| The Land Rover Freelander 2 has a surprise
for any passenger who climbs inside and turns on the sound system. Doing
so will send 14 separate speakers thundering into life, using the first
in-car application of Dolby’s Pro Logic II 7.1 surround sound system.
Advances in consumer electronics mean car buyers expect far better stereos
with which to customise their vehicles. The Dolby system has been available
for home systems for some time, but this is its first time in a car
“Cars are ideal for sound,” said Robin Dyer, vice president
of Dolby’s Europe consumer division. “This is a better quality
audio that’s increasingly relevant as people spend more time in
their cars.”
The “7.1” indicates there are seven individual channels for
the sound with one subwoofer for very low frequencies. Each section of
an orchestra, for example, could receive a channel each. Layering the
sound like this creates a clearer result.
The full effect can only be heard with DVDs and CDs that have been recorded
in 7.1. But Pro Logic II algorithms can also take basic stereo sounds,
such as the radio’s output, work out the different frequencies,
and split them to similar effect.
Alpine supplies the 14 speakers and 440 watt amplifier, sold as an option
in the Freelander 2. There are seven towards the front, four in the middle
and three in the rear, including the subwoofer.
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