Detroit Free Press Mike Wendland Column.

Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI) February 10, 2004 Byline: Mike Wendland Feb. 10–SURROUND SOUND FOR AUTOS MAKES COMMUTING A BLAST: As more proof that our automobiles these days are like homes on wheels, now there’s surround sound for your car.

A new entertainment system for the 2004 Acura TL delivers audio reproduction so stunningly realistic that I found myself just looking for excuses to run errands during the five days I had the car.

The Southfield-based Panasonic Automotive Systems makes the ELS Surround sound system (www.elssurround.com ) and the Acura TL (base price $32,650) includes it as the first true 5.1 surround sound system offered as standard equipment in a vehicle.

The ELS audio quality is like nothing you’ve ever heard short of a live performance in a concert hall. Think of a home theater experience — that’s how enveloping it is.

You know how a music CD sounds in a car stereo? Well, CD stereo uses just two channels, left and right. On the Panasonic ELS system, the sound is pushed out through six separate dedicated channels from the center — left front, right front, left rear, right rear and sub-woofer. Eight speakers are used. go to web site 2004 acura tl

What makes the ELS system sound so good, though, are audio DVDs. There are hundreds out now, with more being released all the time. Most are bought by sound aficionados who use them in their home theater stereo systems.

The Panasonic ELS is the first audio DVD player for autos. Remember what a DVD video disk does to video quality compared to a VHS videotape cassette? That’s what DVD-Audio music sounds like compared to music from a CD.

Audio DVD disks are the same size as a regular CD but deliver much more realistic sound reproduction because they offer much wider frequency response. They cost about $20.

I had a half dozen friends get in the Acura during the times I drove it. “Just listen,” I’d say, slipping in an audio DVD of the Eagles’ “Hotel California.” Mouths immediately dropped open. “Wow,” my friends all exclaimed, drawing it out in a hushed tone of amazement. “Mind-blowing unbelievable” and “I need this” were follow-up comments.

The unit does more than play DVDs. It also will handle regular CDs, so you don’t have to worry about your existing music library being obsolete. It’s also the first in-dash entertainment unit with a six-disk capacity. There’s a cassette tape slot, an AM/FM radio and the XM satellite radio. go to web site 2004 acura tl

I’ll be doing a separate review in a couple weeks on XM, but the digital audio quality of satellite broadcasts pushed through the RLS system was nearly as impressive as the audio DVDs. To listen to XM you need a subscription, and that costs $9.95 a month.

The ELS brand for the Panasonic unit comes from Grammy-Award-winning producer/engineer Elliot Scheiner, whose initials are linked to pioneer surround sound recordings with performers such as the Eagles, Steely Dan, REM, Faith Hill, Queen, Sting, Van Morrison and Grover Washington Jr. Scheiner worked with Panasonic and Acura in designing the system and placing the speakers.

Right now, it’s exclusively available only in the 2004 Acura TL. But since the ELS entertainment system unit makes even the longest commute quite bearable, I’m sure it’s a safe bet that other automakers are knocking on Panasonic’s doors to include it in their models.