3D Surround Sound For Cars

  • At concept stage
  • Co-pro between Audi and B&O
  • Intelligent distribution the key

Danish sound specialist Bang & Olufsen has developed 3D sound technology for the car-audio sector, together with Audi and Fraunhofer IIS, the main inventor of mp3.

  • At concept stage
  • Co-pro between Audi and B&O
  • Intelligent distribution the key

Danish sound specialist Bang & Olufsen has developed 3D sound technology for the car-audio sector, together with Audi and Fraunhofer IIS, the main inventor of mp3.  Under the partnership, the 3D audio solution was introduced in an Audi Q7 Concept Car, at CES.

This listening experience is based on an approach that is said to combine the expertise of the Audi and Bang & Olufsen acoustic engineers with the 3D sound know-how of the Fraunhofer team. The new 3D sound system takes any music of the user to the third dimension by a careful analysis built on psycho-acoustic knowledge. This analysis enables the intelligent distribution of the input signal to the loudspeakers in the car creating a highly realistic three-dimensional sound impression. With no more than a push of a button on the Audi Multi Media Interface, the user can adjust the settings and produce an individual level of 3D intensity.

The concept car has 23 active loudspeakers and more than 1500 watts of amplification power, driven by a new 23 channel DSP Most amplifier. The loudspeakers have been selected to complement the architecture inside the car and create the unique sense of listening to music inside a concert auditorium. Included in the package are:

  • Two loudspeakers in the dashboard center (tweeter and broadband)
  • Two tweeters in the dashboard (left/right) with acoustic lens technology
  • One mid-high loudspeaker in each A pillar
  • One tweeter in each A pillar
  • Two loudspeakers in each front door with a woofer and a midrange
  • Three loudspeakers in each rear door with a woofer, midrange and a tweeter
  • Two surround loudspeakers in each D pillar, consisting of a tweeter and broadband
  • One closed subwoofer box in the spare wheel compartment

All loudspeakers are covered by high-grade aluminium grilles. In addition, the two dashboard speakers use Bang & Olufsen’s patented acoustic lens technology for accurate sound reproduction. The Acoustic Lens Technology was first fitted to the Audi A8 and its major feature is the way it uniformly disperses high frequencies, broadening it to 180 degrees while at the same time limiting vertical reflections. This provides detailed acoustic staging from any seat of the car.