North American Distributor MSC is shipping this week what it calls the industry’s highest end vehicle specific audio systems.
The systems include Helix and BLAM audio components for the Ford F150 platform, with models to follow for the Ford Bronco and certain Porsche and Lamborghini vehicles, said MSC Founder Larry Penn.
The program is called “Systems by MSC,” and it will be initially brought to market with a group of 18 “Edition One” launch partners. The program will include not only the vehicle specific systems but also in-store merchandising, wall mounted audio displays and training.
The Systems kits have been tuned by MSC for each vehicle, helping demystify the use of digital signal processing (DSP) in high end builds.
The kits include speakers, amplified DSP, subwoofers as well as high grade wiring harnesses that are cut to length and pre-terminated. All speaker baffles and amplifier mounts are made from powder coated, machined aluminum.
They are designed so that a specialty shop can install what would normally be a one-off build in a single day (versus a more typical 3 or 4-day build for the same level of quality). “If you can take a truck apart and put it back together, you can deliver a reference level, high end system in a day,” said Penn.
Retaining the OEM source unit, each system uses preamp interfaces from Maestro, Mobridge and NAV TV to avoid problems with the more traditional summing methods. Each system is pre-tuned, with time alignment, equalization, and gain structure pre-calibrated. MSC has taken advantage of the acoustical tools offered by the Helix DSP PC Tools including Real Centre and Augmented Bass Processing.
Upgrades for 2018 and up Ford F150 B&O and B&O Unleashed platforms will be the first systems released. They will include a dual 10-inch down firing subwoofer enclosure upholstered in OEM materials. Pre damped door treatments are also provided. The F150 models will be followed by systems for the Ford Bronco, Porsche 991 and 992 models and the Lamborghini Huracan and Aventador. A tool kit will be supplied by MSC to each Systems dealer.
“This is the single largest investment in our company history; we have two years in its development,” Penn said. “This is taking ‘Plug and Play’ and ‘Add a Sub’ to the next level, avoiding all the traditional interfacing problems you may face.” These products will only be available through select Systems by MSC Partners and will not be sold online or direct to consumers. Each Systems kit carries a 3-year parts and labor warranty.
US retail pricing for the Ford F150 kits ranges from $3500 to $6500. Initial product shipments are expected the week of January 16th. In-store merchandising products are now in production and will ship in February.
MSC America is a distributor of high end car audio brands Brax, Helix, Match and BLAM. It also distributes Stinger Radar and Mobridge Interfaces, and in Canada it also distributes ESCORT Radar and Mid-City Engineering.
For more information visit www.msc-america.com