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The all-new Audi A7 Sportback with
second-generation Bang & Olufsen
Advanced Sound System
Continuing to build upon the close partnership that started in 2005, Audi and Bang & Olufsen have worked closely together to bring the latest generation of Bang & Olufsen’s highly acclaimed Advanced Sound System to Audi’s exciting new segment, the Audi A7 Sportback.
The Audi A7 Sportback
The new Audi A7 Sportback reflects the future of the premium German car manufacturer’s design philosophy. The remarkably progressive design features flowing lines and a characteristic shoulder line that impart a muscular, sporty look. Inside, the same sporty expression complements organic purity, elegance and space.
The second generation Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System retains the signature Bang & Olufsen styling that makes its in-car sound systems so unique, while incorporating much of the same design expression of the Audi A7 Sportback to create a wholly integrated design.
Form and function
The loudspeaker grilles of the Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System feature an organic, petal-and-leaf form that complements the Audi A7 Sportback’s interior design. Crafted with polished, platinum-coloured and anodised aluminium, the grilles perfectly conform to the car’s interior lines. The grilles are available in 21 unique border colours and feature more than 21,000 holes, which gives the overall appearance an attractive finish. The high-end loudspeaker units located in the doors and parcel shelf are mounted in sealed, custom-moulded cabinets to maximise sound control and to prevent the transfer of unnecessary vibrations to the car. This design also prevents sound from radiating outside the car, which means confidential phone calls can be made in total privacy away from prying ears.
The perfect marriage of form and function is represented by the dashboard-mounted acoustic lenses. When the Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System is activated, two beautifully crafted acoustic lens tweeter units silently emerge from the dashboard in line with the windscreen in a motion that is both delicate and sophisticated. The Acoustic Lens Technology, which is proprietary to Bang & Olufsen, creates astonishingly bright sound that is dispersed throughout the cabin. Regardless of whether the occupants are enjoying jazz, rock or listening to a classic music channel, subtle sounds, such as the breath on a microphone or fingers running along a guitar string, are reproduced in astonishing clarity.
All brawn, all brain
Behind the scenes, the all-new Bang & Olufsen Advanced Audio System provides all the power needed to deliver 5.1 channels of natural, perfectly clear and non-fatiguing sound.
The compact and highly efficient ICEpower® amplifier provides 910 watts of effortless power to the subwoofer and the four woofers, and an additional 420 watts feeds the system’s five tweeters and five midrange loudspeakers. The performance of each of the 15 loudspeakers is controlled by the brain in the system, the Digital Signal Processor (DSP), which handles all equalisation, audio mixing and the various sound modes.
Meticulous attention to sound
During development of the Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System, Bang & Olufsen sound engineers spent over 400 hours meticulously fine tuning the sound experience to the Audi A7 Sportback’s unique interior acoustics. Not only have the sound engineers tuned the system to fit the car’s interior dimensions, they tuned it to perfectly fit the sporty character, creating a so-called “sound signature” unique to the car.
For Peter Gleim from Audi Development Infotainment, Acoustics/Sound, the Audi and Bang & Olufsen sound engineers have created a sound system that reproduces sound with such fidelity that, as he explains, “You don’t listen to the system, you listen to the music”.
Advanced features
The Audi A7’s Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System features a number of complex, yet simple-to-operate features. For example, the system constantly monitors variations in noise created by the outside environment, the speed of the car and the climate control system, and adjusts individual frequencies to deliver a consistent sound experience for the occupants. The system also compensates for different audio sources and has been optimised for telephone conversations.
Another advanced feature, Movie Mode, recreates a true cinematic experience when viewing video material. In Movie Mode, the centre channel is recreated at the screen to match the visual action and sound effects, while the rest of the car is enveloped in 5.1 channels of engaging surround sound.
Jens Peter Zinck, Bang & Olufsen Vice President, reflects on what has been an extremely successful project: “The launch of the Audi A7 Sportback with second-generation Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System is yet another example of what can be achieved when two strong brands join forces: It enables us to exceed the expectations of our joint customers in terms of the ultimate in-car sound and movie-experience."
Specifications
15 fully active loudspeakers:
- 2 x 19 mm soft dome tweeters in motorized acoustic lenses
- 3 x 25 mm soft dome tweeters
- 3 x 100 mm midranges (closed cabinet, fiber glass cone, ABS basket)
- 2x 80 mm midranges (closed cabinet, fiber glass cone, ABS basket)
- 4 x 165 mm woofers (closed cabinet, air dried paper cone, cast aluminium basket)
- 1 x 200 mm subwoofer (closed cabinet, air dried paper cone, cast aluminium basket)
1.330 watts at 1% distortion level
DSP (Digital Signal Processing) Amplifier:
- True-Image™: Proprietary Bang & Olufsen up-mix algorithm for stereo and 5.1 multichannel material
- Volume levelling dependant on noise, speed and climate control setting
ICEpower® Amplifier
4 sound settings: Front, Rear, All and Movie
Capable of Stop/Start functionality
