TheAudioGuy
New Member
The car audio world is filled with a bunch of snake-oil. A lot of it is outright garbage. Some premium audio systems are measurable and subjectively much better than others, but most of it is just plain vanilla. Some victims of the placebo effect claim to hear a difference in quality and frequency even when an oscilloscope can barely even pick up the differences if any.
Audiophiles differ in their opinions of what makes a good audio system. Having studied the field myself for a fair few years now, I’ve come to the conclusion that a good audio system is one in which the cross over between low and mid frequencies and mid and high frequencies is what really defines a good stereo system. It’s not about the outright power like in the 1920W Naim Audio System found in the Bentley Bentayga and nor is it to do with the number of speakers like in the Mercedes Maybach S650 which has a whopping 27 speakers with 24 amplifier channels from Burmester. The simple fact is most amplifiers have either simple low or high-pass filters, or a configurable crossover for each channel set. The purpose of filters and crossovers is to provide the correct frequencies to each speaker. A low-pass filter blocks high frequencies, and a high-pass filter blocks the low. If the exact cutoff frequency is fixed, you have a simple filter. If you can adjust the low- and high-pass frequencies, you have a fully-featured crossover. This allows you to control the exact frequencies at which the sound crosses from one speaker to another because as we know, there are three basic types of speakers in any system; bass, mid-range and treble. Each of these speakers operates at a different set of frequencies, which combine together to produce one final sound output.
Now that the not-so-basic basics are out of the way, let me tell you in my opinion, why I feel car audio systems with big names like Bowers & Wilkins and Bang & Olufsen really don’t match their equivalent counterparts in their home audio division. Firstly, it’s to do with space. Volvo’s XC90 T8 Inscription has 19 speakers and 1400W of power from its Bowers & Wilkins Audio system which apparently after 1000s of hours of testing can reproduce the exact sound as that of the Gothenburg Concert Hall where Volvo are based out of. But let’s be realistic for a second. How can a 4.95m long SUV have nearly as much volume as any auditorium let alone the massive 500m2 Gothenburg Concert Hall? And space plays a huge part on the way sound travels in any particular medium or direction. Secondly, materials. One look at Gothenburg’s Concert Hall and one can easily point out two main materials being used; the soft fabric seats and the hardwood paneling on the stage, the floor, the walls and the roof.
Whereas in Contrast the Volvo has about one-millionth the amount of wood albeit, very fine grain non-lacquered wood inside it and the remaining majority of the interior is a bit of metal, plastic and a lot of very high quality leather. Again, sound is hugely dependent on the material in which it is produced from and materials through which it is reflected from as it reaches its destination, i.e., your eardrums. So how can a British audio manufacturer claim to make a sound system for a Swedish car that replicates a Swedish Auditorium? Don’t get me wrong; I am by no means just outright criticizing these car audio systems. I think that as sound system, it is everything and more you could ever need from an audio system. Albeit it’s the only super high-end car audio system I have heard till now. The Highs aren’t too high and the lows aren’t too low and the bass is just there when you try to pinpoint it out from the rest. More over, the speakers themselves are a treat to look at.
So in conclusion, I feel that these are just marketing gimmicks by both the car and audio manufacturers. You’re not going to get the same quality of sound from a $1,400 Bose Audio system in a 911 Carrera as you would with a base $3000 base 5.1 home theatre system or even a $1000 sound bar. On one hand, the audio seller is getting a lot of publicity through each owner of these cars with this system while on the other, the car manufacturers don’t have to go through the R&D headaches of creating a good system, which they can put their own name onto. In my opinion, just put the damn thing in Sports mode and listen to whatever induction and exhaust sound your car comes free with*.
* Subject to whether your car runs on old dinosaurs or Benjamin Franklin’s controversial discovery.
Audiophiles differ in their opinions of what makes a good audio system. Having studied the field myself for a fair few years now, I’ve come to the conclusion that a good audio system is one in which the cross over between low and mid frequencies and mid and high frequencies is what really defines a good stereo system. It’s not about the outright power like in the 1920W Naim Audio System found in the Bentley Bentayga and nor is it to do with the number of speakers like in the Mercedes Maybach S650 which has a whopping 27 speakers with 24 amplifier channels from Burmester. The simple fact is most amplifiers have either simple low or high-pass filters, or a configurable crossover for each channel set. The purpose of filters and crossovers is to provide the correct frequencies to each speaker. A low-pass filter blocks high frequencies, and a high-pass filter blocks the low. If the exact cutoff frequency is fixed, you have a simple filter. If you can adjust the low- and high-pass frequencies, you have a fully-featured crossover. This allows you to control the exact frequencies at which the sound crosses from one speaker to another because as we know, there are three basic types of speakers in any system; bass, mid-range and treble. Each of these speakers operates at a different set of frequencies, which combine together to produce one final sound output.
Now that the not-so-basic basics are out of the way, let me tell you in my opinion, why I feel car audio systems with big names like Bowers & Wilkins and Bang & Olufsen really don’t match their equivalent counterparts in their home audio division. Firstly, it’s to do with space. Volvo’s XC90 T8 Inscription has 19 speakers and 1400W of power from its Bowers & Wilkins Audio system which apparently after 1000s of hours of testing can reproduce the exact sound as that of the Gothenburg Concert Hall where Volvo are based out of. But let’s be realistic for a second. How can a 4.95m long SUV have nearly as much volume as any auditorium let alone the massive 500m2 Gothenburg Concert Hall? And space plays a huge part on the way sound travels in any particular medium or direction. Secondly, materials. One look at Gothenburg’s Concert Hall and one can easily point out two main materials being used; the soft fabric seats and the hardwood paneling on the stage, the floor, the walls and the roof.
Whereas in Contrast the Volvo has about one-millionth the amount of wood albeit, very fine grain non-lacquered wood inside it and the remaining majority of the interior is a bit of metal, plastic and a lot of very high quality leather. Again, sound is hugely dependent on the material in which it is produced from and materials through which it is reflected from as it reaches its destination, i.e., your eardrums. So how can a British audio manufacturer claim to make a sound system for a Swedish car that replicates a Swedish Auditorium? Don’t get me wrong; I am by no means just outright criticizing these car audio systems. I think that as sound system, it is everything and more you could ever need from an audio system. Albeit it’s the only super high-end car audio system I have heard till now. The Highs aren’t too high and the lows aren’t too low and the bass is just there when you try to pinpoint it out from the rest. More over, the speakers themselves are a treat to look at.
So in conclusion, I feel that these are just marketing gimmicks by both the car and audio manufacturers. You’re not going to get the same quality of sound from a $1,400 Bose Audio system in a 911 Carrera as you would with a base $3000 base 5.1 home theatre system or even a $1000 sound bar. On one hand, the audio seller is getting a lot of publicity through each owner of these cars with this system while on the other, the car manufacturers don’t have to go through the R&D headaches of creating a good system, which they can put their own name onto. In my opinion, just put the damn thing in Sports mode and listen to whatever induction and exhaust sound your car comes free with*.
* Subject to whether your car runs on old dinosaurs or Benjamin Franklin’s controversial discovery.
