2019 Acura RDX - USB 5.1? VERIFIED!!

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JonUrban

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There is a big unveiling on Monday (Jan 15) at the Chicago Auto Show of the 2019 RDX which is supposed to be completely re-engineered. I can not find anything out about it yet, but it sure would be nice if it did USB .flac. I am not even sure if it will even have a disc player, but we'll see.
 
Details so far... no word on discrete or supported formats that I have seen.

The 2019 RDX Prototype uses four ultra-thin, ceiling-mounted speakers to add a new dimension of sound and fidelity to the audio experience. The 16-channel, 710-watt Acura ELS Studio 3D system was developed by Panasonic and tuned by Grammy-winning music producer and longtime Acura partner, Elliott Scheiner.
 
Details so far... no word on discrete or supported formats that I have seen.

The 2019 RDX Prototype uses four ultra-thin, ceiling-mounted speakers to add a new dimension of sound and fidelity to the audio experience. The 16-channel, 710-watt Acura ELS Studio 3D system was developed by Panasonic and tuned by Grammy-winning music producer and longtime Acura partner, Elliott Scheiner.

No CD drive so no more DTS playback I guess :(

Unless they start supporting FLAC (not optimistic about it) I'm done with Acura.
 
That new RDX looks great, but if it doesn't do 5.1 flac, then I don't have to worry about trying to figure out how I can afford one! :)

Seriously, why go through all of the trouble of having such a big deal surround system if it cannot play a discrete music file? Let's hope that Mr. ELS came up with something, anything, to make it play a discrete surround audio source.
 
It's become the LESS sound system; I have to wonder how much Elliot Scheiner contributes to the process beyond cashing the checks anymore.

Meanwhile an aging hippie man (in his aging TL) blazes home from a Hot Tuna concert with King Crimson RED on true 5.1 DVD-A blaring to inform pedestrians of his happy 'weekend millionaire' status.... :smokin
 
That new RDX looks great, but if it doesn't do 5.1 flac, then I don't have to worry about trying to figure out how I can afford one! :)

Seriously, why go through all of the trouble of having such a big deal surround system if it cannot play a discrete music file? Let's hope that Mr. ELS came up with something, anything, to make it play a discrete surround audio source.

What's even sadder is when you talk to MOST of these car salesman.... and when you mention this problem of actually playing surround material on the sound system of these vehicles...you get that deer in the headlights look...they have no idea what you are talking about..it's especially disappointing when you are looking at luxury vehicles...I mean this is their job...to know everything about these vehicles...and most of them are clueless...and when you try to get the information you need from the car company website...it's even worse...they tell you how many speakers the vehicle has and little else:(
 
You won't find anything about DTS capability on the website or at a dealership. They don't even know what features they've got in their radio. I wouldn't be surprised if the DTS decoding was an accidental addition to thto new system.

Only reference you'll see to it is in the car's manual, and when you put a disc a tiny DTS logo appears on the screen.

Correct! They are clueless unless an aficionado of dvd -a . Wonder though, if the dvd a with DTS tracks will play?
I grabbed a Hona sampler that came with the new Hondas with dvd a capability- $10.00 and they were happy to sell it! That one has the complete version of "Fly like an eagle" with the effects at start and end. Missing from the 5.1 disc offering
 
What's even sadder is when you talk to MOST of these car salesman.... and when you mention this problem of actually playing surround material on the sound system of these vehicles...you get that deer in the headlights look...

Last time I went for a test drive I brought a DTS conversion of the Acura DVD-A test disc (though I took out some of the tracks originally included and replaced them with my own choices). The "Winelight" channel check freaked the sales guy out. And you should've seen his face when I told him it was from an Acura-issued DVD.

It's almost comical how little they know...and it's a shame too because they had one of the best and most unique car stereo systems on the market.
 
That one has the complete version of "Fly like an eagle" with the effects at start and end. Missing from the 5.1 disc offering

The version of "Fly Like An Eagle" on that Acura sampler is sourced from the 30th Anniversary Dolby-only DVD with a new 5.1 mix. It's still 48khz but obviously MLP offers superior sound compared to Dolby Digital. It's completely different from the old DTS-CD that has the quad mix. Both versions are still missing the "Space Intro" though.
 
Congrats on the TLX. The A-Spec is a sweet looking car. It's a shame that it does not have some of the stuff in the Advance package. Acura constantly shoots itself in the foot by doing things like this, or not having some of the features in the lower priced Honda similar models. I could never understand that.

I had a 2018 loaner TLX (not A-Spec) but with DTS and I have to admit it does sound better than the DTS in my 17 RDX, but there are some discs that I have that actually do sound good in my car, despite my initial howling about it. I can't put my finger on it, and it's not EQ, because I've tried many things. I am sure that the DTS stereo enhancement is nowhere near as good as the Dolby in the earlier DVD-A systems, I swear a lot of my regular CDs sound mono in the car.

There is a big unveiling on Monday (Jan 15) at the Chicago Auto Show of the 2019 RDX which is supposed to be completely re-engineered. I can not find anything out about it yet, but it sure would be nice if it did USB .flac. I am not even sure if it will even have a disc player, but we'll see.

