UK (Commonwealth) _Sometimes a newcomer to the automobile market introduces the most innovative products in a certain category. Collaboration between unknown technicians and outsiders is more likely to occur, which is the main goal of the Audio Foundry. This confederation boasts a tech-center sandbox in Wales, U.K., where automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, cutting-edge technology providers, and prestigious institutions may collaborate to study innovative audio solutions.
It functions as a makerspace/think-tank for automotive audio development. Software development tools, an SUV-sized acoustic listening buck that is readily movable and customizable, fast prototyping tools, and more are all included in the facility. Dirac, Tymphany, and Trèves Group, three Foundry members, showcased some of their most recent products at CES 2024, and we were impressed by them all.
Sonified Carpet Speakers: Is That True?
The canvas roof on the iconic Citroën 2CV was interior textiles supplier Trèves Group’s first automotive product. However, the group recently came up with a novel use for those exciters, which can be used to turn an entire panel into a speaker—just think of the pickup bed speaker on a Honda Ridgeline. This technology has generally been used to stiff door or dash panels and similar items when it has been suggested for use within the cabin; nevertheless, over time, these panels may develop buzz, squeak, or rattle issues.
Trèves wants to use its Sonified product to pick a panel that is exactly the right size and shape, put a transducer on it, and then hang it in the foam underlayment of a carpet set? The air held within each of the foam’s individual cells provides the capacity of a sizable area, such as a trunk. That substance is a honeycomb material wrapped in polyurethane, similar to what package shelves are made of.
For contrast, the Sonified system was showcased in a Tesla Model Y that still had its original audio system installed. The Sonified system made use of the two tweeters and three mid-range speakers included in the Tesla, but it disabled the door speakers in favor of the two panel speakers that were positioned beneath carpet on the center console’s sides.
Two subwoofers in the carpet beneath the front seats have taken the place of the subwoofer in the cargo area. Since they are more near every person’s ears, they don’t need to be as loud. Speaking of which, each front headrest also has two Sonified speakers installed. The ability to reproduce sound from 12,000 to 60 or 80 Hz—the range where most compact speakers bottom out at 130 Hz—is a big benefit of these. This improves their ability to suppress tire or road noise, which is their side gig, significantly.
Both systems played a song that was a favorite of Donald Fagan’s, with the Sonified panel speakers having a little richer and warmer tone. Bass drum “kicks” also appear a little bit harsher, maybe because a standard dome speaker with a driver at its center operates differently from the rigid panel, which launches sound simultaneously throughout.
Although several Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEs) have requested that each passenger have their own separate sound sphere, these headrest speakers will nonetheless vibrate your hair if and when you really lay your head on them. The technology is ready to develop if any OE clients bite this week, and the materials are not pricey (the porous box these speakers reside in is produced from discarded mattresses).
ADI/Tymphany Detachable Base Sound Design
The manufacturer of the Rivian camp speaker and the 2024 Toyota Tacoma JBL removable speaker, in a convergence of consumer and automotive audio, suggests a new, affordable base audio system that might include a larger removable rear unit with a subwoofer and a three-speaker center-dash array made up of a fixed monaural speaker and a two-speaker removable unit meant to reflect a 3D sound stage off the windshield. An amplifier and a digital sound processor are also included. Removing these components from the head unit should make the wiring and head unit simpler. And it did sound fairly nice, in a CES 2024 booth, anyhow.
Faking Dolby Atmos Until They Get It Right
The Lucid Air and other vehicles have impressive Dolby Atmos systems, but the only way to really appreciate them is to listen to content that has been produced in Dolby Atmos, which is still a very small portion of all available video.
The Swedish company Dirac, whose digital signal processing we’ve discussed can “erase an interior,” has created a technique to “upsample” stereo recordings in order to replicate Atmos. Dirac also does typical upsampling, which separates the audio into seven distinct channels, by focusing primarily on the different frequency ranges. To find hints about the room—the recording space—they also use a digital ear to examine a recording. There are two more channels dedicated to doing this.
