Kia’s pitch perfect Meridian partnership

November 23, 2023

The new top-of-the-range Kia EV9 luxury SUV, which will be launched across Europe, Asia and the US for the 2024 model year, will be one of the first vehicles to be specified with a sound system designed and tuned specifically for the unique audio characteristics of a pure electric vehicle.

Kia EV9

Developed by British pioneers Meridian Audio following extensive research into the requirements for delivering an immersive acoustic experience in electric vehicles, the 14 speaker system employs a suite of proprietary Digital Signal Processing technologies optimised for this surprisingly challenging acoustic environment.

The electric-only EV9 SUV is the third Kia vehicle to feature Meridian technology, following the K8 luxury sports sedan and the EV6 premium electric crossover. With UK prices up to £76,245, the EV9 moves the ambitious global brand into direct competition with established luxury vehicle manufacturers.

“Based on the success of our current collaborations, Kia challenged us to engineer an immersive surround sound system that will enhance the luxury experience for all occupants,” explained Meridian Audio chief executive, John Buchanan. “Kia wanted to retain the design purity of the EV9 concept car, so we worked closely with their design team from an early stage to ensure this could be delivered without affecting audio quality, cost or manufacturability.

“The challenge with delivering a fantastic audio experience in an EV isn’t the level of the background noise, it’s the complexity of noise sources and their frequency profiles. These are typically at significantly higher frequencies than in a combustion vehicle, which can affect our ability to perceive the position of sounds, and they can be more random, which makes the acoustic environment more difficult to manage with active noise cancelation.”

The solution, according to Buchanan, is to move the focus from hardware to software, managing the acoustic environment through Meridian’s proprietary Digital Signal Processing algorithms and then overlaying further DSP technologies to tailor the sound to the requirements of the specific vehicle and the tastes and activities of the vehicle occupants.

Meridian typically re-invests around 15 percent of revenue in research, with a significant proportion focussed on software for optimising and tailoring the audio signal in a given listening environment.

Meridian’s engineers have selected and tailored a suite of DSP technologies for the EV9. Meridian RE-Q intelligently and discreetly optimises the audio system to the precise acoustics of the vehicle cabin, while Meridian Digital Precision maximises the signal-to-noise ratio, preserving the natural rhythm of the performance.

Meridian Horizon, an upmixing technology, provides multi-channel audio from both two-channel stereo and native 5.1 content, seamlessly delivering a surround sound experience complete with centre image and ambience level controls for the user. Meridian lntelli-Q Data-Driven Equalisation psycho-acoustically optimises audio playback by responding to the changing nature of the in-car acoustic environment as vehicle speed changes.

An open-air connected subwoofer (OCS) was selected for the EV9 as it removes the need for a large box enclosure. Conventional enclosures require substantial packaging volume and can create resonances and rattles. They also limit frequency extension and timing. The combination of the OCS and Meridian’s proprietary tuning techniques has eliminated these issues, providing exceptional bass performance that is fast, precise and deep for all seating positions.

Latest News

GEM winter weather warning

Plan ahead for winter weather driving

GEM Motoring Assist, a road safety and breakdown organisation, is urging drivers to
[...]
Suzuki e Vitara

Suzuki goes electric with the e Vitara

Suzuki has unveiled its first mass-production electric vehicle called the e Vitara, with
[...]
Toyota Corolla

Toyota’s 5,000,000th milestone in the UK

Toyota is celebrating the five millionth car to be built at its Burnaston
[...]
Skoda Karoq

Skoda Karoq gains a new Edition trim

Skoda is ramping up customer value once again with a comprehensive refresh of
[...]
Kia EV3 boot liner The Ocean Cleanup

Kia boot liner made from ocean plastic

Kia has developed the world’s first car accessory made from plastic extracted from
[...]
Nissan Ariya NISMO

Buckle up for the Nissan Ariya NISMO

It’s time to buckle up because from this Thursday, 17 October, customers can
[...]
Renault 4 E Tech

New Renault 4 is a nod to its heritage

With a nod to the past, the new Renault 4 E-Tech electric has
[...]
GEM deer warning

Keep a look-out for deer on the road

Road safety and breakdown organisation, GEM Motoring Assist, is warning drivers to be
[...]
VW California

Pop-up fun with latest VW California

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has unveiled the UK specifications for the new California campervan,
[...]
Billy Monger

Toyota helps keep Paralympics moving

In recent weeks the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been a major highlight
[...]
Dacia Spring

Special deals for all-new Dacia Spring

The Dacia Spring – the UK’s most affordable new electric car – is
[...]
Honda HR-V

Fresh look for Honda’s popular HR-V

Honda has refreshed its HR-V e:HEV model line-up with a purposeful facelift across
[...]
Hyundai Inster

Hyundai Inster goes on showroom tour

British customers will get their first chance to see Hyundai’s new Inster model
[...]
MG ZS Hybrid+

Order books open for new MG ZS Hybrid+

MG Motor UK has opened the order books for the all-new MG ZS
[...]
Mercedes AMG PureSpeed

Mercedes-AMG tests out its PureSpeed

Mercedes-AMG is commencing the final phase in the development of the highly exclusive
[...]
VW Golf GTI Clubsport

New VW Golf trims are available soon

The highest-performing versions of the new VW Golf can be ordered from August
[...]