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Editor Ed Kramer incarmag@nextmedia.com.au Group Art Director Kristian Hagen Designer Danny McGonigle Contributors Paul Burrows, Scott Campbell, Stephen Dawson, Charlie Lewis, Marty Price, Tony Rabbitte, Richard Truesdell Technical Editor Greg Borrowman Advertising Traffic Diane Preece dpreece@nextmedia.com.au Tel: (02) 9901 6100 National Advertising Sales & Divisional Manager Jim Preece jpreece@nextmedia.com.au Advertising Sales Manager Lewis Preece lpreece@nextmedia.com.au Group Editor Jez Ford Production Manager Peter Ryman Circulation Director Carole Jones

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Level 6, 207 Pacific Highway, St Leonards, NSW 2065 Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards NSW 1590 Tel: (02) 9901 6100 Fax: (02) 9901 6166 David Gardiner Chief Executive Officer Bruce Duncan Commercial Director Australian InCar Entertainment is published by nextmedia Pty Ltd ACN: 128 805 970, Level 6, 207 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065 © 2016/7. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed by Bluestar WEB Sydney, distributed by Gordon & Gotch. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed in the publication, or for the loss or damage to products or materials submitted to the magazine for review or other purposes. All material or equipment submitted is at the owner’s risk and should be covered by a suitable insurance policy throughout transit and while with the magazine. While every care will be taken, nextmedia does not accept liability for loss or damage.

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THE GRAND PARADE Yes, indeed. As you parade through this special Gold issue you’ll see a collection of the best cars and audio in the Australian scene. We pick the finest cars of 2016 and re-showcase them in all their craftsmanship, customisation and tech glory.

As it happens, these are among the most outrageous installs we’ve seen and all are representative of what is best in the custom car industry. Yes, there may be a lot of bling there but it’s all in the name of showcasing the vehicle and the audio kit in the best possible light. Eye candy, much? Hell yeah!

And then in our own subset within the Sound+Image Awards, the InCar Awards celebrate all the best kit, from head units encompassing all the latest technologies and smart device-mating capabilities to powerful high-end amplification, resolving speaker systems and full-on hit-you-in-thechest subwoofers.

And as I explain in the Awards intro, we’ve reshuffled some of the

categories’ price breaks in order to better accommodate products while catering to the changing market environment.

Further, in special awards, we honour the utter brilliance of a trio of outstanding products that impressed us no-end with their extraordinary design and ability to provide solutions in integration, in furthering the digital landscape across playback hardware and in placing high-resolution audio into the in-car space.

What are these, you may ask? Well, be patient, admire the amazing cars and steadily progress your way through to the last section of the magazine where all will be revealed…

Ed Kramer Editor

www.avhub.com.au

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INCAR #07 -2016

CONTENTS

INCAR ON THE WEB For the latest news in mobile entertainment, selected cars and features, visit our AVHub website, and while you’re at it, check out our sister audio and visual publications Sound+Image, Australian Hi-Fi, Audio Esoterica, and the photography clan Pro Photo and Camera.

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CARS

FEATURES

58 FEATURE CARS FOR 2017

In a super abbreviated sneak preview we bring you titbits of amazing feature cars slated for 2017.

08 BIG IN TEXAS

Yes, totally glorious Texas Tea colour theme throughout. And just check out the amazing installation. Headed by an Alpine head unit and digital processor, then followed by all-Polk audio goodness, this extraordinary installation will be sweeping awards around the country.

18 WE’RE IN ACCORD

It’s unusual to see this as a feature car, let alone a wagon, but so exceptional is this Accord’s install that it comfortably merited the honour of inclusion in this ‘Gold’ issue.

28 FIRE IN THE HEART

Passionate car and audio enthusiast Kim Smith calls her Holden Ute ‘Wildfire’, a labor of love with a personal touch.

38 7THUNDER STRUCK!

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60 SOUND+IMAGE INCAR AWARDS 2017

We celebrate all things car audio as we select the very best products in mobile entertainment.

As one of the best high-end car audio brands, MTX was wisely chosen to make up this stunning Commodore’s system.

Wow, just wow!

48 REINVENTING THE REX

It graced our pages on two outings but you’d swear each was a different car, so remarkable were the changes. Well, enjoy it again.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe to InCar for every issue in its glorious premium print edition – or a subscription to our digital issues: visit

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COMMODORE SPORTS WAGON

FEATURE CAR

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The best installation in the country right now? This Sportswagon features an astonishingly extensive kit list – via Alpine and Polk Audio’s flagship MM speakers and subs – while the craftsmanship is of the very highest order.

Story Ed Kramer Images Tony Rabbitte

www.avhub.com.au

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Commodore SportS Wagon

t

here’s so much to say about this wagon… and of course the images here speak volumes. We caught a glimpse of it at this year’s New-Tech Show in Sydney and we were blown away — it has got to be one of the best installs on show right now. We immediately paved the way for a photo shoot and a full InCar feature, so it was just a matter of time before we got another close look at this marvel of a Sportswagon – and this time with lovely model Rianna Lé providing further visual attraction.

Big in Texas So here it is in all its glory. And it’s not only a kit-fest – the Sportswagon’s interior itself is OTT radical. The installers, along with owner Peta Psaras, faced a number of challenges in order to achieve the goals they mandated.

In Peta’s own words: “The hardest thing was all the painted components inside the car.

With the sub enclosures, roof, back of the front seats and all the components from the dash and doors… it took nearly 10 litres of paint and about six weeks of fibre-glassing, sanding, prepping and painting. The roof had to be fitted with the car totally empty of interior as there was now zero flex on the fibreglass roof panel. Then, of course, we had to make sure nothing was scratched when getting it installed.”

