Over the past few days, I’ve been out and about testing an in-car sound system. The Bose Surround Sound System for the electric Porsche Macan, to be precise.
I’m going to be comparing this system with the step-up Burmester option in a future article, but during my time testing the Bose, I came across a setting in the system menu which I’d previously seen only on a TV before: an ‘Eco’ mode.
Having such a mode in this car makes complete sense. EV ownership centres around power consumption, efficiency and squeezing the most mileage possible from the car’s battery. Why wouldn’t you want to try to save energy wherever possible?
Now, in the world of TVs, an Eco mode normally means a setting which is designed to lower power consumption by reducing things such as brightness and dynamic contrast.
In our experience, though, it’s a mode that can really upset picture quality. And – would you believe it? – the Porsche’s Eco mode has a similar impact. Here, though, of course, it is the sound quality taking a hit.
I reached out to Bose to ask what the mode actually does. Its representative replied, “When the system is in Eco Mode, energy consumption is reduced by limiting playback to selected speakers in the front of the cabin, while the rear speakers and subwoofer are temporarily inactive.
Depending on listening volume and content type, this approach can help lower overall energy usage while still delivering a rich and engaging listening experience for front-seat occupants.”
Well I found that this translates into a shrinking of scale, diminished dynamics and a more laid-back and less expressive sound.
Playing Eric Prydz’ anthemic dance tune Pjanoo, the song has less of an impact. There’s less of a sense of scale, and dynamics are dialled back.
The stomping bassline doesn’t kick quite as hard, leading edges are softened and there’s an audible drop in power. Overall, it’s a more laid-back and less expressive presentation, which means it communicates less with you, the listener.
Bose couldn’t supply any data on how much energy the mode could save, so I have reached out to Porsche and am still waiting for a reply (the mode is also present on the optional Burmester system).
I’m intrigued, because enabling the mode didn't seem to have any effect on the car's remaining range, at least according to the display. Perhaps this is something you will notice only over a much longer period of time with the car?
I can certainly see the appeal of an energy-saving mode when listening to, say, spoken-word radio and podcasts through the system.
Switching from music, the drop in audio quality isn’t felt as much; voices still sounded natural, balanced, and on the whole speech is still intelligible. When listening to voices, the number of speakers used and the impact of a subwoofer doesn’t matter quite as much.
It really depends on your priorities. For me, switching the Eco mode on and off does add an extra step, and if you’ve got a car full of passengers, having no audio out of the rear speakers isn’t going to be ideal.
Assuming other systems in the car, climate control being an obvious example, affect power consumption more, I would concentrate my eco-attention elsewhere first, leaving the sound system free to entertain me.
MORE:
Bentley announces Naim for Mulliner high-end car stereo system with Dolby Atmos
7 things I’ve learned testing in-car hi-fi for a decade
Should I use my TV in Eco mode? The pros and cons of energy-saving settings
