Bang & Olufsen In-Car Entertainment
In-Car Entertainment
Nice ICE, baby!
Press Release March 2005
Bang & Olufsen develops exclusive audio system for the Audi A8
Bang & Olufsen, the Danish manufacturer of quality designed audio and video products, and Audi will soon be presenting a musical experience for luxury class cars unlike any previously achieved. The sound distribution and stereo image are perfect, no matter where you sit in the Audi A8, and the sound level matches the best high-end stereo systems for the home. This new and unique audio system was made possible by close cooperation between Audi and Bang & Olufsen.
Audi and Bang & Olufsen will be presenting the new audio sound system - a world first - in the new Audi A8 at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in the autumn. The new system has been specially adapted to the conditions inside the car, providing a unique musical experience while driving. This musical experience is achieved partly by the use of Acoustic Lens Technology, exclusively licensed to Bang & Olufsen and which ensures an even horizontal dispersion of higher frequencies into the car interior, and partly by digital, patented ICEPower technology, which supplies the 14 speakers with 1,100 watts of power.
The name of Bang & Olufsen has been linked to top of the line audio and video products for decades. Bang & Olufsen’s products offer outstanding design, quality, ease of use and top performance. Until now Bang & Olufsen’s products were only able to achieve their full potential in the home, but the cooperation with Audi means that it will soon be possible to experience this sound in the car as well, where many of us are spending an increasing amount of time. After all, heavy traffic on the motorways and roads means that going to work or getting to an appointment takes longer than ever. The new Bang & Olufsen sound system makes every trip much more pleasurable, and the driver and passengers can experience unparalleled music quality while on the road.
“We are very happy about our new cooperation with Audi. Bang & Olufsen has developed specialist knowledge and expertise in the field of hi-fi and video over decades. Likewise, Audi has established its position in the car industry through Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System innovation and quality. Both companies were driven by the ambition to give the customer optimal enjoyment and a unique experience. This was why Audi was exactly the right partner for Bang & Olufsen when we wanted to launch a new, unique high-end audio system on the market,” says Torben Ballegaard Sørensen, President and CEO of Bang & Olufsen.
Audi also has great expectations for its new cooperation with Bang & Olufsen. “The character of the Audi A8 as the most dynamic saloon car in the luxury segment is moulded by trend-setting design and technology, and the Bang & Olufsen Sound System specially developed for the A8 rounds this off perfectly,” says Audi’s CEO, Dr Winterkorn.
Bang & Olufsen has been working for many years on the development of high-quality speakers and amplifiers. In the past few years this development has reached new heights in the form of BeoLab 5, a full-digital platform loudspeaker that utilises Acoustic Lens Technology and four ICEPower amplifiers, delivering 2500 Watts of power. The loudspeaker was presented to the international trade press in October 2004 and received the highest praise. The same technological concept as the BeoLab 5 has now been further developed and adapted to in-car conditions. This has led to a completely new kind of audio system for the car, which sets a new standard and which will be available from this autumn in the Audi A8.
Acoustic Lens Technology
The Acoustic Lens Technology for the sound system in the Audi A8 has previously been used in the BeoLab 5 and BeoLab 3 loudspeakers. Acoustic Lens Technology was developed by Sausalito Audio Works of California, USA and is exclusively licensed to Bang & Olufsen for use in free-standing loudspeakers.
More about Acoustic Lens Technology
Bang & Olufsen gave the first public presentation of its new in-car entertainment system at the international car fair in Paris
"The objective is the most natural sound reproduction possible. A sound to match the best home stereo systems". This is the motto used by Project Manager Bjarne Sorensen to describe Bang & Olufsen's first in-car entertainment system ever presented. The system is called In-Car entertainment and was given its public launch at Mondial de I'Autornobile in Paris at the end of September 2000. This car fair, among the world's largest is attended by exhibitors from all over the world. Bang & Olufsen were represented at the fair in cooperation with our American partner Visteon. Visteon is an internationally well reputed, leading supplier of consumer electronics for car manufacturers worldwide. The partnership with Visteon is based on well-known Bang & Olufsen values and Visteon's considerable reputation and experience in the area of car equipment.
At the Parts car fair Bjarne Sorensen could note a strong interest in In-Car from car firms and the press. *You can't compare us with other products. The new system combines a simplified design with easy. logical operation. For example. the car radio's front of anodised aluminium is very attractive and extremely robust. The CD player for up to 6 CDs is fully integrated in the same cabinet as the radio. This eliminates a special cassette for CDs. The individual loudspeakers are also placed in the car. As with all other B&O loudspeakers, the objective is the most natural sound reproduction possible,* Bjarne Sorensen elaborates.
Designed by David Lewis
Bang & Olufsen's long-standing designer David Lewis is the designer behind the system, which is built into the instrument panel of a demonstration car. The car holds 12 loudspeakers, each with a front of anodised aluminium and excellent sound reproduction. 'The new entertainment system is B&O's answer to the ordinary car radio. We focus on user-friendliness rather than technical detail. The choice of materials, natural sound reproduction in the car and its user-friendliness reflect the values known from all other Bang & Olufsen products,' David Lewis comments.
New contracts
Bang & Olufsen has been in contact with various European car manufacturers for some time and collaboration is expected to be established during 2001. 'We are convinced that Visteon's expertise in integrated car radio systems, combined with Bang & Olufsen's competence in design, acoustics and user-friendliness, will provide a sound basis for a new Bang & Olufsen business area. We evaluate not only the prospect of new sales opportunities, but also the expected increased familiarity with Bang & Olufsen worldwide, to be positive features to build on' CEO Cart Henrik Jeppesen states."
Taken from 'Beolink' magazine 4, 2000
Created: 12th January 2007
Modified: 19th February 2007
