iFlytek, one of China’s leading artificial intelligence and speech technology companies unveiled iFlysound, its new intelligent in-vehicle audio initiative, at a landmark launch event in Hefei’s Grand Theatre.
Designed to showcase how AI can transform a car’s cabin into an “intelligent acoustic hub,” the event combined cutting-edge technology demonstrations with artistic performances to give audiences a glimpse of the future of in-car sound. The launch was produced in partnership with the Nanjing University of the Arts and watched by hundreds of thousands of viewers in the auditorium and online.
iFlytek’s iFlysound replaces the traditional car stereo with what iFlytek calls an “intelligent acoustic hub”: an AI-driven cabin audio system that adapts to who is in each seat, what they are doing, and what is happening on the road. Different listeners across the four seating zones can hear different content at the same time, and the system tunes itself to the driver’s preferences, the journey, and the moment.
Li Feng, branding manager at Racpro, said: “For the launch, we were clear that the venue sound had to do more than simply fill the room. We recognised that the system needed to embody the very values iFlysound was promising its future customers. L-ISA was an obvious choice. Both technologies share a fundamental commitment to placing the listener at the centre of the experience.”
The launch event itself was a multi-sensory showcase where art and technology intersected. A team from Nanjing University of the Arts staged live performances – from a serene guqin solo opening to a dynamic dance piece The Great Sound Is Faint exploring the evolution of sound – all presented through the L-ISA system, fully immersing the audience and reinforcing the event’s theme of innovation in audio.
At the Hefei Grand Theatre, L-ISA was configured to envelop the audience in a 360-degrees sonic panorama. Five arrays of A10 Focus and A10 Wide loudspeakers formed the main scene system, creating a broad and hyperreal frontal sound image. To extend immersion throughout the auditorium, four Syva loudspeakers on both side walls and four X12 on the rear wall provided expansive surround coverage, wrapping the audience in a rich, ambient sound field. Overhead, six X8 speakers added a soaring vertical dimension, allowing effects to literally “fly” above the audience. Along the stage lip, six compact 5XT speakers delivered spatial front-fill, and four further X8 were deployed as stage monitors, ensuring the on-stage performers experienced the same clarity and immersion. Mixing duties were accomplished using two DiGiCo Quantum 225 mixing consoles running in mirrored redundancy.
The result was a sound environment that gave vivid context to the iFlysound products being unveiled on stage. Among the highlights were three technologies developed through the Nanyi-iFlytek joint laboratory: Hyper-Immersive Surround Sound, which builds a three-dimensional listening field around each seat in the car; Music Healing Room, which uses the cabin as a calming acoustic space tuned to the driver’s state; and Traveling DJ, an AI-driven system that mixes music to the journey itself. iFlytek also unveiled iFlysound Concert Hall, a cabin mode that recreates the acoustic character of major performance venues so the driver feels they are sitting in a concert hall on their car journey.
Feng added: “Hearing these technologies discussed and demonstrated through an L-ISA immersive sound field gave the audience a direct and compelling point of reference for what iFlysound is ultimately striving to achieve.”
Feng concluded: “The deployment of L-ISA served the practical needs of our event and reinforced our central message: that truly exceptional sound is defined by its ability to make the experience user-centric. Collaborating with partners like L-Acoustics who share our commitment to quality and innovation made it clear that there is still an exciting journey ahead.”