Bentley and Bang & Olufsen – an automotive audio first
- Bang & Olufsen BeoSonic interface in new Continental GT is a pioneering automotive industry first
- System allows users to choose between four different audio ‘spaces’
- New Continental GT available with 1,500 W, 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system
Bentley and Bang & Olufsen have broken new ground in the automotive world by integrating the Danish brand’s revolutionary BeoSonic interface into the new Continental GT.
BeoSonic is designed to shape the sound in the car around you, with a simple, intuitive one-touch user interface allowing Continental GT customers to create an entirely tailored, bespoke in-car audio experience.
Bang & Olufsen BeoSonic One-Touch Experience provides four distinct audio spaces: Bright, Energetic, Warm & Relaxed. The soundtuning of the spaces is adjusted to the driver’s preferences through an easy-to-use, haptic touchscreen interface integrated into the multimedia system.
The interface features an eclipse design, and by moving a digital white marker the user chooses between the four different spaces. This enables the user to adjust the music according to their current mood – with a colour palette behind the eclipse reflecting the chosen sound mode. Surround intensity can also be adjusted with a pinching gesture, in the BeoSonic display. Additional settings can optimize the whole system for front or rear seat passengers.
The Bang & Olufsen sound system for Bentley has been developed in close collaboration between Bentley’s and HARMAN International’s design and audio engineering teams leading the design of Bang & Olufsen soundsystems for Bentley. The system features 16 active loudspeakers and a powerful 1,500 watt BeoCore DSP amplifier ensuring an impressive high-quality sound.
Bentley and Bang & Olufsen – an automotive audio first
Customers selecting this system also benefit from the iconic design of the speaker grilles – finished in aluminium with holes drilled in variable sizes and angles and shaped to a uniquely-designed Fibonacci hole pattern. The angled holes are placed as tightly as possible to achieve the best acoustic transparency and to build a contrast to the glass-pearl blasted surface.
Bentley and Bang & Olufsen – an automotive audio first
Another highlight is the LED illumination of the holes, which welcomes the driver when the system turns on. The Bang & Olufsen logo completes the unique speaker design and is debossed into the leather next to the grilles.
The new Bentley Continental GT also features laminated acoustic glass windscreen and side windows, reducing exterior noise ingress to ensure an optimal audio experience in the cabin environment.
Bentley and Bang & Olufsen – an automotive audio first
Ashley Blakemore, Head of Infotainment and Audio at Bentley, said: “The BeoSonic user interface allows you to change equalization based on your mood, which means fewer inputs are required to achieve their desired audio experience. When changing between sound spaces, you will instantly hear the difference: you can change from a very precise and narrow sound to a much more open and surrounding listening experience.”
ABOUT HARMAN:
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. HARMAN acquired Bang & Olufsen Automotive in 2015.
ABOUT BANG & OLUFSEN
Bang & Olufsen was founded in Struer, Denmark, in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, two innovative, young engineers devoted to high quality audio reproduction. Since then, the brand has become an icon of performance and design excellence through its long-standing craftsmanship tradition and the strongest possible commitment to high-tech research and development.
Still at the forefront of domestic technology, Bang & Olufsen has extended its comprehensive experience with integrated audio and video solutions for the home to other areas such as the hospitality and automotive industries in recent years. Consequently, its current product range epitomizes seamless media experiences in the home as well as in the car and on the move.
Source: Bentley Motors
Press Contacts
Marc Mustard
News and Product Communications Manager
marc.mustard@bentley.co.uk
+44 (0) 1270 535043
Mike Sayer
Product & Motorsport Communications Manager
mike.sayer@bentley.co.uk
+44 (0) 1270 535133
