Focal’s sound laboratory in Saint-Étienne decided once and for all that the human voice is the measure of all sounds. Thanks to the partnership with this company, passengers in the DS 9 can enjoy special, surround acoustics.
True high-quality sound, such as in a recording studio, cannot be achieved in a car. Because on the one hand, even in the most expensive models it is unrealistic to completely eliminate traffic noise and on the other hand, the position of the passengers is never as ideal as in the studio, where the customer has the possibility to adapt. the sound just for itself.
But audio specialists continue to work on sound quality. To achieve this, the DS uses special sound-absorbing films in the doors and special sound-absorbing glass layers in the side windows. In addition, specialists work on woofers and midrange drivers, but also on their optimal shape and installation position.
Sound engineers have a hard time with car designers, who in turn need space for batteries, shelves, airbags, assistance systems and computers. This is one of the reasons why more and more small speakers are being used to create high quality sound “spread” throughout the cabin. Even in the compact DS 4, there are 14!
The result, however, is: sound experts note that listening to music in DS cars is impressive even at high speeds. The emphasis on the purity of the human voice is noticeable at all volume levels. And when it comes to bass (low frequency range), it’s not the wild rumble some audio manufacturers use to “illustrate” the existence of a subwoofer in a car.
Focal’s founder, Jacques Maul, started his career with recording studio equipment. The aim is therefore to imitate surround sound, and surround sound gradually finds its way to the Peugeot and DS cars, which Focal equips with its systems. Surround sound will also be available on the DS 4 and the next generations DS 7 and DS 9.