Space is at a premium in a car’s passenger compartment and interior designers have to find ways to install the various features and equipment. It doesn’t help that over the years, more and more equipment has been introduced and with audio equipment, the number of speakers has increased for what used to be just two to a double-digit number. For example, a Mercedes-Maybach with a Burmester system can have up to 27 speakers.
The specialist audio system companies have been constantly advancing their technologies as well as the designs so the dimensions of speakers have become more compact, allowing them to be more easily and discreetly integrated in panels around the cabin.
However, weight is still an issue and while each speaker is not really heavy, a number of them (especially with magnets) can add weight. Ten speakers could add up to 40 kgs, although tweeters might be insignificant in this respect. And there is still the physical thickness which needs to be accommodated but this too could see a reduction in future.
Engineers at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in America have now developed a loudspeaker that can turn any surface into an active audio source. About the size of a hand, it is paper-thin and weighs about as much as a coin! It will generate high-quality sound no matter what surface the film is bonded to, while using a fraction of the energy required by a traditional loudspeaker.
Apple Music’s Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos is now available as a native experience in Mercedes‑Benz vehicles for the first time, providing occupants with a fully immersive listening experience of studio-quality sound said to be better than in any concert hall.
The limited edition Mercedes‑Maybach by Virgil Abloh was one of the first cars in the world — and the first model in the Mercedes‑Benz line-up — to offer this superior, multi-dimensional soundscape powered by the Burmester high-end 4D sound system. Apple Music with Spatial Audio will also be integrated through the MBUX infotainment system first in the Mercedes‑Maybach S‑Class and then the S-Class and other Mercedes-EQ models.
If you have taken a close look at Mazda models, you will have noticed that the audio systems in the vehicles are often from Bose, a company which has been producing premium audio systems for over 50 years. Bose makes systems for home as well as professional users, and also develops premium sound systems for automobile manufacturers to use as original equipment.
Mazda is one of the companies that Bose has had a long relationship with in this area, having first started working together with the third-generation Mazda RX-7 thirty years ago. While Mazda has long experience in making cars, it also understands that in some areas, it is better to work with specialists in the field to get the best solutions for customers.
Mazda RX-7 FD interior
In the case of the RX-7, the requirements of the team working on the sportscar were to provide powerful bass and impactful sound. In their search for exceptional audio performance that could meet these requirements, the development team came across the Acoustic Wave Cannon system by Bose. The bass reproduction system comprising a 3.6-metre-long tube with a high-power woofer inside provided exactly what Mazda was looking for, and the two companies set to work integrating the speaker technology into the car.
Acoustic Wave Cannon system by Bose.
RX-7 FD
While the task seemed insurmountable at first, an ingenious system of folds and bends allowed the engineers from the two companies to package the long tube into the rear of the car without compromising space or sound quality. “The Acoustic Waveguide technology and the RX-7 made music effortless,” remembers Mike Rosen, Principal Engineer Bose Automotive Systems, who was involved in the project.
The success with the RX-7 led to a continuing relationship with Bose and its systems are offered as premium features in Mazda models. And Bose does more than just supply systems as it also helps to optimize speaker placement for the best sound reproduction in the cabin. While Mazda engineers care a lot about vehicle dynamics, they also know that how the system sounds and the listening experience adds to the driving experience.
One particularly challenging milestone was the MX-5. Providing great sound quality for convertible cars when the top is down is a challenge for manufacturers and sound designers the world over, but Mazda and Bose came up with an innovative solution for the fourth-generation MX-5.
MX-5 interior
MX-5 RF
An EQ switch automatically adjusts the sound setting when the top is down, and Ultra Nearfield speakers embedded directly into the seat headrests allow for an immersive listening experience, even when the roof is open. Furthermore, Bose’s AudioPilot noise compensation technology continuously monitors the noise environment and automatically adjusts the audio playback to any changed circumstances, such as road and wind noise. This way, the driver can focus their attention on the music and driving experience without the need to make manual adjustments.
The latest generation of Mazda cars saw another breakthrough in the 30-year collaboration. In almost all models since the 2019 Mazda3, the woofers were moved from the door panels to the cowl side above the kick panel. This new placement not only frees up space for bigger door pockets, but also contributes to a better sound experience, as the bass energy is reflected by the floor, firewall and kick panel area simultaneously. This corner-loading effect creates a remarkably impactful, rich bass reproduction that is neither overbearing nor prone to rattling.
An aluminium grille fitted over the midrange speakers contributes to both the interior’s premium look and sound quality. The grille protects the speaker, but it causes complex vibrations between the two and affects sound direction. To minimize this, the grille was made thinner and features more holes.
The cowl-side bass enclosures are complemented by an additional subwoofer in the rear to ‘match’ the low-frequency performance across the cabin. The new configuration – aptly called BassMatch – shows its full potential in the all-electric MX-30, because there is no engine sound, the driver and passengers can experience even more detail and a richer audio experience than ever before.
Mazda MX-30
“The acoustics are a lot clearer than in previous models, and you can really feel the expansion of sound,” said Koji Wakamatsu, Assistant Manager in Mazda’s Electrical & Electronics Performance Development Department. “You can enjoy listening to music that sounds exactly as it was intended by its creators,” added Atsushi Hinokidani, an acoustic engineer at Bose.
To know more about Mazda vehicles with Bose sound systems, visit www.mazda.com.my
Music and radio broadcasts have been available in cars for a long time and as automotive as well as audio technologies have progressed, the quality of reproduction has become better and better, comparable even to home audio systems. Developing and tuning audio systems for a car cabin is a specialized field and manufacturers usually collaborate with the best audio companies in the business.
