 up market.

The Bang & Olufsen sound system in the 2021 F-150 is listed as having eight speakers rated at 640 watts with an “Externally Coupled Subwoofer (ECS)”. This is supposed to be a slim, space saving subwoofer.

I wouldn’t get too caught up in the fact that the base 2021 B&O system makes less overall power than the earlier B&O Play systems. I have seen review videos where Ford representatives have said they allowed the staff at B&O have pretty much free reign over the 2021 F-150’s interior in an effort to get the best sound possible. Whereas other manufacturers and vehicles give audio companies set spaces/locations and parameters to abide by.

Although I haven’t heard the base B&O system for the 2021 F-150 yet, I think it’s safe to say it will be an adequate improvement from the generation thirteen F-150s.

Also, in my opinion, because B&O Play was marketed as a cheaper and/or entry level Bang & Olufsen sound system, they may have used cheaper and lesser quality speaker cones, drivers, wires, and other components that could be different than the ones used in the generation fourteen F-150.

In reference to the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed system, it comes with eighteen speakers producing 1,080 watts. It’s two main features are headrest and headliner mounted speakers for the front row of the truck. It also uses an “Externally Coupled Subwoofer”, likely the same one that’s used in the base B&O system.

I consider myself a bit of an audiophile. After listening to the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed at one of the test drive events, I was amazed. In other cars, headliner and head rest mounted speakers were gimmicky and, in my opinion, hurt the sound of the system. This was not the case at all in the F-150. The overall sound was very clear and immersive. It’s hard to explain but the combination of the headliner and head rear speakers kind of created a shower of sound, and it was really a cool experience. Overall loudness of a system is only as good as how well the speakers maintain their clarity without getting distorted. I tried several genres of music on the B&O Unleashed system at a pretty high volume (around 20ish out of 30, if I recall), and that was plenty for me. I also didn’t want to deafen the Ford rep. who was also in the truck.

Since being able to hear it at the test drive event, the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed system was a non-negotiable option for me on my order. As the clock ticks the days and weeks away until I take delivery, the thing I’m probably looking forward to most about the truck is hearing that sound system again!

Anyway, ending my tirade. Here is the media release from Harman, the parent company of Bang & Olufsen, for the new sound systems for the 2021 Ford F-150 with additional information:

https://news.harman.com/blog/blog_articles-20200629

Click to expand...

Wow thanks for the very thorough reply!!,

I am definitely leaning towards 502A I really dont want to regret not getting Unleashed, but its like $5 K more in the end and if I want the hybrid, which I do, its another $5K - so much for trying to build a cheap Lariat!

Thanks again for the time you took to craft a very thorough reply. Super helpful

Coyote said:

Wow thanks for the very thorough reply!!,

I am definitely leaning towards 502A I really dont want to regret not getting Unleashed, but its like $5 K more in the end and if I want the hybrid, which I do, its another $5K - so much for trying to build a cheap Lariat!

See Also

Erfahrungen mit B&O SoundsystemFord Puma mit B&O-Anlage im Fahr- und Hörtest: gut verhüllter Berglöwe

Thanks again for the time you took to craft a very thorough reply. Super helpful

Click to expand...

You’re very welcome! I get it. For my build, the 502A High was a $6,920 package! The way I see it, this will be my vehicle for the better part of the next decade, so I’ll spring for it this time around.

This is the review I've been looking for Knickell, thanks for taking the time to share details of your experience! I ordered the Unleashed system hoping for the best, sounds like I made a good call.

I'm so curious about the design of the ECS... can't wait to flip the back seat forward to take a closer look.

Storm Trooper said:

This is the review I've been looking for Knickell, thanks for taking the time to share details of your experience! I ordered the Unleashed system hoping for the best, sounds like I made a good call.

I'm so curious about the design of the ECS... can't wait to flip the back seat forward to take a closer look.

Click to expand...

Happy to help! Looking back, I probably should have got a video of me trying out the audio, but I figured the mic on the phone recording it, wouldn’t be detailed enough to do it justice. However, a few quick snippets I’ve heard of the B&O Unleashed system in review videos, it sounds great (that’s probably just me embellishing a bit!).

