Acoustics Technology

Expanding the potential of sound—Acoustics technology that brings a new sound experience to mobility

For over 40 years, Alps Alpine has been developing a variety of audio systems with a focus on automobile manufacturers in Japan, Europe, and the United States.

Alps Alpine’s exacting approach to in-vehicle audio systems

Under the Alpine brand, we not only manufacture hardware, but also conduct tuning to optimize the sound, making the vehicle interior a place for listening to music. Automobiles have fixed layouts and a limited amount of space, and it is difficult to reproduce a pure sound under such acoustic conditions. The characteristics of reflection and absorption of sound are not uniform, so functions such as an equalizer filter cannot be expected to effectively correct the sound if the speaker is producing distortion. Alps Alpine designs speakers with a focus on wide bandwidth and low distortion. Alps Alpine's signature technology features low distortion, reproducing all frequencies within the range audible by humans of 20Hz to 20kHz without leaks. They also incorporate speaker diaphragms made of carbon graphite and nanofiber which draw out the subtle nuances of the sound across a wide range of frequencies.

In addition, we have taken an exacting approach to “time accuracy.” In order to create the ideal in-vehicle listening experience, it is essential to deal with the two types of lags that can easily occur in a vehicle. One is a lag in the electrical circuitry, and the other is a lag in the time when a sound arrives. Our audio systems feature a time correction function that adjusts the timing by using an audio processor in order to correct the disparity in the sound output from each speaker. In Alpine F#1 Status—the flagship model of the Alpine band—the timing of the arrival of the sound from the speakers is corrected on a time axis according to the seat position, and the timing of the sound arrival and the timbre can be synchronized.

Products made by sound specialists with a high degree of know-how and experience

Alps Alpine offers sound tuning services starting from the prototype design stage of an automobile in order to build a sound system that matches the car model and environment. Our sound experts carefully adjust the parameters of the music and conduct detailed tuning.

Our sound experts have a high level of know-how and experience in the field of acoustics, and are educated and developed in our in-house training program. We have created our own unique training program for educating sound specialists, which is one of the noteworthy features of our skill development program. It is not unusual for the employees involved in this program to be members of bands or amateur orchestras. The developers are individuals who enjoy music in their private time, so creating superb sound through their involvement in the development of our products is truly a labor of love.

Control the sound and enter a new era of lifestyles with automobiles

Going beyond simply tuning the sound from the speakers, Alps Alpine also focuses on the technology to control the sound inside the car. The result of our efforts is our adaptive sound technology Road EQ. This system conducts corrective processing on the sound in real time in accordance with the optimal frequency balance by using microphones to measure and analyze the changing noise environment while the automobile is being driven. It corrects the frequency balance by analyzing the noise environment—which changes rapidly during driving due to factors such as road surface conditions, engine noise, air conditioning, and more.

Also, we have developed a new Personal Sound Zones system that allows people sitting in different seats to hear only the sounds they want to hear, without the use of earphones.
The Personal Sound Zones system plays back sound from the speakers built into the seats and, at the same time, a sound that negates it. This draws an invisible curtain of air between each seat that separates the sounds. The driver and passengers hear different sounds in each seat, and it can be used in ways such as allowing the driver to make hands-free calls without bothering the passengers, or for playing the music that only one individual wants to hear.

Alps Alpine’s dedication to acoustics technology extends outside of the vehicle as well. The company has had success in suppressing noise with its active noise control, which eliminates noise by generating a sound that cancels out engine noise and other unwanted noises when driving. Also, we have entered into the field of vehicle proximity warning systems, which are legally mandated to be installed in electric and hybrid vehicles. Further, we have developed the AVAS (Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System), which produces engine sound by using a multi-speaker system with a built-in electronic control unit (ECU) and amplifier. The engine sound is produced in real time and matches the type of vehicle, such as a passenger car, SUV, or sports car.

Personal Sound Zones system and AVAS (Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System) are next-generation products that we have created to match the changes in the environment for automobiles. Our goal with our in-vehicle sound systems is to provide a better lifestyle with automobiles by allowing users to control various sounds both inside and outside the vehicle through acoustics.

High-end hardware and software exactingly tuned by extensively trained specialists. There would be no way to build a sound system with this towering level of quality without all these factors in place.
Alps Alpine has a passion for creating great sound and delivering products that produce great sound to our customers, and that is what drives us in our quest for high quality acoustics technology.