Having a good audio system is incredibly important when it comes to buying an EV. The loss of engine noise has seen manufacturers step up their game, often times turning to audio companies for help with acoustics and in-car systems. With that being said, few can match the caliber of what Porsche and Burmester have tuned up for the new Macan Electric.
For the first time ever, gallium nitride (GaN) has been used in an in-car audio system and of course, Porsche had to be involved! The end result allows a smaller, lighter speaker system to deliver improved efficiency yet higher performance over silicone based semiconductors.
Development was done alongside the University of Stuttgart who successfully helped Porsche incorporate this technology into their ‘Burmester 3D High-End Surround Sound System‘ found in the Macan Electric, an option that will become available from next year onwards.
This high-tech system uses a 400W subwoofer amplifier to deliver a “powerful bass foundation” alongside “confident yet dynamic sound”, reflecting the nature of Porsche’s vehicles. It’s something that the brand has really thought through as well, development began in mid-2023 and now that it has been successfully completed, plenty of patent applications have already been filed!
Gallium nitride in itself is not a novel technology, it was first used in semiconductors in the 1990s and today, the material can be found in high-end smartphones, tablets and even satellites! Its material qualities allow it to work at higher frequencies with less ‘switching losses’ than silicone. Overall, the material has allowed Porsche and Burmester to reduce the audio system’s weight by about 20% while the improving the sound!
As typical with Porsche, the brand are not resting on their laurels here as Dr Lars Heuken, head of ‘Strategic Semiconductor Management at Porsche’ believes that there are plenty more use cases for ‘GaN’ in Porsche’s battery systems as well!
Thanks for reading! For more Porsche news and reviews, visit Tarmac Life.
Media courtesy of Porsche Newsroom, words by Matthew D’Souza.
