THX holds up Lincoln's class

American automakers consistently struggle with quality perception, so Lincoln is bolstering its high-class image with the well-known audio brand THX. Instead of building the system, THX came up with the specifications for the audio components and worked with Lincoln to design a premium sound system for the new Zephyr sedan. The THX system delivers 600 watts of 12-channel sound through 14 speakers that are set all around the car's cabin. Sophisticated digital sound processing lets the driver set the sweet spot to cover the entire cabin, just the front seats, or just the driver's seat. We got inside the THX Zephyr on the CES show floor and were impressed with the clarity and crisp quality of the audio. The bass is strong but doesn't hurt your ears, while the treble catches the edge of every note. The system regulates itself to process out distortion and keep from damaging speakers. Speed sensitivity raises the volume slightly as speed increases to overcome road noise.