The colour s and materials in the car’s interior scheme employ a contrasting ‘Pumice’ leather and Savanah micro-suede with colour-matched billet highlights, making great use of House of

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Commodore SportS Wagon

TECH SPECS owner: Peta Psaras vehicle: 2008 Holden Commodore SSV Sports Wagon engine: Holden L98 6L induction: Fast 102 Manifold With Nick Williams 105 Throttle Body, Billet Fuel Rails With Braided Fuel Lines internals: Wiseco Forged pistons and conrods, 11.3:1 compression, crank balanced, Comp Cams camshaft (239/255@112LSA), Comp Cams lifters and PRC pushrods intake: VCM OTR nitrous: Nitrous Express 100hp Wet Shot, 10lb bottle with Purge kit and Go Baby Go Button valvetrain: PRC 255cc CNC Heads with 13-degree valve angle, fitted with PRC valve springs & hollow stem valves transmission: 6-speed Manual, Walkinshaw rip shifter suspension: Whiteline strut brace, Whiteline front & rear heavy duty adjustable sway bars all colour matched to car exhaust: 1-7/8-inch four into one headers, twin 3-inch Hi-Flow Cats, twin 3-inch pipes, all HPC-coated clutch: Textralia wheels: 22-inch Foose Legend SS Rims Painted HOK Galaxy Grey with imitation Gold Highlights tyres: front Pirelli P Zero 245/35/22 & rear Pirelli P Zero 285/30/22

SyStem source: Alpine X008-AU multimedia head unit front speakers: 8 x Polk MM6501 split speakers rear speakers: 8 x Polk MM651coaxial speakers subwoofers: 6 x Polk MM1240DVC 12-inch subwoofers (baskets painted HOK Texas Tea) front & rear amplifiers: 4 x Polk PAD4000.4 4-channel amplifiers subwoofer amplifiers: 3 x Polk PAD1000.1 monobloc amplifiers processor: Alpine PXA-H800 with RUX-C800 Controller front & rear screens: 17 x 7-inch slave screens (surrounds painted HOK Texas Tea) battery: 4 x Exide Orbital Blue Top lighting: LED downlights & strips throughout alarm: Viper 5104VR with SmartStart, window lift and nitrous purge control credits: 2SUS Custom Resprays, Polk Audio Australia, Viper, Oak Flats Electronics, Eastside Kustoms, RM Photography, Driven Mobile Solutions, Tony Rabbitte, Steph Beaton, Vic & Sandra, Matt, Craig, Dave, Heath, Ryan, Soraya, Rianna, Sarah, Lauren & Jason

www.avhub.com.au

13

Commodore SportS Wagon

Kolor’s beautiful ‘Texas Tea’ tone (a colour that has been used throughout). The centre of the rear cabin has been modified in order to house the billet bracket mount for the nitrous bottle, while the steering wheel, gear knob, centre console and dash are all trimmed in Pumice leather.

Aside from the custom fibreglass Texas Tea (let’s say ‘TT’ from now on) roof panel, custom fabrications and TT colour matching was applied across the pillars, door tops, sub enclosures, the front seats’ backs; these were also modified to house the multitude of LCD screens and, finally, the tweeter mounts.

The Pumice leather dash houses a central section with TT gloss framing around a set of gauges and down to the centre console and around the multimedia head unit.

“The biggest challenge,” continues Peta, “was getting the car back together in time for its Summernats 28 unveiling. We spent literally five days straight, without sleep, piecing the whole car, interior and install back together. This couldn’t have been done without some great friends who were also doing long hours during the so-called festive season. A special note of appreciation to Driven Mobile Solutions who took calls of help over the phone at midnight on Christmas Day and also to the team at Oak Flats Electronics who tuned the car for hours on New Year’s morning, finishing an hour before we had to head to Canberra for Summernats.”

MMassive attack The gear list here could fill a book. As usual, we’ll follow the signal flow in our gear descriptions, so it starts with the superb Alpine X008-AU multimedia head unit pulling all the playback duties. Also from Alpine comes the SOTA PXA-H800 digital processor, with its RUX-C800

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controller, pulling sound manipulation duty.

The speaker power is provided via four Polk Audio PAD4000.4 4-channel amplifiers, driving eight Polk MM6501 splits in the front and a further eight Polk M651 coaxials in the back.

Six Polk MM1240DVC 12-inch subwoofers are kept under control by a trio of Polk PAD1000.1 monobloc amplifiers. LED strip lighting adorns every speaker and subwoofer, while in-roof downlights provide cabin ambience.

The Sportswagon is protected by a Viper 5104VR alarm system with SmartStart, window control and nitrous purge control.

The system has been installed in a breathtaking arrangement. The in-cabin speakers are placed in custom Pumice leather-covered pods in the doors, four per door, while the tweeters are placed up on the dash in TT pods close to the windscreen itself. The Polk coaxials are fitted in a large leather-lined pod on the Sportswagon’s tailgate, just below two 7-inch LCD screens. A further 15 LCD screens (yes, you’ve read that right, 15!) are placed throughout the cabin, with four screens on the back of each front seat, six across the roof and one below the amp rack. The effect is astonishing.

The way the subwoofers are installed in the rear of the Sportswagon is equally impressive.

A white undulating mound flows down to hold the amp rack and LCD monitor with TT-painted custom enclosures housing the subwoofers magnet up. Peta explained, “The woofer baskets were carefully masked, prepped and painted to make the ordinary matt black basket match the rest of the interior. Each woofer took about two hours to mask and now that aspect of the install is a feature in its own right.”

The entire shebang’s visual impact is quite extraordinary and one can only guess at the

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Commodore SportS WagoN

Driver Profile Name: Peta Psaras Car: 2008 Commodore SSV Sports Wagon

1. What got you into car electronics?

My husband works in the industry so I’m lucky enough to see all the new stuff before most people.

2. How long have you been into it for?

I’d say around 15 years now.

3. Occupation?

Self employed as a high-end detailer.

4. Favourite music for testing audio gear?

Would still have to be Michael Jackson.

5. Dream car?

It used to be a Lamborghini LP460 – but now it has to be the cars I’ve built. You spend so much time and money on them to make them the dream car you have always wanted, so why would a Supercar be better?

6. Other hobbies/interests?

Spending time with the people that make life worth living for.

7. Where to next?

We are building a new car at the moment, so I guess we need to see what audio we can fit into it!

amount of work and care involved. Here at InCar we’re proud of the variety we present in terms of our installations – from the stealthy to the way OTT. Clearly this Sportswagon favours the latter, and delivers its goals with true sensation.

