Despite the fact that the ongoing pandemic means more of us are leaving our cars parked at home, there appears to be a surge in partnerships between audio companies and carmakers. Yesterday brought the unexpected news that Sonos will make its automotive debut in the 2022 Audi Q4 E-Tron, and today, legendary audio brand, McIntosh, has announced its return to the automotive world with new systems that will appear in the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
McIntosh has a reputation for building some of the most powerful and precise hi-fi amplifiers and speakers for discerning audiophiles, and its new MX1375 Reference Entertainment System — a Jeep Grand Wagoneer exclusive — sounds like it will do for car audio what McIntosh has done for home audio.
The MX1375 is a 24-channel, 1,375-watt monster that places 23 speakers about the interior of the Grand Wagoneer, along with a dedicated 12-inch subwoofer. It has a unique Adaptive 3D Surround Processing system which McIntosh says will deliver an immersive listening experience.
When drivers fire up the entertainment system and switch to the McIntosh system screen, they will be greeted by the audio company’s instantly-recognizable blue-backlit sound meters. McIntosh claims it spent “countless hours” studying the interior layout of the vehicle in order to fine-tune the sound system.
“When we were developing the MX1375 Reference Entertainment System, we set up a McIntosh Reference room next to the Wagoneer team’s facility to ensure the best parts of the home system experience made it into the Grand Wagoneer,” said Charlie Randall, President of McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. in a press release. “It was fascinating to hear the progression as the vehicle started to take on qualities of the Reference Room itself. I can’t wait for customers to hear and feel it for themselves.”
The MX1375 will likely be a pricey option, but it’s not the only way to get McIntosh sound in the Grand Wagoneer. The company has also developed a slightly less powerful alternative, the MX950 Entertainment System. It features 18 speakers, a 10-inch subwoofer, and a 17-channel amplifier producing up to 950 watts of power. The MX950 will be available in Grand Wagoneer Series I and Series II and Wagoneer Series III models.
Jeep is clearly trying to position the 2022 Grand Wagoneer as a technological tour-de-force. It’s festooned with color touchscreen displays and earlier this month it was revealed that it will be the first vehicle equipped with Amazon’s Fire TV streaming media platform. The Grand Wagoneer starts from $88,995 and will be available starting this summer.
