On June 25th, Lynk&Co held a rare concert in the automotive industry. The concert was co-hosted by Lynk&Co and Harman Kardon. In addition to experiencing the audio effects of the Lynk&Co 08, we also learned about the story behind the audio system of Lynk&Co 08.
The Harman Kardon audio system on the Lynk&Co 08 features 23 speakers and a power output of 1,600 W. Compared to the 710 W Burmester audio on the EQS SUV and the 600 W Harman Kardon audio on the BMW X7, it has a clear advantage in power, nearly matching the 1,920 W B&O audio on the Audi Q7, which has an optional cost of 73,700 RMB. When placed among competitors in the same category or price range, Lynk&Co 08’s audio configuration is already at the top.
Currently, vehicles in the same price range often have branded audio systems that may not significantly differ in actual performance from those without branded audio. However, the Lynk&Co 08 features a genuine Harman Kardon audio system. The tuning team from Harman Kardon joined the Lynk&Co 08 project from the very beginning, considering the entire audio system’s hardware and software, as well as space planning during the blueprint design phase. The system was fine-tuned over eight months in three separate iterations to reach its current state. Let’s take a look at the specific hardware details of this audio system:
The 23-speaker system includes center, left and right front, left and right surround, left and right rear speakers, 1 subwoofer, 2 headrest speakers, and 4 ceiling speakers;
170 mm low-frequency speakers at the bottom of both front doors, and 160 mm speakers at the bottom of both rear doors;
80 mm mid-range speakers for mid-high frequency, located in the center of the dashboard, the top of the front doors, and on the side of the C-pillar;
40 mm ceiling speakers, located above the driver’s and passenger’s seats;
40 mm headrest speakers, located on the driver’s headrest;
A 16-liter custom sealed subwoofer features a 224 mm ultra-low-frequency speaker, using dual neodymium magnets, and a dual voice coil design in a carefully designed sealed enclosure;
A dedicated channel drives the center speaker and the high-frequency speaker separately in the center of the dashboard, reducing distortion and improving the clarity of mid-high frequencies and vocals.
In addition, Harman Kardon has created a “virtual venue” for Lynk&Co, featuring a recording studio, concert hall, opera house, and concert with four different effects.
Each effect has a unique soundscape, with the concert having the widest and being my personal favorite. Without further ado, let’s play “Hotel California” and enjoy the experience together.
Currently, most audio systems support stereo sound effects, with Dolby ATOM and Logic 7 offering impressive surround experiences. The Lynk&Co 08 features Quantum Logic Immersion 3D surround stereo technology, which allows any audio file, regardless of its size or bitrate, to be played in 3D format. The actual experience is quite impressive, ranking at the top of its class in my opinion.
Another aspect I personally appreciate is the ambient lighting in the Lynk&Co 08. Moreover, it’s the only ambient lighting I’ve enjoyed using when synced with music. Most music-synced lighting tends to be subpar, with slow color changes and stuttering motion as the primary culprits. On the Lynk&Co 08, the light rhythms are extremely smooth and lively, reminiscent of the effects found in Harman’s JBL Bluetooth speakers. The color combinations and display areas are also very comfortable.
This audio system already rivals the experience offered by luxury cars, so all that’s left is the price of the Lynk&Co 08 and the cost to add this audio system as an option. We can discuss what configuration would be considered standard for this audio system or at what price point it would be acceptable as an optional addition.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.