CHICAGO – After having written several times already about Panasonic’s ELS Surround system, which was designed by multiple Grammy-winning studio recording artist Elliot Scheiner and is found in the Acura TL, I finally got to test drive it last weekend.
I managed to listen to the entire 5.1 surround version of Donald Fagen’s “Morph the Cat,” which was designed as such from the ground up unlike all the albums that are being retro-engineered to that technology. It totally blew me away.
Not only have I listened to the “normal” CD recording of “Morph” about 43 times, I’ve been involved in recording and/or producing quite a few albums in my day. While I can’t begin to describe the difference to you, I will give it a try. Overall in response to the experience, I can only say: “Oh … mah … gawd.”
It’s like the difference between mono and stereo. It’s like the difference between a TRS-80 and the current-generation, AMD-driven screamer. It’s like the difference between Dorothy in Kansas and Dorothy in Oz. It’s like the difference between a White Castle slider and a Ruth’s Chris porterhouse.
Most astonishing, though, is the separation provided by this system. It’s a $33,000 sound system wrapped in a luxury sedan. This was particularly evident on the two extreme ends (vocal/highs and bass guitar/lows) from the first track, which is the title song “Morph the Cat”.
On the original CD, I had noticed that the compression on Fagen’s lead vocal and the unison parts sung by Jerry Barnes, Michael Harvey and additional Donalds were squeezed down to the point where they magically sounded like a single voice.
Suddenly within the 5.1 environment, though, those vocals are spread apart. They dynamically burst out into the cosmos all around and are totally distinguishable one from another with Fagen’s lead vocal slightly ahead. The effect is breathtaking.
The sound on all tracks is very warm and dry.
If you don’t know what this means, let’s examine the opposite. If you’re listening to a vocal or instrumental track with plenty of effects (such as “echo” or “reverb” or “digital delay”), that sound is called “wet”. “Dry” is seemingly completely devoid of effect and can go all the way up to “warm”. That’s actually one of Scheiner’s trademark sounds: prominent, warm/dry vocals.
Developed with Scheiner, the TL's ELS Surround system was designed to match the acoustics of the TL – even equalizing the speakers to ensure full sound and clarity – wherever passengers are seated. The mechanics of the system go thusly:
- A 225-watt, six-channel digital amplifier supplies the power and a six-disc in-dash CD changer is tuned to play a myriad of formats including DTS 5.1 music discs and CDs.
- For audiophile-quality sound, a DVD-Audio system delivers six distinct channels of sound with 500 times the audio resolution of everyday CDs. This is the technology that Scheiner developed for Panasonic in conjunction with DTS for Acura.
- Drivers can make and receive phone calls while keeping hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. The TL is equipped with HandsFreeLink, which utilizes Bluetooth wireless technology to communicate with phones along with voice recognition to respond to commands.
- When a call comes in, the caller’s number displays on the TL’s multi-information display. Touching a button on the steering wheel to answer, the audio system’s volume lowers and the caller’s voice is heard through the TL’s speakers.
- Calls can be transferred between the car and the phone when entering or leaving the vehicle.
This isn’t all of it. There’s a bigger, badder system on the way. The RDX, which is Acura’s primo SUV, will include the ELS Surround system for the first time. It’ll up the aural ante to 10 speakers.
As if the TL’s 225-watt unit was insufficient, the RDX will sport a 410-watt digital amplifier and six-changer CD player feeding DVD-A audio, DTS, Dolby, ProLogic II technology as well as XM satellite and/or MP3s to those 10 speakers. Here’s how they play out:
- Four 6.5-inch door speakers feature dual-thickness polypropylene cones and neodymium magnets to augment mid-range response. This is cool since life itself exists at mid-range and needs punching up.
- Two ear-height, rear-satellite speakers deliver clear mid-range ambient sounds and textures.
- Two front tweeters aimed directly at the occupants of the car provide crisp highs and distinct separation.
- A front-center speaker delivers sharp mid-range vocals and spoken voice.
- The bass signal throbs through a single subwoofer placed strategically behind the right rear door of the RDX. The speaker has its own 100-watt amp “for detailed, lively bass”.
This – coupled with bassist Freddie Washington’s deep-throated slap style on “Morph the Cat” – should come close to threatening the molecular structure of the immediate universe.
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