Panasonic And Acura Announce ELS STUDIO 3D Premium Audio System

Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America today announced that the all-new ELS STUDIO 3D premium audio system will be available in the production version of the 2019 Acura RDX, unveiled at the 2018 New York Auto Show. Tuned together with 8-time Grammy Award–winning producer and engineer Elliot Scheiner, the ELS Studio 3D premium audio system includes four overhead speakers and 16 speakers total with amplifier power of 710 watts.

"Our new ultra slim Highline speakers transmit a more direct sound thereby achieving a higher level of detail, definition and clarity in the RDX," said Tom Dunn, Director – Global Audio Solutions, Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America. "Through a unique combination of artistic genius and engineering expertise, Panasonic Automotive and Elliot Scheiner collaborated to create ELS Studio 3D. The concept of this all-new system remains true to the origin of ELS Studio. Allow the listener to come as close as possible to experiencing music the way Elliot and the artist originally heard it in the studio.

Panasonic ELS STUDIO 3D

The ELS Studio 3D premium audio system brings the precision crafted audio performance of the recording studio to the all-new Acura RDX. Featuring proprietary Panasonic Automotive speaker technology, the system enables both drivers and passengers to experience the feeling of studio quality sound throughout the vehicle.

Equipped with Highline overhead speakers, the ELS Studio 3D premium audio system adds a vertical characteristic that produces an immersive three-dimensional sound image. This mid-air suspended sound image reduces audio disruption produced by the secondary cabin reflections evident in traditional systems. The Super Dynamic Range (SDR) speakers throughout the cabin aid in reducing distortion, boasting an extended range to reduce saturation while the extended frequency and enhanced transparency of the 40mm Hybrid Titanium Dome Tweeters provide precise vocal reproduction.

"Our pursuit for true audio precision in a vehicle has been advanced through the development of the ELS Studio 3D system, offering insight into the artistic craftsmanship which is not often heard outside of the studio," said Elliot Scheiner. "Working side-by–side with Panasonic Automotive engineers and the teams at Acura, we were able create a system that is both acoustically sophisticated and emotionally intimate."

The ELS Studio 3D premium audio system directs sound to specific areas of the cabin through multi-zone audio capabilities that surpass the directional capacity of traditional systems. The DSP multi-channel amplifier is equipped with Panasonic's proprietary Acoustic Motion Control technology that allows individual speakers to be independently optimized for ideal performance.

The 2018 Acura RDX ELS Studio premium audio system is offered in two configurations:

• ELS Studio (Technology Package)
  • 12 speakers
  • 12 channels
  • 550 watts
• ELS Studio 3D (A-Spec and Advanced Package)
  • 16 speakers
  • 16 channels
  • 710 watts

"From the beginning, our goal was to deliver sound that closely matches what the artists and audio engineers originally created in the studio," said Jon Ikeda, vice president and general manager, Acura. "Collaborating with Elliot and Panasonic Automotive to deliver a whole new dimension of sound is a point of pride and something we can't wait for Acura owners to experience."

The ELS Studio 3D premium audio system will launch in the production 2019 Acura RDX mid-2018.