Bose introduced its first-ever Performance Series automotive sound system, debuting in the all-new 2017 INFINITI Q60 sports coupe. Bose Performance Series is a new category of sound systems, reserved for select premier sports and luxury cars, and designed to deliver an intense, exhilarating audio experience for all vehicle passengers. The sound is called precise and life-like.
To achieve Performance Series status, the 13-speaker Bose system in the new Q60 had to meet stringent hardware, software, and industrial design requirements set by Bose and INFINITI. Bose engineers also developed an all-new system architecture that uses higher-performing components than in previously available Bose systems for INFINITI.
In addition, Bose and INFINITI worked together closely on the system’s industrial design to complement the modern and sophisticated Q60 interior. Its Bose Performance Series system includes distinct visual cues, including refined metal grilles covering the Bose Twiddler speakers in each door. These thin and lightweight polished grilles also provide functionality by transporting sound from the speaker more efficiently for enhanced acoustic performance.
Included in the Bose Performance Series system are new 1-inch (25mm) tweeters — one in each mirror patch — engineered for improved high-frequency output and more accurate sound reproduction.
For low frequencies, two new Bose 6×9-inch (150x230mm) woofers built into the Q60’s rear deck work in combination with a pair of upgraded 10-inch (255mm) Bose Nd woofers — one in each door — to deliver more impactful, natural sounding bass with less vibration and distortion than comparable systems, and without requiring a separate bass box enclosure.
Five 3.25-inch (80mm) Bose Twiddler mid-/high-range speakers across the Q60’s forward cabin are combined with proprietary Bose Advanced Staging Technology signal processing to produce a soundstage that feels much wider than the confines of the cabin. Instruments and vocals sound separate and more precise, giving the listener the feeling of being in the front row of a live concert.
Two additional 3.25-inch (80mm) Twiddler speakers — one in each rear quarter panel — provide acoustic balance for rear-seat passengers.
The system also uses the latest generation of proprietary Bose Centerpoint® surround signal processing and AudioPilot® noise-compensation technology. And it’s powered by an 11-channel Bose digital amplifier mounted inside the Q60’s rear quarter panel.
The INFINITI Q60 represents the first of several future models that will feature a custom-engineered Bose Performance Series system. Coming soon, the 2017 INFINITI Q50 sedan will be the next Performance Series-equipped vehicle.
In the early 1980s, Bose engineers created the world’s first factory-installed premium automotive sound systems. Unlike conventional or aftermarket automotive systems, Bose systems were designed and tuned for a specific vehicle.