QNX & Haleytek: Powering the Volvo EX60’s Software-Defined Audio Architecture
SHANGHAI — February 4, 2026 — QNX, a business unit of BlackBerry Limited, has announced an expanded partnership with Haleytek to deploy a fully centralized Software-Defined Audio (SDA) architecture in the upcoming Volvo EX60.
This collaboration marks a world-first production deployment of a centralized audio stack aligned with Volvo’s Superset Tech Stack—a unified, software-first vehicle platform designed to scale across future models.
🔊 From Hardware-Bound Audio to Software-Defined Sound #
The Volvo EX60, built on the next-generation SPA3 vehicle platform, will be the first production car to run its entire audio pipeline on QNX Sound.
Traditionally, in vehicles like today’s XC60, audio workloads are handled by dedicated DSPs embedded in large, power-hungry amplifiers.
The EX60 breaks this model entirely:
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Audio decoupled from hardware
Media playback, voice, alerts, spatial processing, and noise control all run as software services. -
Centralized compute
Audio workloads execute on the vehicle’s high-performance central SoC, alongside other software-defined vehicle functions. -
Open standards
Integration is enabled via the OASIS VirtIO Sound standard, allowing audio to behave like a virtualized system service rather than a fixed-function hardware block.
This shift mirrors what has already happened in compute, networking, and storage—audio is now officially a software problem.
⚖️ Physical Impact: Weight, Range, and Cost #
Centralization does not just simplify software; it produces measurable physical gains.
Based on teardown and system-level analysis from Munro & Associates, the EX60’s SDA architecture delivers:
| Metric | EX60 Impact | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| System Weight | ~28% reduction | Eliminates discrete DSP modules and simplifies amplifiers |
| EV Range | ~1–2% increase | Lower mass and reduced component power draw |
| Hardware Cost | Up to $98 savings | Fewer specialized chips, simpler BOM |
| PCB Footprint | ~44% reduction | More room for cooling, wiring, or future modules |
In EV design, saving kilograms and watts translates directly into range, packaging flexibility, and long-term reliability.
📊 EX60 vs. EX90: Software-Defined, Tuned Differently #
Both the EX60 and the flagship EX90 embrace software-defined audio, but the EX60 pushes the architecture further.
| Specification | Volvo EX60 (2026) | Volvo EX90 |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Brand | Bowers & Wilkins | Bowers & Wilkins |
| Speaker Count | 28 speakers | 25 speakers |
| Total Power | 1,610 W | 1,610 W |
| Headrest Audio | All four main seats | Front seats only |
| Immersive Audio | Apple Music + native Dolby Atmos | Dolby Atmos + Abbey Road Mode |
| AI Assistant | Google Gemini | Google Assistant |
The EX60 increases speaker density and extends headrest audio to rear passengers, leveraging centralized processing to scale without adding hardware complexity.
🎶 Premium Audio Stack: Software First, Brand Tuned #
The SDA platform allows audio brands to express their signature sound as software profiles, not fixed electronics.
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Bowers & Wilkins
The 28-speaker system includes Tweeter-on-Top technology. Signature modes such as “Gothenburg Concert Hall” now run as high-priority, low-latency software threads on the central SoC. -
Bose
Expected mid-tier option, using Centerpoint 360 and AudioPilot 3, with cabin noise compensation handled entirely in software. -
Dirac
Native support for Dirac Unison enables full-cabin time alignment and frequency correction that can be re-tuned via OTA updates.
In this model, acoustic identity becomes updateable IP rather than frozen hardware.
🏁 Why This Matters to Drivers #
For end users, software-defined audio delivers benefits that extend far beyond sound quality:
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OTA Audio Upgrades
New spatial modes, Dolby Atmos improvements, or “virtual venue” profiles can arrive years after purchase. -
AI-Native Interaction
The EX60 is the first Volvo to launch with Google Gemini, enabling natural-language control over media, navigation, and cabin settings. -
Long-Term Consistency
Centralized audio ensures that the “Volvo sound signature” can evolve and remain consistent across the vehicle’s entire lifecycle.
Final Takeaway #
With QNX and Haleytek, Volvo is treating audio not as a peripheral feature, but as a core software-defined vehicle function. The EX60 proves that centralized, virtualized audio is lighter, cheaper, more flexible—and ultimately better aligned with the future of automotive software.
This is not just a better sound system.
It’s a signal that the car has finally become a computer—right down to its speakers.