ConClusion We’re not the only ones waxing lyrical – this car has already won accolades and awards. Owners Peta and Matt Psaras, along with the installation teams, deserve our highest commendation for this totally extraordinary installation. We offer our congratulations and respect!

www.avhub.com.au

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HONDA ACCORD HONDA WAGON ACCORD FEATURE WAGON CAR

A Honda Accord wagon? Really? Yes, really… and what an awesome testament to car audio customisation and craftsmanship ‘ISSUEZ’ is too. It’s among the best we’ve seen…

Story Ed Kramer Images Ben Hosking

www.avhub.com.au

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Honda accord wagon

w

e’ve featured all sorts of cars within these pages, from exotic Europeans to hot hatches from Japan, to the Falcons and Commodores which make up the vast majority of featured vehicles. But it must be said, we can’t remember coming across an Accord, let alone a station wagon.

When the car was pitched to us we thought, “uhmm this will be interesting…” but then we saw the sample shots and that statement turned to “Wow! This is awesome” (credit to photograper Ben Hosking too). This Accord is a significant build and places it among the best we’ve seen.

In the detaIls We focus on the audio kit because that’s what we’re about here at InCar, however, many of the cars we feature have extensive work done in other areas such as the engine, suspension, exhaust system, etc. This Accord has had a lot of work and care put in all of the above.

Some of the many highlights are as follows.

The engine installations feature custom chrome intakes, stainless extractors, chrome inlet

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We’ll give you a second to process.

Jan. 5-8, 2017 Ι Las Vegas, NV

Register now at CES.tech #CES2017

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Honda accord wagon

TECH SPECS owner: Travis Wells vehicle: 1994 Honda Accord station wagon engine: 2.2L F22BI V-Tech (custom engine mounts) intake: Pod filter on custom Chrome intake transmission: Automatic brakes: 4-wheel discs suspension: Air bag

system source: Clarion MAX676UD multimedia head unit, iPod in custom mount front amplifiers: 2 x Clarion APX6360 front & rear amplifiers subwoofer amplifiers: 3 x Clarion DPX1800 monobloc amplifiers front speakers: 4 x Clarion SRS1752HX 6.5-inch splits (2 in dash, 2 in front doors) rear speakers: 4 x SRS1752HX 6.5-inch splits (2 in rear doors, 2 in cargo area) subwoofers: 3 x Clarion XW1252 12-inch subwoofers monitors: 2 x 7-inch LCD monitors in boot wiring: 0-gauge battery: 2 x Optima deep cycle with custom in-board charger/power supply sound deadening: Extensive installed by: Clarion & Platinum Audio credits: Mark Theodore from Central Smash Repairs for the paint work, Adnan from Monster Car Audio, Shorty (Paul) for the photo shoot location, Laurie Starling (chop shop) for body mods and his brother Michael for his time and help in the presentation of the car

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Honda accord wagon manifold, detailed engine block, braided lines, custom mounts and more. The chassis mods are equally impressive with a custom tube frame front-end with custom A-arms, modified radius rods, twin core aluminium radiator and, again, a whole lot more.

The exterior of the Honda has been resprayed in BMW Stratos Grey while a sheet metal bonnet was specifically constructed for the car. The roof mouldings have been shaved as have the door handles, badges, side indicators, body mouldings, etc. Billet grilles were fabricated too and the mirrors have been placed in custom mounts (early VW styled). The body kit has been replaced with a mix of 1994 and 1996 Accord for the lower section and front bumper respectively.

The interior has been re-built and retrimmed in bone leather and suede. Items such as the dash vents and controls have been shaved while a Dakota Digital gauge cluster has been centrally mounted (oil pressure, water temperature, volts, tachometer and speedo) within a stainless rounded frame. The Honda carpets have been replaced with plusher Mercedes Benz ones and the seat belts have also been replaced with bone coloured ones to match the interior colour scheme. A cluster of switches to control various functions has been specifically installed which meant the air conditioning controls had to be

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HONDA ACCORD WAGON

relocated into the glove box. A BAD Tribal billet steering wheel serves as further adornment in conjunction with the Razo billet gear knob.

Overall, the exterior and interior of this extraordinary Honda Accord serve as examples of outstanding workmanship.

CLARION CARGO

WHEN THE CAR WAS PITCHED TO US WE THOUGHT, ‘UHMM THIS WILL BE INTERESTING…’ BUT THEN WE SAW THE SAMPLE SHOTS AND THAT STATEMENT TURNED TO ‘WOW! THIS IS AWESOME’ .

The audio visual system has been the recipient of equal care and attention to detail. Signal starts with a Clarion MAX676UD head unit which has been perfectly integrated into the lower centre dash within a frame of bone leather and suede. The fully retrimmed in tan leather and suede doors house custom pods for the Clarion SRS1752HX splits which are actually used in all doors (including the rear suicide doors).

Amplification is a doozy.

One Clarion APX6360 amplifier has been smartly installed on the back of the driver and passenger seats in housings which blend beautifully with the seats themselves. In addition, three Clarion DPX1800 amplifiers are used for the subwoofers.

And that’s how we lead into the rear cargo area of the wagon… and one word would summarise that – stunning. Here you’ll find a configuration which spans across the entire area.

We can start by mentioning the non-audio gear, and that is a quad of air tanks for the suspension, two per side, in a bone colour scheme with tribal enhancements. The tanks themselves are suspended in their own rack brackets.

In between the tanks and placed in custom gloss silver pods are another set of Clarion SRS1752HX splits with tweeter below the midbass driver. Just behind the back rest are slightly angled 7-inch LCD monitors within a silver frame. A massive gloss silver enclosure is used to house and provide the volume for a trio of massive Clarion XW1252 12-inch subwoofers in inverted mounting. A ‘Clarion by Platinum’ plaque adorns the base of the enclosure and the subs are configured in a triangular array with one central toward the interior of the car and two on either side towards the tailgate.

CONCLUSION This is one super impressive car. The installation

by Clarion and Platinum is first-class all the way.

From the fully-customised interior in attractive tan leather and suede to the simple, yet visually arresting exterior, to the extraordinary audio system installation, everything has been done with exceptional levels of attention to detail.