Yea, the tradition of the F-150 having a fully flat load floor makes it pretty difficult to put a full size subwoofer anywhere in the cab. I wish I would have looked at the event, but I’d say it’s still probably somewhere on the wall of the bed. Someone a few weeks back actually posted a diagram of where all the speakers for the base and Unleashed systems are positioned throughout the cabin. I’ll try to post it here if I can find it.

Okay, I think I found them! Here are some photos from what appears to be a Ford dealer/staff event showcasing the 2021 Ford F-150. The person there got some photos of the Bang & Olufsen display. I apologize in advance, the photos aren’t the clearest.

If anyone has any other input or knowledge of what or where some of these speakers might go inside the truck, feel free to chime in!

Diagrams of both the 8 speaker and 18 speaker ? systems. The blue dots denote their locations

Bang & Olufsen 8 speaker system diagram close up:

Bang & Olufsen Unleashed diagram close up:

Bang & Olufsen signage for the event:

A center channel outside of its enclosure (confirmed):

Maybe another center, or possibly the Externally Coupled Subwoofer (again not entirely certain):

Rear B&O Unleashed Headrest speaker with clear/translucent cover:

Another shot of the B&O Unleashed Headrest speaker with clear/translucent cover. Also a section of headlining showing the headliner mounted speaker and speaker grille in the forefront:

Rear of a fully enclosed B&O Unleashed headrest speaker:

Knickell said:

From what I can tell, the 2018 F-150s had a ten speaker B&O Play system with 675 total watts. This included a thin style subwoofer mounted behind the rear seat on the bed wall of the truck.

Keep in mind “B&O Play” was designed and marketed as an entry level premium sound system for Ford for the 2018/2019 model years. All the press releases and other info I’ve seen so far for Bang & Olufsen for no longer label themselves as “B&O Play” for 2021 Ford models. This could be Ford’s attempt to keep moving the F-150 up market.

The Bang & Olufsen sound system in the 2021 F-150 is listed as having eight speakers rated at 640 watts with an “Externally Coupled Subwoofer (ECS)”. This is supposed to be a slim, space saving subwoofer.

I wouldn’t get too caught up in the fact that the base 2021 B&O system makes less overall power than the earlier B&O Play systems. I have seen review videos where Ford representatives have said they allowed the staff at B&O to have pretty much free reign over the 2021 F-150’s interior in an effort to get the best sound possible. Whereas other manufacturers and vehicles give audio companies set spaces/locations and parameters to abide by.

Although I haven’t heard the base B&O system for the 2021 F-150 yet, I think it’s safe to say it will be an adequate improvement from the generation thirteen F-150s.

Also, in my opinion, because B&O Play was marketed as a cheaper and/or entry level Bang & Olufsen sound system, they may have used cheaper and lesser quality speaker cones, drivers, wires, and other components that could be different than the ones used in the generation fourteen F-150.

In reference to the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed system, it comes with eighteen speakers producing 1,080 watts. It’s two main features are headrest and headliner mounted speakers for the front row of the truck. It also uses an “Externally Coupled Subwoofer”, likely the same one that’s used in the base B&O system.

I consider myself a bit of an audiophile. After listening to the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed at one of the test drive events, I was amazed. In other cars, headliner and head rest mounted speakers were gimmicky and, in my opinion, hurt the sound of the system. This was not the case at all in the F-150. The overall sound was very clear and immersive. It’s hard to explain but the combination of the headliner and head rest speakers kind of created a shower of sound, and it was really a cool experience. Overall loudness of a system is only as good as how well the speakers maintain their clarity without getting distorted. I tried several genres of music on the B&O Unleashed system at a pretty high volume (around 20ish out of 30, if I recall), and that was plenty for me. I also didn’t want to deafen the Ford rep. who was also in the truck.

Since being able to hear it at the test drive event, the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed system was a non-negotiable option for me on my order. As the clock ticks the days and weeks away until I take delivery, the thing I’m probably looking forward to most about the truck is hearing that sound system again!

