Harman Debuts Vehicle-specific Audio Upgrade Packages at CES
By Chandra Johnson-Greene, TMCnet Contributing Writer
Harman, the Stamford, CT-based manufacturer of premium audio and entertainment systems, debuted a series of audio upgrade packages at CES (News - Alert) on Tuesday that are designed to be used with a vehicle’s existing wiring harnesses and speaker locations, thus reducing the costs associated with installation and fabrication.
The company recently released a Vehicle Specific Audio Upgrade package in Russia for the Hyundai iX35 with plans to release packages in other countries based on the success of the product. The first U.S. package will debut in the Jeep Wrangler.
“Harman’s Vehicle Specific Audio Upgrade packages are designed to quickly and easily replace all of the factory speakers, while also adding enclosed subwoofers, and updating the digital amplifier that has been acoustically tuned, time-aligned and equalized by Harman's engineers for the unique audio characteristics of specific cars,” President David Slump said. “These solutions give consumers pricing flexibility and choice, which are priorities for automakers in emerging markets where they want to build brand loyalty, especially among first time car buyers."
Harman will also be demoing a few more products for the mobile aftermarket, including new Infinity Marine and JBL Marine speakers for boats, and JBL(R) GX and GT7 speakers for cars. The speakers utilize the company’s patented Plus One™ woofer technology and each driver has been acoustically voiced for sonic accuracy.
Harman also announced at CES that it has developed software called Signal Doctor that can repair the sound quality of compressed digital music, thus returning it to its original quality, according to ComputerWorld. The software doesn’t require any action by the user and will be available in a series of the company’s products, including home and in-vehicle branded audio systems, later this month. Harman is also looking to package the software as a mobile app, according to a Harman spokesman.
Edited by Ryan Sartor