The 21st century has seen a significant advance in technical innovations for drivers, with a growing focus on driving comfort. Today, Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) is very much in evidence in Bluetooth headphones and earbuds, but it is also finding great use in car interiors. Some manufacturers have turned their attention to creating quieter interiors, thanks to ANC, for ideal musical enjoyment in vehicles. This series of articles explores the beginnings of ANC in the automotive world.
Honda, pioneer of active noise cancelling in cars
In the early 2000s, Honda made a decisive technological shift to ensure quieter car interiors. The famous Japanese brand became the first car manufacturer to introduce ANC. Now widely used in Bluetooth headphones, at the time this technology represented a real revolution.
The principle is based on the use of microphones placed in the passenger compartment to detect unwanted sounds, such as engine vibrations and road noise. A processor analyzes these sounds and generates opposite sound waves via the vehicle’s drivers, thus cancelling out the noise perceived by the occupants. This approach effectively reduces noise pollution without increasing vehicle weight and hence fuel consumption, unlike traditional acoustic insulation methods, which often involve thickening the walls.
Honda first introduced ANC in its Accord sedan in 2002, then deployed it on its Odyssey MPV three years later. This innovation was initially reserved for top-of-the-range versions, intended for the North American market.
Active noise cancelling in cars goes mainstream
As a result, sound insulation became a major marketing argument for carmakers. Everyone was looking for ways to improve the system, with the aim of guaranteeing a quiet, peaceful driving experience, so that you could enjoy the music on board more fully. In Europe, Audi was one of the first manufacturers to install ANC in its top-of-the-range vehicles. However, it was not until 2010 that the high-end Audi A8 and S8 models were equipped with active noise cancelling.
This was followed by other major players in the automotive sector, such as Ford and BMW. All were in search of the ideal formula to annihilate the noise caused by combustion engines, which were by far the dominant force at the time. The development of hybrid engines and electric cars also helped reduce engine noise in the passenger compartment. However, these technological developments have brought to light other, previously masked sonic nuisances, such as tire noise, vibrations and aerodynamic noise.
ANC systems are being perfected to deal with these new noises, in particular the medium and low frequencies generated by electric motors and their components, such as inverters. State-of-the-art algorithms now adjust to driving conditions. They are becoming so efficient that these systems actually have to be restrained in to maintain a balance between the obligatory external noise and the silence of the passenger compartment. Total isolation from outside noise presents obvious safety problems for driver and passengers.
Audi, BMW and Lexus among the global benchmarks
Today, Lexus, BMW and Audi are world leaders in active noise cancelling. The Lexus LS Sedan incorporates an advanced system designed to deliver a particularly quiet cabin. The system is based on the strategic placement of microphones throughout the interior to pickup unwanted noise as effectively as possible.
In addition to ANC, the Lexus LS uses specially designed rims to minimize road noise. These low-noise models eliminate the sound waves produced by air vibration inside the tire, channelling them to a resonator hole in the rim where they are converted into heat, thus reducing the intrusion of noise into the cabin, even at high speeds.
These combined technologies enable the Lexus LS to offer a serene driving experience, effectively reducing noise pollution and ensuring optimum acoustic comfort for all passengers.
Since 2010, Audi has continued to perfect its ANC system, notably on the A8 model. This luxury sedan from the brand sets the benchmark for cabin sound insulation. BMW also uses a high-performance noise reduction system on its 7 Series sedan. The German company’s ANC technology effectively attenuates exterior noise, providing optimum comfort for passengers.
The use of ANC technology once again illustrates the close connection between the automotive and hi-fi worlds. Acoustic insulation, synonymous with driving comfort, is becoming a real selling point for car manufacturers, in the same way as high-end headphones. Passengers now enjoy ideal conditions for enjoying music on the road, with no external noise pollution.
