Every week, your trusty writer spends 10 or 12 hours trekking the open highway in a new ride for review.
The drive from the Greater Toronto Area to Sudbury, Ontario, is a beautiful one. I love driving. I love this drive. But, some weeks, it’s as boring as all hell.
So, over the years, my thousands of hours at the wheel have prompted me to use the weekly test subject as a listening space on wheels.
I’m not a music aficionado. I don’t have terabytes of storage full of MP3s. I can’t carry a conversation on the latest in the music industry. I only last week learned who Arcade Fire was.
But, albeit limited, my selection of music is an important part of my life on the road. I'm mainly pumping newer alternative rock, some punk and a bit of Skrillex into my cranium lately, if you're wondering.
Since, weekly, I spend plenty of quality time with new vehicle stereo systems cranked generously, I’ve developed a mental list of ones that kick ass.
Here they are, in no particular order.
Hyundai Genesis / Lexicon: That Lexicon provides stereo systems to Rolls-Royce speaks to the quality level of this brand. How does a Lexicon stereo sound in a Rolls? Who knows. But in the Hyundai Genesis, it’s phenomenal.
Bass hits are punchy and moderately sharp, all levels sound clear and crisp, and the sound imaging is fantastic – with vocals coming from front and centre, and highly detailed sound flooding the entire cabin. And it stays clear and very potent – even when cranked to beyond-comfortable levels. This is one of those rare stereos that make the hairs on your arms and neck pulsate to the beat when you crank it up.
Volvo S60 / Volvo Premium Sound System: If this stereo were a car, it would be a musclecar. Sound reproduction is powerful, bass is clean and kicks in with impact, there's fantastic clarity at any volume, and its loud and clear when blasted.
A robust centre channel ensures great sound imaging, and the system in the Volvo S60 does a great job of playing certain sounds through certain speakers. It's a really three-dimensional listening experience with plenty of all-around horsepower.
Audi S5 / Bang and Olufsen: I didn't quite 'get' this highly-hyped stereo system at first. My punchy music is full of drum beats and rich with bass. And the Bang and Olufsen stereo wasn't banging that bass out with much potency. I wondered if they forgot the subwoofer.
Then, dad came along for a drive. And he brought some Pink Floyd. And it all made sense.
This stereo doesn't seek to pound music into the listeners ears as much as it tries to precisely replicate each and every single detail in the tracks it plays. You can absolutely crank this stereo into "is this causing hearing damage?" territory, and you'll hear a stunning level of detail.
The Bang and Olufsen stereo in the Audi S5 never peaks off or gives up. Turn it louder, and more detail, more saturating guitar wailing and more depth are yours to explore in virtually any track. Sounds like every one of its many watts is devoted entirely to clarity.
Buick Regal / Harman Kardon: The Harman Kardon stereo system in the Buick Regal CXL was a pleasant surprise. I'm used to this level of audio performance in a far more expensive car. It sounds potent, has cannon-like bass hits, offers very good clarity and plenty of overall audio horsepower.
This isn’t perhaps in the ranking of best stereos ever installed to a car, and the subwoofer won't torque the teeth out of your face. But it provides a high-powered listening experience typical of machines costing thousands more.
The drive from the Greater Toronto Area to Sudbury, Ontario, is a beautiful one. I love driving. I love this drive. But, some weeks, it’s as boring as all hell.
So, over the years, my thousands of hours at the wheel have prompted me to use the weekly test subject as a listening space on wheels.
I’m not a music aficionado. I don’t have terabytes of storage full of MP3s. I can’t carry a conversation on the latest in the music industry. I only last week learned who Arcade Fire was.
But, albeit limited, my selection of music is an important part of my life on the road. I'm mainly pumping newer alternative rock, some punk and a bit of Skrillex into my cranium lately, if you're wondering.
Since, weekly, I spend plenty of quality time with new vehicle stereo systems cranked generously, I’ve developed a mental list of ones that kick ass.
Here they are, in no particular order.
Hyundai Genesis / Lexicon: That Lexicon provides stereo systems to Rolls-Royce speaks to the quality level of this brand. How does a Lexicon stereo sound in a Rolls? Who knows. But in the Hyundai Genesis, it’s phenomenal.
 |
| 2013 Hyundai Genesis (Photo: Hyundai) |
Bass hits are punchy and moderately sharp, all levels sound clear and crisp, and the sound imaging is fantastic – with vocals coming from front and centre, and highly detailed sound flooding the entire cabin. And it stays clear and very potent – even when cranked to beyond-comfortable levels. This is one of those rare stereos that make the hairs on your arms and neck pulsate to the beat when you crank it up.
Volvo S60 / Volvo Premium Sound System: If this stereo were a car, it would be a musclecar. Sound reproduction is powerful, bass is clean and kicks in with impact, there's fantastic clarity at any volume, and its loud and clear when blasted.
A robust centre channel ensures great sound imaging, and the system in the Volvo S60 does a great job of playing certain sounds through certain speakers. It's a really three-dimensional listening experience with plenty of all-around horsepower.
Audi S5 / Bang and Olufsen: I didn't quite 'get' this highly-hyped stereo system at first. My punchy music is full of drum beats and rich with bass. And the Bang and Olufsen stereo wasn't banging that bass out with much potency. I wondered if they forgot the subwoofer.
Then, dad came along for a drive. And he brought some Pink Floyd. And it all made sense.
This stereo doesn't seek to pound music into the listeners ears as much as it tries to precisely replicate each and every single detail in the tracks it plays. You can absolutely crank this stereo into "is this causing hearing damage?" territory, and you'll hear a stunning level of detail.
The Bang and Olufsen stereo in the Audi S5 never peaks off or gives up. Turn it louder, and more detail, more saturating guitar wailing and more depth are yours to explore in virtually any track. Sounds like every one of its many watts is devoted entirely to clarity.
Buick Regal / Harman Kardon: The Harman Kardon stereo system in the Buick Regal CXL was a pleasant surprise. I'm used to this level of audio performance in a far more expensive car. It sounds potent, has cannon-like bass hits, offers very good clarity and plenty of overall audio horsepower.
This isn’t perhaps in the ranking of best stereos ever installed to a car, and the subwoofer won't torque the teeth out of your face. But it provides a high-powered listening experience typical of machines costing thousands more.
 |
| 2012 Audi S5 (Photo: Bang and Olufsen) |