You'll find a Beats by Dre audio system in the Fiat Beats 500L
You'll find a Beats by Dre audio system in the Fiat Beats 500L
The world of automotive sound design is changing. No longer is it adequate to have an AM/FM radio. Long gone are the days of boasting about the humble subwoofer. These days, cars are chipped with intelligent speakers, 3D soundscapes and smart interfaces. What a time to be alive.
Whether you want to be immersed in pure, 24-speaker sound serenity or you’re pursuing an exact acoustic recreation of the studio in which your favourite track was recorded, we’ve had a look at the cars destined to impress audiophiles and chosen our top of the pops.
There’s plenty to love about the Volvo XC90 – it’s wooed critics with its distinguished Scandinavian design (Thor’s hammer headlights, anyone?) and vast interior space. But this Viking has a voice too – and it’s dazzling. If you happen to have seen their YouTube ad, you’ll know that the boffins at Volvo have fine-tuned the optional 19-speaker stereo to replicate the acoustic qualities of the Gothenburg Concert Hall – reportedly taking 800 measurements to get it just right. If that’s not dedication to getting a spot-on soundscape, we’re not sure what is.
The sassy little Fiat 500L gets a serious sound injection from the doctor with its very own Beats by Dre collaboration. Six speakers and an intelligent subwoofer combine to create what’s claimed to be ‘an experience as close as possible to what the artist intended in the studio’. It even looks a little bit like a pair of Beats headphones – all piano black surfaces and red accents. With its polished, holistic design, playful driving style and immersive sound system we think it’s a petite treat with a whole lot of beat.
Time for a truly sparkling collaboration – and this time it’s the BMW 7 Series and Bowers & Wilkins. You can now specify the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System, which has been designed exclusively for the 7 Series, as an optional extra. The system uses specially grown diamonds to enhance the sounds produced by its 16 speakers. As if having a BMW in which to luxuriate wasn’t enough. Close the door and find yourself encased within the automotive equivalent of a sound stage, with clarion vocals that will make you feel like you’re in an episode of Carpool Karaoke with Damien Rice. Sound a little extravagant? There’s always the option of specifying a diamond-free but still delectable Bang & Olufsen or Harman Kardon sound system to make your music sing.
Speaking of luxury, if a Mercedes-Benz is more your thing, the S Class, with its gamut of swoon-inducing tech, will make your heart slam faster than a tennis ball in a centrifuge. Such sensations need a fitting audio experience to back them up, so be sure to specify the Burmester sound system, offering a three-dimensional sound experience that makes Sydney Opera House look a little on the amateur side. Devised by sound-design maestro Dieter Burmester, it’s been tweaked to create an immersive soundscape that will delight purists. No fewer than 24 speakers, roof panel loudspeaker and menu of listening settings await to show you exactly why you invested in all those .FLAC files.
