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2016 Explorer Platinum Features Two Exclusive Audio Technologies

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Ford Sony Explorer

To provide SUV shoppers with a decidedly more upscale option, the 2016 Ford Explorer will be offered in a luxurious Platinum trim. To ensure that the Explorer Platinum provides the highest quality audio experience of any vehicle from any segment, Ford is fitting it with an exclusive Sony® Audio System that features Live Acoustics™ and Clear Phase™ technology, both of which are firsts for the automotive industry.

“Explorer is about pushing boundaries, and authentic high-end home theater sound isn’t just for the living room anymore,” said Craig Patterson, Ford utilities marketing manager. “The new Platinum series gives customers everything – including a sound system that will knock your socks off.”

Video: Clear Phase Audio Technology Animation

Ford Sony Explorer

Live Acoustics is a technology spearheaded by Sony Philharmonic Orchestra’s concertmaster, Goro Shiraishi. He and other Sony engineers visited concert halls throughout Europe and recorded the way audio resonates within them in order to replicate that quality in the Explorer Platinum.

Shiraishi and his team spent more than 100 hours tuning the system in order to recreate that concert-hall-feel, adjusting the location of Explorer Platinum’s 12 speakers to place them in such a way that they have the most impact. The speakers are capable of 500 watts combined, and they are paired to a Class D amp, subwoofer with 8-inch driver, and chrome tweeters among other hardware.

Clear Phase takes that same approach, utilizing the vehicle’s space to create a sound that feels as if it is bigger than the vehicle itself. Clear Phase flattens amplitude and corrects phase characteristics, allowing for clearer and better-focused sound.