Rate the sound system as a car reviewer is the sticky business. Even though my colleagues and I have listened to hundreds (if not thousands) of sound systems over the years, we are no sound experts. There are people out there whose job it is to be sound experts, and we should listen to them.
But! There are also people like me. I don’t have those professional ears, but I’ve had the privilege of listening to the highest-end audio systems in the business and have always been obsessed with high-quality sound, whether in the car, home theater or through headphones. And I came to see a sound system that is the holy grail of car audio: 23-speaker McIntosh system in 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
Yes, this article receives the comments tag, because this is purely an opinion. Some audiophiles may perform professional testing and instrument testing to determine what is “best”. However, most of us just want a system that sounds as amazing as the price we pay for it. For me, the new McIntosh system is unmatched.
If you like high end home audio, you know McIntosh. They are one of the best in the business, and they’ve been there for over 70 years. Not only that, McIntosh is an American company, and its equipment is made in the US. Pair with Jeep car Putting its system in a car with literally American flags on its sides just makes sense. It is also McIntosh’s first foray into the automotive sector in a long time, as the company’s last all-vehicle system is the in the Ford GT of the 2000s. That car leans towards the sound of its roaring V8. This time, McIntosh just wanted to impress luxury buyers with a six-figure Jeep.
I have to listen Grand Wagoneeryour sound system in a controlled environment at Chicago Auto Show last year, and while incredibly impressive, I wanted to wait until I had a chance to hear it in a finished car on the highway to make any claims. Before we get to the impressions of driving with in-car audio, though, I managed to sit down with McIntosh CEO Jeff Poggi to chat about how the system came about and what McIntosh brings. arrive.
“So we took this prototype car and brought it to Detroit,” says Poggi. “It’s in a Jeep Grand Cherokeeand we took a system like this, a two-channel Mcintosh sound system, set it up in a room, and we sat down with Sergio Marchionne, Ralph Gilles and Harold Wester. We gave them a demo, so this is what we do with two-channel audio, this is what we can do in the car, we think this could be a really cool branding combination. ”
And just like that, Jeep got involved. Back then (more than 4 years ago), McIntosh didn’t realize it was participating in the Grand Wagoneer project, but all FCA operators knew that this compelling sound system would become luxury vehicle. For years, says Poggi, Jeep really treated McIntosh as a brand and let them run with the project.
“Everything in this audio system is tailored for this in-vehicle experience,” Poggi told us. “And they are superb partners. They really allow us to put the products where we want them to sound the best, providing us with all the capabilities needed to deliver the goosebumps you can get, and We’ve taken McIntosh’s core technologies from home to car, it was important to us to make it truly authentic. “
When I finally stepped into the new Grand Wagoneer for a seven-day test with this 23-speaker, 1,375-watt system, my feelings from the Chicago Auto Show were confirmed. The range of songs it can play with stunning precision and control is second to none. Challenge it with punchy bass like you’ll find in AWOLNATION’s “Sail” and without the slightest distortion or loss in quality. Bring out a more refined song with details you know will only come with great sound, and incredible clarity and control. Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” is epic – the guitar just surrounds you and the lyrics add a warm feeling to the entire stage. I can’t really find a song that provides any trouble with this sound system. And just as a new set of headphones or speakers can do, listening to many of my favorite songs is almost a whole new experience. I just want to keep listening to more and more songs to see how this sound system will elevate them.
And before you think this sound system is just some fancy speakers with the McIntosh name on them, Poggi explained how the system uses key technology from McIntosh’s super-expensive home systems. Poggi detailed the two technologies that had the most impact on us: Low Distortion/High Efficiency (a unique motor design) and Power Guard (a limited software).
“So in a speaker, you have a magnet and a coil,” says Poggi. “And that’s the fundamental movement of how a speaker moves back and forth, sending electricity through the coils to move the magnet, and we have a special design patent around that motor design that allows we push a higher level of sound pressure out of that transducer to give us really, really low distortion. That’s the heart of McIntosh. We want to give you the most impact, the most dynamic range without distortion, colornone of them. ”
You can turn the volume up as high as you can in the Grand Wagoneer and those speakers will play with you, as Poggi says, without any distortion or quality loss. This control can also be attributed to the next McIntosh technology that Poggi details: Power Guard.
“Power Guard is essentially a limited piece of software that we have developed to make sure the amplifier never damages the speaker causing it to crash,” says Poggi. “You don’t want the amplifier to push too hard and cause the speakers to break due to distortion, so there will be a telltale sign in the amplifier, a red light, and when the Power Protector is activated, the red light will come on. in the amplifier. . The Jeep team really took that to heart, and we’ve not only included Power Guard in the car’s amplifiers, but also implemented red lights on the user interface, so you can really see, as as a consumer, when Power Guard has joined. “
That’s some really cool stuff right out there for an audio enthusiast. This attention to detail is also seen elsewhere in the Grand Wagoneer’s cabin. The door speaker grilles are backlit in McIntosh’s signature blue. The green McIntosh logo is visible as the brand, and the speakers have aluminum trim similar to what appears on the company’s home audio equipment. Even the volume control knob is designed to mimic the controls found on McIntosh systems.
And then there’s the user interface in the Grand Wagoneer’s massive infotainment system that takes it a step further. You can display a sound meter display if you are a music enthusiast, like me.
Not only is the classic two-channel stereo sound the best, but software features like 3D surround sound are finely tuned. The Grand Wagoneer’s grand cabin is transformed into a glorious concert hall, as the music bounces around you naturally and appropriately. There are plenty of sound systems that offer gimmicky surround sound, but McIntosh’s system doesn’t fall into that category. It’s much better.
No matter what kind of car I’m driving – at lights or on the highway – the McIntosh system in the Grand Wagoneer provides best car sounds I’ve heard before. Admission is very high with the only standard 23-speaker system on Obsidian and top Grand Wagoneer Series III (optional on the Series II as part of a $3,995 package), but I don’t think anything even remotely close to this Jeep’s price tag ($109,025 as tested) can carry Unsurpassed audio experience. The High-end audio arms race Still, the attraction continues and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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