Bose wants to apply noise canceling in cars

by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 01/11/2019 09:47 AM | source: via HWI | 31 comment(s)

Not really PC relates, but this sparked my attention. Bose has been around for years with Active noise cancellation, especially in headphones. In a bit of a new concept, Bose now wants to apply noise canceling in cars.

Bose supplies audio systems to many car manufacturers. They will release a QuietComfort Road Noise Control, short for RNC. The technology is already available. Unpleasant road noises will be minimized. Bose does this by placing various microphones and accelerometers in the cabin. This allows an algorithm to measure vibrations that cause the sounds. The technology is combined with other Bose techniques that reduce the engine noise in vehicles with a combustion engine. The system is also available without Bose audio system.

Here’s how the company describes the new tech in a press release:

“Accelerometers mounted on the vehicle body enable a Bose algorithm to continuously measure vibrations that create noise. This information is then used to calculate an acoustic cancellation signal, which is delivered through the vehicle’s speakers to reduce the targeted noise. Microphones placed inside the cabinmonitor residual noise levels, allowing the system to adapt the control signal for optimized performance over different road surfaces, while automatically adjusting over time as the vehicle ages.”

The company says the tech, which builds upon and combines with the existing Engine Harmonic Cancellation (EHC) and Bose Engine Harmonic Enhancement (EHE) for reducing engine noise, will begin appearing in cars in 2021.

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Agonist
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#5626901 Posted on: 01/13/2019 03:27 AM

Venix
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#5626935 Posted on: 01/13/2019 09:37 AM

Another reason to never get a newer car if I can not disable this kind of crap.
This tech couldn't handle my exhaust on either of my cars.
The biggest new tech worth a damn on newer cars is programmable electric power steering.

You can always stab a screw driver threw the audio cancelling speakers . I bet this will disable em!

gpvecchi
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#5627012 Posted on: 01/13/2019 04:05 PM

I think this works for power steering, too...

schmidtbag
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#5627031 Posted on: 01/13/2019 06:20 PM

You can always stab a screw driver threw the audio cancelling speakers . I bet this will disable em!

Except they're also the main sound system's speakers, so you'll lose your music too.

Loobyluggs
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#5627035 Posted on: 01/13/2019 06:28 PM

They should give Electric Cars an engine noise instead. They very dangerous, especially for elderly people who can't hear that well anymore.

I agree - it should be made law that all cars must be bright pink with flashing lights on them, because old people have difficulty seeing as well as hearing.

Neo Cyrus
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#5627143 Posted on: 01/14/2019 03:28 AM

Too bad Bose are the Apple of the sound world. Set them selves up as a premium brand even when they're selling junk, produce sometimes okay products which aren't really repairable, seem to always have planned obsolescence, and cost literally 2-12x equal or better products.

fry178
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#5627154 Posted on: 01/14/2019 05:41 AM

Lol.
Almost all german/european "premium" cars have it for +10y, and bose is the stock setup, not the upgrade.
Those are usually comimg from someone like B&O/B&W/Burmeister etc,
either active when playing music, or in combination with cylinder deactivation (for fuel saving, V8 or 12 to V4/6)

Backstabak
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#5627296 Posted on: 01/14/2019 04:14 PM

Does anyone know how well something like this works ? I mean the principle is simple, but they need to correct for the noise before it reaches you which doesn't really leave that much time for recording the sample, processing and reproducing the same wave with opposite phase.

fry178
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#5627316 Posted on: 01/14/2019 05:13 PM

it works on 300$ headphones, doubt its an issue with car speakers.
sound travels way slower than electric signals, lots of time to do that kinda stuff...

fantaskarsef
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#5627333 Posted on: 01/14/2019 06:19 PM

it works on 300$ headphones, doubt its an issue with car speakers.
sound travels way slower than electric signals, lots of time to do that kinda stuff...

I think it's still quite some work that needs to be put into it. Balancing out noise cancelling in more or less closed headphones or in ears is quite different to trying and do it in the passenger space of a car. Needs a lot more speakers and balancing to do. Also, you need the final version of the car up front, complete with different sets of interior materials used, etc.
Also, I think the difficult part is that you have to analyze the incoming sound and calculate the "counter" frequencies in time, which gets more and more difficult the higher the sound's frequency is (thus, lower sounds are easier to noise cancel properly than high pitched sounds). Naturally you are right, and they'll have an easier time with a car's sounds, but cancelling out things like a bird's song or human voice is probably much more trouble.

Fox2232
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#5627335 Posted on: 01/14/2019 06:26 PM

it works on 300$ headphones, doubt its an issue with car speakers.
sound travels way slower than electric signals, lots of time to do that kinda stuff...
Take paper and pencil. Draw 2 sources of sound. One as noise other as canceling source.
Draw their spacial waves. Amaze on stupidity of those who believe in noise cancelation over large spaces.

Now imagine interior of car and mark surfaces which will be creating that undesirable noise. Draw waves created by those surfaces. Enjoy.

Venix
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#5627728 Posted on: 01/15/2019 04:03 PM

Except they're also the main sound system's speakers, so you'll lose your music too.

I was not aware of this, still thought i was just kidding :p

schmidtbag
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#5627773 Posted on: 01/15/2019 05:26 PM

I was not aware of this, still thought i was just kidding :p

Haha I figured you were kidding, but I thought I'd point that out just in case.

fry178
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#5628581 Posted on: 01/17/2019 04:41 AM

even back in the mid-late 90s, at least alpine (that i know off) had head units/eq that would be connected with a mic to measure the inside of the car with special test freq,
to then make up for different amount of ppl/where they are sitting etc when listening to music.

where you are sitting in the car, can be programmed with dummies, calibration for speakers is already common on HT systems (which kinda usually are in big spaces),
and then to spend a couple more bucks on a few mics in different positions (to pick up the different noises), isnt really a problem either.

the NC is supposed to filter out road/car/traffic noise, not voices (still possible, look at WH-1000XM3).

and most of the systems i've seen that have NC, in lets say an A8, have easily +12 (most even more) speaker, so thats not an issue.

drive something like MB/Audi?BMW equivalent/or higher, with and without NC active.
once you sit in a car going 110-130 mph, and you have a conversation like sitting on the couch at home, i know it works (good enough) to make a difference.

K.S.
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#5628588 Posted on: 01/17/2019 05:06 AM

woop woop! woop woop woop!

Sir do you know why I'm pulling you over? o_O

Uhmm... no

ops:

Why not :cool:

Cause I got "Noise cancelling by Bose" Officer

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