JLR and Meridian Audio prolong sound relationship

JLR, the manufacturer of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands, has announced the extension of its long-term engineering collaboration with British audio brand Meridian to supply and develop high-performance in-car audio technology for its next generation of electric vehicle architectures.

Since 2010, JLR has been working with the Cambridge-based audio specialist to develop the audio systems in all vehicles across its house of brands: Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar.

The extension to this collaboration will enable Meridian’s specialists to contribute to the design of new models at an even earlier stage, which is critical as JLR’s electrification plans mature. This early work is something that has come to define the relationship between JLR and Meridian, with cabins designed to ensure optimum audio experiences can be created.

The audio system also supports refinement provided by the MLA-Flex body architecture to deliver serene cabin calmness through active noise cancellation systems. These monitor wheel vibrations, tyre noise and engine sounds transmitted into the cabin and generates a cancelling signal, which is played through the system’s speakers.

The pinnacle of Meridian in-car audio technology can be found on Range Rover models with the 1,600W 35-speaker Meridian Signature sound system. Another JLR/Meridian innovation is the optional Range Rover tailgate event suite, which features an additional four rear-speakers deployed in the tailgate for socialising outside the car.

John Buchanan, CEO Meridian Audio said: “It’s a true collaboration that creates one stronger team from the expertise of both participants, working together from a very early stage to create and deliver innovative, value-adding experiences.”

Callum Hubbard, technical specialist, vehicle audio technology at JLR, added: “The collaborative partnership between JLR and Meridian allows us to deliver fantastic sounding audio systems while being sympathetic to the design language of the vehicles. Together we will ensure the listening experience in our vehicles continues to be as engaging and enjoyable as possible.”