According to a study, on average, a human being spends almost 11 hours a week in their car. That's between three to four weeks in a year! So whether you’re stuck in traffic, or heading for a road trip, a good music system is essential to play your favourite tunes to pump up your mood and the best remedy for boredom.
Like a pair of luxe audiophile headphones, the best car audio systems these days can create an immersive musical experience, whether you are behind the wheel or seated in the backseat. Here's a list of the top 5 most powerful car audio systems that OEMs offer.
British marque Land Rover, and its sister brand Jaguar, use Meridian sound systems in their luxury cars. The most luxurious of them all, the Range Rover, deploys Meridian's 'Signature Sound System' with 35-speakers and a total output of 1600W. This system also makes the new Range Rover's cabin ultra quiet because of its active noise cancellation feature.
You might've seen the beautiful A-pillar mounted speakers in an S-Class on a trending Instagram reel. The way they twirl out right after you start the car, with ambient lighting embellishing the stunning contraption, it just makes you go wow! Well the big daddy S-Class - the Maybach S680, features Burmester's 4D high-end audio which takes it to another level. It's a 1750W 31-speaker system with a subwoofer under every seat, which ensures that you not only hear the music but also 'feel' it.
Audi's flagship sedan, the A8 gets B&O's 1920W surround-sound system. The 2011 A8 was one of the first cars in the world to get active speakers, which emerged from the dashboard when you switched on the car. 13 years later, the German brand continues to offer one of the best sounding car audio systems in the market complete with 23 high quality speakers including 8 tweeters.
Costing a whopping ₹8 lakh, which we think is a bargain considering other wild optional extras that Bentley offers with its cars, the Naim Audio system in a Continental GT, Bentayga of Flying Spur can churn out a maximum power of 2200W. The system is made of 21 speakers, and you also get a special subwoofer if you're ticking this option on the Bentayga SUV.
The most powerful car audio system currently offered from the factory is Lexus' Mark Levinson 23-speaker 2400W beast. You can have it on Lexus' flagship sedan, the LS. This system is tweaked for over 1000 hours, and tested in Lexus' noise controlled facility, before it's given the go to make sure every Yakuza, errmm, CEO enjoys his J-pop when he's going back home after a hard day at work.