Table of contents for Issue 3 - 2017 in InCar Entertainment

As technology moves on so must we adapt to the changes that come about. When it comes to amplification we have seen a steady proliferation of Class-D designs which, naturally, has coincided in direct proportion with the technology’s increased performance. Class-D designs are inherently far more efficient than the Class-A/B types – for which read also far less heat generated – with the former always performing extremely well in the lower registers. However, in the early days, many consumers felt the midrange band of Class-D amplifiers was somewhat bright and congested, while the top-end was deemed to lack extension. Refinements in the technology over the years have seen the sound quality issues reduced more to a matter of preference between the different amplifier types, with the Class-D examples becoming more…

A new Axis multimedia head unit hits the local market with a stream of features at an extremely affordable price point. The new Axis AX1770NAV mechless head unit features a 7-inch HD LCD 1024 by 600 display (4K and 1080p compatible) and Android 6.0 Operating System. The unit is powered by a Cortex A7 Quad Core T3 1.2 GHz processor and possesses 1GB DD3 of RAM and 16 GB of flash memory, so quite serious processing power is at hand for a unit of this type. Further, there’s 12GB of on-board storage capacity with three USB ports for storage expansion. Google’s Waze navigation App is included (iGo Primo is optional and presents a no-date usage option) and it’s becoming ever more popular because of its social media relationships and real…

With a massive tray and a classy sedan-like interior, the 2016 Hilux is a great car to customise audio-wise. This notion clearly didn’t escape Illawarra Toyota when they decided to appoint audio specialist Oak Flats Electronics to convert the standard into the extraordinary. Just take a look… we think the mandate has been more than met. INNER SPACE As mentioned above, the standard of design and finish on the Hilux’s interior is already very high so little need be done there. Having said that, the audio system is always ripe for improvement, so this is where our story starts. The vast dash area has allowed Toyota to provide a large standard multimedia head unit with comprehensive features. An Alpine PDR-V75 5-channel amplifier handles the power, which is delivered to a…

Alpine’s 8 inch Perfect Fit Solution will deliver sophistication and class to the dash of your Isuzu DMAX. State of the art navigation features 3D landmarks and lane guidance which informs you what lane to be in to ensure you always make the correct turn. Live traffic updates, school zone, red light camera and fixed speed camera alerts help ensure a safer and quicker journey. 4WD Off road maps come standard with this system and includes intuitive turnby- turn navigation with 3D terrain. Three years of free map updates allow your navigation system to stay up to date. A host of entertainment options provide a huge upgrade to the standard equipment with HDMI inputs available on Alpine’s massive 8 inch display. Bluetooth connectivity provides wireless access to your Smartphone for…

Many of you will know what Monster Jam is – but for those who don’t, no worries. Sit back and relax while you read up on what it’s all about. Monster Jam is held as a live Motorsport supershow event tour and TV show. This main series is sanctioned under the umbrella of the United States Hot Rod Association (USHRA), and it takes place primarily in the United States of America. The majority of the individual show events vary greatly, based on the intermission entertainment with the main event consisting of Freestyle competition along with racing conducted by the monster trucks entered in the event. Most of the show is full of high octane-burning vehicle competition racing and impressive freestyle jumps and stunts performed by the monster trucks right in…

4-CHANNEL AMPLIFIER AUDITION REVIEWER MARTY PRICE A quarter century of involvement within the car audio industry has resulted in me becoming quite intuitive when it comes to juxtaposing companies’ ambitions versus actual ability. I’ve seen numerous highend brands appear with promising achievements galore only, to vanish when the going becomes a little challenging. Other manufacturers, however, operate to the contrary; they arrive on the scene with very little fanfare and ado, unobtrusively spruiking their wares and letting the results speak for themselves. Diamond Audio or simply Diamond as it is colloquially known is a perfect case study for the aforementioned ideology. Arriving on the scene ironically around the same time as this writer, back then Diamond offered only component speakers and was anything but renowned. However, gaining traction as it…

Kenwood has announced its 40th anniversary in Australia as a leading electronics manufacturer. To coincide with this very important milestone, the company has released two new additions to its flagship ‘High Quality Reference’ (HQR) series of high-end products. The complimentary products are a high quality 4-channel amplifier, the KAC-HQR1004 and matching 7-inch by 10-inch coaxial speakers, the KFC-HQR710EX. The KAC-HQR1004 Class-D amplifier features 100 watts of RMS continuous power (1200 watts maximum power) to each of its four channels while the unit is cooled via a low noise fan in order to keep it under optimum operating temperature under most conditions. There are low- and high-pass filters and the solid power supply features custom-designed capacitors said to provide extended bass frequencies. High quality gold plated terminals have been provided with…

