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The interior of an automobile is far different from that
of an ordinary listening room. Various noises and a variety of materials of different
acoustic properties obstruct the sound and degrade the quality of the music. Speaker
placement is far from ideal and each is a different distance from the listener.
Quite simply, acoustic tactics and technologies employed to get good sound in
a room simply do not apply to the car.
These are the challenges facing AlpineF#1Status—and we responded by developing
advanced equalization technologies based on extensive analysis and by creating
a sophisticated Road EQ feature that effectively cancels road and engine noise
in real time. As the world’s leading mobile media specialist, Alpine has
engineered a quantum leap and taken mobile entertainment to heights never before
seen or heard. |
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| Inside the car, noise is inescapable—particularly
road and engine noise. Not only is the noise itself jarring and disruptive of
music playback, it also masks specific frequency bands in the sound, and can break
down the musical balance. Moreover, both the level and frequency of the noise
changes dynamically every moment you drive, making any attempts to compensate
with static, one-setting processing completely useless. Some compensation technologies,
such as auto loudness/volume controls, raise the level of the music as noise increases;
however, these are unnatural sounding stopgap measures and not fundamental solutions
to the problem. |
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The core technology behind this
newly developed Road EQ feature is the super-fast, high-precision 24-bit DSP—used
originally for Dolby processing, and now specially adapted for automatic noise
compensation. The ultra-high speed of the processor makes it possible for the
first time to adjust to changes in noise in near real time—at a lightning-fast
48,000 times every second! The frequency monitoring range for noise detection
has been expanded to a bandwidth of 10 Hz - 10 kHz, and the detection speed has
been improved 1,000-fold to a nearly instantaneous 20ms (compared to 20 seconds
on conventional systems).
One
major problem with previous systems is that electronic circuitry cannot distinguish
which signals are noise and which are music. The crucial task here then is to
precisely isolate the noise elements from the signal containing music mixed with
noise. Any inaccuracies in separating the noise from this mix makes the compensation
less effective or even completely ineffective, leading to unnatural and unbalanced
sound reproduction.
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| To develop this system, Alpine has
brought the full might of its technological expertise, as well as the voluminous
amount of relevant data and know-how accumulated over many years. We have conducted
repeated and extensive acoustic tests, and created an original algorithm that
carries out exceptionally precise noise compensation. Based on this acoustic model,
the system closely monitors the noise every moment, then compensates accurately
and correctly. All sound and noise in the car are captured with a special microphone.
The system compares the music playback with the combined noise-and-music signal
at individual frequencies throughout the spectrum, evaluates the isolated signals
with the original, and applies frequency-specific adjustments to the music signal.
This means that finally, natural-sounding, real-time equalization—at 48,000
times/second—can be employed to combat noise. The process is smooth, the
effect is seamless. Now, music playback can be heard with the highest fidelity,
whatever the driving conditions. Now, despite being in a moving vehicle, you can
enjoy—for the first time—a level of reproduction quality previously
obtainable only in a stationary, quiet room. |
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The car cabin has no shortage of
elements that fight against getting good sound. Smooth surfaces such as glass
windows randomly reflect high frequency sounds and distort the original sonic
characteristics, while soft furnishings such as the seats and carpet absorb sound
energy. As a result, a maddening amount of frequency peaks and dips exist within
the narrow confines of the car interior. Is there anything that can be done to
remedy this?
Yes. The PXI-H990 Multimedia Manager employs the following state-of-the-art signal
processing and enhancement tools to achieve the absolute best sound possible.
• 175-band 1/3-octave digital EQ
• 31-band graphic EQ
•
Independent 10-band parametric EQ
• Road EQ
• MediaXpander processing
For overall equalization, both the parametric EQ and graphic EQ divide the bandwidth
with ten times the precision of conventional EQs. For example, the parametric
EQ frequency range is finely divided into 60 different adjustment points. The
extremely high-Q slope characteristics accurately isolate and eliminate just those
peaks and dips that occur in the sound inside the car. Moreover, the 31-band graphic
EQ can be used to fine-tune the overall sound, and adjust the sound balance for
your particular listening position. Now, you can finally create the ideal sound
space in your vehicle—without excuses, without compromise.
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Ideally, the listening position
should be equidistant from each speaker. However, the interior of the car poses
many restrictions and obstacles, preventing the listener from occupying this ideal
“sweet spot.” In order then to enjoy authentic sound reproduction,
highly precise time correction is needed to adjust the time lag of the sound from
each speaker and ensure that all sounds arrive at the same time.
The
digital time correction features of the PXI-H990 measure the interior sound with
an attached microphone, and adjust the sound field with exceptionally high precision—automatically
and in real time—letting you easily get the best sound possible.
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Manual adjustment is also possible
for this digital time correction. For example, each speaker component in a full-scale
multi-channel system—tweeter, mid-range, woofer and subwoofer—can
be adjusted manually with the eight-channel variable digital crossover function.
Each speaker’s output can be delayed by just the right amount to create
the ideal sound field and ensure precise phase correction.* What you get is virtually
perfect performance, with smooth, natural sound and outstanding presence, with
exact timing of all components and accurate reproduction over the entire frequency
spectrum.
* Manual correction requires a relatively high level of knowledge and experience
for proper compensation.
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In designing the AlpineF#1Status
system, we paid particularly close attention to creating an ideal signal transmission
interface, one that would allow comprehensive control from a central, convenient
location—that is, the driver’s seat. With its signal purity and accuracy,
the newly developed IONBUS data bus transmits digital signals a blazing speed
of 40 kbps—more than 1,300 times faster than the conventional Ai-NET interface.
Various system functions and the operating environment itself have been greatly
enhanced by the ultra-high speed and completely noiseless signal transmission.
The main features are:
• Digital audio transmission
By keeping all signals in the digital realm, IONBUS effectively eliminates any
possible degradation in sound quality, especially in comparison to the analog
transmission of the conventional Ai-NET interface. Instead of optical fiber, the
system uses copper cable which not only optimizes transmission accuracy but allows
all data (audio, control, etc.) to be carried on the same high-speed line—for
ease and convenience in system connection.
• Directionless connectors
All connectors are identical regardless of input or output, since data routing
is handled by the interior circuitry. This directionless capacity makes it easy
to expand your system and add new components to the chain at any time.
• Forward compatibility
The high-capacity, multiple-signal, broadband connection ensures compatibility
even with media that is yet to be developed and functions/features that are coming
in the future.
With the head unit increasingly taking on the role of
system command, the use of IONBUS provides an unprecedented degree of central
control. Moreover, the benefits of the ultra-high-speed digital bus include not
only better sound quality but total insulation from electrical noise in the car.
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| Here is the command center for the
AlpineF#1Status system—the DVI-9990 DVD digital transport head unit. The
sleek, elegant design of the panel lends a luxurious, high-class feel to the dashboard,
and exudes an atmosphere of true excellence. The solid aluminum knob and the all-aluminum
front panel reflect the superior quality, technological sophistication and expert
craftsmanship that are hallmarks of Alpine and the AlpineF#1Status line. The unit
features a bright, high-resolution BioLite display that uses biochemical luminescence
technology to provide outstandingly clear visibility and high contrast—whatever
the lighting conditions in the vehicle, from direct sunlight to total darkness. |
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| The color of the panel button illumination
can even be selected (green, amber or blue) to match the vehicle dashboard lighting—or
match your mood. All in all, the elegant appearance of the DVI-9990 lets you and
your passengers know how special the AlpineF#1Status system truly is. |
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Selectable three-color illumination—green,
blue or amber |
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