Glashub

I was shocked to discover this:

"Acura TL/ELS Score: 8.5
The 10-speaker, 440-watt Acura/ELS Surround system that's part of the 2009 Acura TL with Technology package was our top choice, but not based on technical precision and point total alone.
Sure, clarity and tonal balance were near perfect, and timbre and tonal accuracy were strikingly authentic and background details were tangibly vivid. Bass impact had a visceral quality and dynamics were like those delivered at a live performance. Sound staging was easily the best of the bunch, with the width extending outside of the vehicle past the roof pillars, and a three-dimensional quality to the depth. Imaging was also precise.

But it had that ineffable quality that made us forget we were listening to a group of electronic components and speakers and let us simply enjoy the music. Objective analysis aside, sheer aural enjoyment is the ultimate goal of any audio system, and even after hours of listening to music in cars, we wanted to keep on jamming to the ELS system.

DVD-Audio surround was also the best of the bunch. The immersive quality of the system made us fall in love with our DVD-Audio test discs all over again. About the only downside was that low-level linearity was only poor to fair, while at midlevels it was good but not great."

http://www.edmunds.com/car-technolog...ticleid=158488

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Nice! Now if you could only buy new DVD Audio discs.....

niebur3

Wow, there expectations must be pretty low...no offense or anything, just that I have never heard a factory system that can even try to compete with a good aftermarket. Maybe my expectations are too high or something.

cyniclaus

I was very impressed by the new B&O system in the S4...perhaps even more than the ELS in the 4G TL.

Especially when you consider that the TL can't play normal music/concert DVDs (of which I have a lot) whereas the Audi can.

If I exclusively listened to DVD-Audio, then maybe the TL would win out, but designing a system around a practically dead format is kind of ridiculous. But then maybe it's to be expected from the people at Acura/ELS who also put a cassette player in the 3G TL.

bewy05NBP

I agree the sound system format should be geared toward the current audio format but, I would say the system is excellent in longevity and I like the fact you can listen to it at max level without distortion.

cyniclaus

CW says you should never listen to a system at near full volume as the amp distortion that can damage speakers(even if you can't hear it) increases exponentially as it reaches max output. That being said, I suppose it's possible they limited the amp output so that "full volume" is actually 80% or so of the amp's actual max.

NJ SHAWD

I have an 09 shawd tech. It is by far the best auto audio sound system I've ever had...in any of my other 37

I am not a technical audiophile, but I have an ear for sound and it is pretty impressive.