AES Conference 2026
Klippel at AES Conference on Automotive Audio in Detroit
This year’s conference focuses on “Automotive Audio in the AI Era - Sounds of Future Cars” and highlights emerging technologies shaping the next generation of in-car sound systems, including active sound management, sound evaluation, AI/ML-driven and more.
Together with our North American distributor Warkwyn, KLIPPEL engineer Stefan Irrgang will join our partner Pioneer at the exhibition booth. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore KLIPPEL measurement solutions for automotive audio development and gain deeper insights into Klippel Controlled Sound (KCS) through exciting live demonstrations.
A special highlight will be presented by Pioneer, who will showcase an in-vehicle audio technology demonstrator featuring Pioneer Green Speakers combined with the Integrated Sound Platform (ISP). The system demonstrates Klippel Controlled Sound (KCS) technology, which helps improve loudspeaker performance and stability at higher output levels.
If you are attending the conference, we look forward to meeting you in Detroit and exchanging ideas about the future of automotive audio technology.
General information about the AES Conference on Automotive Audio
Date: July 29- 30, 2026
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Booth number: will be updated
Experience our Paper at the AES Conference
AES White Paper on In-Car Measurements: On the way with Version 1 to ideas for an update
by Stefan Irrgang
Abstract:
A White Paper for in-car measurements version 1.0 was officially published in 2023 by the Automotive Audio section of the AES. It comprises basic characteristics of car audio systems. One of the intentions was to make audio systems as well as different cars comparable. This paper is divided into two parts: In the first part, measurements of several cars with different sizes, ages, and audio performance are presented based on version 1. The feasibility of the suggested procedure is evaluated, and improvements are suggested. The first version addresses frequency responses at different levels and at maximum sound pressure level, as well as defect symptoms such as rattling. In a second part, additional measurements are suggested that address compression and non-linear distortion. The suitability of different distortion measurements is discussed and practically demonstrated. Time variant effects, which are typical for DSP-based algorithms, such as limiters, protection systems, and adaptive control, are also investigated, and methods to characterize those are proposed. Stationary behavior is not ensured in such systems; thus, methods to cope with transient effects are required.
Characterization and Control of Headrest Speakers
by Stefan Irrgang, Stephan Schönfeld and Joachim Schlechter
Abstract:
This research focuses on two of the main challenges for headrest loudspeakers in cars – their directivity and their low-frequency performance. In part one, we discuss a method to characterize the directivity in meaningful ways despite the complex acoustic target environment (acoustic near field conditions, presence of head and torso, car interior). Headrest speakers of different classes (open back, closed back, panel) are investigated with a nearfield scanning technique, and best practices for measurements are derived. In part two, we study how nonlinear adaptive control of transducers can improve the bass response and the overall quality of sound reproduction of headrest speakers, especially in typical applications relying on linear, time-invariant characteristics. The theoretical advantages of this approach have been discussed in earlier papers. Here, we will provide measurements to quantify the effect for different driver concepts (see part 1), discuss challenges and implications for concerned active sound algorithms such as individual sound zone control, hands-free communication, and active noise control. The results show that nonlinear adaptive loudspeaker control can considerably expand the usable frequency range while retaining robustness, reducing distortion, and providing a stable response even under varying environmental conditions
