Volvo S90 powered by Dirac Unison entered audio competition for cars
April 25, 2016
Not many automotive companies would dare to stick out their neck in an audio contest with a standard preinstalled audio system. Volvo did. Volvo S90, perhaps the most advanced Volvo car ever, with a Bowers & Wilkins system powered by Dirac Unison, is the reason.
Volvo S90 and Dirac Unison – sound optimization
During the last phase of the new car’s final tuning, Volvo tuning experts were so pleased that they decided to enter the Swedish Car Audio contest arranged by Sweetspot in Jönköping this year.
The competitors were custom-tuned cars, with no constrains that a production car has, for example with no concern for weight, space or passenger security. Among the competitors were former European champions with custom-made audio installations. In this highly-competitive environment, Volvo still managed to snatch the bronze medal. The judges were all in agreement that Volvo had the best bass of all cars. “Considering the constraints, we are quite pleased about the competition result. It was exciting to hear the judges at the event commenting that none could match the precision and clearness of the bass in S90”, said Niklas Thorin, Strategic Account Director at Dirac Research.
The Volvo S90’s Bowers & Wilkins audio system represents the latest success resulting from the cooperation between Dirac Research, Volvo and Harman. “With Dirac Unison, we spend less time with the time-consuming basic setup and spend more time with the fine tuning to get the optimal result we at Volvo always strive for.” said Fredrik Lyckman, tuning expert at Volvo.
Most people expect muddy and lackluster bass in cars. Car audio systems are also known for phasy sound that makes it difficult to discern individual instruments and vocals. Often the sound stage is trapped in the doors. Dirac Unison changes this. Using an array of acoustic measurements, the technology creates an active acoustic treatment of the listening space as well as an advanced digital multi-speaker optimization. Dirac Unison controls the loudspeakers in real-time, helping them to play in perfect harmony and act cohesively with the room, rather than muddling up the soundstage and creating interference.