Continental teamed up with audio specialist Sennheiser to develop a speakerless audio system for cars. The unique system fills the vehicle interior with lifelike immersive sound. The two companies are integrating Sennheiser’s patented AMBEO 3D audio technology with Continental’s Ac2ated Sound system.
Continental’s innovative concept abandons conventional speaker technology altogether, instead employing select surfaces in the vehicle interior to produce sound. Combined with Sennheiser’s AMBEO Mobility, the concept achieves a 3D sound reproduction that envelopes passengers in an incredibly detailed and vivid soundscape and lets them enjoy their in-car entertainment to the fullest.
Space-saving and lighter
In comparison to conventional audio systems, Ac2ated Sound enables a reduction of weight and space of up to 90%. In this way, the system not only produces the highest audio quality but is also ideal for electric vehicles, where saving space and weight is a high priority.
“For Ac2ated Sound, we have brought together the highest levels of expertise in the areas of acoustics, infotainment and vehicle design. In Sennheiser, we have found an audio expert who helped us make our pioneering audio system even better,” said Helmut Matschi, Member of the Executive Board and Head of the business area Vehicle Networking and Information at Continental. “Together, we have developed an audio system that creates premium sound out of nowhere. Additionally, Ac2ated Sound reduces space and weight. At Continental, we call this sustainability that’s music to your ears.”
Weight savings with the speakerless system make it ideal for electric vehicles.
Transforming the vehicle into an instrument
Inspired by the technology of classical string instruments, which use their wooden body as a resonance chamber, specially developed actuators excite specific surfaces in the vehicle interior. The result is an extremely natural sound experience for the occupants, who feel as if they are sitting in a concert hall surrounded by sound.
Additionally, in comparison with conventional speaker systems, the audio solution has a much lower weight and significantly reduced box volume. In comparison: With a multitude of components, conventional audio systems weigh up to 40 kgs and by using already existing surfaces, Ac2ated Sound is distinctly more efficient in saving space. It achieves a reduction between 75% and 90% in contrast to existing conventional systems on the market.
Space for speakers in door panels or other parts of the cabin won’t be required.
At the same time, the ‘invisible’ audio technology gives vehicle designers and manufacturers the freedom to do more with an automobile’s interior as they no longer need to accommodate speaker faces that take up valuable space. With Ac2ated Sound, many components are unnecessary because the surfaces in the vehicle vibrate just like speaker diaphragms.
Just as Lexus and Mark Levinson have had a long relationship (almost 20 years) in the area of audio systems, Bentley has collaborated with Naim for the past 10 years, in the development of the most powerful, best-in-class in-car audio systems. The latest ‘Naim for Bentley’ is said to set a global benchmark for interactive sound technology offering occupants concert hall quality sound.
Naim for Bentley delivers the world’s most advanced music systems, both inside the world’s most prestigious road cars and also for listeners at home. Bentley’s new Flying Spur has Naim’s superlative audio system seamlessly integrated into state-of-the-art British craftsmanship.
21 speakers and 2,200-watt amplification
The sound system features 21 speakers with 2,200-watt amplification and Active Bass Transducers. Eight DSP sounds modes are available and the car exhibits illuminated speaker grilles. Sound settings can be accessed via an elegant 12.3-inch HD touchscreen interface at the centre of the dashboard. Customers can configure this in a variety of ways: as a single display, split 2:1 or showing different functions at the same time. The overall designs highlights simplicity of use with a contemporary and elevated aesthetic.
Aiming to break sonic boundaries
Bentley Motors and Naim Audio are now working together to create new products for 2020 which continue to break sonic boundaries. The close confines of a car cabin capable of travelling at speeds of over 320 km/h, combined with engine, road and wind noise, provide a challenge for Naim’s engineers, quite unlike the demands of achieving best replay performance in the home or studio.
To bring true Naim sound quality into this unique space, engineers of the two companies have flatly rejected traditional approaches, in the process rewriting the rulebook of in-car audio systems. The result? New worldwide benchmarks for in-cabin sound technology and incredible depth of music quality that has to be heard to be believed.
Naim is a Queen’s Award winner for its innovation and having recently come out with a trailblazing Digital Signal Processing (DSP) system, it realised it could apply an all-new approach to the in-car implementation. The DSP system would find itself at the very heart of the Naim for Bentley audio system, enabling a degree of tuning previously not possible, ensuring optimal sound performance whatever the speed or road conditions.
Each new generation of Bentley has seen a refinement and an update from the original Naim for Bentley audio system. Beginning as a 15 speaker – 1,100-watt system in 2008, the system has evolved into a 2,200-watt amplifier feeding 21 speakers as featured in the new Flying Spur.
Bentley Flying Spur
The Naim for Bentley system has been designed to maintain performance even when the roof of the Continental GT Convertible is down, and as Bentley evolves its hybrid car line, beginning with the Bentayga Hybrid, the even quieter engines offer a different audio environment to design for altogether.
Unique Digital Signal Processor solution
Naim has engineered a unique Digital Signal Processor (DSP) solution for the Naim for Bentley audio system. This innovative technology offers a range of modes to optimise the in-car soundstage, depending on seating position and listening preferences. It ensures ultimate audio performance is maintained whatever the speed or road conditions.
In celebration of their longstanding partnership with Bentley Motors, Naim has introduced the new special edition Naim for Bentley Mu-so range of wireless music systems.
While class-leading, with an extremely powerful amplifier, the Naim for Bentley system is more than just a sound system. It has been engineered to deliver a true high-fidelity experience matched to the refinement of the Bentley experience.
Naim for Bentley’s audio system is compatible with Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer and allows customers to enjoy their own choice of music, digital radio or spoken word media such as audio books and podcasts.
