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Chevrolet's top 10 car stereo testing songs

2011-05-24

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Whether it's the boring daily commute to the office, a weekend pilgrimage to a favourite back-of-beyond country retreat, or a trip to see the grandparents with the kids in the back, there is only one perfect accompaniment to any driving journey – music.

"Road trip" and "mixtape" (although these days it should probably be "playlist"!): two words that were made for each other. Because who hasn't rocked-out to their favourite anthem to celebrate the end of the working week, sobbed along to a heart-breaking ballad after a gut-wrenchingly painful break-up or merrily chorused with a bunch of mates on the way to the beach? Larry Lujack, a well-known American DJ, once said: "When buying a used car, punch the buttons on the radio. If all the stations are rock and roll, there's a good chance the transmission is shot."

Given the eternally powerful combination of an empty open road and an all-time favourite song, it should come as no surprise that car manufacturers take the subject of vehicle acoustics very seriously indeed. Matt Kirsch works for iconic car maker Chevrolet (itself included in over 600 songs) as lead audio engineer. In principle, Matt's job is to fit a dynamic soundstage that works for every kind of music genre into a space not much bigger than the average recording booth.

"While of course it's an enjoyable backdrop to the ride, music is actually a proven way to take the stress-out of driving," says Matt. "There are studies* which show that listening to music while driving sharpens the senses, keeps the driver alert and even reduces tiredness."

"Therefore, it's really important that we are able to create an environment that perfectly captures the acoustics and vocals of the music being listened to, whether through an MP3 device or just the radio, all the while being aware of the general noises that cars make as well as important things going on outside of the vehicle that the driver still needs to be aware of."

Matt spends almost all of his working day carefully listening to thousands upon thousands of songs through radios, CDs and MP3 players routed through Chevrolet's fleet of vehicles. Even for the most die-hard music fan, it could be enough to turn one "GaGa". But it is crucial to the test program, ensuring that what gets played in the car really is music to the ears.

"In our work we need to be certain that the infotainment system can cope with the hardest "power" chords, singers with a broad vocal register, as well as instrumental tracks with a deep, thumping bass."

In terms of playback technology, times are changing. While CD purchases still account for nearly three-quarters of U.S. music sales in 2010 alone**, a massive and growing amount is being downloaded – some 31 percent globally (11 in Europe***). Because of this, Matt's team has the additional challenge of ensuring digital signals sound equally as good as other formats when owners connect their music via MP3.

"It's definitely not an easy job. We spend a huge amount of time tuning sound systems for ambiance and clarity, so that sitting in a car like the Chevrolet Cruze sounds like sitting in the front row at a concert hall. Test driving the sound system when you're car shopping is an important 'buy button' that can be as key to your long-term satisfaction as checking out how well the vehicle handles. We set out to deliver a far better audio experience," says Matt.

This view is backed by professional audio judges from the Mobile Electronics Competition Association (MECA) who highly rated the Cruze audio system's acoustic credentials in their 2010 Sound Quality League competition.

"Audiophiles believe that rating audio performance requires critical listening as well as measuring output," said Steve Stern, MECA president. "Only the human ear can gauge how natural and believable the listening experience is."

But ultimately, what really determines the sound of music? If you think the art of music is volume, you'd be wrong. According to Kirsch, it's not how loud you can make it, but clarity and definition that counts. "Most people think that the best sound systems have to make the loudest noise possible, but you should listen for all-round dynamic tonality and punchy vocal characteristics to determine quality – whether you're listening to a smooth jazzy sound or R&B. From spending years listening to all kinds of music types and styles, we actually have a few trusted tracks that we always turn to in order to measure the true acoustics of a vehicle. We think it's a kind of "greatest hits" from both a technical and auditory point of view. Of course there is the fact that they're all really incredible songs!"

