Abbey Road Studios and Bowers & Wilkins have developed quite a partnership since the studio started using its speakers back in 1980. And, Bowers & Wilkins has been providing upgraded sound systems for various Volvo cars for several years now.
So, it was only a matter of time until the three brands joined forces to create a new audio experience on four wheels. And, following the launch of Volvo’s new EX90 electric SUV, we can now see the results of their latest venture.
Bowers & Wilkins is introducing a new Abbey Road Studios sound mode for Volvo EX90s equipped with the brand’s premium sound system. The mode is based on the acoustics of the studio, combined with the “tonality of the equipment and engineer expertise”. The official press release goes on to say that it “emulates the unique characteristics of the recording studio environment”.
Besides the Abbey Road Studios sound mode, the system also features a new Producer Mode which allows you to go hands-on and create your own sound by tweaking settings developed with the help of Abbey Road’s engineers.
Through a brand new user interface, you can change the tonality of the sound in several different ways, “shifting the acoustic from a retro vintage to a deeper, modern sound, narrowing or expanding the stereo sound field, and adjusting the acoustic environment, just as a producer or engineer would do”. You can then save your preferred sound as a custom preset. Alternatively, the system already comes with four different presets to choose from, with each one offering something different.
The Abbey Road Studios mode will be made available as an over-the-air software update when deliveries start in 2025 for all EX90s fitted with a Bowers & Wilkins system. The set-up itself features 25 speakers, including tweeter-on-top technology, seven Continuum cone midrange drivers, five Nautlus double-dome tweeters and eight headrest and ceiling speakers. All the speakers have been carefully positioned and the system even supports Dolby Atmos content too.
Sound modes such as these aren’t exactly a new concept for in-car audio. Previously, Volvo has offered users a Gothenburg Concert Hall mode on some cars to try and capture the acoustics of this impressive listening space. During testing, though, I tend to find that the purest sound modes deliver the best sound experience, but I’m all for experimenting to see what they have to offer. Hopefully, this Abbey Road Studios mode will bring something new and innovative to the party.
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