Yes, as far as the entire build and all its finer aspects in this Honda – and there are a myriad of those – we are in full Accord…

www.avhub.com.au

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HOLDEN COMMODORE UTE

FEATURE CAR

A N D

T H E

‘Wildfire’ is not just a superb-looking ute; to owner Kim Smith it represents a very large part of her life and encompasses a very personal aspect. Story Ed Kramer Images Ben Hosking 28

#07_2016

www.avhub.com.au

29

2003 HOLDEN COMMODORE UTE

C

ars in general have meant a lot throughout Kim Smith’s life. She has always held a special interest in them and this ute, in particular, has been part of her life for around 12 years. And it became all the more important when Kim’s family had to suffer through a personal tragedy. Kim’s son Matt passed away in a car accident on his way home one night and the tragedy almost saw her pulling out of the car and audio lovers’ hobby altogether. Luckily, she was given enormous support from car audio enthusiasts and Kim was re-motivated to continue her passion while at the same time making her beloved ute a celebration of Matt’s life.

GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS Understandably confounded as to how to make the ute into a celebration of Matt’s life, by pure chance Kim met Mel Carroll at a car show.

Between the two, Kim and Mel collaborated to keep the ‘Wildfire’ theme of the ute while incorporating a vision of Matt. The concept of airbrushed flames evolving into a homage of Matt playing his beloved guitar integrated beautifully with the existing tone and as Kim puts it “Mel absolutely nailed it.”

And we’d have to agree. The ute is dressed in a stunningly brilliant red which is also carried throughout the interior and smaller detail areas.

The flames extend from the front and across both sides, terminating on Matt’s tribute image and

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AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR UNDER $500

Axis XT4D

AWARD WINNING

compact size

PERFORMANCE

4 CHANNEL CLASS D DIGITAL POWER AMPLIFIER

The XT4D is a powerful, 4 Channel Class D Digital Amplifier. Engineered with a compact and robust aluminium chassis and packing a huge 800 Watt Max Power. Enjoy loud and crystal clear sound reproduction in a range of modes: Single, 2 CH Bridged, Tri-Mode or Monoblock.

20

celebrating

years!

Visit audioxtra.com.au or call 02 8841 9000 for your nearest stockist.

SINCE 1996

Your Australian Brand

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#07_2016

2003 HOLDEN COMMODORE UTE

TECH SPECS owner: Kim Smith vehicle: 2003 Holden Commodore Ute – Wildfire engine: 3.8L V6 Raptor Supercharged injection: 36lb exhaust: 2.5-nch Redback clutch: Extreme brand suspension: King Springs Super Low front & rear wheels: 20-inch HSV Pentagon tyres: 225/35ZR/20

SYSTEM source: Pioneer AVH-P3250 multimedia head unit front speakers: Pioneer 6.-inch in doors, Pioneer tweeters on dash tray speakers: 4 x Rockford Fosgate T1652-S split speakers, subwoofers: 1 x Clarion SRV303 12-inch powered subwoofer in cabin, 2 x Rockford Fosgate P3 Series D412 12-inch subwoofers in tray front amplifiers: 1 x Rockford Fosgate P400 monobloc rear amplifiers: 2 x Rockford Fosgate P300 monoblocs processor: Rockford Fosgate Punch EQ battery: 2 x Aggregated Glass Mat batteries with in-cabin monitor module lighting: Downlights & LEDs under car sound deadening: Dynamat installed by: First part in the cab and for the first tray by Josh at Brads Custom Trim, and later work by Andrew at Autobarn Maitland. The current tray was created by Darren at Stitched Up Custom Trim and again Autobarn Maitland. Yours truly is responsible for the Dynamat additions credits: My husband Ken, Mark & Matt (our Angel now) without them none of this matters. My dad Bob. My friend Nesse, Danny, Mitch, Lee, Dave, Adrian & Sarah, Bec. Tim Staier at Raptor Superchargers, Darren at Stitched Up Custom Trim, Mel Carroll Airbrushing, Kel Whittaker Smash Repairs and Streamline Automotive for looking after my R8 Maloo, especially Mark, Pat and Kane. Brad Kelly and Josh Watson, Barry & Gayle Hill at Autobarn Maitland, Mel Carrol for the airbrushing and the incredible team at Kel Whittaker Smash Repair. There are too many friends to list but you all know who you are!

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2003 HOLDEN COMMODORE UTE then remnants of small flames appear on the lower section of the tail gate.

A number of extras have also been added to enhance the looks, such as an EL GT bonnet scoop panel bonded in reverse fitment, the installation of a hard lid with red leather lining, a VU rear skirt cut into the VY bumperettes and colour-matched side skirts. The 20-inch HSV Pentagon wheels have been given the red treatment too.

The interior has been themed in a contrasting red and black. Black leather spans the dash while red gloss is used around the instrument cowl, the centre console and the glove box lid which has also been enhanced with embossed flames on the air bag panel above it.

The seats are a contrasting black and red leather while the centre console around the beautifully integrated head unit, and down on to the gear stick, features airbrushed flames and gloss red panelling. The arm rest, foot wells (custom leather bound floor mats too), door pillars and lower door trims are lined in red suede (upper door trim in red and black leather look) and red leather embossed with flames.

The tray is also a red planet. Large custom red leather lined enclosures have been constructed to house the audio gear while a red and black

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curved back leather lounge (mirroring the interior) takes up the nearest portion of the tray to the tail gate. The red lined tail gate itself becomes a large foot rest.

DELIGHTS ON A TRAY The excellence continues with the audio installation. The system has been split into cabin and tray audio. For starters, as mentioned above, the head unit has been installed within a gloss red surround and is none other than a Pioneer AVH-P3250 multimedia unit.

The cabin features a Rockford Fosgate P400 amplifier and Pioneer speakers installed in factory positions for the mid drivers and with the tweeters in the dash. A Clarion SRV303 12-inch active subwoofer has been installed behind the passenger seat.

The large custom enclosures mentioned above house the well-chosen tray system. Each enclosure houses a Rockford Fosgate Punch P-300.1 monobloc amplifier while just below there are two Rockford Fosgate T-1652-S 6.5-inch split speakers. Right down the middle another custom enclosure features two Rockford Fosgate P3 Series D412 12-inch subwoofers mounted magnet up. A motif of five stainless steel tubes/ rods per side provide visual depth to the entire

“Matt playing his beloved guitar integrated beautifully with the existing tone and as KiM puts it “Mel absolutely nailed it.”

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2003 HOLDEN COMMODORE UTE

DRIVER PROFILE Name: Kim Smith Car: 2003 Holden Commodore Ute – Wildfire

1.What got you into car electronics?

