In-Car Audio Experience: What software got to do with it

You know when the song on your smartphone stops playing, because you have started listening to a voice message? On devices like smartphones audio signals are usually produced by a single app at a time. The number of simultaneously produced sound signals in a car, however, is much higher. This requires an orchestration of 50 to 100 channels at the same time – from music playback, voice control and high-definition entertainment, telephony, navigation announcements to in-car alerts and electrical engine sounds. All these audio sources have to be fine-tuned against each other, to the respective model line and to the existing sound system in order to create the best possible acoustic experience for drivers and passengers.

Multiple audio sources, one sound framework

In the past, each in-vehicle system that emitted sound operated separately. Today, modern vehicles equipped with the new electronic architecture E³ 1.2 like the Audi A6 e-tron use a central audio framework called soundCUBE. It operates at the heart of the infotainment system and intelligently manages a wide range of audio functions. Designed to process and fine-tune audio signals to the vehicle environment, the software controls everything from volume levels to complex soundscapes.

The system’s goal is to create a harmonious soundscape that, at the same time, ensures important messages are not drowned out. If you were to accelerate, for example, the output of music and navigation instructions will be adjusted in the background. This way, the system ensures the audio sound remains clear and perfectly balanced against the respective driving situation.

Tailored to the vehicle’s character

A key driver in the development of soundCUBE is scalability, as Manfred Eberth, Head of Audio at CARIAD, explains:

The system’s scalability enables audio engineers to tailor the acoustical experience to the unique character of each brand and sound system. They can optimize each audio parameter with high precision and assess the performance under different conditions. From a setup with five speakers to arrangements with over 20 speakers and additional amplifiers – the same framework ensures clarity and richness of sound in all driving scenarios and across all models.

"Sound is an important part of Audi’s brand identity. Our audio engineers and technology partners work with high precision on delivering pitch-perfect sound that shapes our customers’ driving experience," says Klaus Brummet, Head of Sound Systems at Audi. "With soundCUBE, we have a highly integrated and reliable solution that is fundamental to offer tailored and exciting sound functions."

Sound zones for personalized audio experiences

soundCUBE also enables the creation of sound zones. The high integration of various sound sources into one framework allows for specific functions such as personal surround sound, navigation announcements, and personal telephony, all individually adjustable to the passengers’ preferences. For example, in the new all-electric Audi A6 e-tron the driver can focus on navigation instructions coming out of the headrest speakers while the passenger enjoys an undisturbed phone call.