Anyway, ending my tirade. Here is the media release from Harman, the parent company of Bang & Olufsen, for the new sound systems for the 2021 Ford F-150 with additional information:

https://news.harman.com/blog/blog_articles-20200629

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I just noticed a week or so ago that my build has the unleashed system--I guess my salesman decided I must have needed that! Ha! Would have been happy with just a decent radio, but maybe it'll make my boys jealous of the old man!

Knickell said:

From what I can tell, the 2018 F-150s had a ten speaker B&O Play system with 675 total watts. This included a thin style subwoofer mounted behind the rear seat on the bed wall of the truck.

Keep in mind “B&O Play” was designed and marketed as an entry level premium sound system for Ford for the 2018/2019 model years. All the press releases and other info I’ve seen so far for Bang & Olufsen for no longer label themselves as “B&O Play” for 2021 Ford models. This could be Ford’s attempt to keep moving the F-150 up market.

The Bang & Olufsen sound system in the 2021 F-150 is listed as having eight speakers rated at 640 watts with an “Externally Coupled Subwoofer (ECS)”. This is supposed to be a slim, space saving subwoofer.

I wouldn’t get too caught up in the fact that the base 2021 B&O system makes less overall power than the earlier B&O Play systems. I have seen review videos where Ford representatives have said they allowed the staff at B&O to have pretty much free reign over the 2021 F-150’s interior in an effort to get the best sound possible. Whereas other manufacturers and vehicles give audio companies set spaces/locations and parameters to abide by.

Although I haven’t heard the base B&O system for the 2021 F-150 yet, I think it’s safe to say it will be an adequate improvement from the generation thirteen F-150s.

Also, in my opinion, because B&O Play was marketed as a cheaper and/or entry level Bang & Olufsen sound system, they may have used cheaper and lesser quality speaker cones, drivers, wires, and other components that could be different than the ones used in the generation fourteen F-150.

In reference to the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed system, it comes with eighteen speakers producing 1,080 watts. It’s two main features are headrest and headliner mounted speakers for the front row of the truck. It also uses an “Externally Coupled Subwoofer”, likely the same one that’s used in the base B&O system.

I consider myself a bit of an audiophile. After listening to the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed at one of the test drive events, I was amazed. In other cars, headliner and head rest mounted speakers were gimmicky and, in my opinion, hurt the sound of the system. This was not the case at all in the F-150. The overall sound was very clear and immersive. It’s hard to explain but the combination of the headliner and head rest speakers kind of created a shower of sound, and it was really a cool experience. Overall loudness of a system is only as good as how well the speakers maintain their clarity without getting distorted. I tried several genres of music on the B&O Unleashed system at a pretty high volume (around 20ish out of 30, if I recall), and that was plenty for me. I also didn’t want to deafen the Ford rep. who was also in the truck.

Since being able to hear it at the test drive event, the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed system was a non-negotiable option for me on my order. As the clock ticks the days and weeks away until I take delivery, the thing I’m probably looking forward to most about the truck is hearing that sound system again!

Anyway, ending my tirade. Here is the media release from Harman, the parent company of Bang & Olufsen, for the new sound systems for the 2021 Ford F-150 with additional information:

https://news.harman.com/blog/blog_articles-20200629

Click to expand...

You so hit the nail on the head!

I was at an event also and the thing that amazed me the most I think was, I could not tell where the sound was coming from. It was like hearing the music from all directions and none were louder than the other. A true surround sound I guess is what I'm trying to say.

currybob said:

You so hit the nail on the head!

I was at an event also and the thing that amazed me the most I think was, I could not tell where the sound was coming from. It was like hearing the music from all directions and none were louder than the other. A true surround sound I guess is what I'm trying to say.

Click to expand...

Exactly! I couldn’t quite put my finger on it either. Immersive, or that “shower of sound” is about the only way I know how to describe it!

Knickell said:

Exactly! I couldn’t quite put my finger on it either. Immersive, or that “shower of sound” is about the only way o know how to describe it!

Click to expand...

Agreed!

Bo15 said:

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Damn right I did!!! ARGH! ARGH!! ARGH!!! ARGH!!!! ***In my best Tim the Tool Man Taylor Grunt***

kavm said:

Any idea if there is a payload impact of the B&O unleashed?

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Not a clue. Obviously a little as a result of the extra speaker equipment, but not sure how much. The difference should be nominal.