Sennheiser Enters The Automotive Sector

Sennheiser has entered the automotive sector with an AMBEO immersive audio solution for in-car entertainment and communication in collaboration with Southern California-based luxury automaker, Karma Automotive. Meticulously engineered using the high-grade microphone and loudspeaker technology and 3D audio expertise, the AMBEO sound system provides impressively enveloping sound and clear audio for phone calls. The system can first be experienced as a technology showcase on a new 2020 Karma Revero GT during Monterey Car Week from August 15 to 18. 

“We are extremely pleased to be taking the unique immersive audio experience of AMBEO to automobiles, and to be doing so with Karma Automotive, who put their development focus on electric vehicles,” said Daniel Sennheiser, co-CEO of Sennheiser. “With Karma, we are combining the future of mobility with the future of audio enjoyment.”

Co-CEO Andreas Sennheiser added: “We set out with the aim to create nothing less than the best-in-class sound experience. The system we designed will amaze with its authentic immersive sound, voice intelligibility, and possibilities for sound personalization.”

“At Karma Automotive we pride ourselves in creating immersive driving experiences through global relationships and technology partners such as Sennheiser,” states John Maloney, Chief Revenue Officer of Karma Automotive. “Karma’s Pebble Beach technology showcase of the AMBEO sound system in our 2020 Revero GT illustrates cutting-edge audio technology possibilities for the future.”

Distributed sound system
The AMBEO sound system onboard the 2020 Karma Revero GT consists of a multi-channel loudspeaker set-up arranged in two main layers plus a subwoofer to provide authentic sound immersion anywhere in the cabin. To make this experience complete, the vehicle’s headrests have been integrated into the loudspeaker concept.

With the AMBEO system, clear phone conversations can be done. The system employs beamforming technology to actively focus on the speaker, with the beamforming microphone arrays integrated into both sides of the cabin. The result is precise capture of the voice, while wind, engine and tire noise is efficiently attenuated. The other passengers can join the phone conversation or continue listening to their music or film audio undisturbed. This solution has yet another advantage: It enables relaxed, clear communication between everyone in the car.

An engineering feat
Sennheiser engineers worked more than two years on developing and fine-tuning the AMBEO technology for the automotive sector. “The main challenge was to bring immersive high-quality audio into the complex and difficult environment of the car, which is quite unlike our usual use cases for immersive audio and beamforming technologies,” said Dr. Véronique Larcher, Director AMBEO Immersive Audio at Sennheiser. “We almost had to start from zero, with the objective of not only bringing a good solution to market but creating the very best available. This AMBEO system now combines the gold-standard AMBEO up mix algorithm for immersive audio with high-quality, elevated sound reproduction and the latest beamforming technology for clear communications.”