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.
Cambridge Audio is back on the turntable bandwagon with Spira, a stylish deck that combines straightforward vinyl playback, with Bluetooth connectivity and upgrade potential. Available in five colours, it’s aimed at vinyl newcomers building their first Hi-Fi system and established fans looking for a designer upgrade, and arrives ready to play, with a pre-fitted Audio-Technica…
JBL is hoping to shake up the whole-home Wi-Fi audio market with JBL Cove, a three-speaker system designed to make multi-room listening intuitive and expandable. Built around JBL’s own wireless platform and the JBL One app, the inaugural range comprises the compact Cove M1, portable Cove P1 and flagship Cove X1. Each speaker can operate…
Sony has launched a trio of new party speakers and they’re savage. The new ULT Power Sound Tower range arrives with a completely new aesthetic and have been tuned by some of the biggest names in modern hip-hop. The new ULT Tower Max, ULT Tower 7 and ULT Tower 5 are perfect for parties, DJ…
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.
Colourful Cambridge Audio Spira Bluetooth turntable wants to win over vinyl newbies
Cambridge Audio is back on the turntable bandwagon with Spira, a stylish deck that combines straightforward vinyl playback, with Bluetooth connectivity and upgrade potential. Available in five colours, it’s aimed at vinyl newcomers building their first Hi-Fi system and established fans looking for a designer upgrade, and arrives ready to play, with a pre-fitted Audio-Technica…
First listen: Versatile JBL Cove wireless speakers take whole-home audio beyond the living room
JBL is hoping to shake up the whole-home Wi-Fi audio market with JBL Cove, a three-speaker system designed to make multi-room listening intuitive and expandable. Built around JBL’s own wireless platform and the JBL One app, the inaugural range comprises the compact Cove M1, portable Cove P1 and flagship Cove X1. Each speaker can operate…
Sony ULT Tower Power Sound review: Next gen party speakers deliver deeper bass with a studio vibe
Sony has launched a trio of new party speakers and they’re savage. The new ULT Power Sound Tower range arrives with a completely new aesthetic and have been tuned by some of the biggest names in modern hip-hop. The new ULT Tower Max, ULT Tower 7 and ULT Tower 5 are perfect for parties, DJ…
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