Photo: Lexus
Switching that volume button can turn your car into a live concert, and with a premium sound system, it's like being right next to your favorite artists. Lexus and Mark Levinson surely know that!
In a collaboration that has lasted for more than 20 years, Lexus and the American high-end audio equipment brand Mark Levinson still not deviate from their Japanese 'kaizen' philosophy, always finding new ways to innovate.
World Music Day (21 June) was a great opportunity for the two partners to count their accomplishments and tell the story behind their passion for bringing quality sound to every Lexus car.
One of the most recent examples of Mark Levinson’s work in a Lexus production model is the audio system tailor-made for the new NX 350h hybrid electric SUV. Wanting to exceed customer expectations, Mark used the PurePlay architecture to create a 7.1 surround sound effect, bringing the sound closer to the listener’s ear level, for a more intimate feeling. It took five years to complete such a system, and the shape and size of the car's interior were important issues to consider.
As Savion Thompson, Acoustics Engineer at Mark Levinson explains, there is a lot of listening, months of vehicle study, lots of hand-made prototypes, simulations, measurements and presentations to be able to choose in the end the right fit for the car. One example of that is the NX project, where The Pureplay speaker layout features seven matched 90mm speakers, positioned strategically around the cabin to create an enhanced sound stage. All the sound in the cabin is amplified by an internally coupled subwoofer, an 8x9 door woofer and a brand-new, fully discrete 12-channel amplifier.
“Aiming to achieve near zero per cent harmonic distortion and crystal-clear acoustic performance, our goals align with Lexus very closely. That is one of the reasons why the partnership has lasted for more than 20 years.”, said Kyle Roche, Senior Global Marketing Manager at HARMAN, as is owned by Harman International Industries.
Further innovations will be revealed later this year with the market launch of two all-new SUVs – the new generation RX SUV and the ground-breaking, all-electric RZ.
World Music Day (21 June) was a great opportunity for the two partners to count their accomplishments and tell the story behind their passion for bringing quality sound to every Lexus car.
One of the most recent examples of Mark Levinson’s work in a Lexus production model is the audio system tailor-made for the new NX 350h hybrid electric SUV. Wanting to exceed customer expectations, Mark used the PurePlay architecture to create a 7.1 surround sound effect, bringing the sound closer to the listener’s ear level, for a more intimate feeling. It took five years to complete such a system, and the shape and size of the car's interior were important issues to consider.
As Savion Thompson, Acoustics Engineer at Mark Levinson explains, there is a lot of listening, months of vehicle study, lots of hand-made prototypes, simulations, measurements and presentations to be able to choose in the end the right fit for the car. One example of that is the NX project, where The Pureplay speaker layout features seven matched 90mm speakers, positioned strategically around the cabin to create an enhanced sound stage. All the sound in the cabin is amplified by an internally coupled subwoofer, an 8x9 door woofer and a brand-new, fully discrete 12-channel amplifier.
“Aiming to achieve near zero per cent harmonic distortion and crystal-clear acoustic performance, our goals align with Lexus very closely. That is one of the reasons why the partnership has lasted for more than 20 years.”, said Kyle Roche, Senior Global Marketing Manager at HARMAN, as is owned by Harman International Industries.
Further innovations will be revealed later this year with the market launch of two all-new SUVs – the new generation RX SUV and the ground-breaking, all-electric RZ.
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