Judging from new car commercials, one couldn't be blamed for thinking that automakers are selling entertainment and audio systems that just happen to have wheels rather than the vehicles themselves that have some added luxury amenities.
VW had an ad campaign about how loud their factory system is (no laughter from longtime car audio enthusiasts, please) and ran a promo with First Act, the guitar manufacturer. Infiniti showcases Bose in its ads, extending the marketing reach of the latter, as if they needed it. And it seems like everyone's run something on aux inputs for music players.
They say sex sells. So does music. Welcome to the 21st century: Today the car isn't just transportation; it's the biggest portable electronics device you can own. The car is becoming an extension of your handheld - think James Bond driving his BMW through something like a PSP. We're getting there.
Harman does over $2 billion a year handling audio systems for various OEs. Panasonic, Alpine, Pioneer and others produce varying levels of products for automakers that essentially compete with their own aftermarket wares. Along with the aforementioned Bose, other audio companies that are known more for audio products on the home side are going into overdrive to compete for space in your new car. There's Dynaudio in some VWs, Levinson in Lexus and most recently Bang & Olufsen in Audi. The former makes aftermarket speakers, but the last is new to the automotive business. And now another company well known for home gear has partnered with an automaker. Bowers & Wilkins can now be found in the Jaguar XKR. These days, for the general consumer, that's as significant of an announcement for a car as saying a new model has 50 more horsepower.
The automotive business is highly competitive and companies need to increase brand value through these types of associations; however, how much effect co-branding will have on consumers probably remains to be seen. This development, though, is a boon to consumers, especially the luxury consumer who expects to be able to get whatever he has in his home in his car.
Lately we've seen a greater attention to detail in terms of car audio from the OEs. Audio manufacturers no longer have to simply make their gear fit the specs of the automaker. It's not uncommon for the automaker to design an interior of a car with the audio system in mind rather than as a mere afterthought. The new Jags equipped with the Bowers & Wilkins audio systems were created over an 18-month period of collaboration between the two companies. Bowers & Wilkins did extensive testing of speaker components and EQ'ing of the system, devising custom EQ setups for the specific car and even a setting for the convertible when the top is down. If the car sounds as good as the engineers at Bowers & Wilkins think, they'll definitely be giving Levinson, Bose and Panasonic, among others, a serious challenge for Best Sounding Car of the Year. Check in with us in a couple of months when we review the system in the new Jaguar.
The Bowers & Wilkins Premium Sound System is available as standard equipment in all Jaguar XKR Portfolios, starting in July of this year.
Bowers & Wilkins, familiar to some as B&W, was founded in 1966. Pictured here, its 800-series home speaker.