Premium sound in a new design to debut at Paris Motorshow
PARIS 27 September 2012 – Thanks to the fully integrated premium sound system of harman/kardon, a brand of the HARMAN Group (NYSE:HAR), the new Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake – presented at this year’s Paris Motorshow – isn’t merely a design revolution, but also offers highest demands for an excellent listener experience rich in detail. The combination of a high-end DSP amplifier and carefully positioned speakers in the vehicle enables balanced and surround sound characteristics in all seats – without tiresome readjustment.
The new sound system features five 80 mm ALumaprene speakers, one in the dashboard, each of the front doors and in the D-pillars. It also has four 43 mm tweeters located in the mirror sails and the rear doors. In addition, the front and rear doors have four 165 mm ALumaprene speakers and there is a 200 mm double voice-coil subwoofer in an enclosed box located in the rear.
The system is rounded out by a harman/kardon high-performance DSP amplifier and booster with 610-watt total output and Logic7 surround audio processing to provide for the highest quality sound experience. HARMAN has brought its profound knowledge of acoustics and psychoacoustics in this brand new car sound technology, which evaluates hundreds of parameters and independently generates the appropriate filters, corrects speaker delay differences, and sets optimum volume levels of individual channels. The output of the main amplifier ensures extraordinary dynamism and high power reserves when reproducing challenging instruments and impulses. Whether it be trips with the family or on the way to sports, all types of music are optimally reproduced with faithful, 3-dimensional sound and provide the highest levels of comfort on board.
A new innovative sound system, delivered by harman/kardon features also the Mercedes A-Class – also being exhibited at the Paris Motorshow. Metal matrix diaphragms have been replaced by ALumaprene diaphragms, which consist of a specially developed polymer and magnet system. These provide greater dynamism and increased effectiveness and are an important step in the direction of energy-saving, efficient speakers. They are particularly lightweight modules with excellent damping characteristics, preventing resonances.
It features three 80 mm ALumaprene speakers, in the dashboard and the rear, four 43 mm dome tweeters, in the mirror sails and in the rear doors, plus four 165 mm ALumaprene speakers in the front and rear doors. It also has a 168 mm double voice-coil subwoofer in a closed box in the rear and the harman/kardon high-performance DSP amplifier with 450-watt total output and Logic7 surround audio.
“We are pleased to be part of the new A-Class with our completely new designed harman/kardon surround sound system The opportunity to start with a blank sheet of paper rarely comes up in automotive development. Our high quality sound system creates a bridge to a younger target group with its remarkable and dynamic sound”, said Sachin Lawande, Executive Vice President and Co-President, Lifestyle and Infotainment.
He continued: “The quality of the sound system has become more relevant due to the world’s first integration of Apple iPhones, and in the future Android smartphones, with the A-Class. Many users have various audio files and their favourite music saved on their iPhone/smartphone, which they can now enjoy in the car with full power output of the harman/kardon sound system”.
