Looking Through the Audiophiles
Sound systems in cars have been a huge part of the driving experience ever since the first radios started showing up in vehicles about a hundred years ago. Actually, music was probably there from the get go - just provided by humans and instruments instead of electricity and speakers. Someone with a guitar or accordion in the seat of a Benz Patent Motorwagen isn’t really much of a stretch to imagine.
These days, plenty of car brands shack up with snazzy audio companies to promote each other’s wares. Some collaborations aren’t much more than marketing fluff, with a few logos and the like scattered around the cabin on speaker grilles. Others are far more serious and involved enterprises, resulting in a sound which would rival some of the best in-home entertainment systems. Seriously - some of them are that good.
[Images: Acura, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz]
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One of the best for its day was the initial effort by Acura and its ELS Studio 3D system. Some variants incorporated 16 speakers driven by over 700 watts of power, placing speakers everywhere from doors to roof and creating the type of immersive experience not generally found outside of expensive home theaters. Its RDX crossover was the sweet spot, with a cabin sized almost perfectly for the system - more open than the TLX to let the music breathe but smaller than the MDX in which some of the music got lost. If you can find one on the used market (preferably in bright blue with a red interior), jump on it.
Infiniti gets its share of flak when compared with rivals from the likes of BMW and Audi but its Klipsch audio system, debuting in the mighty QX80, is one of the most tremendous sound experiences on sale in a new vehicle today. Driven by 24 speakers specifically designed for the gargantuan SUV, the setup includes a set of headrest-mounted speakers.
Also on board are a pair of titanium tweeters, four roof-mounted units, and an eight-inch subwoofer. And while top shelf gear doesn’t assure a great listening experience, especially in a moving vehicle, this system is tuned to truly give a concert-like experience to all hands. Best of all? Klipsch has its roots in America.
Burmester has been part of high-end Mercedes audio systems for ages and is currently offered in just about all the high-dollar models across the Merc range. Some of the Maybach-grade configurations have over 30 speakers, all working to immerse occupants with a type of sound which could make one image the band to which they are listening is standing right there on the dashboard. A so-called ring radiator is used to reproduce even the finest details in the high-frequency range.
The use of powerful yet efficient hybrid amplifiers crank out up to 1,750 watts, a sum we think is more than a Motörhead concert. As a bonus, the snazziest Mercs and Maybachs can be equipped with a 4D Surround Sound System. This tech uses so-called exciters as structure-borne sound transducers integrated into the seats, transferring rhythms of the music to the bodies of passengers. In other words, you feel the thump.
