ATTI asks a selection of industry professionals what they would identify as the cornerstone of development at their companies. Next up: Wolfgang Zieglmeier, principal acoustic systems engineer, Harman.
For some of our competitors that create sounds and tuning systems, crystal-clear treble and highs are very important, or an incredible bass. For me, it’s always about having a natural sound. I don’t want a discotheque or a PA system when I’m listening to audio in a car. It’s not about sound pressure level; you have to have some power in terms of a good amplifier and wattage, but you don’t want a battle.
What’s really important when developing audio technologies is that the result convinces in every situation, with every track, with every type of music. If one just seeks bass, for example, then the system might not be suitable for a very simple task such as playing a human voice, which must sound very natural. This is always a benchmark for me – that the audio sounds clear and natural.