Matt's top 10 set of songs are not only perfect for this scientific approach to car stereo design. He claims that they're also great for a "private" audio test drive. Here is Matt's full list with his hints and tips on what to listen for to get the best quality sound reproduction in a motor vehicle:

"Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box" by Radiohead: listen for the punch from the percussive bass, and the ring of the steel drums

"Bird on a Wire" by Johnny Cash: listen for the clarity in Johnny's distinctive voice, and his guitar to sound natural and free of any coloration

"Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones: listen for Norah's voice to sound natural, and centred in front of you

"Diamonds and Rust" by Joan Baez: listen for strong vocals, and for the instruments to be set across a wide sound stage

"No One" by Alicia Keys: listen for clarity in Alicia's vocals and spacious background sound

"Hotel California" by the Eagles: listen for the clarity and dynamic range during the opening guitar solo, and of course the powerful drum beat

"Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas: listen for powerful, accurate bass beats, even at full volume

"Rock that Body" by the Black Eyed Peas: listen to clear, intelligible lyrics over the powerful, persistent bass beat

"Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap: listen for the enveloping ambience of the song, building on the openness and dynamic vocals

"He Mele No Lilo" by Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu from "Lilo and Stitch": listen for the ambience and staging as the children's chorus is offset by powerful bass

To set up your own personal audio test drive, download Matt's Top 10 from iTunes.

* Source: MSN, 2005

** Source: Recording Industry Association of America

*** Source: International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, 2010

ABOUT THE CHEVROLET CRUZE

Design Appeal and Quality Focus to Value Segment

• Segment: compact
• In the model range since: 2009
• Units sold in Europe until end of 2010: 80,215

The all-new Chevrolet Cruze sedan raises the bar for design appeal, build quality and running refinement in Europe's compact value segment. Chevrolet has always stood for value and Cruze delivers on that promise like never before. It redefines value with its design, quality, materials and great style inside and out.

Inside and out, the design team developed a new global design language for the Chevrolet brand, introducing fresh visual elements while leveraging the potential to express traditional, Chevy signature design cues in new ways.

An arching roofline, extending from the steeply raked windshield into the slimrear pillars, is the defining exterior feature of Cruze. Combined with a relatively short rear deck, it brings four-door coupé-like looks to this market segment for the first time. Conveying a sporty yet warm ambience, the five-seater cabin is typified by harmonious, flowing lines and the application of grained, soft-touch materials. It is a high quality execution that transcends the compact value segment.

The Chevrolet Cruze global compact sedan has earned the top rating of five stars from the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP). The Cruze's safety begins with its solid body structure. The Cruze features a new body-frame integral (BFI) system supplemented with finely tuned chassis components. With the BFI system, the upper body structure and frame are engineered as a single unit, offering a heightened sense of solidity and stability.

The Cruze was also elected the AUTOBEST car of 2010 by a jury of leading auto writers in Central and Eastern Europe.

The Cruze features as standard a full range of active and passive safety features usually found only on more expensive vehicles, including:

• Electronic Stability Control
• Traction control
• Anti-lock brakes
• Brake assist
• Electronic Brake-Force Distribution
• Six air bags, including driver, front passenger, front side and curtain air bags
• Seat-belt reminders, retractors and lap pretensioners with seat-belt load limiters

The all-new gasoline and diesel line-up comprises 1.6 and 1.8-liter, all-aluminum, gasoline engines, and a 2.0-liter turbo diesel unit with 16 valves.

Cruze's suspension, braking and steering systems have been developed on European roads to meet European driving tastes. Striking a balance between agility and ride comfort, Cruze offers the driver a high degree of 'connectedness' while also delivering a relaxed and refined ride character.

New for MY11, are more powerful Euro-5 compliant powerplants along with an all new 6-speed manual transmission for the 2.0 Diesel engines

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is General Motors' largest global brand with annual sales of about 4 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. It is the fourth biggest global car brand in terms of sales and also one of the fastest growing brands in the world. Chevrolet cars combine passion, bold design and practicality. They provide outstanding value for money. After re-launching the brand in Europe in 2005, Chevrolet more than doubled its sales to over 500,000 in 2008. In 2010, Chevrolet grew its market share in Europe to 2.5 percent, selling 477,194 cars. Chevrolet has a network of more than 2,700 dealers and service points in Europe. The Chevrolet line-up includes the Spark city car, the small Aveo, the compact four-door Cruze, the Captiva SUV and the legendary Corvette sports car. In 2011, Chevrolet is launching seven new cars: the all-new Orlando family van, the new Captiva SUV, the Corvette Grand Sport Coupé, the all-new five-door and four-door Aveo, the five-door Cruze, the Camaro coupé and convertible and the award-winning extended-range Volt electric car. Chevrolet's biggest markets in Europe are Russia, Italy, Germany, Spain, France and Turkey. Established in the U.S. by Swiss émigré Louis Chevrolet in 1911, the brand is celebrating its centenary in 2011. More information on Chevrolet can be found at www.chevroleteurope.com or media.chevroleteurope.com.