JVC has released its new KD series of single-DIN receivers bringing the important range of head unit products up to date with the latest features. The range kicks off with the KD-X241 and culminates with the KD-R881BT range-topper. We’ll concentrate on the $229 KD-R881BT which features ‘Air Mirroring’ Wi-Fi technology while the unit interfaces with JVC’s free app which provides control over its digital time alignment, 13-band equalisation and sonic manipulation features such as the 3-way crossover mode and much more. Also provided are wide format and file support (FLAC, WAV, MP3, WMA and more) three 4 Volts pre-outs, a USB (1.5A high current charging available) and 4- channel amplification. Bluetooth V3.0 HPF 1.6 high quality system is in-built and allows both audio streaming with AAC support and hands-free telephony…

You’d be hard pressed to slip even a business card under the chassis of this Rodeo – it has been lowered that much. But of course, that’s not been done willy-nilly here. The entire car shines brightly in the world of design and customisation, with a full rebuild inside and a comprehensive restyle on the outside, while the engine and suspension have been reengineered. And the all-important audio kit has not been neglected either. BODY BUILDING So strategies, feature adaptations and work aplenty has gone into this build. The car has been dropped by three inches, the roof line chopped by two and a half. The front guard indicators were shaved; the tray sides were shaved and smoothed; the wheel arches were pumped. Front bumpers from the Rodeo and a…

Navman, makers of high-tech navigation and road recording devices, tells us that an increasing number of tradies are using the company’s devices in order to save themselves big bucks worth of insurance claims. Tradies are using Navman’s MiVue dash cam recorders in order to not only protect their vehicles while on the road but also to provide protection and detection while their vehicles – often full of expensive tools and working materials – are parked at job sites. “Whether they are working on large construction projects or providing services at different locations throughout the day, tradies spend a lot more time on the road than most people and are therefore at more risk of being involved in an accident, which is why many invest in a good dashcam,” says Wendy…

Loudspeaker voice-coil destruction is often the main reason for guarantee exclusion, a common practice among loudspeaker manufacturers. Here are the fundamental reasons why this is so. Contrary to popular belief, using loudspeakers in combination powerful electronics presupposes a guarantee of distortion-free operation. To achieve the best performance it is important to choose amplification at least compliant with the nominal power required by the loudspeaker kit. For a maximum 150 Watt kit, the nominal power is approximately 80 Watts. In this case, amplification ranges between 80 Watts RMS and 160 Watts RMS – delivering the potential to optimise performance and ensure that the voice-coils last the distance. A burned or melted voice-coil is a sure sign that the loudspeaker has been the victim of an electrical surge or continuous overdriving. The…

SINGLE-DIN HEAD UNIT AUDITION REVIEWER SCOTT CAMPBELL Thanks Mick… so let’s take a look at the new Axis AX1502BT multimedia player. At a recommended retail price of around $159, it’s far from the most expensive offering on the market today. In fact, it’s one of the least costly and feature-rich we’ve seen lately. Your money gets you a Bluetooth/CD/MP3/CD-R Multimedia player with 45 watt output to four channels, integration with a factory steering wheel remote, USB plus line inputs/inputs, SD/MMC Card Port on the front panel and an anti-theft removable front fascia. This is by no means the full list of its capabilities, just a few of the main points… FIRST INSPECTION The box opens to reveal a well packaged unit. Even the separate fascia is enclosed in its own…

MONOBLOC AMPLIFIER AUDITION REVIEWER MARTY PRICE The last time a Focal monobloc was reviewed I boisterously proclaimed that not all monoblocs need resemble an apartment block in order to achieve their goal. And while my remark was received positively, in the main, there were a few who haphazardly retorted that smaller monoblocs were always conducive to smaller power output. “Always” I queried? Apparently this mindset was also pointed out to Focal. However, rather than waiting for the aforesaid naysayers to return serve, it has instead gone ahead developing a veritable powerhouse which, ironically, has thrice the power output of that previous monobloc, with a footprint that’s scarily similar. Such is the tenacious nature of this French designer. MONO, NEW BLACK Forming part of the esteemed FPX range of amplifiers, the…