I am more into music than the actual electronics but I appreciate good sound and understand that comes from good quality audio equipment.

2. How long have you been into it for?

I have always needed music around me, even as a child. The ute is now 12 years old so it is fair to say 10 years of interest in good quality car audio sound.

3.Occupation?

In the Insurance Industry.

4. Favourite music for testing audio gear?

Anything with harmony or drums. One of my favourites is an old Talking Heads song “Road to Nowhere” and I love to use Evanesance “My Immortal” too. Ella’s voice sounds so ethereal. When the Ute is in the garage and the music is up I usually have things fall off the wall – that should make me sad (but it doesn’t).

5. Dream car?

Really – anything fast and well balanced.

We own a Porsche and a R8 Maloo. A GT3 RS Porsche would tick a very fast box for me!

6. Other hobbies/interests?

Track days and ¼ mile work for the Maloo, showing Wildfire.

7. Where to next?

I’m really happy with the system. Maybe a screen install in the back… I would love internet connectivity there too. installation. The underside of the tray lid has been lined in red leather and stitched with a flowing pattern. Further red theming is provided via red LED lighting used in the under-dash section and underneath the car.

These last change colour and pulse along with the music.

CONCLUSION This ute has kept Kim going and she remembers the highlight of her owning it was when she supercharged it. She did the work herself and the ecstasy of having that done “dissolved me into tears because I was so happy.”

Well, we can fully understand the emotion Kim. This has been a labour of love that fully manifests itself in the stunning end result; a beautifully appointed interior, a well thought out audio system, a tray install that is exemplary and an artistic spray theme representing an important aspect of Kim’s personal life. Keep that wildfire burning Kim!

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2001 HOLDEN COMMODORE S-PACK

FEATURE CAR

MTXFA

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#07_2016

HOLDEN COMMODORE S-PACK FEATURE CAR

ACTOR There’s a kind of synergy associated with an all-one-brand audio system. Cut from the same cloth, things just work… right. Here we have a stunner of a Commie sporting an all MTX audio extravaganza. Story Ed Kramer Images Nathan Duff

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2001 Holden Commodore S-PaCk

w

hat a fitting theme here with this Commodore. It’s chockers with upper-crust MTX Audio kit and, as has become widely recognised, the company’s corporate colour is a vibrant red… just like the car and the customised elements of the system. And the “7HUNDER” plates are a strong reflection of what this system is capable of.

Sound of Thunder The ingredients here are certainly in place for an awesomely powerful system with equal capabilities for high SQ levels. In order to maximise potential, owner Kris Huffadine commissioned Hi Tech Audio in Cairns to apply high quantities of Dynamat throughout the car.

So, we’re off to a great start…

Further wise decisions were made along the way both in terms of gear choice and installation techniques. We start with a system headed by a Pioneer multimedia head unit which has been integrated within the dash seamlessly. Signal flows to MTX amplification with two Thunder Series 75.4 4-channel amplifiers, one for front and one for rear speaker driving duties.

Said speakers are a collection of four MTX T8652 component speakers in the front while another four speakers, this time the MTX Thunder 693 6x9 coaxials, take care of the rear of the cabin.

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#07_2016

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#07_2016

Holden Commodore S-PaCk

TECH SPECS owner: Kris Huffadine vehicle: 2001 Holden Commodore S-Pack engine: 3.8L Supercharged V6 induction: SS Growler OTR Gold Air Induction transmission: 4-speed automatic exhaust: 2.5-inch straight through, high flow cat, 3-inch twin tip suspension: King Springs SSL all round wheels: G8 20 x 8.5 tyres: 245/30/20 with red walls

SyStem source: Pioneer 2-DIN 6.5-inch multimedia head unit game console: Xbox 360 front speakers: 4 x MTX T8652 6-inch split speakers rear speakers: 4 x MTX Thunder 693 6x9 speakers subwoofers: 8 x MTX T810 10-inch subwoofers front amplifiers: 1 x MTX TD75.4 4-channel amplifier rear amplifiers: 1 x MTX TD75.4 4-channel amplifier subwoofer amplifiers: 4 x MTX XThunder 1500.1 monobloc amplifiers rear monitors: Mongoose 9-inch DVD headrest monitors, computer monitor in boot lid wiring: Street Wires battery: 2 x Optima Yellow Top batteries sound deadening: Dynamat throughout configured system power: 6800 watts installed by: Hi-Tech Audio total build time: Eight months and still going credits: David Fleming from Hi-Tech Audio, Matt Smith from Matts Mechanics, Shane Gilmore from Touch Up Guys, Dominic Barber from Disciple Graphics

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2001 Holden Commodore S-PaCk A total of four XThunder 1500.1 monobloc amplifiers are tasked to drive no less than eight MTX T810 10-inch subwoofers. All is hooked up with Street Wires cabling and powered via two Optima Yellow Top batteries.

The awesome sound gear is supported via Mongoose 9-inch DVD headrest monitors and a large computer monitor in the boot lid – this last a nice entertainment addition to any long weekend show.

Clever install Preparations were made by thoroughly packing Dynamat throughout the cabin and boot. Speaker pods and enclosures were all pre-fabricated from timber and fibreglass and then nicely lined with red vinyl or painted gloss red.

The front MTX T8652 splits have been installed with the mid drivers low on the door within custom made pods lined with red

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vinyl. One driver inverted and one in standard placement. In order to maximise sound quality and staging reproduction, the tweeters were placed up high with one set in the dash and one set in custom made door sails.

The parcel shelf was custom designed to house the MTX Thunder 693 6x9s in a curvy moulded fibreglass baffle with two of the 693s inverted side by side and two in standard configuration. The parcel shelf features a number of perforations allowing sound to filter through to the boot and outwards.

The boot hits you with an absolutely stunning visual impact. Firstly, a custom floor was constructed in the boot and lined with red vinyl in order to house part of the subwoofer array – and remember, there’s eight of them! A similar custom enclosure and baffle was created for the boot’s side walls for further subwooferage.

