Concerning high end audio names in new cars

High end home audio is a niche market. Cars are not. Any audio company looking for additional and compatible revenue streams can create brand awareness and potential future customers by inserting a speaker set or head unit into a luxury or halo car. The car manufacturer then gets to tout how great their "14 speaker XYZ Audio System" sounds, regardless of fact.

These "home audio" producers are all in on car audio so there must be value in it for them:

Meridian
B&O
Revel
Focal
Burmester
Bose (I know...)
Mark Levinson
McIntosh
Heck, in the Clarion ownership days, you could get a McIntosh branded Clarion head unit in a Subaru.

I have to say the stock Fender system in my VW is not the worst thing I've heard in car audio.




 

The Lexus I sold had a Mark Levinson sound system. Before that, I had a Honda with a Bose (I know, I know) sound system. I wasn't impressed with the sound of either. I'm guessing that there would be a serious uncharge for a Burmester system. If I can't afford Burmester for the home, I doubt that I will spring for it in the car, but I'd be happy to take it for a test drive.

My wife has a B&W system in her New Volvo and it sounds great ,

my Brother has a Burmeister in his S6 Audi  ,it is very good ,

yes these are over $3-4k each but to them well worth it since they drive over 1000 miles a month.

Question: How does anyone achieve good sound in the glass bowl of a car's interior?

Answer: They don't.

It is 100% a marketing ploy.

I don't mind crappy stereos in cars....   my company mini van has a mediocre stereo .  The company E250 vans have AM/FM with a 5" full range speaker in each door.   It's pretty bad.  But I don't have a car payment, or pay for gas, insurance, and repairs so I really can't bitch...   After a day driving 300 miles in that thing , there's nothing better than sitting in front of my home system.....  

Samsung bought Harmon Group so they could integrate their media / car infotainment and be a huge player in car/mobile world dominance.

Revel, JBL, Infinity, AKG, Harmon,  Levinson.....  all under Samsung umbrella