Economic doldrums notwithstanding, the luxury auto segment is growing strongly and has attracted a crowd of manufacturers. In order to gain market share, these carmakers must constantly find new ways to set their products apart. High-powered, multi-speakered sound systems have been mandatory in this market for years, but Lexus recently raised the stakes by offering, as an option, a system with indisputable high-end credentials. Its Mark Levinson audio system has proven popular across the entire Lexus product line.

So emboldened, Acura has now gone several steps further by becoming the first automaker to include a DVD-Audio system as original equipment—in fact, as standard equipment—in a car. The Acura/ELS system will debut on the all-new 2004 TL sport sedan being released this fall.

After spending a day with these vehicles and a stack of familiar discs, it was clear that the Acura/ELS DVD-A system is both a resounding success and a major breakthrough in auto sound.

The Concept

The Acura/ELS system is a three-way collaboration among Acura, Panasonic Automotive Systems, and five-time Grammy-winning recording engineer Elliot Scheiner. Panasonic created the new ELS brand to connote automotive products that will be designed specifically for discrete surround sound, built to high standards, and customized to each application by Mr. Scheiner. If the concept proves successful, expect to see the ELS logo on other luxury marques (Panasonic says it is talking to several already).

In the case of the Acura installation, hardware consists of eight speakers: four 6.5" front and rear surrounds, two 1" tweeters, a 3.25" center, and an 8" Kevlar-coned subwoofer. A six-channel, 225-watt amp provides the oomph. The head unit is a six-disc in-dash changer that accommodates CD, DVD-A, audio DVD-Rs, CD-R/W, and DTS-encoded discs. Neither MP3 nor SACD is supported. The system will handle 5.1-channel DVD-As at up to 96/24 resolution, while stereo DVD-As can be up to 192/24. As a bonus, the head unit supports XM satellite radio, also standard. acura TL image

Obviously, Acura contributed the car and Panasonic created the audio hardware. Scheiner’s contribution is less visible but highly audible. He tuned the system, using DVD-As that he’d mixed, to come as close as possible to the sound he created in the studio, paying particular attention to clarity and accuracy of image placement. This is the rare case, in either car or home audio systems, where the same set of experienced ears has control of both the recording and playback sonics. It’s a laudable model.

But all this effort raises the question of whether it is actually a good idea to put DVD-A (or any discrete, multichannel, high-resolution format) into a car. Can the format’s higher resolution even be heard in such a noisy, acoustically hazardous environment? Does discrete surround provide a more satisfying experience than those dreadful synthesized “environments” now pervasive in premium auto sound systems? What about rear seat passengers—how do they fare?

I was able to answer all these questions at the July press launch of the new TL. This event was no passive dog-and-pony show. Acura provided a fleet of TL’s, over six hours of drive time on both highway and mountain roads, and samples of every one of the car’s competitors, including a Levinson-equipped Lexus. Elliot Scheiner

Motoring with CDs

Premium auto sound systems attempt to envelop the listener primarily through the use of as many as a dozen speakers scattered throughout the interior. Yet there are still only two channels of information, and the perceived soundstage usually ends up primarily in front of the driver. Because the rear speakers are merely duplicating front channel material, the intended illusion of surround sound collapses. Engaging DSP-driven surround modes like “Concert Hall” or “Jazz Club” only adds ersatz reverb and dubious EQ to the signal.

The Acura/ELS system dispenses with these bogus surround modes and rests content with a forward-balanced soundstage when playing CDs. However, it has two unique assets that, even in this mode, elevate it above the fray. First, there is a center-channel speaker smack dab in the middle of the top of the dashboard. In DVD-A mode, of course, this speaker is fed its own discrete material; however, in stereo it receives a judicious mix of L+R information. The result are that vocals and solo instrumentalists sound far more precisely and solidly planted than in typical car stereos. The system’s second secret weapon is its subwoofer, which for once is a true subwoofer, capable of getting down.

I compared the Acura/ELS to both the Lexus/Levinson and BMW Premium systems. The latter wasn’t really in the running, being far less transparent or extended (in either direction) than the others, so I’ll confine my comments accordingly. For source material, I used, among others, the Counting Crows’ first album and EMI’s reissue of Previn conducting Holst’s Planets. For a car stereo, the Acura/ELS system is quite impressive on CDs. My main complaints are a recessed midrange that causes vocals to sound a little hollow, and high frequencies that, due to a lack of complete extension, miss some transient details. However, the system makes up for these shortcomings with superior imaging, a rich tonal balance, and bass that’s powerful, punchy, and passably tight. I must say, it’s nice to hear car bass that is actually deep—as opposed to just loud.

The Levinson system, as we’ve reported in these pages, is certainly of high caliber. It is the more neutral of the two, with more natural vocals, more extended highs, and greater overall resolution. However, the Levinson’s bass is neither as full nor as deep as that of the ELS, and its tonal balance is decidedly on the thin side. The lack of a center channel speaker is immediately evident, as vocals never imaged properly.

All told, the Levinson system is polite, correct, and rather austere (much like the car it inhabits). The Acura/ELS is less refined, but more fun (also reflecting its host vehicle). In the past, this might have been a yin vs. yang toss-up, wholly dependent upon one’s listening preferences. Today, however, there is another factor, for only one of these systems can play DVD-As.