The MTX T810 subwoofers have been inverted

Speaker of the year under $1000

Focal PS 165 FX

Subwoofer SQ

Focal P20F

MUSIC… NATURALLY Only advanced materials will allow the true tonality and dynamic expression of music to be accurately reproduced. Enter Focal’s new lightweight, stiff and durable natural fibre cone material: Flax. When you want a saxophone to sound like a saxophone not a didgeridoo, when you want to hear the brushes on the cymbals…

From the company who brought you Utopia, Focal’s new Flax car audio speaker range will reproduce music the way it was recorded.

To contact your nearest Focal Car Audio Dealer please visit: www.focalaustralia.com.au

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#07_2016

HoldeN Commodore S-PaCk

Driver Profile Name: Kris Huffadine Car: 2001 Holden Commodore S-Pack

1. What got you into car electronics?

Always loved loud music and I love it sounding clear.

2. How long have you been into it for?

Some time…

3. Occupation?

Navy sailor.

4. Favourite music for testing audio gear?

Any type as long as it’s good sound, the system should make anything sound great.

5. Dream car? ’57 Chevy.

6. Where to next?

More airbrushing and a few touch-ups ready for Summernats 2017.

magnet out on the side walls – two per side – while a central conical pyramidal rise in the centre of the boot floor sees an array of four subwoofers with cone up – one each on the sides of the rise. Red vinyl-covered frames hold the amplifiers vertically.

Blue LEDs are used in the footwells inside the cabin to create interior atmos while a red LED strip bathes the boot in red light in order to enhance the overall red theme. Visually, this is an awesome install.

We see red The exterior of the Commodore is a resplendent red colour in-keeping with the motif. To break it up a bit, mat black has been used on the bonnet, the roof, the front scoop, side skirts and boot wing. A number of decals and signage adorn the various glass surfaces.

The massive 20-inch silver wheels are aggressive enough to give the Commodore real street cred and they ride on rubber-band-thin tyres sized 245 by 30 by 20.

The interior has been kept fairly simple with good enhancements provided by the red vinyl and gloss red accents of the various speaker pod installations.

“The booT hiTs you wiTh an absoluTely sTunning visual impacT. FirsTly, a cusTom Floor was consTrucTed in The booT and lined wiTh red vinyl ...”

ConClusion Here we see a superb early 2000s Commodore to join the revered league of InCar features encompassing that vintage. It looks purposefully ‘street’ while featuring a stunning boot install and excellent in-cabin customisation. The choice of MTX kit is very wise indeed while the use of the red colour scheme – in-keeping with MTX Audio’s corporate colours – just ties it all together beautifully. We like the sound (and look) of 7HUNDER one hell-of-a-lot!

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47

FEATURE CAR

SUBARU WRX

REINVE

48

Australian#07_2016 Incar #07_2016 Entertainment #04_2016

ENTING THE REXIE Re-built and totally revamped from a previous iteration, this orange sunburnt WRX is smarting with extraordinary enhancements.

Story Ed Kramer Images Tony Rabbitte

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49

Subaru WrX

w

e’ve seen this awesome WRX half a decade ago within these pages. Jetstar, we called it, and it was a black beast with an installation that was stupendous but entirely different to the car you see now. In fact, had not owner Craig Edwards told us, we’d never had guessed it to be the same car such is the extent of the rebuild. We’re talking chalk and cheese…

Same but very different The outstanding feature of the previous version was the superb boot install. The same applies to this very different beast. And Craig is extremely proud of this boot. He tells us: “This was the second boot install for the new rebuild. I wasn’t happy with the first one as nothing seemed to fit right… it ended up at the tip. I wanted the boot install to look sleek and clean, to fit in with the whole look of the interior.

And wanted the curved mirror image effect. I gave Todd from Eastside Kustoms the idea of what I was after and this was the outcome. He designed it so if needed to I can pull out the Nos bottle and the centre inserts between the two sub enclosures so you can get to the two batteries

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#07_2016

SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR LOADED ENCLOSURE

Axis XT1408A

AWARD WINNING

compact size

PERFORMANCE

8” COMPACT UPRIGHT AMPLIFIED SUBWOOFER

The XT1408A is a convenient sized, compact amplified subwoofer that is engineered to mount behind seats as well as on panels and cargo areas of your vehicle. With 250 Watt Max Power, you’ll enjoy superb clarity and tight, deep bass every time you step into your vehicle!

20

celebrating

years!

Visit audioxtra.com.au or call 02 8841 9000 for your nearest stockist.

SINCE 1996

Your Australian Brand

Subaru WrX

52

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Subaru WrX

TECH SPECS owner: Craig Edwards vehicle: 2005 Subaru WRX engine: 2L EJ20 Boxer flat four (VF34 turbo charger) injection: 550cc STI injectors intake: MRT Silicone intake pipe, equal length tuned pipes transmission: 5-speed exhaust: 3-inch stainless steel exhaust, cannon muffler with 4.5-inch tip suspension: K-Sport adjustable coilovers wheels: 20 x 8.5 Simmons FR tyres: 245/30/20

SyStem source: Alpine INE-W957A multimedia head unit front & rear speakers: 4 x Polk MM6501 6.5inch split speakers, 2 x Polk MM651 6.5-inch coaxial speakers in boot lid subwoofers: 2 x Polk MM1040 DVC 10-inch, 2 x Polk MM1240 DVC 12-inch subwoofers front & rear amplifiers: Polk PA D4000.4 4-channel amplifiers, Polk PA D2000.2 stereo amplifier for boot lid subwoofer amplifiers: 2 x Polk PA D1000.1 monobloc amplifiers screens: 2 x 7-inch and 2 x 10-inch in front seats, 1 x 19-inch in boot lid processor: Alpine PXA-H800 wiring: Stinger top-of-the-line cables battery: 2 x Yellow Top AGM D34 deep cycle, 2 x MP3090 power supplies sound deadening: Yes configured system power: 4172 watts installed by: Oak Flats Electronics, Eastside Kustom Trim total build time: Four weeks credits: First off my wallet for never being closed, Todd Herbert from Eastside Kustoms, Bassa and Fuff from 2Sus Custom Resprays, the guys from Oak Flats Electronics, Polk Audio and the crew Matt, Peta, Heath, Dave and Pablo for their help whenever it was needed

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Subaru WrX and power supplies. All the amps are installed behind the back seat to keep the boot looking clean and not too busy. I went with the 2x 10s and 2x 12s just to be different than what I have seen everyone else doing. The boxes are fibreglass non-ported. I still wanted it to be loud but clear.

