By Sam McEachern, GM News
From its standard dual motor all-wheel drive powertrain to its youthful exterior design and innovative interior, there’s a lot to like about the all-electric Cadillac OPTIQ. But one of the luxury crossover’s standout features is its standard 19-speaker AKG Audio System with Dolby Atmos1, which transforms the OPTIQ into the ultimate listening space for music lovers of all kinds. Dolby Atmos immerses the user in sound, providing a multi-dimensional audio experience and putting listeners inside their favorite songs and entertainment, revealing every detail with clarity and depth.
As OPTIQ chief engineer John Cockburn explains, Dolby was deeply involved in integrating Atmos into the vehicle to help replicate a truly authentic, studio quality-like experience. “We really took Dolby along for the journey as we developed the entire system,” Cockburn says. “It’s not only how many speakers we have, but also where they’re placed, and that happened because we are consistently talking and engaging not only with our engineering and development team, but also with Dolby as well.”
Key to this immersive sound experience is Dolby Atmos’ 7.1.4 channel format, Cockburn says. This means there are seven speakers near ear level, a single speaker for bass production, and four overhead speakers. This is the same channel format that music studios mix in, and as a result, the Atmos system in Cadillac vehicles authentically replicates the original intent of the music artist and mixing engineer. When Cockburn visited recording studios during the system’s development, studio employees told him Cadillac is important to musical artists – often using their Cadillac Escalade, or another Cadillac model, to sound check their newly recorded tracks for the first time. “Cadillac is synonymous with the music industry,” Cockburn said. “A lot of people hear music for the first time in a car. The car is such an important tool for the recording industry. When we learned about the importance of a ‘car check’, where artists and mixers check their studio release in a car, we knew we want them to able to easily play their Atmos mixes via the standard USB ports.”
Added Cockburn: “The end result is like being in the studio with your favorite artist.”
While OPTIQ will be the first Cadillac to offer Dolby Atmos, this collaboration marks the beginning of a broader rollout. Cadillac’s entire 2026 EV line up will support Dolby Atmos as an available feature and Amazon Music with Dolby Atmos will be available across select 2025 and 2026 Cadillac models, including the VISTIQ.
1Requires vehicle software update, active OnStar service and compatible active streaming service
From its standard dual motor all-wheel drive powertrain to its youthful exterior design and innovative interior, there’s a lot to like about the all-electric Cadillac OPTIQ. But one of the luxury crossover’s standout features is its standard 19-speaker AKG Audio System with Dolby Atmos1, which transforms the OPTIQ into the ultimate listening space for music lovers of all kinds.
Dolby Atmos immerses the customer in sound, providing a multi-dimensional audio experience and putting them inside their favorite songs and entertainment, revealing every detail with clarity and depth.
GM's software system integrates features like Dolby Atmos and entertainment apps such as Amazon Music, Spotify, and Hulu, all powered by OnStar connectivity, to elevate the driving experience.
As OPTIQ chief engineer John Cockburn explains, Dolby was deeply involved in integrating Atmos into the vehicle to help replicate a truly authentic, studio quality-like experience.
“We really took Dolby along for the journey as we developed the entire system,” Cockburn says. “It’s not only how many speakers we have, but also where they’re placed, and that happened because of the collaboration between our engineering and development team with Dolby.”
Key to this immersive sound experience is the 7.1.4 channel format, Cockburn says. This means there are seven speakers near ear level, a single speaker for bass production, and four overhead speakers. This is the same channel format that music studios mix in, and as a result, the Atmos system in Cadillac vehicles authentically replicates the original intent of the music artist and mixing engineer.
And it all comes together in GM’s infotainment system, where new features like Dolby Atmos can enhance the driving experience.
When Cockburn visited recording studios during the system’s development, studio employees told him Cadillac is important to musical artists – often using their Cadillac Escalade, or another Cadillac model, to sound check their newly recorded tracks for the first time.
“Cadillac is synonymous with the music industry,” Cockburn said. “A lot of people hear an artist's track for the first time in a car. The car is such an important tool for the recording industry. When we learned about the importance of a ‘car check’, where artists and mixers check their studio release in a car, we knew we want them to able to easily play their Atmos mixes via the standard USB ports.”
Added Cockburn: “The end result is like being in the studio with your favorite artist.”
While OPTIQ will be the first Cadillac to offer Dolby Atmos, this collaboration marks the beginning of a broader rollout. Cadillac’s entire 2026 EV line up will support Dolby Atmos as an available feature and Amazon Music with Dolby Atmos will be available across select 2025 and 2026 Cadillac models, including the VISTIQ.
1Requires vehicle software update, active OnStar service and compatible active streaming service