Motoring with DVD-As

To the question, “Is the greater resolution of DVD-A audible within the confines of a car?” Not only can I respond in the affirmative, I can attest that there is simply no contest. The DVD-A system exceeded my expectations to an extraordinary degree. When I switched from the CD to the DVD-A of the aforementioned Planets, the sound leapt to an entirely new level of dynamics, tonal accuracy, resolution, power, and finesse. It was akin to switching from Polaroid snapshots to photos taken by a Leica—everything was vastly better. In addition, the DVD-A’s soundstage was no longer in front of me, but was now convincingly and compellingly enveloping.

The contrast between formats was equally stark with more subtle recordings. On Soular Energy by the Ray Brown Trio, the CD sounded quite good but the DVD-A was markedly more open. The piano had far more of the correct ringing characteristic in its overtones, and dynamics were less compressed. Perhaps this was an even more telling comparison between the two formats, since both versions of this recording had only two channels. Thus, the DVD-A’s much higher (192kHz/24-bit) resolution was solely responsible for the sonic improvement. Of course, the level of transparency was not on a par with a good home audio system, but this is a car system, after all.

At the briefing that kicked off this press event, Scheiner said that he was first drawn to the concept of DVD-A in a car because it is the only environment where the listener’s positions are known and fixed. On the road, I listened to the Acura/ELS system from all sitting positions. I found no appreciable difference between the driver and front passenger seats. The rear seat, as expected, was another matter. From that perch, the front channels are but wafts in the distance, leaving only the surround channels clearly audible.

This led to some bizarre results. For instance, on “Drive” from the DVD-A of REM’s Automatic for the People, the heavy reverb on Michael Stipe’s voice is sent exclusively to the rear channels. From the back seat of the TL, I could hear only that echo, with no associated source. The effect was surreal, almost comic. Acura acknowledges this situation, but says it’s not concerned because its research indicates that the back seat is only occasionally occupied. The decision was made not to compromise the front seat occupants’ experience in deference to those in the rear, and undoubtedly it was the right choice.

One other aspect of the Acura/ELS system is worthy of commendation. The user interface is what DVD-A should be, but usually isn’t. Propelled by the need to simplify things for the driver, Panasonic exorcised most of DVD-A’s ergonomic demons. The resulting system works exactly like a car CD, regardless of each disc’s format. There are no menus to navigate, no decisions to make. The interface is particularly intuitive if the host vehicle is ordered with the optional navigation system, which includes a large, bright touchscreen.

Room for Improvement

The Acura/ELS is the first of a new generation of auto sound systems. As such, it is bound to have areas where improvement can be wrought and features now missing can be added. In the former category, I have already discussed the system’s shortfalls when playing CDs. Panasonic confirms that there was no effort to oversample, upsample, or otherwise massage the CD bitstream in ways that typically improve the sound. Its efforts were directly primarily toward DVD-A performance, and it shows. Hopefully, in the next version a little more attention can be given to CD performance.

As for missing features, the most obvious is a means of creating realistic surround sound from stereo sources, including both CD and satellite radio. Once you’ve grown accustomed to true surround sound in your car, “duplicate stereo” will no longer cut it. I predict this will be true even for those who, like me, prefer to play CDs in pure stereo on their home system. Panasonic was right to shun the path of synthesized environments, but both Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Neo:6 are now available to generate credible surround channels. One of these new formats ought to be included as soon as possible.

Another welcome addition would be the ability to access a DVD-A’s menu if desired. By maintaining the current unit’s interface as the default, but offering the ability to delve into the menu structure as needed, the current system’s virtue of simplicity would be maintained while its flexibility would be enhanced. As it currently stands, for example, the user has no ability to select a desired, non-default audio mode. Finally, as noted above, the Acura/ELS system does not play either MP3 discs or SACDs, and it would be nice if it did. From a consumer perspective, a universal player in the car is every bit as appealing as one at home.

Conclusion

The Acura/ELS DVD-Audio system heralds a new era in auto sound. It proves conclusively, and somewhat surprisingly, that the format’s sonic advantages can be abundantly evident within a car. With far higher resolution and true, discrete surround sound, there simply is no comparison between the Acura/ELS system playing DVD-As and even the best CD-based car stereo. This obvious sonic superiority, combined with a vastly simplified interface, is bound to make the nascent format more accessible than it has ever been. As the first of its kind, the system is not yet perfect. Its CD performance, while very good, could clearly be better. And there are several desirable features that will hopefully find their way onto next year’s model. But none of this takes away from the joint achievement of Acura and Panasonic. The Acura/ELS audio system is a remarkably auspicious and successful debut.

Nice car, too.

MANUFACTURER INFORMATION
American Honda Motor Company, Inc.
1919 Torrance Boulevard
Torrance, California 90501
(800) 382-2238
www.acura.com
Panasonic ELS Surround anything but stereotypical
To subscribe to the absolute sound, call 888-475-5991 (US), 760-745-2809 (outside US)
or visit www.theabsolutesound.com. $42 for six issues in the US; $45
Canada, $75 outside North America. Posted by permission from Absolute Multimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
Any unauthorized duplication of this article is strictly prohibited.