I wanted to be able to turn it up and hear the voices and different acoustics not just noisy bass.”

So at this point it’s best to intro the amazing audio kit. It all starts at the heart with the Alpine INE-W957E multimedia head unit. Signal flow proceeds to Alpine’s outstanding PXA-H800 digital processor and in turn the amplification takes over via a Polk PA D4000.4 four-channel amplifier for all the interior speakers, a Polk PA D2000.2 stereo amplifier for the boot lid speakers and a duo of Polk PA D1000.1 monobloc amplifiers for the subwoofers.

The speakers are by Polk too and they include a set of MM6501 splits for each of the doors and a set of MM651 coaxials for the boot lid. As is common, the boot is where the heavy hitting happens and here we have an installation featuring two Polk MM1040 DVC 10-inch subwoofers seriously augmented by a further duo of Polk MM1240 DVC 12-inch subwoofers. That’s some bass potential right there.

The visual aspect of the kit list has also been taken care of via a 7-inch and 10-inch LCD

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“This was The second booT insTall for The new rebuild. i wasn’T happy wiTh The firsT one as noThing seemed To fiT righT… i wanTed The booT insTall To look sleek and clean...”

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Subaru WrX monitor in each of the front seats while a large 19-inch LCD screen has been mounted in the boot lid between the two MM651s, all of them in a custom leather-clad enclosure.

Matter of Sovereignty An orangey, or tanny, ‘Sovereign Mattone’ colour was used throughout the stunning interior reflecting the gorgeous tonality of the “Sunburnt Orange” exterior. The entire cabin was re-trimmed in that colour leather “hot rod style”. Through the doors, the roof, the dash, the console, the glovebox lid, the seats… you name it, it’s been done. And what an awesome result too.

It’s extremely eye-catching.

Accents in billet are used throughout to enhance the look, such as on the seats, the air vents, across the door trim and handles, around the Go Baby Go Nos activation gear knob, the Momo handbrake cover, the Defi boost gauge in centre console and in the Isotta Urban Glow billet steering wheel.

Craig discusses some of the installation details, “When it came to the doors the original door trims were tossed out and Todd Herbert designed these custom door trims to go with the whole sleek hot rod theme interior we were after. All the window and door lock switches have been removed. The window switches have now been replaced with billet switches in the centre console with the Nos bottle gauge. The woofers were mounted on the bottom corners of the doors to fit in with the pattern of the door trims and I kept the grilles to keep some black and silver to fit in with the rest of the car’s look. And the tweeters were flush mounted at the top front of the door”. Craig continues, “Todd designed the custom moulds for the seats to fit the 7-inch and 10-inch LCD screens. I decided to go with one small and one big screen to fit in with the whole one 10 and one 12 on each side of the boot install. The lighting was done to fit the whole hot rod theme one billet surround light in the centre of the roof and one in each of the rear pillars.”

The custom leather-lined enclosure for the subwoofers in the boot holds the subs diaphragm out with the drivers fitted two-per-side with the 10-inchers out the front and the 12-inchers towards the rear. Centre rear between the 12-inch subs sits the chrome accented Nos tank.

The exterior of the WRX is a fine example of style and flair. Craig puts it best, “The car’s been fully resprayed by 2SUS customs. In a HOK custom Orange, which I’m calling sunburnt orange. Over a red base, with airbrushed American hot rod style scallop graphics, shaved boot, STi bonnet scoop moulded into bonnet, INGS side and rear bars, customised M-Sports front bar, STi rear guard flares, painted inner headlight surrounds, windscreen water jets removed from bonnet and relocated.”

ConCluSion What a fine Rexie. We loved the orange theme of both the interior and exterior and the car has been a total reinvention when compared to its previous iteration. Great work.

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57

PREVIEW 2017 FEATURE CARS

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COMING IN 2017

W

e bet the cars… no, we should say the five works of art featured in this issue have impressed you…

This is the stuff dreams are made of. These cars are shining examples of the very best in car customisation craftsmanship and attention to detail in design while being supported by some of the coolest kit on offer.

And although we don’t get to hear these systems, mostly, we admire the passion and serious attention behind the owners’

equipment decisions. Well, be prepared because there’s more to come. Gander at this double-page spread featuring some of the extraordinary cars that you’ll see in 2017. Awesome, right? Indeed.

They all have several things in common. Beauty and skill in exterior and interior design, superb custom fabrication and an owner who wants the best result.

So, we’re anxious to get under way and looking forward to, once again, an extraordinary year ahead in 2017.

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59

SOUND+IMAGE INCAR

AWARDS 2017

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SOUND+IMAGE INCAR

AWARDS 2017

I

n this, the second edition of the special Gold Issue of the Australian InCar Entertainment Awards we once again bring you an all-star selection of the very best in car audio as reviewed throughout 2016. They are the best of the best in each of their market spaces.

Once again, this year we made a couple of small tweaks in the category of Multimedia Head Unit of the Year where we found an adjustment to below and above the $1500 mark made more sense (rather than last year’s under $1000, above $1000 to $1500 and lastly above $1500) in terms of the market status quo. As per last year, the single-DIN head unit space is kept to a single all-encompassing class.

The Amplifier of the Year also gets a reshuffle, as the pricing of amplification has,

on average, been reduced. To reflect this our categories are now split between under and over $500 rather than last year’s $1000.

In a similar split to the Multimedia category, the Speakers of the Year are now classed under $500, from $500 to $1000 and above $1000.

The subwoofer categories remain the same.

Our judges have taken into consideration every single product reviewed throughout 2016 while also including a couple of late arrivals that were assessed – in all aspects fitting our criteria – and are to appear formally reviewed in upcoming issues during 2017.

New to the InCar Awards for 2017 are three categories with products that have opened our eyes – and ears – in terms of either their superb design, advanced engineering and ex-

traordinary sonic performance. In the new Custom Integration of the Year award an impressive solution made specifically for a growing number of popular vehicles that combines the latest technology with BIG screens and, umm... perfect integration.

Secondly, the Innovation of the Year award goes to an all-digital solution with extraordinary technology that maintains digital signal flow right to the speaker voice coil...

And lastly, a Judges’ Choice award goes to a high-end playback system for the car with world-first high-res/DSD playability aimed at the best sound quality possible.

