Generally, convertible owners concede audio fidelity when the top is down but Bang & Olufsen’s new audio system will should let drivers rock-out topless. The system uses some crazy digital processing that involves a dashboard-mounted microphone that compensates for road noise. Currently the 12 speaker, 10 amp’ed, 500 watt system is only available in Audi’s A5/S5 Cabriolet and the pricing hasn’t been released yet. But it’s a B&O system so it probably sounds like a million bucks and with a price tag to match.
None of that is new techknowogy, you can already get radios which up the volume depending on road noise. Infact it all seems a little over the top and bound to be extremely expensive. You could easily use 4 or even 3 amps instead of 10 to lower the power consumption and heat generated.
A great way to buy car audio on a budget is to buy used equipment. Depending on the type of equipment and the history of the unit it may be a great value or it may complete junk.