Inside Huawei’s automotive sound engineering lab in Shanghai

Strolling into Huawei’s Shanghai Acoustics R&D Centre, I anticipated a normal facility tour. What I encountered as an alternative was a complete automotive sound engineering operation that challenges the established order of in-car audio programs.

The ability, which Huawei has developed since starting critical audio analysis investments in 2012, homes three distinct testing environments: a completely anechoic chamber measuring 4.8x4x4 metres, a bigger semi-anechoic room spanning 14x12x5 metres with a reflective ground, and a devoted listening room configured in a 9.1.6 structure. Pictures wasn’t permitted as a result of proprietary expertise issues, however the technical specs inform their very own story.

The problem of in-car audio

Goller, whose background contains positions at Gamut Audio, Bang & Olufsen, and Harman Worldwide, oversees what Huawei calls “master-tuning methodology” – a course of that begins with goal acoustic measurements however depends closely on psychoacoustic ideas for remaining voicing.

Talking within the listening room throughout the first agenda of the tour, Goller outlined Huawei’s improvement philosophy: the goal is to faithfully reproduce recordings as artists supposed them to be heard, creating what he described as a “phantom impact” that transports listeners to the unique recording atmosphere. This requires combining scientific acoustic measurement with inventive tuning experience and purpose-built {hardware}.

The technical course of, he defined, begins with goal measurements – frequency response curves, part relationships, timing behaviour, and distortion traits. These set up the efficiency boundaries. From there, intensive subjective listening periods refine the voicing utilizing psychoacoustic ideas to compensate for the cabin’s inherent acoustic challenges: asymmetry, close-range reflections, and bass loading. 

The purpose is to work inside these constraints whereas remaining devoted to the supply materials.

The HUAWEI SOUND ULTIMATE Collection

The tangible results of this analysis is the HUAWEI SOUND ULTIMATE Collection, the tech big’s most luxurious audio system thus far, at present deployed within the Maextro S800 luxurious electrical sedan. The system includes 43 audio system pushed by twin amplifiers delivering 2,920 watts complete energy. 

What Huawei phrases an “industry-first seat-specific 4D immersive encompass sound expertise” contains rear 4D exciters that synchronise with music and video content material, including tactile suggestions to the auditory expertise.

The {hardware} improvements are particular quite than generic. The Tangential Power Woofer rotates standard door-woofer geometry by 90 levels, decreasing panel resonance whereas extending bass response. A patented dual-diaphragm subwoofer leverages the cabin quantity itself quite than being constrained by conventional enclosure design.

The Crystal Star-Ring Diffuser rises routinely when occupants enter, integrating with rhythm-synchronised ambient lighting whereas enhancing central picture precision – Huawei claims 30% higher sound uniformity in comparison with the earlier era.

The spatial audio implementation makes use of 10 overhead channels, adaptive sound-field management, and what Huawei describes asa proprietary spatial audio observe mannequin for positioning and readability. Curiously, the system integrates with HarmonyOS, extending past pure audio into what Huawei calls “sound-to-light” expertise – AI-powered ambient lighting that responds to musical content material in real-time.

Impartial sound zones

Probably the most technically formidable characteristic is the unbiased sound-zone expertise. Every of the 4 headrests integratesfour drivers – two tweeters and two midrange models. Mixed with Huawei’s sound-field management algorithms, the primary speaker array can operate as an lively silencer, concentrating on audio spillage between entrance and rear rows.

Huawei claims as much as 30dB isolation between rows and 99% power separation. In the course of the demonstration, entrance passengers listened to classical music whereas rear passengers watched an motion movie, with minimal audible crosstalk.Whether or not these figures maintain throughout completely different program materials and at increased volumes stays to be examined in real-world situations.

The system additionally incorporates road-noise cancellation utilizing what Huawei describes as an “omnidimensional mannequin” – multi-channel amplification with low latency making use of ear-adaptive cancellation. Multi-layer acoustic glass and absorptive supplies present passive isolation, concentrating on what the corporate calls a “library-level” baseline noise ground.

The funding query

Huawei disclosed substantial R&D spending: CNY 179.7 billion (roughly £20 billion / €23.4 billion) in 2024, representing 20.8% of complete income, with over 113,000 workers in R&D roles. The corporate states that roughly CNY 60 billion (roughly £6.6 billion / €7.8 billion) goes particularly to basic science analysis.

These numbers contextualise Huawei’s automotive sound engineering ambitions. The corporate at present provides options to over twenty automakers, spanning driver help, cockpit programs, acoustics, and management. Nonetheless, Huawei positions itself as a element provider – particular person automakers decide market availability and regional launches.

Market implications

The automotive sound engineering panorama has historically been dominated by established European manufacturers. Huawei’s systematic method – purpose-built testing amenities, recruited experience from legacy audio corporations, and vital capital funding – represents a problem to that established order.

The query isn’t whether or not Huawei can construct spectacular expertise demonstrations. The Maextro S800 system clearly works. The query is whether or not this degree of sophistication interprets to broader manufacturing volumes, throughout a number of car platforms, at commercially viable value factors.

Goller’s acknowledged purpose is “optimum replica of the recording – to carry us nearer to the expertise the artist supposed.” It’s a normal audiophile goal, however one which automotive sound engineering has traditionally struggled to attain given the constraints of the atmosphere.

Evaluation

After experiencing each the laboratory amenities and the in-car system, Huawei’s program seems methodologically sound. The mixture of measurement-driven improvement and subjective tuning refinement represents customary apply in high-end audio, tailored for automotive contexts.

Whether or not this interprets to market success will depend on components past acoustic efficiency: manufacturing scalability, provide chain integration with numerous automakers, and in the end, whether or not shoppers worth unbiased sound zones and superior tuning sufficient to pay premium costs.

Huawei has constructed the technical basis. The business proof will emerge as these programs transfer from flagship demonstrations into broader automotive lineups.

See additionally: Huawei particulars open-source AI improvement roadmap at Huawei Join 2025

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