B&W Diamond Surround Sound System (BMW 7 Series 2016) hands-on review

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BMW's new 7 Series is covered from top to toe in new in-car audio tech, and features Bowers & Wilkins' Diamond Surround Sound System. We took the car and the system for a quick spin...

There's plenty of technology to get excited about in the new BMW 7 series, not least the 16-speaker, B&W Diamond Surround Sound System (£4675).

Initially launched at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, this is the first time a Bowers & Wilkins in-car sound system has appeared in a BMW - and this system is exclusive to the new 7 Series.

And, although the British speaker manufacturer already has systems in certain Volvo, Maserati and McLaren models, this is the first of the company's in-car audio systems to feature diamond dome tweeters. It's a technology that only tends to feature in the B&W's high-end speaker ranges, such as the new 800 Diamond Series.

MORE: B&W reveals new 800 Series Diamond speakers

But the in-car audio goodness doesn't stop there. You can stream your tunes using Spotify, while there's deeper Napster and Deezer integration that allows you to download tracks to the car's system.

To find out more and see how the set-up fared, including the weirdly-intuitive gesture controls, take a look at our hands-on video above.

MORE: Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System and Virtual Cockpit (Audi TT 2015) hands-on

Andy Madden
Andy Madden

Andy is Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and a consumer electronics journalist with nearly 20 years of experience writing news, reviews and features. Over the years he's also contributed to a number of other outlets, including The Sunday Times, the BBC, Stuff, and BA High Life Magazine. Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he's also keen on car tech and in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the countryside testing the latest set-ups. In his spare time Andy is a keen golfer and gamer.