Alpine has announced the release of a trio of new R-Series speakers covering the component and standard and 6x9 coaxial product categories. Alpine states the new R-Series has been designed with a solid bass and superb clarity as the most important attributes while the new motor systems are said to provide excellent dynamics and driver control. In conjunction with the motor system, the Alpine-designed HAMR surround roll allows high and very linear excursion which provides low distortion, high SPL and efficiency and tight control over the diaphragm throughout the frequency spectrum. The entry point into the new speakers is the $249 R-S65 6.5-inch coaxials. The new coaxial is rated as being able to handle 100 watts RMS with a maximum power of 300 watts and a frequency response from 65Hz…

In a study by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) released by Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) recently, it’s claimed that by 2021 around 60 percent of all vehicles sold in Australia will have digital radio capabilities. That percentage is said to be approximately double the current figure for new vehicles. CRA Board Chair and COO of Macquarie Media Limited, Adam Lang said, “Radio companies in Australia are exploiting the opportunities being delivered by the digital radio DAB+ platform. There are now more digital radio only stations than ever, giving increased choice to the audience and to advertisers.” Further, Chief Executive Officer of industry body CRA Joan Warner added, “The radio industry is committed to a digital broadcast future via DAB+, combined with and complemented by online.” It’s true that healthy continued growth…

THE SHORT OF CLASS-D In short, then, after many years of development, well-designed Class-D is usually worth it. Why so? In a word, efficiency. Traditional amplifier technology converts an embarrassingly small amount of the power it consumes into power to drive loudspeakers. The rest is burned up as heat. Not so with Class-D amplifiers, which use most of their input power to drive the speakers. So that’s clearly a good thing. But the same cannot be said for some claims made for Class- D. Does it provide better sound quality than traditional amplifiers? Not notably. Other amp technology is so good that hearing the difference, especially in a car, may be virtually impossible. THE LONG OF CLASS-D At its simplest, then, the job of an amplifier is to take a…

There’s an inevitability in technology that everything tends to trend to digital – and so it is with radio in Australia, as incar head units are increasingly bringing DAB+ digital radio to the car (see InFocus p12). But with DAB+ still stuck in the cities, and not even all of those, that’s not much use for those who favour a little bush-bashing. It’s little surprise to find that the latest research from ACMA indicates that it’s still analogue radio that rules the Outback, with AM still crucial for those in isolated areas. The new research was commissioned specifically to contribute an evidence base on the role of AM radio in the contemporary communications environment, and it focused on radio use and listening habits in remote Western Australia, to see how…

Many ‘themed’ cars are first and foremost show-pieces for skilled craftsmen to display the levels to which they can take materials, techniques and construction. Many feature outrageous AV systems which impress in terms of their scale and presentation but exhibit compromises in terms of ultimate sound quality. Here, owner James Kochaniewicz had a strict goal: to make his Commodore VS Series III ute look stunning in its ‘Psycho’ (the movie) theme while also featuring a large sound system – contained within the small cabin – with the best sound quality possible. Kudos we say. ‘PSYCHO’ KILLER Wayne Harrison’s Advanced Airbrushing was appointed to handle the extensive ‘Psycho’-based theme. Each of the ute’s external panels features a strong image depicting some form of horror scene. Starting at the bonnet, there’s a…

MULTIMEDIA HEAD UNIT AUDITION REVIEWER MARTY PRICE When talking high-end receivers you cannot avoid the ever present elephant in the room that is the Japanese giants. Bitter pill though it may be for our esteemed European and American colleagues to swallow, the aforementioned manufacturers have the market well and truly dominated. Each year these conglomerates release range after range, with one standing out as those remaining play catch-up. Love it or loathe it, it’s fair to say Kenwood hasn’t always been the crown bearer. However, that changed last year when the tenacious company hit the ground running with a range of receivers that by all accounts were approaching flawlessness. It’s with a sense of irony then that earlier this month I was sitting around pondering who’d knock Kenwood off the…

COAXIAL SPEAKERS AUDITION REVIEWER STEPHEN DAWSON We love playing with higher levels of component car speakers here at Australian InCar – who wouldn’t? Some, of course, are unrealistically unaffordable, or even sometimes inappropriate, in some circumstances. So we’re equally excited to identify a bargain offering... and UK car audio maker Vibe Audio is one that has the entry level covered as well as the high-end. Here we’re looking at the Pulse6-V4, the middle of three models in the Pulse coaxial speakers range, and very affordably priced at $69. PULSATING COAX Coaxial means, of course, a tweeter mounted in front of the bass/midrange speaker. Because there’s only the one physical unit with both drivers you can, in many cases, replace existing speakers by popping them out and putting the new ones…