Anybody who’s ever driven, or been a passenger, in a Morgan convertible will know that the primary form of in-car entertainment is the sound of the wind whistling past your ears.
Sure, there’s a Bluetooth amplifier plus speakers fitted in the £84,995 Plus 6 (it’s an option on the £65k Plus 4) but when even the manufacturer barely mentions it in the owner’s manual you know it’s a pretty token gesture.
But matters audio-related have just got rather interesting at Britain’s last family-owned car maker. That’s because Morgan has announced an intriguing partnership that suggests it will soon be possible to turn its wooden-framed cars into the road-going equivalent of a Stradivarius…
Morgan has announced an intriguing partnership with Sennheiser and Continental…
What to expect from the Continental Sennheiser sound system coming to Morgan cars
Its collaborators on the new project are German audio legends Sennheiser, who will take care of digital audio tuning, working their immersive AMBEO magic on hardware supplied by US-based automotive tyres, and tech giant Continental.
And it’s the latter’s Ac2ated Sound System, announced at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, that’s going to form, quite literally, the beating heart of Morgan’s new in-car audio miracle.
Essentially, the Ac2ated system is a full-range evolution of the haptic transducers that for many years have been bolted to chairs in high-end home cinema systems, to add low-frequency, ‘seat of your pants’ vibrations, with Buttkicker being perhaps the best-known implementation.
Sony has been using a similar technique, which it’s dubbed Acoustic Surface technology, on its premium OLED TV ranges, to great acclaim.
The stated plan is for future Morgans to ditch conventional loudspeakers and instead replace them with Continental’s transducers; these exciters will be strategically placed in the vehicle interior.
The idea is that they’ll generate sound by vibrating large body panels, such as door trims: a good analogy is the way the strings of a violin vibrate its body to add resonance and body. For its part, Sennheiser’s job will be to finesse and optimise the system’s output for the challenging environment of a convertible’s cabin, no mean feat.
The look is classic but Morgan motors will soon debut immersive audio technology
The promised pay-off for drivers and passengers, we’re told, will be ‘an extremely natural and enveloping sound’, not to mention a near 90 per cent reduction in weight and space, compared to a conventional audio system.
So well as better audio quality, drivers can expect gains in both performance and interior room.
Although there’s no timeline for availability, Morgan states that the forthcoming system will be available for both ‘new and existing Morgan customers’, suggesting that it will also be retro-fittable to at least current and, perhaps, even older models.
Upgrade your portable music system for the Summer season with one of a trio of stylish new Bluetooth speakers from Sony. Ideal for patios, BBQs and beach parties, the models are available in a variety of on-trend colourways and are IP67 rated, making them splash and dust resistant. Expect big booming bass and wide soundContinue Reading
High-end German audio specialist T+A Elektroakustik, has announced the Solitaire T, audiophile grade headphones with Bluetooth and Active Noise Cancelling. If you’ve been looking for a pair of over-ear, closed-back headphones that offer superlative private listening, yet can also function as ANC travel cans, the Solitaire T could fit the bill. T+A is known forContinue Reading
Hi-Fi specialist Harman Kardon and internationally-acclaimed Chinese pianist Lang Lang have partnered for a novel digital art competition that will culminate at the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival, and you can cast your vote on entries from today. Artists have created digital artworks based on Piano Sonata No.3 in B minor Op.58-1. Allegro maestoso, as performedContinue Reading
The Luxe Review 
Anybody who’s ever driven, or been a passenger, in a Morgan convertible will know that the primary form of in-car entertainment is the sound of the wind whistling past your ears.
Sure, there’s a Bluetooth amplifier plus speakers fitted in the £84,995 Plus 6 (it’s an option on the £65k Plus 4) but when even the manufacturer barely mentions it in the owner’s manual you know it’s a pretty token gesture.
But matters audio-related have just got rather interesting at Britain’s last family-owned car maker. That’s because Morgan has announced an intriguing partnership that suggests it will soon be possible to turn its wooden-framed cars into the road-going equivalent of a Stradivarius…
Its collaborators on the new project are German audio legends Sennheiser, who will take care of digital audio tuning, working their immersive AMBEO magic on hardware supplied by US-based automotive tyres, and tech giant Continental.
And it’s the latter’s Ac2ated Sound System, announced at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, that’s going to form, quite literally, the beating heart of Morgan’s new in-car audio miracle.
Essentially, the Ac2ated system is a full-range evolution of the haptic transducers that for many years have been bolted to chairs in high-end home cinema systems, to add low-frequency, ‘seat of your pants’ vibrations, with Buttkicker being perhaps the best-known implementation.
Sony has been using a similar technique, which it’s dubbed Acoustic Surface technology, on its premium OLED TV ranges, to great acclaim.
The stated plan is for future Morgans to ditch conventional loudspeakers and instead replace them with Continental’s transducers; these exciters will be strategically placed in the vehicle interior.
The idea is that they’ll generate sound by vibrating large body panels, such as door trims: a good analogy is the way the strings of a violin vibrate its body to add resonance and body. For its part, Sennheiser’s job will be to finesse and optimise the system’s output for the challenging environment of a convertible’s cabin, no mean feat.
The promised pay-off for drivers and passengers, we’re told, will be ‘an extremely natural and enveloping sound’, not to mention a near 90 per cent reduction in weight and space, compared to a conventional audio system.
So well as better audio quality, drivers can expect gains in both performance and interior room.
Although there’s no timeline for availability, Morgan states that the forthcoming system will be available for both ‘new and existing Morgan customers’, suggesting that it will also be retro-fittable to at least current and, perhaps, even older models.
It’s my party: Sony lights up portable audio with three stylish new Bluetooth speakers
Upgrade your portable music system for the Summer season with one of a trio of stylish new Bluetooth speakers from Sony. Ideal for patios, BBQs and beach parties, the models are available in a variety of on-trend colourways and are IP67 rated, making them splash and dust resistant. Expect big booming bass and wide soundContinue Reading
These high-end headphones combine audiophile performance with Bluetooth and ANC
High-end German audio specialist T+A Elektroakustik, has announced the Solitaire T, audiophile grade headphones with Bluetooth and Active Noise Cancelling. If you’ve been looking for a pair of over-ear, closed-back headphones that offer superlative private listening, yet can also function as ANC travel cans, the Solitaire T could fit the bill. T+A is known forContinue Reading
Cast your vote in the Lang Lang Harman Kardon Montreux Jazz Festival digital art competition
Hi-Fi specialist Harman Kardon and internationally-acclaimed Chinese pianist Lang Lang have partnered for a novel digital art competition that will culminate at the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival, and you can cast your vote on entries from today. Artists have created digital artworks based on Piano Sonata No.3 in B minor Op.58-1. Allegro maestoso, as performedContinue Reading
Share this:
Like this: