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BMW coding online

B&W Audio Profiles.

Your audio system carries more sound profiles in its software than the menu shows. We unlock the additional sound settings, and you pick in iDrive the profile that suits your music best.

25 €

Check before you order Needs the Harman Kardon or Bowers & Wilkins sound system. It does not work with the basic HiFi. Check your VIN on WhatsApp

About 5 minutes online100% remoteReversible in a later, paid sessionOne payment, no subscription

01 / B&W Audio Profiles

How this feature works

  1. 01

    We connect to the amplifier

    Through the ENET cable and a laptop we change the coding of the audio module. Speakers and amplifier stay the same.

  2. 02

    We reveal the profiles

    Additional profiles and settings appear in the sound menu, ones the system had inside but did not show.

  3. 03

    You listen and choose

    Switch between the profiles while driving and keep the one that sounds best in your car.

02 / B&W Audio Profiles

What you get

  • Additional sound profiles unlocked in the audio menu
  • A short listening comparison while the session is still running
  • Your current equaliser settings stay
  • About 5 minutes online, on its own or together with other services

03 / B&W Audio Profiles

What changes in the car

The Sound Profiles menu in iDrive with Studio, Concert, On stage and Rear, with a Bowers & Wilkins concert hall behind it

Example from a Bowers & Wilkins system: the Sound Profiles menu with Studio, Concert and On stage. You switch the profiles in this menu while driving.

The Bowers & Wilkins and Harman Kardon systems in a BMW are a separate amplifier with a sound processor. It decides how every speaker plays, and it is where the sound profiles live: equaliser, stage and surround settings.

Some of these settings the manufacturer shows only in selected models or markets. Coding makes them available in your car, with no change to the wiring and no new hardware.

The effect depends on the system: the biggest difference is heard in Bowers & Wilkins and Harman Kardon. With the base speakers the change is small, which is why we ask about the equipment first.

Good to know

The profiles work in the Harman Kardon and Bowers & Wilkins systems. The basic HiFi has no such settings; if you do not know which system your car has, check the VIN before buying.

04 / FAQ

Questions about this service

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Which audio systems does it work with?

Best with Bowers & Wilkins and Harman Kardon. With the base speakers the difference is small; ask us on WhatsApp if unsure.

Will my current settings be lost?

No. Your equaliser settings stay; you only gain more profiles to choose from.

Will the sound be louder?

We do not change the amplifier power. The character of the sound changes: bass, stage and the clarity of voices, depending on the profile you choose.

Can I go back to the factory sound?

Yes, at any time. The factory profile stays in the menu, and the coding can be reversed in a later session.