McIntosh Presents a High-Performance Demo Car at 2024 AES 5th International Conference on Automotive Audio
McIntosh collaborated with QNX, Dirac, and Dolby
The automotive industry is evolving rapidly, requiring extensive flexibility, improved scalability, cost reduction, enhanced OTA (over-the-air) update capabilities, and shorter execution times. Companies like QNX and Dirac exemplify how to achieve these objectives and overcome related challenges, consistently delivering outstanding results.
At McIntosh, we are committed to achieving the highest audio performance, remaining true to our unique sound DNA. Vehicle tuning presents numerous constraints, requiring us to meet the demands of automotive customers, partners, and suppliers. This is no easy task. But at the Audio Engineering Society's 5th International Conference on Automotive Audio, through our non-exclusive collaboration with QNX, Dirac, and Dolby, we have proven that maintaining the integrity of the McIntosh sound DNA and achieving our target results efficiently and seamlessly is indeed possible.
Dirac’s technology provided an excellent foundation, allowing us the flexibility needed to fine-tune the vehicle's audio system to achieve the signature McIntosh sound. The QNX SDA (Software Defined Audio) platform, installed on Qualcomm SoC, enabled robust and rapid execution.
The result – achieved in less than five days – is a high-performance fine tuning of an upgraded stock audio system featuring 23 speakers, 3D up-mixing, and Dolby Atmos compared to the original 19-speaker McIntosh system installed in the Jeep Grand Cherokee. This accomplishment highlights the flexibility and capability of the McIntosh team to collaborate effectively with any hardware and software Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier in the market. We extend our gratitude to all partners involved for this excellent opportunity and look forward to further contributions to the automotive and audio industries in the future.
