22/11/2022
LG's new 'invisible' speakers could revolutionize car audio
New space-saving tech could fill your car with surround sound
LG Display has unveiled a ground-breaking new “invisible” speaker technology for automobiles, with a flat panel system that can easily be placed in headrests as well as car dashboards.
Developed as a direct replacement by the South Korean tech giant for traditional speakers in vehicles, the Thin Actuator Sound Solution(opens in new tab) system does away with the regular protruding voice coils, cones and magnets found in most speakers and instead uses a film-like exciter membrane.
These can vibrate off panels and various materials within the car interior with LG claiming it can produce a "rich, 3D immersive sound experience".
The panels' measure just 5.9 x 3.5 inches and crucially just a tenth of an inch thick, with a featherlight weight of 1.4 ounces, "without compromising sound quality," according to LG.
That slim design means the speakers could be situated almost anywhere within the interior of a vehicle, with the tech giant suggesting they could be hidden inside headliners and pillars, as well as headrests and dashboards.
The flat speaker system appears to be based on the CSO(opens in new tab) (Cinematic Sound OLED), which LG Display has shown off in an OLED TV where the display panel vibrates to generate audio without the need for dedicated speakers. A similar innovative vibrating panel system is also used in Sony's high-end TVs, including the Sony A95K.
LG has nevertheless stated that Thin Actuator Sound Solution has been developed with an unnamed “global audio company”.
LG Display says it expects the speakers to start appearing in new car interiors in the first half of next year, with the general public set to get their first listen when the tech is exhibited in January at CES 2023 in Las Vegas.
Source:
New space-saving tech could fill your car with surround sound
