Range Rover has unveiled a new kind of in-car sound system, and the British firm behind the technology has stepped forward to explain how it works. Warwick Acoustics has confirmed it supplied the SV Electrostatic Sound system for the Range Rover SV Ultra, describing it as the world's first electrostatic in-car entertainment system to reach production.
The system is the product of five years of collaboration between Range Rover, Warwick Acoustics and other audio specialists, built on more than two decades of underlying research. Beyond sound quality, it offers a practical advantage for electric vehicle owners, since the technology draws significantly less power than conventional speakers.
Unlike traditional speakers, which use a moving cone, the electrostatic design relies on an ultra-light membrane suspended between two perforated metal plates. Shifting electrical charges move the membrane to generate sound, a method Warwick says mirrors the way the human ear itself functions. The company claims this approach captures finer detail in voices and instruments, and shapes soundwaves so that music appears to originate from a greater distance, creating a sense of spaciousness inside the cabin reminiscent of a concert hall.
The Range Rover SV Ultra houses 21 electrostatic panels containing 55 individual sound-producing elements, built into the roof lining, headrests and seat backs to cover both front and rear occupants.
Gary Waters, chief executive of Warwick Acoustics, called the launch "pivotal for both Warwick Acoustics and, we believe, for the automotive industry as a whole."
The Nuneaton-based company says its speaker panels weigh up to 90 per cent less than conventional equivalents and use 90 per cent less energy, while containing no rare-earth materials and being fully recyclable. That efficiency is particularly relevant for electric vehicles — Warwick has previously estimated the technology could extend the range of a large EV with a 100kWh battery by as much as 20 miles compared with standard speakers.
Having already applied the technology to headphones and home audio systems, Warwick Acoustics views the Range Rover deal as its first step into the automotive sector, with the system currently exclusive to the brand. The company says it has broader ambitions across other forms of transport, where reduced weight and power consumption could prove valuable.
Orazio Pollaci, the firm's chief marketing officer, said the company's founding mission was "to bring electrostatic speaker technology out of audiophile home entertainment systems and headphones and into the car." He added that the Range Rover launch marks "only the first step on our journey to revolutionise the audio experience for all travellers."
The writer previously sampled the technology in a development version of the Polestar 2, describing its clarity and depth as among the best heard in a car.
Source: The Independent
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