Feel-Good Sounds Made Possible by Technology

February 15, 2023

There’s nothing quite like listening to music in a car while watching the scenery pass by. No wonder some people go for a ride specifically to listen to their favorite tracks. Yamaha has developed an audio system to take your driving experience even further. Packed with a whole host of technologies, it fills the vehicle with the most lifelike sound you can possibly imagine.

The flagship model of the Yamaha Automotive Sound System consists of a whopping 30 speakers, built meticulously with the technological quality that the company is renowned for. These speakers are installed in optimal locations, including the doors, dashboard, pillars, headrests, ceiling, and even the trunk, promising an immersive audio experience to all passengers, including those in the rear seats. Expert sound engineers also conducted fine-tuning by hand to ensure the magic of music touches each listener. It is this unique fusion of Yamaha’s technological excellence and human touch that redefines the car as the perfect audio space.

Let the Acoustics Drive Your Senses

With all its expertise in crafting musical instruments, home audio products, professional audio equipment, and remote communication systems, Yamaha has recently started putting its attention on vehicles as an acoustic space. Since entering the car audio market in 2020, Yamaha’s sound solutions have been adopted by six car manufacturers across 13 different models. This includes ZEEKR 001, a premium electric vehicle launched in April 2021 by the rising Chinese brand ZEEKR.

What makes vehicles unique in the eyes of an expert in acoustic technology? Goh Tsuchiya, who oversees the planning of Yamaha’s automotive sound system, says, "It’s being able to design not just the sound, but also the entire space it’s experienced in.”

“The sound you hear through a standard speaker is affected by various factors like the characteristics of the playback environment and where it is positioned within the space. With headphones, you don’t get that physical feeling of sound filling your whole room. What’s special about car audio is that we can engineer the entire sound space for appreciating music. This makes it possible to deliver an elaborate audio experience that is uniquely immersive and entertaining.”

Listeners inside a space with superb three-dimensional acoustics can dive fully into the world of music. “One of the best parts of a car ride,” Tsuchiya continues, “is being able to enjoy the ever-changing view as you travel from one place to another. I think that escape from reality feels even better when you have great-sounding tunes spreading to all corners of the car. You might also gain a deeper insight into the music.”

Tsuchiya says many users who experience the immersive sound comment on how they can notice new details in songs they previously couldn’t hear. Tapping into those new layers of music can give you a deeper understanding of the artist’s intentions. An outstanding sound experience even has the potential to unlock your senses through a richer appreciation of music.

Exploring All Possibilities for the Ideal Sound

The novel experience offered by Yamaha’s car audio takes full advantage of the advanced technologies and exquisite sensibility that define the company.

“Our first and foremost priority when crafting the acoustic experience is to faithfully reproduce the sound of the piano, which is at the heart of our identity. We ensure that the audio space fully captures the wide tonal range of the piano and makes every passenger feel like the pianist is performing right in front of them,” says Katsuya Hirano, who takes charge of the development side of the project. In addition to carefully selecting the speakers and amplifiers, Hirano emphasizes the importance of leveraging signal processing tools during tuning so that audio quality is not compromised by the limited space inside a vehicle.

“There’s a common misconception that tuning relies mostly on subjective taste, but there’s more to the process than just using our instincts. We draw on our knowledge of human psychoacoustics (the scientific study of sound perception) and try to make informed decisions to create sound that’s fit for the purpose. I think this approach is what allows us to design the ideal sound.”

Yamaha has no shortage of experts in sound and instruments, providing a desirable environment for facilitating discussion around the best possible sound. Hirano has the luxury of consulting a piano designer about the rich timbre of the piano or exchanging opinions with a sound engineer about acoustic quality. He says, “I think it’s hard to get that level of advice from a full spectrum of fields unless you work for a manufacturer that produces both instruments and audio equipment.” He feels that interacting with specialists from diverse fields at Yamaha contributes significantly to the quest for the ideal sound.

An Adventure Powered by Passion for Music

The tuning process involves countless trial-and-error attempts to recreate the true sound intended by artists. Hirano likens this work to traveling through a maze full of twists and turns.

What navigates Hirano and his colleagues through their quest for the best possible audio is the commitment to deliver the performance of musicians in its entirety. The idea of good sound may vary across individuals, but for Yamaha, it entails an acoustic experience that fully conveys music as imagined by the artist.

Hirano therefore always reminds himself that “it is not just the audio equipment that determines the sound that reaches listeners.” Music always begins with the artist; it then goes through the instrument, and then passes on to the hands of the specialists involved in the recording, mixing, and mastering. “I want to make sure that our audio system can do justice to the passion that artists, engineers, and everyone else involved brings to the music.” In his view, understanding these emotional overtones will help to reach the most desirable sound.

“While some brands prioritize the fidelity to the original sound, our focus at Yamaha is to present the story that the artist wished to express through their music. We have an immense collection of technologies in sound and music that we can combine to form a completely new acoustic experience. This is a strength that we will always treasure.”

The people behind Yamaha’s car audio take pride in harnessing the power of technology to engage people with their sensibilities. This involves interpreting the emotions weaved into sound and translating them into precise tuning. The hope is that their acoustic system will breathe new life into music so that it touches everyone on board the vehicle, uniting them in harmony and making each ride an exciting adventure.

The first part of this three-part series featured the TransAcoustic Guitar™, exploring how technology is used to maximize the joy of playing an instrument. Perhaps science-backed technology is the secret to a truly immersive experience in sound and music. The final part of this series will put the spotlight on the Key that connects the TransAcoustic Guitar and the Automotive Sound System. Stay tuned.

*Bio as of the time of the interview

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