It’s not often I’m impressed with the performance of in-car audio systems. In fact, I’ve been known to avoid listening to my favorite songs and artists on the road when I know the sound quality isn’t up to my standards. But that couldn’t have been further from the case inside the 2025 Cadillac OPTIQ with Dolby Atmos.
Dolby currently has partnerships with 20 automotive markers to develop in-car spatial listening experiences, with a majority of implementation seen in the EVs. At CES 2025, Dolby Atmos’s capabilities were specifically showcased with Cadillac since the technology is coming standard in the brand’s ‘entry-point,’ $54,000 luxury electric SUV.
The 2025 OPTIQ packs a AKG audio system with 19 total speakers optimally installed inside the cabin. Each seat has a speaker just above ear height for mid-to-high frequencies and vocals, while lower frequencies are powered by speakers towards the bottom of each of the four doors.
A long dashboard speaker beneath the windshield and a pair angled inward from the trunk area complete the 360-degree coverage. Acoustic-laminated glass benefits listening, too.
I didn’t have a chance to attend The Eras Tour, but I imagine that this is what it would've felt like.
I jumped inside the passenger seat for a demo and cycled though a few songs Dolby and Cadillac suggested.
In A-ha’s ‘Take On Me,’ the instrumental layering sounded clearer than I ever heard in the 80s hit, while ‘Hush’ by The Marias flexed head-circling synths and a rhythmic clap that sounded like it was coming from right next to my ear.
For a more vocal-heavy record, Jacob Collier’s ‘Witness Me’ sounded so realistic that I could hear his breathy emotion as the a cappella track traveled from behind to up and over my head.
But the real test for me was how one of my favorite artists sounded in the cabin. The folks from Dolby let me turn on a Taylor Swift song from The Tortured Poet’s Department to wrap my demo, and ‘So Long, London’ seemed like the obvious choice.
The choral intro swirled around the cabin while the song's heartbeat-feel thumped through my chest. I didn’t have a chance to attend The Eras Tour, but I imagine that this is what it would've felt like.
Impressive audio aside, the 2025 OPTIQ features a 33-inch touchscreen Android Auto infotainment system, Super Cruise assisted driving technology, a 302-mile range and AWD standard.
I can’t speak for how it actually drives, but if it were practical to consider a car just so I could have a space optimized for listening to my Apple Music playlists, the OPTIQ is now at the top of my list.
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