In the mean time, that A-Spec is one styling machine, and I wish you the best of luck and enjoyment with it. Having the DTS is far better than fake surround, that's for sure.

I first thought I saw a slot for a disc on the center stack...right below the flashers(the red triangle)...but it was probably wishful thinking...it does show a USB playing Bonnie Raitt's Too Soon To Tell..from the album Nick Of Time (the song Nick Of Time was on the Acura Demo Disc)and it shows DVD-A 5.1 on the screen..in the video below first pause it at 2:04..for a shot of the array from a distance...this is when I thought I saw a slot below the flasher button...and then pause it at 2:20 and we see a close up of the title on the screen..

[video=youtube;oE3m1wotUCQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE3m1wotUCQ[/video]
 
I first thought I saw a slot for a disc on the center stack...right below the flashers(the red triangle)...but it was probably wishful thinking...it does show a USB playing Bonnie Raitt's Too Soon To Tell..from the album Nick Of Time (the song Nick Of Time was on the Acura Demo Disc)and it shows DVD-A 5.1 on the screen..in the video below first pause it at 2:04..for a shot of the array from a distance...this is when I thought I saw a slot below the flasher button...and then pause it at 2:20 and we see a close up of the title on the screen..

[video=youtube;oE3m1wotUCQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE3m1wotUCQ[/video]
Hopefully this is an indication of FLAC support and discrete multichannel playback.
 
If this is playing MCH FLAC files (and that’s not just a folder name and it’s not downmixing to stereo) then all is forgiven! Thanks for posting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If this is playing MCH FLAC files (and that’s not just a folder name and it’s not downmixing to stereo) then all is forgiven! Thanks for posting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's the rub...it could be just displaying the source and then downmixing it...but I doubt they would do that and use the same music(from the Nick Of Time surround album) that was on a previous Acura demo disc..but as always they don't provide answers...just more questions:(
 
Scroll down to the 4th large picture and click on it to enlarge it....this is where I "thought" I saw a slot for a disc...right below the emergency flasher button(red triangle)

here



UPDATE...after seeing another video...with a clear picture of the stack.....there is NO disc drive slot...just me "hoping"...
 
One more thing to keep in mind about the 2019 RDX at the auto show...it's a prototype...some features might not be in the finished product...BUT...in this case it should be pretty close to everything we see as the actual vehicle is due in a couple of months...it's not like it's years away..
 
I agree this is rather interesting. Is Acura making a point of including "DVD-A 5.1" so prominently on the display? There are several zoomed in shots of it so everyone can see. Can't see this being a mistake.

I'd like to think it's for real and that ES had something to do with it, but you never know.

My first thought was that it could be playing a DVD-A ISO file off the USB stick, but it seems unlikely Acura would encourage the playback of ripped discs in their vehicles.

I honestly don't care what kind of file or disc it plays as long as it's discrete multichannel.
 
I agree this is rather interesting. Is Acura making a point of including "DVD-A 5.1" so prominently on the display? There are several zoomed in shots of it so everyone can see. Can't see this being a mistake.

I'd like to think it's for real and that ES had something to do with it, but you never know.

My first thought was that it could be playing a DVD-A ISO file off the USB stick, but it seems unlikely Acura would encourage the playback of ripped discs in their vehicles.

I honestly don't care what kind of file or disc it plays as long as it's discrete multichannel.

It shows, DVD-A 5.1 via USB. I am not sure how that works. Kind of odd really.
If there is a way to do it, play DVD-A via USB, I would be so in. (I have the 2013 RDX w? ELS and am worried it will be my last DVD-A road experience.... )
 
I first thought I saw a slot for a disc on the center stack...right below the flashers(the red triangle)...but it was probably wishful thinking...it does show a USB playing Bonnie Raitt's Too Soon To Tell..from the album Nick Of Time (the song Nick Of Time was on the Acura Demo Disc)and it shows DVD-A 5.1 on the screen..in the video below first pause it at 2:04..for a shot of the array from a distance...this is when I thought I saw a slot below the flasher button...and then pause it at 2:20 and we see a close up of the title on the screen..

[video=youtube;oE3m1wotUCQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE3m1wotUCQ[/video]

Thanks Clint!! Oh man, if this is true, I will be broke again.................

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What's interesting here is that they chose a 2004 5.1 recording that was NOT mixed by Elliot Scheiner! That's pretty strange.

https://www.bonnieraitt.com/discography/liner-notes-nick-time-dvd

And they are using the term 'DVD-A' which was pretty much kaput over the last few years. It sure will be interesting to find out just what this audio system will play and how it will work. Somehow I think we'll have to wait quite a while as most (normal) people want to know about the car, not the audio system! :confused:
 
Thanks Clint!! Oh man, if this is true, I will be broke again.................

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Jon - Thanks for the screenshots. Keeping my fingers crossed Acura is opening up the USB port with the ELS to support MCH flac files in the '19 RDX. Thoroughly enjoy my DVD-As in my 2013 MDX, but a USB drive with ALL my flac music would be tremendous.
 
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