British audio company Bowers & Wilkins is debuting its latest car sound system in the equally new Aston Martin DB12.
The car was revealed last week and now we know more about its optional B&W system, which is made up of 15 speakers and outputs up to 1,170 watts of power. Its installation marks a new partnership between Bowers & Wilkins and Aston Martin.
The system features proprietary technology like aluminium double-dome tweeters, Continuum mid-range drive units and dedicated 3D speakers in the car’s headlining for creating surround sound, plus a subwoofer for extra bass.
Working closely with Aston Martin to create a sound system tailored specifically for the DB12’s cabin, Bowers & Wilkins has installed five 25mm Nautilus tweeters in the dashboard, doors and behind the B-pillar. These speakers feature spiralling diffusion channels that soak up reflected sound from the rear of each drive unit, Bowers says, reducing resonances and the distortion they create to a minimum.
There are also five 100mm Continuum mid-range speakers, positioned close to the tweeters and delivering what Aston Martin describes as “a great step forward in midrange speaker performance.” A cleaner midrange sound is created by using a woven composite construction that is damped to absorb unwanted resonance. This, the companies says, results in a cleaner midrange performance and a more open, neutral sound.
Lastly, the system employs a tweeter-on-top layout, where the tweeter is separated from the rest of each speaker cabinet. This helps to reduce acoustic reflection from the windscreen by firing sound directly towards the driver and their passenger. The DB12’s system features three tweeters sat on top of the dashboard.
Due out later this year, the DB12 is the successor to the DB11. Described by Aston Martin as a ‘super tourer’, the new car is powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 engine, and while the exterior looks similar to the outgoing car, the interior is all-new. There’s a new touch screen infotainment system with wireless smartphone connectivity, a digital driver display and the promise of over-the-air software updates.
Aston Martin isn’t the first British car company to work with Bowers & Wilkins. The audio firm also produces sound systems for McLaren, as well as BMW and Polestar.
