1. A method of managing sounds associated with a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an engine, the method comprising: performing on a processor, monitoring powertrain data associated with the powertrain, the data being indicative of a transition type and a transition stage of a powertrain transition event between an engine and an electric drive motor, one or more undesired transition sounds being emitted by said powertrain during said powertrain transition event; determining the transition type based on the powertrain data, the transition type being at least one of an engine start transition, an engine stop transition, an electric motor start transition, and an electric motor stop transition; determining a transition stage based on the powertrain data, the transition stage indicating a stage of the powertrain transition event, the transition stage including at least one of entering the powertrain transition event, going through the powertrain transition event, exiting the powertrain transition event, and completing the powertrain transition event; and selectively controlling the generation of one or more tones based on the transition type and the transition stage; said selectively controlling comprising identifying, based on said transition type and said transition stage: one or more predetermined tones configured to mask, blend or cancel one or more of said one or more undesired transition sounds emitted by said powertrain during said powertrain transition event, the one or more tones are configured to counteract timing of the sounds, wherein counteracting the timing of the sounds includes generating the one or more tones for a duration of time that exceeds a duration of the powertrain transition event; and which speakers, of a plurality of speakers in the vehicle, to distribute the one or more tones; said identifying comprising accessing predetermined tone information from a datastore based on the transition type and the transition stage.