Chinese electric-vehicle startups are increasingly treating in-car audio as a brand asset, giving speaker systems dedicated names and marketing campaigns. But according to a new analysis from D1EV, the naming often outpaces the hardware underneath, leaving buyers to wonder whether they are paying for genuine upgrades or just a rebadge.
The report examines how Xiaomi, Xpeng and Li Auto have handled audio branding across recent models, and finds a mixed picture: some brands have quietly swapped hardware while keeping the same name, while others have introduced new names with only marginal spec changes.
Xiaomi's shift from specs to a brand name
When Xiaomi launched the SU7 sedan in March 2024, its audio system had no dedicated name. CEO Lei Jun described it plainly as a 25-speaker, 7.1.4-channel system with 1,260W rated power. A year later, the YU7 followed the same functional naming approach with identical power output.
That changed in 2025 when Xiaomi unveiled its Pengcheng technology platform. The company introduced the "Xiaomi Xingxian" audio system, debuting on the Pengcheng N90 Max and later confirmed for the N70 Max. The Xingxian system also uses 25 speakers, matching the SU7 and YU7 on paper, which raises the question of whether it is genuinely new hardware or a renamed version of the same setup.
D1EV notes that some material differences do exist, such as titanium diaphragm tweeters and a 265mm subwoofer, neither of which appeared in SU7 or YU7 specifications. However, the report cautions that peak power of 4,890W and rated power of 1,260W are not directly comparable, since peak output lasts only milliseconds and has little bearing on everyday listening.
Xpeng's reverse strategy: same name, new hardware
Xpeng took the opposite approach. Its "Xopera" audio brand has remained unchanged since the G9 launched in 2022, but the hardware behind it has been completely replaced. The original G9 used 18 Dynaudio speakers, two driver-exclusive units, six seat vibration actuators and two exterior speakers, totaling 2,250W.
For the 2024 model year, Xpeng dropped Dynaudio entirely and switched to its own in-house Xopera system. The speaker count stayed at 20 with 7.1.4-channel surround sound, but the drivers are now German-made high-fidelity membranes paired with a kilowatt-level external amplifier and AI-based immersive surround algorithms.
Higher-end models now carry the "Lingjing AI Audio" name. The X9 extended-range model features 27 speakers in a 7.1.6-channel layout with 1,552W amplification, while the GX offers 33 speakers including eight in headrests. By contrast, the budget MONA M03 and L03 have no dedicated audio brand at all, described simply as "20-speaker premium audio" or "21-speaker systems."
The result, D1EV warns, is that buyers of the same Xopera-branded system may get very different experiences depending on model year and trim level.
Li Auto's flagship rebrand
Li Auto's L9 launched in 2022 with 21 speakers, a 7.3.4-channel layout and 2,160W of amplification, a major jump from the Li ONE's 12 speakers and 310W. But that system had no name, simply called the "21-speaker system."
The 2024 facelift introduced the "Platinum Audio" name, which was later rolled out across the L6, L7 and L8, turning it into a product-line-wide label rather than a flagship exclusive. According to D1EV, the name became uniform even as the experience varied by model.
For the 2026 L9 Livis, Li Auto renamed its top audio system to "Wuxia Xinghuan Theater Audio," combining a full layout redesign, more speakers and independent headrest audio zones. It marks the first time the company has rebranded its flagship audio system, the report notes.
The broader takeaway from D1EV is that audio naming in China's EV market is becoming a marketing battleground, but buyers should look past the branding and check the actual hardware and tuning for their specific model year.
