Faszinierend plastisch: Audi bringt den 3D-Klang ins Auto

The second-generation Audi Q7 is definitely not a car one would refer to as lacking in technology. To further redefine the genre, the new Q7 will debut what Audi calls a '3D' sound system that will allow the listener to experience spatial height. Yours truly isn't sure what it means, but it sounds epic.

Available on both the Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System and Bose Surround Sound options for the vehicle, the system is made possible via an algorithm that "calculates the control signals for each speaker swiftly and precisely." Initially, the system dissects the data from the music source into spatial constituents.

Said algorithm then calculates and constructs a "mathematical model" of any recording studio, effectively turning the cabin into an almost exact replica of where the source music was recorded. As a result, the audio signal - be it mono, stereo or 5.1 surround sound - and format of the source music is rendered irrelevant.

Faszinierend plastisch: Audi bringt den 3D-Klang ins Auto

The data is then processed to match the sound pattern in the cabin as close as possible to the original recording studio. The Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System consists of a total of 23 speakers, together with a re-engineered subwoofer and a 1,920 watt amplifier.

Four speakers installed in the A-pillars with individual channels broadcast the portions that help generate the spatial height as part of the recording studio "recreation" process. In the Bose Surround Sound system, 20 speakers, along with an additional four, allow for the presence of the aforementioned 3D sound.