Ford and Sony introduce premium home audio technology on 2016

Because every great adventure is made perfect by the ideal soundtrack, the new 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum edition features an exclusive Sony® Audio System with two industry-first technologies – Live Acoustics™ and Clear Phase™.

As a standard feature on Platinum edition Ford Explorer, the audio system represents the first time high-end Sony home audio technology has been used in a vehicle. Live Acoustics and Clear Phase technologies bring realistic concert-quality sound to the new Explorer Platinum.

“Explorer is about pushing boundaries, and authentic high-end home theater sound isn’t just for the living room anymore,” said Craig Patterson, Ford utilities marketing manager. “The new Platinum series gives customers everything – including a sound system that will knock your socks off.”

To develop the proprietary Live Acoustics algorithm, Sony engineers, led by Goro Shiraishi, also a concertmaster with the Sony Philharmonic Orchestra, visited great halls in Amsterdam, Berlin and Vienna, and installed microphones to measure their precise acoustic qualities. Shiraishi-san wanted to re-create the concert hall experience for Sony’s high-end home audio products.

Sony engineers spent more than 100 hours tuning the audio system in the new Explorer, intent on providing Platinum driver and passengers with the finest audio experience on the road. At the core of the system are 12 high-power speakers in 10 carefully selected locations, plus an all-new Class D amplifier to deliver a loss-less power source that drives speaker output without straining.

Combined, the 12 speakers are capable of a maximum 500 watts. The speakers are optimized for sensitivity, including the center and surround speakers, a subwoofer with an 8-inch driver and a 12-liter enclosure for tight and full base tones, and door woofers and chrome tweeters with translucent grilles to preserve sound integrity and complement the upscale Platinum interior.

Even the system’s speaker coils are unique – square coils instead of the more traditional round ones – resulting in greater efficiency and heat dispersion.

“This technology was previously available only in our high-end home audio systems,” Shiraishi-san said. “We’ve now applied the algorithm of Live Acoustics to Ford Explorer Platinum’s audio system to transform the listening experience to be among the finest in the world.”

Every sound in its place: Clear Phase
When music is recorded, is live or in a studio, the best sound engineers always take care to establish a full sound stage. In other words, they make sure each instrument occupies specific areas in the “space” in front of the listener.

In the context of a vehicle, imagine occupants are listening to a live concert with instruments strategically placed in distinctive and acoustically correct zones on the vehicle’s dashboard.

Clear Phase technology optimizes the sound stage inside Explorer Platinum to make the music sound as though it’s coming from a stage larger than the vehicle itself. Every instrument is located in its proper place, and vocals are clarified instead of lost behind distorted sound.

The technology also eliminates sound dispersion, which allows music to be properly focused in specific areas of the sound stage. By flattening amplitude and correcting phase characteristics to attain linearity, music will open up for a crystal-clear listening experience.
Source: Ford