Our Rides: The Next Level in Car Audio

As we merrily roll along in our vehicles, we are often entertained by the sound wafting from the speakers. Most of us take it for granted. 

That is until our “jam” comes on.

Our favorite song, voice, or music instrument often dictates the mood we’re in. It calms us or spurs us on. We’re at the mercy of what comes out of a speaker and how we react to it. 

There is a science to all of this. It is also an art to sending that signal from the vehicle’s audio system through your ears into your brain. 

Consider this: We are experiencing a new level of in-vehicle entertainment. We have emerged from car radios rebroadcasting on the AM dial through a single speaker to a sophisticated touchscreen-driven infotainment system equipped with well over a dozen speakers of reproduced sound from many different sources. 

Today’s in-vehicle audio experience now comes with a label. Some of which represent the ultimate in audio reproduction. We’re not just talking about Bose and JBL anymore. We’re talking brands, such as Bang & Olufsen, McIntosh, Naim, Klipsch, and Bowers & Wilkins – to name a few. Names associated with extremely expensive home entertainment systems applied to some of the finer vehicles on the road. 

Using brand names to entice customers into ticking that box on the order sheet is one bold marketing move. It lures audiophiles in towards having their in-home audio experience reproduced inside of their chosen vehicles. This was once a practice that was rarely offered directly to customers at any given dealership, which was why installing aftermarket audio systems were once a booming business when vehicles only offered a radio, a tape player, and four decent speakers. 

The question comes to mind whether today’s audiophiles who are used to peerless sound from their high-end high fidelity audio systems can enjoy the same level of sound reproduction in an automobile. 

Among the brands of high-end audio componentry found in current automobiles is McIntosh Laboratory. Established in 1949, the Binghamton, New York-based company produces hand-crafted pieces of audio art. McIntosh amplifiers and speakers are considered iconic in the audio reproduction world as they are well known for the continued use of tubes in their components and their ubiquitous and bespoke VU meters. 

In 2020, Stellantis looked to collaborate with McIntosh Laboratory to develop a series of reference audio systems inside their vehicles. The audio component firm had previous experience with in-vehicle audio back in the late 1990s and early 2000s through BMW, Ford, and Subaru. These elevated audio systems are now equipped in select Jeep Grand Cherokee, Wagoneer, and Grand Wagoneer SUV models. 

How has Stellantis arrived at creating the highest level of audio playback in these vehicles. Rustyn Robinson, the Global Technical Lead – Audio Integration/Acoustics at Stellantis explained that bringing an audio system into a vehicle “gives us the opportunity to create a home experience in a small environment.”

“The vehicle interior has many reflective surfaces and most of the speakers are not pointed at the occupant as can be done in a home setup,” Robinson added. “Unlike the home setup, fortunately, the occupants cannot move around so much in a vehicle, so we can design for tight area. From an engineering standpoint, we consider the size of the cabin, as larger cabins present a greater challenge, as well as the anticipated road and engine noise levels in the cabin. We also are now considering EV vs. traditional gas vehicles, as EVs have a different noise profile due to the absence of engine noise.”

Sound reproduction inside small, confined space – such as an SUV – is a challenge unto itself. As Robinson explained that the primary challenge in doing so is “the ability to reproduce clean bass while not rattling trim panels. This requires proper placement and integration of audio system speakers. Another challenge is finding a place in the vehicle to package a subwoofer box. There is usually a lively discussion between cargo volume and audio performance. During initial development, we also determine the market level of the vehicle and from there we can determine the level of systems that would be offered.”

Where does McIntosh Laboratory comes into play? Bill Peffer, Senior Vice President and Head of Jeep Brand North America for Stellantis explained that “Jeep is an aspirational American automotive brand, and McIntosh is an aspirational brand for high-end audiophiles. The union of both of these brands in the Jeep brand’s first premium SUV was a natural.”

In turn, there is an expectation that the sound playback from the McIntosh audio Reference system inside of a Grand Wagoneer – just like the one I recently driven while working on this story – is of the highest level possible. As Robinson explained, the McIntosh systems are expected to deliver on “clean power, high output, low noise” in order to replicate the experience of their in-home systems. “The focused and stable sound stage with crisp and clear vocal content while maintaining clean earth-shaking low frequency content (bass) presents a challenge in any environment,” added Robinson. 

“For McIntosh,” Robinson explained, “we were able to accomplish this with new speaker designs in our Jeep SUVs that had never been done before. Utilizing CAD, we were able to place the speakers in the precise locations needed to reproduce the sound properly. We then spent many hours (and miles) of tuning and tuning and more tuning with Jeep brand and McIntosh engineers, which allowed us to bring the McIntosh experience into the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee.”

There is a deeper, more technical treatise that brings out more detail regarding the state of audio playback inside your vehicle. Know that work is being done to ensure that every source – radio, smartphone music files, podcasts, movie discs, streaming television, video games, and so forth – are being put to the test inside each new vehicle manufactured today. Therefore, you can play your favorite “jam” with confidence through your audio system. Now that the bar has been raised, we expect that the next car, truck, SUV, or minivan we buy or lease will have the sound quality of sound reproduction as your in-home theater-type surround sound reference set-up. Know that automobile manufacturers, such as Stellantis, are working towards doing exactly that. As Robinson concludes with assurance that “the McIntosh systems in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer take these attributes to a new level.”