Sony Honda Mobility’s first EV, the Afeela 1, embraces the concept of mobility as a creative entertainment space, with a cabin that maximizes the emotional impact of in-car entertainment. The car features Afeela Immersive Audio, an innovative system designed to transform the cabin into the ultimate listening room, fully leveraging Sony’s audio expertise.
Redefining the acoustic experience
Afeela’s speaker layout was designed from the earliest stages and was optimized throughout the vehicle development process according to acoustic physics for a premium listening experience, with the high-performance speakers precisely positioned relative to occupants’ ear height. Combined with Sony’s advanced audio software, the cabin becomes a private theater on wheels. All 28 speakers in the Afeela 1 were newly developed by Sony for this vehicle.
A key innovation in the Afeela 1 audio system is the Multilayer Carbon Fiber Composite Diaphragm, developed by Sony to ensure sound purity. Front mid-range speakers and woofers deliver deep, low-mid tones, silk-diaphragm tweeters reproduce clear highs and compact neodymium magnets enable precise, dynamic diaphragm movement.
Enclosure attached to the mid-range speaker
One notable design choice is the positioning of the subwoofers. Instead of placing them conventionally in the trunk, Sony Honda Mobility installed them under the center console in the middle of the cabin to eliminate the time lag in bass arrival. By adopting the Iso-Barik method, where two woofers are placed facing each other, the company achieved a powerful and compact subwoofer that delivers heavy, powerful bass that resonates directly through the body.
“At Afeela, we set out to go far beyond the ordinary car audio system,” said Hirofumi Uchiyama, interior project leader of the CBU planning section in the vehicle development and planning division at Sony Honda Mobility. “Our goal was simple: to deliver a sound experience that stirs the soul – an emotional journey that’s more than listening. From the very start, we engineered the entire vehicle as a sound studio on wheels. We maximized the potential of the optimally placed 28 high-performance speakers using Sony’s audio technology. This challenge was the key to creating Afeela’s unique acoustic experience.”
360° sound
Afeela Immersive Audio features three playback modes: Immersive Theater Sound for full 360° spatial immersion, Hi-Fi Audio for accurate reproduction of the artist’s intent, and Zonal Sound for the rear entertainment system, allowing different content to be enjoyed simultaneously. Immersive Theater Sound, using 20 speakers, defines the Afeela 1’s signature acoustic experience.
The AFEELA 1’s immersive audio is enabled by two proprietary Sony technologies: Monopole Synthesis for physical sound field reproduction, and AI-based sound source separation for precise audio placement.
Monopole Synthesis lets vocals, instruments and ambient sounds be positioned in a virtual 3D space, enhancing spatial audio for every seat and creating the impression that sound originates from outside the cabin or even above the hood.
Sony’s AI-based sound source separation analyzes standard stereo tracks to isolate vocals, instruments and ambient sounds. Combined with Monopole Synthesis, even two-channel audio is transformed into an immersive experience, recreating the sensation of being at a live performance.
Designed in collaboration with Sony’s high-end home audio teams, Afeela 1 delivers highly accurate spatial sound-field reproduction, bringing Dolby Atmos content to life within the cabin.
“The Monopole Synthesis can freely ‘reconstruct’ sound components in space,” commented Chikashi Kobayashi, acoustic engineer in the digital signal processing design section, development department at Sony Corporation’s mobility business division. “To realize an overwhelming sense of immersion where you are enveloped by sound – which is difficult with conventional car audio system – we insisted on making the phase and frequency characteristics thoroughly flat through software processing.”
Afeela 1 also minimizes road noise with active road noise cancellation (ARNC), combining Honda’s low-frequency and Sony’s mid-frequency reduction via seat speakers.
“Afeela transforms the time spent in the car into something more engaging, more personal, more alive,” added Uchiyama.
In related news, Anritsu and Head Acoustics have launched an advanced voice quality testing solution
