However, this sharing of brands and technologies results in some audio systems that feel remarkably homogeneous.
While it’ll never be as good as CD-quality or FLAC files, it’s proliferated across almost every corner of Harman’s car audio empire from the JBL system in a Toyota Camry to the Revel system in a loaded Lincoln Aviator. Take Clari-Fi, a digital compression restoration algorithm that attempts to reconstruct detail lost to compression.
In addition, manufacturers can benefit from shared technologies. Just slap a new name on it and call it done. Late E90 3-Series models featured an available Harman Kardon stereo with exactly the same speakers as the earlier Logic 7 system and an interchangeable amplifier. It’s a similar deal with BMW’s re-adoption of the Harman Kardon brand in the late 2000s. There’s no change in supplier here, just a change in branding. For instance, the new Genesis G90 has a Bang & Olufsen audio system instead of a traditional Lexicon audio system. Of course, this audio system monopoly has benefits for car manufacturers. As such, this system was engineered to a lower price point and therefore lacks the quality of higher-end systems. This means that Harman International likely didn’t have a huge budget for equipment and tuning, seeing as the system will have a fairly low take rate and has to recoup development costs while turning Ford a profit. In contrast to the pricey Lexus LC500, this baby Bronco’s premium audio system is part of a $1,285 package on a vehicle that starts at $36,045 (including a $1,595 freight charge). On the other end of the spectrum, you have the B&O system in the Ford Bronco Sport Outer Banks I tested a few weeks ago. No wonder it’s a massive hit with LC owners. Thanks to the LC’s fairly high price tag, acoustic engineers were able to produce a system with reasonably low distortion, clean staging, and a relatively balanced sound signature. Packing 915 watts of power, this system is a great example of what can be done when product planners know that customers will be serious about sound quality. Let’s start with a really solid example, the 13-speaker Mark Levinson audio system available in the Lexus LC 500. However, just because all of these brands are owned by Harman International doesn’t mean that every single stereo under these brands will be alike. Most recently, Harman International acquired Bang & Olufsen’s automotive division in 2015, before Harman International itself was bought by Samsung in 2017. Infinity was acquired in 1983, AKG joined the fray in 1994, then Mark Levinson and Revel in 2003. JBL was among the first, bought out in 1969. Throughout its history, Harman has steadily gobbled up automotive audio brands. I’ll let you in on a little secret all of the brands I just mentioned are owned by Samsung subsidiary Harman International. However, with brands like Bang & Olufsen, JBL, Revel, Mark Levinson, Harman Kardon, Infinity, and Lexicon all on deck at various manufacturers, it can be a bit hard discerning what makes certain factory sound systems special. If you like music and spend a lot of time in your car, you’ve probably considered popping for a premium audio system.
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