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CES: Cranking up Harman's QuantumLogic 3D surround-sound system

Yesterday we reported how Audi was readying a lavish 3D sound experience with 23 speakers and 1,400 watts of goosebump-inducing audio power. Not to be outdone, Harman had been quietly developing a system of its own: Quantum Logic 3D brings together 25 speakers and more than 2,000 watts of Tubthumping power to a new car near you, like driving inside Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. Sitting inside the demonstration BMW 7-Series that Harman painstakingly lifted into the Studio at the Palms, Global Audio Engineering vice president Phil Muzio explained, "great music is delivered in stereo, yet our consumer research indicates that people enjoy surround sound." QuantumLogic 3D's surround sound expands beyond the boundaries of the vehicle's cabin, providing "a sense of detail and spatial placement that you don't get in stereo." Five height component speakers mounted in the corners of the headliner, and above the rearview mirror, elevates audio beyond the confines of the roof, "almost like you're in a convertible," said Muzio.

Audi A3 Cabriolet (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

Completing the quadruple A3 bodystyle line-up is this new drop-top: the Audi A3 Cabriolet. The new soft-top is bigger yet lighter than the old convertible A3, and has morphed into a more resolved silhouette courtesy of its booted rear instead of the old version’s chopped hatch profile. Plus, for the first time ever, an S3 Cabriolet is set to join the range, offering a 155mph breeze in your hair, and 0-62mph in around 5.0sec.

Why the Honda Ridgeline pickup is driving off into the sunset

The Honda Ridgeline is a good example of what happens when an automaker abandons a model. After much fanfare with its introduction in 2005, little was done to upgrade the mid-sized pickup. Ridgeline's plummeting sales are no surprise considering the lack of sheet metal changes and significant engineering improvements over the seven-year period.