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<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nChallenging conventions, doing things differently \u2013 that has always been the Mazda motto. From the rotary engine that made Mazda the first Japanese brand to win the Le Mans 24 Hour race to the revolutionary Skyactiv-X petrol engine, which combines the fuel efficiency and low-end torque of a diesel with the power and drivability of a petrol engine, the company has been embracing challenges as a catalyst for success for more than a century. And while the challenges themselves have changed over time, the essence of this \u201cChallenger Spirit\u201d has remained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An attitude that right away resonated with the team at Bose. \u201cThere has been a great natural chemistry between the Mazda team members and the Bose team members from the very first meeting right up to the present day,\u201d says Mike Rosen, the Bose Chief Engineer working on the first joint project, the Mazda RX-7. This first project already came with its own set of challenges: To provide the sound the engineers were looking for, they had to fit the 3.6-metre-long \u201cAcoustic Wave Cannon\u201d tube into the back of the vehicle \u2013 a task that was eventually accomplished by a system of multiple folds and bends. In the three decades since, the two companies have worked on a number of equally challenging yet rewarding projects, including the iconic Mazda MX-5 roadster, which was the first to feature the UltraNearfield headrest speakers, and the Mazda MX-301, the carmaker\u2019s first fully battery-electric production car, where the absence of any motor sound opened up new possibilities for exceptional sound design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The goal for each and every one was to achieve the perfect harmony between driver, music and vehicle. For while each company naturally has their own area of expertise, there is also something important that all team members share. Frederic Hartnick, Manager Vehicle and Advanced Electronic Development at Mazda Research Europe, believes emphatically that, \u201cEveryone who\u2019s working for Mazda and for Bose can be described as people with passion.\u201d A passion for the joy of driving a smooth and responsive car while listening to the music you love \u2013 whatever model or genre that might be. And, equally important, a passion to do what it takes to provide that feeling to customers around the world. Even if and especially when the road to getting there is challenging. It is that passion for excellence that has been driving the collaboration between Mazda and Bose for the past three decades \u2013 and it will continue to do so in the years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mazda MX-301: Turn up the bass<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest milestone achievement in the cooperation between Mazda and Bose came with the newest generation of Mazda cars. Starting with the Mazda3, it gave the two companies an opportunity to once more rethink conventional vehicle sound design. The solution they found has been successfully used in all models to follow, including the Mazda CX-30 and Mazda MX-30, the brands first fully battery-electric vehicle. The woofers were moved from their traditional spot in the door panels to the cowl side above the kick panel. This new placement not only frees up space for bigger door pockets, but also contributes to a better sound experience: The bass energy emanating from the speakers is reflected by the floor, firewall and outer wall simultaneously, just as it would be in the corner of a room. This corner loading effect creates a remarkably impactful, rich bass reproduction that is neither boomy nor prone to rattling. Furthermore, the cowl-side basses are complemented by an additional subwoofer in the rear to \u201cmatch\u201d the bass across the cabin. The new configuration \u2013 aptly called BassMatch \u2013 shows its full potential in the Mazda MX-30: Because there is no motor sound, the driver and passengers can experience even more detail and a richer audio experience than ever before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TOP DOWN – VOLUME UP: THE MAZDA MX-5<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A superior sound quality for a superior driving experience \u2013 that has been the driving force behind the 30-year-long collaboration between Mazda and Bose from the very start. One particular challenge on the road towards realising this ambition was Mazda\u2019s most iconic model to date: the Mazda MX-5. Like no other Mazda model, this straightforward, sporty roadster embodies the joy of driving and the oneness between the car and driver \u2013 that very special Jinba Ittai feeling \u2013 that define Mazda as a brand. When it was first introduced in 1989, the MX-5 took the world by storm, and decades later, the fourth iteration of the racy convertible is as popular as ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the get-go, Mazda engineers were bent on integrating the latest advanced technologies without sacrificing the sun-on-your-face, wind-in-your-hair fun of a simple sportscar. Sound design was no exception: By the time the third generation of the popular roadster hit the roads in 2005, providing great sound quality for convertible cars when the top is down had been a challenge for OEMs and sound designers the world over. The acoustic characteristics of the cabin change depending on the roof position, and with the top completely open, voices and instruments can get lost in the battle against wind and outside noises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To avoid this problem, the Bose and Mazda sound engineering team came up with two innovative solutions. First, they implemented an EQ Equalizer switch to automatically adjust the sound setting when the top is down. Second, UltraNearfield speakers were embedded directly into the seat headrests. Using TrueSpace signal processing, the technology provides a clear, powerful and spacious surround sound, allowing for an immersive listening experience \u2013 even when the roof is open. Furthermore, Bose\u2019s AudioPilot Noise Compensation technology was used to compensate for increased road or wind noises in different driving scenarios: The system continuously monitors the entire noise environment inside the cabin and automatically adjusts the audio playback to the changed circumstances. So drivers can focus their attention on the music and driving experience without the need to manually readjust. The MX-5 is built for the joy of driving \u2013 and the premium Bose sound system just adds to the fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
THE BEGINNING: MAZDA RX-7<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1991 marked the start of a technology partnership that would span three decades so far and numerous car models. Since Mazda and Bose first started working together on the third-generation Mazda RX-7 thirty years ago, the two companies have continued to collaborate on innovative premium sound solutions that contribute to a superior driving experience. Put together, the power of sound and the joy of driving deliver an outstanding and engaging customer experience that lets passengers feel all the acoustic detail and emotional impact of a live concert inside their own car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDriving and music create a certain chemical reaction in your mind\u201d, says Ryoji Oe, the Mazda audio engineer who worked in the third-generation rotary coup\u00e9. In the hunt for an exceptional audio technology that could match the premium standards the development team had set for the new RX-7, he came across Bose\u2019s Acoustic Wave Cannon system \u2013 a bass reproduction system for professional sound installations comprised of a 3.6-meter-long tube with a high-power woofer inside. The unusual solution fit the bill, but integrating Bose\u2019s Waveguide speaker technology into a car seemed an almost unsurmountable challenge. Through an ingenious system of folds and bends, however, the Bose and Mazda engineers were able to perfectly package the long tube into the rear of the car without compromising cabin or trunk space, where it provided a clearer and crisper bass than had previously seemed possible. \u201cThe Acoustic Waveguide technology and the RX-7 made music effortless\u201d, remembers Mike Rosen, Principle Engineer Bose Automotive Systems and involved in the project 30 years earlier. A success that kicked of a long range of other projects meant to provide the same level of superior to sound to many coming Mazda models.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From the very beginning, the collaboration between Mazda and Bose has been characterised not only by engineering ingenuity but by a kind of kindred spirit between the two companies: A shared belief that premium products require new and unconventional solutions \u2013 and that the result is worth the risk. United by a passion for excellence […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31310,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/autoestrada.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/autoestrada.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/autoestrada.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autoestrada.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autoestrada.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31309"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/autoestrada.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31314,"href":"https:\/\/autoestrada.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31309\/revisions\/31314"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autoestrada.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/autoestrada.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autoestrada.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autoestrada.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}