In partnership with Volvo Cars, HARMAN Automotive has equipped the all-electric Volvo EX30 small SUV with a Premium Surround Sound System from Harman Kardon. This high-performance audio system features an array of innovative loudspeaker technologies, perfectly integrated in Volvo’s newest all-electric car to provide unlimited immersive audio experiences.
High-performance technologies for an exhilarating in-car experience
The optional Harman Kardon Premium Surround Sound System is designed to leverage the car’s unique interior configuration to create the most immersive listening experience possible while merging seamlessly with the car’s own design language. Harman Kardon’s engineers developed a custom-made system architecture equipped with ground-breaking technologies, resulting in a sound system that reveals all the nuances of finely tuned surround sound, making music seem as natural as if it was created right in the car.
It features 9 strategically located high-performance speakers, including a subwoofer in the trunk, that fill the cabin with rich and enveloping sound. Powered by a 1040-watt amplifier, the system is further enhanced by a host of cutting-edge technologies, including Vehicle Noise Compensation (VNC), Quantum Logic Surround (QLS), and Dirac Unison.
Of particular importance for electric cars, the sound system’s Vehicle Noise Compensation is an advanced feature that maintains high-quality sound at any speed by relying on an algorithm that adapts to ambient changes and speed while driving, enhancing the music reproduction level and tonal balance to always guarantee the best audio quality. This, in turn, allows drivers to spend less time adjusting the volume and more time enjoying their music.
Thanks to Quantum Logic Surround (QLS) sound technology, the new Volvo EX30 offers a truly immersive in-car listening experience for each and every passenger. The system features revolutionary surround sound audio algorithms that extract the signal streams and then translate the signals into dedicated signals for each speaker. The resulting effect is an individual sound stage, envelopment, and surrounding content for each passenger, giving the audio tracks a natural yet controlled sound quality while immersing the listener in rich, beautiful sound.
A lifelike listening experience powered by Dirac Unison co-optimizes multiple loudspeakers to remove variations in sound quality across seats, delivering rich, space-filling sound to every seat with incredible precision.
Iconic design language embodying the best of the Scandinavian aesthetic
With the EX30, Volvo Cars’ engineers sought to unite cutting-edge technology and considerate Scandinavian design. Customers are invited to choose from four distinct interior styles with carefully crafted compilations of materials in a variety of colors and textures. Within this space, the subtle sophistication of the Harman Kardon sound system blends into Volvo’s design language through a home audio-inspired soundbar that covers the entire width of the dashboard and is the first of its kind in a car. This seamlessly creates a feeling of space and removes complexity for focused, safe, and enjoyable driving.
Harman Kardon’s iconic 60° grille pattern and the holes themselves are included on the rear door lower speaker, embodying the radiating energy of Harman Kardon sound. The lightweight design of the speakers, including the space-saving dimensions of the externally coupled subwoofer in the trunk and a woofer in the plenum, reflects and enhances the character of the Volvo EX30.
“The Harman Kardon Premium Surround Sound System in the new Volvo EX30 reflects Harman’s and Volvo Cars’ mutual passion for high-quality living and aesthetic elegance, as well as their commitment to creating rich and memorable experiences for every user. The car was designed from the ground up to make users’ lives more convenient, more relaxing, and more enjoyable. Thanks to the Harman Kardon audio system, this small SUV delivers big sound.” – Greg Sikora, Senior Director, Global Acoustic Systems Engineering at HARMAN.