Meridian develops in-car audio systems for new Land Rover Freelander 2
British audio specialist Meridian has developed a pair of in-car audio systems for the new 2013 Land Rover Freelander 2, spending around 1500 hours fine-tuning them.
Land Rover has given the 2013 model a major overhaul, with new colours, new exterior design features, new engines and upgraded equipment levels. That includes the option of two bespoke Meridian audio systems.
The Meridian Sound System is a 380W, 12-channel stereo set-up with 11 speakers, including a dual-channel subwoofer.
Alternatively, buyers can opt for the Meridian Surround Sound System, an 825W, 16-channel stereo and surround system with 17 speakers.
Both systems employ the latest Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technologies to tailor the sound to the car's interior acoustics using Meridian cabin correction. In addition, Digital Dither Shaping enables "the most natural details of the music to become clear", the company claims.
And the systems automatically compensate for extraneous noise within the cabin by means of Dynamic Volume Control.
This is not the first in-car project Meridian has undertaken for Land Rover. It also designed the in-car audio systems for the Range Rover Evoque – read our extended review and watch the video here – and more recently it's had a hand in the refreshed Jaguar XJ executive model.
Meridian will be even more involved in future Land Rover models, being consulted in packaging reviews to make sure the body-in-white attributes are suited to premium sound systems, reports our sister title Autocar.
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Comments
I assume it means in future they'll design the metalwork so the 'oles for the speakers – the technical term for 'the body-in-white attributes' – are in the best place for good sound, rather than the 'i-fi manufacturer 'aving to do the best it can with the 'oles it's given.
Mind you, just to clarify some points in the story above, while there are a few exterior tweaks – lights and so on –, in the UK at least the engine offering remains the same (a 2.2l turbodiesel, available in TD4 or more powerful SD4 spec), and most of the changes are to the interior, designed to move the vehicle more upmarket and closer to Range Rover territory.
(And no, not a car geek – just a very happy second-time Freelander 2 owner slightly concerned that when the time comes to change JLR may have priced the vehicle out of my budget by taking even the entry-level models too upmarket, and making them less Land Rover and more baby Range Rover.
But then with the new Range Rover set to have an eye-watering entry-level of around £70k, perhaps it needs to fill some gaps?
Rant mode now disengaging...)
Body In White is the car industry term for the basic body shell. I assume then that the next Land Rover/Range Rover will be based on an anechoic chamber!
"Meridian will be even more involved in future Land Rover models, being consulted in packaging reviews to make sure the body-in-white attributes are suited to premium sound systems"
The what?