Created by audiophiles with an extraordinary passion for high-fidelity, this Chrysler 300C by Critical Mass is unattainable to all but the lucky elite. It's not just hi-fi. It's super-fi! With a luxurious price tag of $259,000 for the system alone, you certainly can expect it to be nothing short of spectacular.
The CES5.1, Critical Mass' Ultra-Hi-fi Electrostatic Surround Sound System, made its debut at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV. The car is owned and driven daily (did we mention the car is insured for $300,000?!) by Critical Mass Chairman Wayde Alfarone. Considering that the company is a division of Icon-TV, which is headed up by CEO Claudio Laraia, perhaps we should be, let's say, circumspect when the chief executive states, "[It's] unequivocally the best car audio system ever, period." Having said that, we should follow that up by pointing out that Laraia does have a strong argument. If you had had the chance to sit in the car at CES you might agree.
The Background
At the 2004 show, we stopped by the Icon-TV booth. After some chitchat, Laraia whisked us to a private listening room upstairs. There, Alfarone was giving listening demos of their new ESLs. The system was truly amazing. The sound stage was wide with a distinct center image, crisp but natural highs with openness and depth only heard from ESLs. The mids were tight and responsive as one would expect from very large and very expensive electrostats, but these were three panels only 2.5" high by 3" wide separated by 2" of space between them!
It's kind of strange for two people to be able to listen to an independent front stage (left, center and right channels) simultaneously while being seated side by side.
To prove the technology worked Alfarone then went as far as to play a single channel at a time, demonstrating that his left, center and right channels were never heard on the other listener's side and vice versa, no matter the amplitude of the system. Great, but we wondered if it would work in a real world application, a car.
Two years later we got our answer. A 30-minute demo in Alfarone's 300C revealed the true capability of this mega-buck system. The CES5.1 ESL system performed with stunning power. It had an incredibly deep soundstage, with lightning fast dynamics and extraordinary precision that was always true to the source. All four seating positions had the same amazing sound quality with perfect imaging. This is the first time in car audio history that everyone in a car was able enjoy their own independent front stage with the same imaging and clarity.
The Technology Behind
While bulky standard speakers (i.e., dynamic loudspeakers) are current driven, ESLs are voltage-driven devices, meaning it takes high voltage to move the diaphragm, and virtually no current (in the range of microamps). This is because the diaphragm, less than one-third the thickness of a piece of paper, responds to the amplifier's signal with very little effort. Remember high school physics? A mass at rest does not want to move, and a mass in motion does not want to stop. So, it stands to reason that a speaker that has very little mass will move easier and stop on a dime as well. This translates to better sound quality because the speaker can more faithfully track the amplifier's signal. This ability is quantified as transient response, or attack time, of the speaker. Transient response is measured in microseconds, and the lower the number, the better. What this sounds like is a very open sound, not the constrained sound of standard speakers. ESLs also are bi-directional, which means the sound comes from both the front and rear of the diaphragm, further contributing to the openness.
Of course, nothing is totally without its downside, and this goes for ESLs as well. Because these speakers radiate from both sides of the diaphragm, cancellation occurs at lower frequencies. Fortunately, with proprietary technology, it's no longer an issue. The main problem with ESLs in the home environment is their highly directional nature. This means that as you move around the room you lose output as you move off axis. Luckily this is not a problem for Critical Mass because in the car, you are a captive audience since your seating position is pre-determined by the car itself! In fact, these ESLs have been designed to be many times more directional. This allows the system to use a surround sound configuration with a "left-center-right" layout for each seat in the car. No listener can hear the other listeners' speakers because of this off-axis loss. Critical Mass calls this Multi-Position-Controlled Directivity (MPCD).
The Electrostats And MoreSo what's actually in the car? The heart of the systems consists of 12 hand-built and hand-tuned electrostats. This equates to a left, center and right panel for each of the four independent seating positions in the sedan. The control center for the ESL system is a beautiful hand-built, Critical Mass hybrid processor (TP-51E) combination unit that has more tricks than David Blaine! Like a magician Critical Mass doesn't like to speak openly about its magic tricks. The chunky midbass is supplied by four Critical Mass C-652 midwoofers and the rear surround is provided by the RS-69 coaxials. The sub bass is served up by a single UL12, [see our July issue, "The Perfect Sub"] a truly unique "ultra light" (only 16.6 pounds) 5,000-watt peak (2,500 watt continuous) subwoofer.
Brainiac
The source unit is the mind-numbingly small ICON-TV in-car PC (I-PC1), which provides XM Radio, multi-format audio and video, as well as navigation and the full Windows XP. Internet access is provided anywhere, anytime via Icon-TV's broadband Bluetooth interface. The in-car PC also allows for DVD playback and burning via the DVD burner mounted in the dash, just below the 10-inch touchscreen (H105WTX) . The auxiliary Icon DVD (ID-5100) player allows for AM/FM, MP3 and DVD playback as well. Four auxiliary USB ports are located conveniently to accommodate additional devices, and the system also comes complete with a wireless keyboard and joystick mouse.
Putting The Tv In Icon-Tv
Of course no rolling theater would be complete without video screens, and we found no shortage in that department. The install features a total of seven screens of the usual ICON quality: a (H105WTX) 10.5-inch touchscreen in the custom dash, a (F7WMM) 7-inch motorized flipdown above the dash, which also features a (FMRCC) back-up camera, four (MT-7001) 7-inch headrest monitors, and a (F155WIR) 15.5-inch flipdown flush mounted in the suede headliner.
Prototype Power
So what powers this cinema on wheels? Four prototype (soon to be released) Critical Mass multi-channel amplifiers pushing out over 4,000 watts! One (UL-A2500) 2,500-hundred watt amp for the (UL12) 12" sub alone, a 4-channel (SS-A400) amplifier with 400 watts runs to the rear RS-69s, plus two 4-channel (UL-A600) amplifiers with 600 watts each go to the ESLs, and feed the C652 midbass drivers.
Sit Back And Relax
In addition to sounding incredible, the Chrysler 300C is also a joy to sit in. It becomes obvious after only a few moments why this car was chosen as the platform for such an amazing system. Initially we were taken aback by what appeared to be the tragic loss of about 15 cows used to suede the 300C's interior. We were later informed that it was in fact Ultrasuede, and that no bovines were harmed in the modification of this car. Even at the ever-changing, feverish pace of today's technology, this ride is light years ahead.
When we asked the question, "So what made you build this car?" Laraia replied "We have always been fascinated with building the absolute best, Critical Mass is no different to us," which led to the question: "So what does it take to have the very best audio system?" Laraia simply smiled and said, "A passion for perfection and a really good job." If you're not making seven figures, forget it. It's not for everyone, but if you're one of the lucky few for which money is no object in your pursuit of perfection, then order it now since it takes several months to hand build and install the system.