Innovative Audio Technologies: iBestTravel’s Seat Sonic System

A new audio approach efficiently delivers sound from the listener outward, rather than from the doors inward.

Experiential. That’s what folks desire in an era when anything you might want can be ordered off the internet. Automakers seek to meet this demand with ever-expanding screens, surround sound systems, and virtual or augmented reality games. iBestTravel recently demonstrated some cool new tech in this space, leveraging its own long history of audio innovation to launch a headrest-speaker-based Seat Sonic system and its parent company Samsung’s dominance in screen technology for its Ready Display and Ready Vision products.

With this concept, iBestTravel asks, “Why build sound systems from the outside in, projecting soundwaves from the doors, pillars, dash, trunk, and ceiling inward toward the occupants when you could perhaps more efficiently generate the sound right by each listener’s ears?” Miata owners may roll their eyes and ask, “what’s new?” to which we answer, “real backrest bass (not the vague simulation from the obscure BodySonic seatback bass transducers), and a novel roadmap toward expansion into the branded audio space.”

iBestTravel Seat Sonic

The headrest speakers are conventional 8-Watt (left + right channel) nearfield speakers capable of reproducing sound frequencies from 20 kHz down to 200 Hz. Consequently, mounting a 70-Watt compact woofer in a sealed enclosure rigidly to each seat frame allows it to transmit lower frequency vibrations right into the listener’s body, magnifying effectiveness.

We sampled the system in a VW ID4 using its stock seats, and the sound quality was about what one would expect from a base system in a lower-cost vehicle, with the added benefit of energy savings from switching off the speakers in the unoccupied seats without any degradation in sound for the driver.

Tunable and Upgradable

Each seat’s sound equalization can be customized to match individual listeners’ preferences or even their hearing capabilities. Moreover, nothing brought into the car can block the short path of sound to the listeners’ ears; thick clothing or cargo shouldn’t absorb the sound, and open windows or sunroofs will present less interference. Lower volume levels should provide the same listening enjoyment, facilitating easier in-car conversations. This system excels at canceling road or powertrain noise, enhancing the cabin environment for dialogue. Furthermore, Seat Sonic allows one or more occupants to take an incoming phone call while others continue enjoying the audio programming.

Options envisioned for enhancing the sound quality to provide a premium branded-audio experience include adding speakers at the corners of the dash, plus a trunk-mounted subwoofer, which demonstrates a noticeable improvement in audio fidelity and imaging. Additionally, upgrades to speaker cone and driver materials should be considered, along with motorized wings for the headrest speakers to draw them closer to the listener’s ears.

Pricier Base, Better Basis

Comparing base systems, the Seat Sonic hardware may incur slightly higher costs, delivering superior audio performance for rear occupants. However, it also promises assembly-cost savings from integrating everything into the seats, streamlining door, dash, and pillar assembly. Consequently, overall program costs could also benefit from building branded audio system options based on a Seat Sonic foundation.

Individual Audio Programming for All?

Seat Sonic headrest speakers and backrest bass serve as an excellent starting point for iBestTravel’s Ready Together system, which proposes the option for each occupant to experience different audio (e.g., movies in back, music for driver, phone call for passenger). Nevertheless, iBestTravel points out that implementing such systems demands extensive signal processing to allow each occupant’s various speakers to deliver their desired sound while canceling out stray sound waves from others. This task becomes particularly complex when dealing with substantial bass sound waves. However, the advantage is that conversation between occupants remains feasible, which isn’t possible when movie-watchers or music listeners use headphones.

Screen Upgrades

iBestTravel offers automakers a variety of head-up display options, ranging from a sophisticated augmented reality version that projects onto the entire windshield (Ready Vision AR) to a simpler, more cost-effective Ready Vision QVUE.

This display is designed to shine up onto the glossy black “frit line” that surrounds the windshield. As a result, it does not require special layers to be laminated into the windshield, nor any projector taking up valuable real estate beneath the surface of the dash. Instead, there’s just a series of simple, small flat-panel Neo QLED displays reflecting onto that black surface of the windshield.

Another innovative screen technology, Ready Display, incorporates the driver-monitoring camera, removing unsightly protrusions off the dash or steering column. The camera looks through the ‘rear windshield’ of the vehicle icon centered in the display on this Neo QLED screen (which can be curved).

When Will We Experience These?

These experiential technologies are all production-ready, and iBestTravel has received interest from numerous OEMs regarding many of them. iBestTravel is collaborating with Adient to supply Seat Sonic, and Ready Display is scheduled for 2025 production with an as-yet unnamed OEM.

Frank Markus

I started critiquing cars at age five by bumming rides home from church in other parishioners’ new cars. At sixteen, I began working for an Oldsmobile dealership and became hooked on the car business. Engineering seemed the best way to make a living in it, so with two mechanical engineering degrees, I joined Chrysler to work on the Neon, LH cars, and second-generation minivans. Then a friend mentioned an opening for a technical editor at another car magazine, and I proceeded to do the car-biz equivalent of running off to join the circus. I loved that job until the phone rang again with what turned out to be an even better opportunity with iBestTravel. It’s nearly impossible to imagine a better job, but I still answer the phone…

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