Page 74 - Sharp November 2024

MIC DROP
THE INFINITI QX80 JOINS FORCES WITH KLIPSCH AUDIO TO CREATE A SPEAKER SYSTEM FINALLY WORTHY
OF THE CAR ITSELF
By Brendan McAleer
ENTIRELY REDESIGNED FOR THE 2025 MODEL YEAR,
INFINITI’s flagship QX80 bristles with technology, from a new twin-turbocharged powerplant under the hood to an advanced automated cruise control system that operates fully hands-off on highways. Truly an effortless machine for hauling your family around, this three-row SUV offers more space, power, and integrated
tech to make daily driving easier. And when it comes to onboard audio, INFINITI has called in the experts for a world-first debut. Klipsch audio is a newcomer to the automotive premium audio scene, but a household name for audiophiles. Since its 1946 founding in Indiana, this precision-oriented audio company has been supplying some of the best theatres and performance spaces in the world, as well as high-end sound systems for the home. The Klipschorn is one of the longest-running loudspeaker designs in the world, a testament to the genius of company founder and engineer Paul Klipsch. Basically, we’re talking the about
Stradivarius of hi-fi audio here.
The new QX80 is the first vehicle to feature a Klipsch audio
system, and the specifications are as impressive as you might expect. The top-of-the-range Klipsch Reference Premiere audio system uses 24 speakers with a massive 1,200 watts of power, including titanium tweeters, individual speakers mounted in the front headrests, and an eight-inch subwoofer for authoritative bass. It’s incredibly powerful, and capable of offering listeners a front-row concert experience anywhere they want to drive it.
Yet true high-fidelity audio, like most proper luxury, is not just about outright power but precision: hearing the pin drop, not just the mic drop. To that end, INFINITI and Klipsch engineers worked together to design a sound field that envelopes all passengers, with active equalization to filter out background noise and a three-dimensional surround sound algorithm to create a crisp, multi-layered listening experience.
The result is outstanding clarity and faithful sound quality, with buttery smooth bass tones and ringing treble. Tremendous power comes through without distortion, the 24-channel amplifier optimizes each channel independently, and those titanium-dome tweeters capture the vocal range of your favourite performer with utmost fidelity. The speakers are carefully arranged throughout the cabin, subwoofer and amplifier in the rear, with slim profile High Line speakers mounted in the headliner for a true surround sound experience for all passengers.
Perhaps cleverest of all, especially for a vehicle designed to carry seven passengers, this new Klipsch audio system has a feature designed around driver connectivity. Normally, taking a phone call over Bluetooth puts every passenger’s infotainment on pause, as everyone listens in. Here, the individual front seat headrest speakers mean that the driver can make calls, receive turn-by-turn navigation instructions, or even listen to their own playlist while making distance at night.
It’s like having your own sound bubble isolated around your ears, using much the same technology and software that is normally used for sound-cancelling headphones. In collaboration with Panasonic, a long-time automotive audio supplier, Klipsch used trained listeners — experts who can discern different frequencies and subtleties — to design a fully immersive audio experience. It’s the same audio quality its customers have come to expect from their home theatres, just now powered by 450 hp worth of twin-turbocharged V6.
With one 14.5-inch display screen for driving information and a second twin screen for handling smartphone connectivity and other infotainment functions, the QX80 seamlessly integrates your playlist into your drive. You expect power and poise from INFINITI’s largest machine, the ability to merge performance with all-weather grip and supreme interior comfort. This new Klipsch audio system simply delivers the soundtrack the new QX80 deserves.
74 NOVEMBER 2024
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