THX may not be the first name that comes to mind when people think of premium car audio. Or consumer electronics in general. Bose, JBL, Infinity, Harman Kardon are more well known, perhaps because you can buy actual audio components from those brands. (And at least three out of the four mentioned are part of consumer-electronics/OEM car audio behemoth Harman International.)
THX doesn't produce consumer products, except for a few select automotive sound systems. And that's too bad given the sound of the 14-speaker, 600-watt THX II Certified 5.1 Surround system in a 2010 Lincoln MKZ AWD I recently tested.
As I listened to my test tracks, I was impressed by the system's clarity, tonal balance, accuracy and dynamics. Soundstaging and imaging are two of the system's strong points; the soundstage was expansive and imaging was precise, aided by THX's proprietary Slot Speaker technology.
If the system had an weakness that distances it from the very best, it was with mid- and low bass. The two 6x9-inch woofers in the rear deck sounded boomy when fed super-low bass from Outkast's "Ain't No Thing," and strong midbass caused the 5x7-inch midrange drivers in the doors to distort.
The system also plays DVD-Audio discs for true, high-resolution 5.1 surround, and it has DSP that further spreads out the soundstage with stereo recordings. But the processing also makes vocals sound thin and unnatural, and I prefer listening with it off.
While not the absolute best premium OEM car audio available, THX systems can certainly hold their own, as exemplified by the MKZ's system. But to get the THX II system in the 2010 MKZ AWD, you have to pop for the $5,595 Rapid Spec 103A option with the Ultimate Package, which also include navigation, a backup camera, blind-spot warning and other tech.
Too bad you can't buy the system separately, as with previous THX systems I've tested that were also a great value, with a standalone option price of less than $1,000. And too bad THX doesn't make other consumer audio products.
By blackadder5639
on August 10, 2010
02:07 PM
I hate the way manufacturers package desirable items with (often) useless features, but that's another topic for another time....
Why didn't a system of this calibre have a 10-inch subwoofer or two? That would have relieved the pressure off the 6x9s and the 5x7s to produce a lot of bass, and the cost wouldn't have been much more!
Some questions, Doug. Why is 5.1 surround necessary in a car, especially one without a DVD-Video or blu-ray player? How can they ensure that all 5 passengers get the surround effect....is the sweet spot that big? And is the realism produced by 5.1 surround not a distraction for the driver?
By dougnewcomb
on August 10, 2010
06:24 PM
In the case of this system, 5.1 capability is designed for full DVD-Audio multichannel playback: five channels plus a subwoofer or Low Frequency Effect (LFE) channel. This creates true discrete (as opposed to matrixed) surround sound and at a much higher resolution than, say, CD. Some car systems play DVD-A discs but "downmix" the playback for stereo or use a matrixed/simulated surround. Discrete surround is typically optimized for the driver and front-seat passenger, but some systems attempt to shift the "sweet spot" for others in the car ... with limited success. That's one of the advantages of DVD-A in the car: The driver and passenger are always in the sweet spot and system designers can plan for that, as opposed to with home systems. And it's not too distracting ... unless you're listening to the DVD-A version of the Flaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots."
By blackadder5639
on August 11, 2010
03:01 PM
Thanks for the explanation, Doug.
By famof3kids
on August 12, 2010
09:26 AM
THX isn't the manufacture. They actually do not make systems. They certify that the system meets their standard. Right?
If so, who makes this system in the Lincoln? Sony?
By gmckenna
on August 13, 2010
07:55 AM
Hi Famof3kids,
You are correct, THX does not actually manufacture the system. However, we do work with Ford/Lincoln to design and test the system and we integrate our proprietary THX Slot Speaker, Configurable Speaker Array technology and THX DSP into the car.
During the system design process, we work closely with the Ford team to source each component to ensure they can meet our performance goals. But, we don't publicly disclose vendors/suppliers.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have more questions.
Regards,
Graham McKenna
THX Ltd.
By 08_miata
on August 18, 2010
01:02 PM
Maybe it's just me, but it seems like there's a quantity over quality thing going on in OEM car audio lately.
AKA, let's shove 14 half-decent speakers into a 4 door car so we can achieve 5.1 surround sound when we're listening to our mainly 2-channel CD and MP3 music recordings.
Personally, I'd much rather they spend the money getting 9 or 10 very good speakers in there - say a tweeter and mid-range directed at each passenger, followed by a REAL 10" or so sub-woofer to give us full bass.