McIntosh and Jeep took the car audio industry by surprise with their March announcement of the brand new McIntosh MX1375 Reference System for the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
A McIntosh system in a premium American SUV made a huge splash in the marketplace; I did hear some grumbling from some in the audiophile community who felt that Jeep isn’t a high-end car brand and that the world’s premier manufacturer of audio/video components should have launched in a luxury US brand like Lincoln or Cadillac but I’m going to push back on that one.
I live in a community where Range Rovers, Porsche Cayennes, BMW X5s, Audi Q7s, and Maserati Levante GTs are fairly common. I notice new cars on the road and I’ve seen a lot of new 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneers as well driving around Rumson, Little Silver, Spring Lake, Deal, and Asbury Park.
More than a few had the McIntosh MX1375 system. The people driving them didn’t look unhappy. I think McIntosh made the right choice.
Our Music Editor, Lauren Halliday, spent an evening at the 2021 Houston Auto Show and had a lot to say about her experience with the aforementioned McIntosh system and how it completely changed her perception of premium car audio.
But what about Sonus faber?
The Italian sibling to the bigger brother in Binghamton jumped into the high-end car audio experience years ago and it’s upping the ante with a state-of-the-art system in partnership with Maserati.
Sonus faber have announced the integration of its award-winning audio in Maserati’s new Grecale vehicle. Following the successful partnership introduced in the Maserati MC20 Super Sports Car, the brands remain bonded by their shared commitment to innovation, performance, and handcrafted Italian craftsmanship.
Sonus faber is distinctively featured in two audio systems for the Grecale; the Premium (standard) and High Premium (optional) Sonus faber sound systems are both proudly designed and engineered in Italy.
Built with the finest natural materials, the systems include the brand’s signature silk dome tweeters and paper cone midranges, resulting in smooth frequency response and detailed sound stage, enabled by independently driven speakers.
Sonus faber’s signature natural sound is delivered with the expert application of key technologies paired with the brand’s celebrated design philosophy found in its legendary loudspeakers, achieved by optimizing the phase and amplitude alignment between the midrange and tweeter.
Sonus faber technicians adjust the final voicing of the audio system by ear, ensuring consistent emotional and quality listening experience, resulting in the reproduction of pure, natural sound reminiscent.
The Car Cabin as a Listening Room
The idea behind this system was to faithfully reproduce the natural sound experience, making a car cabin as a true listening room. Thanks to the signature ‘Voice of Sonus faber’ tweeter and mid-range alignment, the Grecale custom design audio environment will offer an immersive sound experience.
Sonus faber have designed and engineered two different sound systems; the “Premium” with 14 speakers driven by 860 watts of power and “High Premium” with 21 speakers and almost 1,300 watts of power.
For the Premium Audio System, Sonus faber set-up two tuning modes; Guarneri with a precise soundstage, great openness, and outstanding clarity, and the Amati with a full and balanced sound perception enhanced in the bass frequencies.
For an ultimate Sonus faber experience, the High Premium Audio System equipped with 21 drivers provides a 3D sound environment with separate woofer control. Two tuning modes are also available; the Reference and Ex3ma.
Specifications
Grecale Premium Audio System is equipped with 14 drivers amplified with 860 Watts of power.
- Front: 2 Tweeters Premium x 45 w, 3 Midranges Premium x 60 w, Woofer Premium x 60 w
- Rear: Tweeter Premium x 45 w, Woofer Premium x 45 w
- Surround: 2 Midranges Premium x 45 w
- Subwoofer x 200 w
- Amplifier: 860 w, class-D Dual DSP
Grecale High Premium Audio System is equipped with 21 drivers amplified with 1285 Watts of power.
- Front: 3 Tweeters HiPremium x 45 w, 3 Midranges HiPremium x 60 w, 2 Height Midranges HiPremium x 45 w, 2 Woofer HiPremium x 100 w
- Rear: 2 Tweeter HiPremium x 45 w, 2 Height Midranges HiPremium x 45 w, 2 Woofer HiPremium x 60 w
- Surround: 2 Tweeters HiPremium x 45 w, 2 Midranges x 45 w
- Subwoofer x 200 w
- Amplifier: 1285 w, class-D Dual DSP
ORT
March 23, 2022 at 11:49 am
Car audio is sooooooooooo cool! Thank you for this one. I can not afford such as set up but I can admire one! I put about $2,000 into my 2011 Mustang’s system and have been very happy with the decision to do so (and keep the car!).
A new Mustang comparably equipped would now run me in excess of $50,000. No way a soon to be retired seasoned citizen such as I can afford that. Besides, my ‘stang reminds me of a 1967 Matchbox Mustang (in white, like mine!) toy that I had. It is THE reason that when they brought the car around I simply (auto sales term ALERT!) “laid down” and bought it. The inside of the new Mustangs I like, the out side…Not so much at all. The new Camaro’s look nicer on the out side to me and a friend of mine as both an SS 2 and ZL1. Both in black.
Sweeeeeeeeeeet!
Car stereo can be cool and again, this set up you previewed is definitely that!
ORT
Ian White
March 23, 2022 at 12:49 pm
I plan on test driving it later this year. Fingers crossed.
Ford!
Ian White