Huawei Challenges European Brands in Automotive Sound Engineering
Huawei, a tech giant known for its smartphones and networking equipment, has set its sights on the automotive car audio engineering market. The Chinese company is challenging established European brands with its innovative audio solutions, aiming to faithfully reproduce recordings as artists intended in car audio systems.
Huawei's Shanghai Acoustics R&D Centre is at the heart of these developments. The facility houses three distinct testing environments, ensuring that the company's in-car audio systems meet the highest standards. One of the key technologies Huawei has developed is the 'master-tuning methodology', although the name of the head of the R&D centre responsible for this remains unknown.
Huawei's independent sound-zone technology allows for minimal audio crosstalk between the front and rear rows, providing an immersive experience for all passengers. The company's patented hardware innovations, such as the Tangential Force Woofer and dual-diaphragm subwoofer, further enhance audio performance. The HUAWEI SOUND ULTIMATE Series, deployed in the Maextro S800, comprises 43 speakers delivering a total power of 2,920 watts.
The series also includes an 'industry-first seat-specific 4D immersive surround sound experience' with rear 4D exciters. The Crystal Star-Ring Diffuser improves central image precision and integrates with ambient lighting. The system uses 10 overhead channels and adaptive sound-field control for spatial audio implementation, creating a 'phantom effect' in car audio.
Huawei's automotive car audio engineering ambitions are backed by significant investment in research and development. In 2024, the company spent CNY 179.7 billion (approximately £20 billion / €23.4 billion) on R&D, with over 113,000 employees in R&D roles. As Huawei continues to challenge established brands in the market, it is clear that the company is serious about making its mark in the automotive car audio engineering industry.
