CONTACT:Jeff Samuels
Panasonic
201-392-4571
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
ELS SURROUND® PREMIUM AUDIO SYSTEM
FEATURED ON 2010 ACURA ZDX® 4-DOOR LUXURY SPORTS COUPE
The most advanced ELS sound system yet reaches a higher level of audio performance with an emphasis on sound quality and system integration.
DETROIT, January 4, 2010 — 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
After nearly 40 years in the music industry, Elliot Scheiner continues to be a highly sought-after producer and engineer. His career includes work with such music legends as The Eagles, Steely Dan, REM, Foo Fighters, Beck, Queen, Sting, Van Morrison and Eric Clapton. In addition to receiving his 23rd Grammy nomination for his work on the Deborah Cox release Destination Moon, Scheiner won his sixth Grammy Award for Donald Fagen’s 2006 release of Morph The Cat. Scheiner's recent work includes mixing for The Eagles’ multi-platinum release, Long Road Out of Eden, and the remixed release of Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York performance. His extensive industry accolades include an Emmy® Award for his work with The Eagles on their farewell tour broadcast and he has received four Emmy Award nominations. A TEC Hall of Fame inductee, Scheiner is the inaugural recipient of the Surround Pioneer Award, which was created to honor individuals who have made significant groundbreaking contributions to the art of surround music production. He holds an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music and is also the only American to be awarded the Master of Sound honor from the Japan Audio Society.
About Acura
Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced performance luxury vehicles through a network of 270 dealers within the United States. The 2010 Acura lineup features six distinctive models, including the RL luxury performance sedan, the TL performance luxury sedan, the TSX sports sedan, the turbocharged RDX luxury crossover SUV, the award-winning MDX luxury sport utility vehicle and the all-new ZDX four-door sports coupe. For additional information about Acura vehicles, please visit For media inquiries, please visit
About Panasonic Automotive Systems
Based in Peachtree City, Georgia, and with Detroit area operations located in Southfield, Mich., Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America is a division of Secaucus, N.J.-based Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation, Ltd. (NYSE:PC) of Osaka, Japan -- one of the world's leading developers and producers of innovative digital and other electronic products for consumer, business and industrial use. Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America also acts as the North American operating company of Panasonic Automotive Systems Company, which coordinates global automotive industry systems and components operations. For more information on Panasonic, visit
ELS Surround is the registered trademark of Panasonic Corporation of North America, all rights reserved. Acura, Acura TL, RDX, MDX, TSX and ZDX are trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. GRAMMY is the trademark of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., and iPod is the registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.