ELS Surround(R) Premium Audio System Featured On 2010 Acura ZDX(R) 4-Door Luxury Sports Coupe

DETROIT, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2010 Acura ZDX® features the most advanced ELS Surround® Premium Audio System yet produced for Acura - designed in collaboration with Acura and Panasonic engineers to offer extended frequency range, lower distortion, enhanced clarity and transparency, and a studio-like audio experience developed specifically for Acura's dramatic all new 4-door luxury sports coupe.

Designed and tuned to match the vehicle's interior acoustic characteristics, the latest generation 2010 Acura with the ELS Surround Premium Audio System (with either the Technology Package or Advance Package) boasts an impressive 435 watts of power. The system drives a total of 10 speakers, comprising titanium dome tweeters, an array of 6.7-inch Super Dynamic Range mid-range and bass drivers, and a downward-firing 8-inch diameter subwoofer with its own 100-watt PWM amplifier that extends the system frequency response down to an amazingly low 16 Hz.

Since its introduction on the 2004 Acura TL, the ELS Surround Premium Audio System -- developed in collaboration with multi-Grammy® Award-winning producer/engineer Elliot "Els" Scheiner -- has drawn the highest praise from critics and customers alike. With an emphasis on clarity, definition and faithful music reproduction from a variety of sources, the ELS Surround Premium Audio System is designed to deliver a studio-like audio experience.

"The goal of the ELS system in the Acura is to provide the listener with the excitement and emotional impact of actually being in a studio," said Gary Evert, chief engineer and Acura ZDX project leader. "Elliot brings his extensive professional studio recording experience to help create the most involving and musical sounding experience that you could ever find in an automotive premium audio system."

Personally involved in each phase of development for the Acura ZDX, Scheiner translates his expertise as a professional recording engineer and producer to tune the ELS Surround premium audio system to the vehicle's specific acoustic environment.

"Creating a new, custom-tuned premium audio system for such a beautiful vehicle as the ZDX is always an opportunity," said Elliot Scheiner, collaborator on Panasonic's ELS Surround Premium Audio System. "It's the same feeling that I get when I work with a new musician in the studio. The ELS system is now available on the TL, TSX, RDX and MDX, and I approached each system as I would a different musical artist.

"The ELS system for the ZDX involved hours spent listening, tuning, driving on the test track and retuning, using as many music sound sources as possible. When I finally heard the finished production system, I was thrilled that we were really able to bring the studio experience into the ZDX at what I feel is the highest musical level possible."

Ten-Speaker Power

The ELS Surround Premium Audio System's 10 speakers create an accurate and dynamic listening experience for all ZDX seating positions. Compact 1.5-inch titanium-dome tweeters are positioned in each A-pillar with a 3-inch Super Dynamic Range (SDR) driver centered in the top of the instrument panel. A 6.7-inch SDR driver is positioned low in each of the four door panels. Two forward-firing, 3-inch wide-dispersion speakers are located in the rear roof pillars--one on each side. An 8-inch diameter, downward-firing subwoofer driven by a dedicated 100-watt amplifier is placed under the rear cargo floor in a special 25-liter acoustic enclosure, providing powerful bass response and very low distortion over an extended frequency range, including down to an exceptionally low 16Hz. A 435-watt Digital Signal Processing amplifier drives the speaker array.

"The technical team at Panasonic was faced with the challenge of creating an outstanding musical experience within the unique interior cabin of the Acura ZDX," said Tom Dunn, marketing group manager for Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America . "Listening to the new ELS system in the ZDX shows how the team responded to this challenge and really exceeded all expectations. Our ongoing collaborative relationship with Acura and Elliot Scheiner has resulted in ELS Surround being recognized as one of the benchmarks for automotive premium audio systems."

About Elliot Scheiner

For detailed information on Elliot Scheiner, please visit: http://www.panasonic.com/ELS_Surround/Elliot.asp

About Acura

For additional information about Acura vehicles, please visit www.acura.com. For media inquiries, please visit www.acuranews.com.

About Panasonic Automotive Systems

For more information on Panasonic, visit www.panasonic.com.

SOURCE Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America