Volvo electrified performance brand Polestar will equip its first volume model with an integrated audio system developed by 2019 Automotive News Europe Rising Star Mathias Johansson’s company, Dirac, and Harman International.
By combining the Dirac Unison active acoustic treatment with a Harman Kardon audio system the Polestar 2 eliminates acoustical imperfections, the supplier said.
“It resembles what glasses do to your eyes,” Johansson, who is CEO and co-founder of Dirac, told me. “The goal is to get back to the sound experience that the artist and the producer originally intended.”
Along with Polestar and Volvo, Dirac has worked with BMW, Bentley and Rolls-Royce to help them push their audio systems to higher levels of performance and sophistication through digital optimization.
The goal being to make sure the sound is “as good as possible in that particular environment where you're listening,” Johansson said.
‘Sound identity’
He said a big challenge for Dirac is knowing -- or helping to define -- an automaker’s so-called “sound identity.”
“For example, you don’t want too much oomph in the base at Volvo because it doesn't have that kind of image and neither does Polestar,” he said.
Dirac General Manager of Automotive Audio Lars Carlsson explained why he believes sound identity is crucial at the industry’s top players.
“Safety is a commodity. Driving performance is a commodity to some people. The cars are quieter. They are good looking. So what can you do to make your car stand out? Great sound,” Carlsson told me.
Johansson said achieving this goal will become even more important as the industry moves to self-driving vehicles.
“When do you have time to listen to good music during your busy day?,” he asked. “It's when you're commuting. It’s when you are in the car.”