So, without further ado, jump on board and let’s embark on a rekkie around the world’s best car audio.

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SOUND+IMAGE INCAR

AWARDS 2017

HEAD UNIT OF THE YEAR

ALPINE CDE-196DAB WWW.ALPINE.COM.AU

In a world where the head unit that can offer every conceivable technological function via ever more responsive, larger and sharper touch screens, the good ole’ single-DIN receiver may seem anachronistic. On the surface, perhaps.

Having said that, the winner of this category – the wonderful Alpine CDE-196DAB – not only offers the sound and build quality the company is renowned for (we were impressed with its Total Harmonic Distortion and signal-to-noise

ratio specifications), but it provides a couple of extras as well. For starters, we have on-board Digital radio (DAB+) with its growing network across cities and expanding into regional areas too. It brings its improved audio quality taking full advantage of Alpine’s superb amplification implementation. Also included are Bluetooth for both hands-free telephony and music streaming and steering wheel control inputs.

And the unit is happy playing back all manner of formats too. The judges thought the CDE196DAB played with exceptional clarity and accuracy with equal ease across all formats and

media. Included is a bundle of supplementary extras including a colour coded and labelled loom with ISO plugs, IR remote control, and the KAE-242DA-R digital antenna. Reviewer Marty Price wrote in his review, “The output is very linear presenting little in the way of artificial boosting at either end of the spectrum. Even the phone integration is seamless... through everything from telephony to audio streaming.”

At the moment, the single-DIN space is still refreshingly abundant with offerings after some minor shrinkage. But as far as the CDE-196DAB, well… it does not get better than that.

ROCKFORD FOSGATE PMX-5 WWW.DIRECTED.COM.AU

This is a head unit with a twist. It indeed may be odd-sized but Rockford Fosgate’s PMX-5 has a trick up its sleeve: it’s been marineised, robustly built and aimed squarely at the 1.5-DIN market which has been somewhat untapped in this country.

But this has not meant Rockford Fosgate has skimped on anything. It may not have a mech but the unit accepts USB and smart phone data, wide format compatibility, Bluetooth for hands-free telephony and streaming and much more.

Getting music into the PMX-5 is simple enough, achieved primarily, as aluded above, via your smart device and the full speed ver-

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sion 2.0 USB plug located on the back. As a secondary source you can use the version 3.0 + EDR Bluetooth chipset installed, not only for telephonic duties but also for A2DP and AVRCP wireless streaming.

The internal four channels of amplification provide 25 watts RMS of clean and sweet

power (and a very respectable Total Harmonic Distrotion figure) with a rich midrange, clear highs and tight bass with a very linear overall response.

Terrific stuff from Rockford Fosgate and a deserved Highly Commended award.

SOUND+IMAGE INCAR

AWARDS 2017

MULTIMEDIA HEAD UNIT OF THE YEAR

UNDER $1500

ZENEC Z-N626 WWW.ZENEC.COM.AU The multimedia head unit space is a highly contested one but in the under $1500 category the Zenec Z-N626 clearly stood out among the crowd – and a quite talented crowd at that.

Here’s a fourth-gen Swiss-designed unit with a great mix of features, including a new operating system, while maintaining a price point that just sneaks it into the under $1500 bracket. The Z-N626 features a robust disc mechanism able to handle all standard formats of plastic media ranging from CD and VCD through to DVD, with both PAL and NTSC support. Software-wise all the standard file types are catered for including

MP3, WMA, AVI, Xvid and FLAC, most of which will likely be imported via two USB 2.0 ports – rear and . If you find you require more you can also plumb in a USB hub.

The deck includes Gracenote with all its listening customisation. A Smartlink HDMI/ Miracast connection allows hook-up of an external DVB-T tuner. On-board Bluetooth sees the latest FC6000TS Parrot board suitable for both hands-free telephony and music streaming. The navigation suite includes the latest iGO Primo NextGen Australian & New Zealand mapping with an extensive POI database with over

750000 items. Also included is Camps Australia Wide POIs with over 3900 low-cost or free camp sites. Of course the unit also impressed with its performance, from its lightning fast menu and functions access to its “revealing” audio reproduction and outstanding image clarity. The best way to summarise Zenec’s Z-N626 as a product is to quote reviewer Marty Price, “I was somewhat unprepared for how competently the unit performed as an overall package. From its in-depth navigation suite, through to its absolutely superb sound quality, it’s just an extraordinary combination.”

features iAP support for full iPod control in addition to AVRCP1.4 for wireless music browsing and control. You can even ask Siri something while driving and get a response, all wirelessly.

Pandora is present and analogue radio hasn’t been forgotten. The unit comes equipped with

the latest NEXT-GEN software on-board incorporating HERE mapping – an extensive package able to supply you with abundant information.

Overall the Clarion NX606AU is a superb multimedia head unit worthy of its two-yearrunning commendation.

CLARION NX606AU WWW.CLARION.COM.AU

Making its second appearance after picking up a Highly Commended gong at last year’s InCar Awards is Clarion’s outstanding NX606AU – such a big impression it made on us that we bestowed kudos to it once again this year.

The NX606AU’s features list is generous and it starts off with a full-floating suspension mechanism which handles all primary types discs. On the software front it deals with MP3, WMA, Xvid, AAC, MP4 and FLAC up to 192kHz/24-bit resolution while twin USB 2.0 ports provide options for smartphone and digital storage connectivity. The version 2.1+EDR Bluetooth chipset is able to support version 3.0 also, and not only allows for hands-free telephony and musical streaming but it also

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BE ON A WINNER

INCAR AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR OVER $500

Helix A4

W

www.dynamicaudio.com.au

E

info@dynamicaudio.com.au

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AWARDS 2017

MULTIMEDIA HEAD UNIT OF THE YEAR

OVER $1500

KENWOOD DNX8160DABS

WWW.KENWOOD.COM.AU

The DNX8160DABS is the latest multimedia offering from Kenwood with the company’s latest technology suite. And boy, has this unit made a mark on the landscape. Its ability list is impressive with the Japanese preference for using catchy acronyms for various design aspects spanning more than a page on the comprehensive manual.

Firstly, the DNX8160SABS’s well-isolated transport mechanism can handle all the primary types of plastic hardware such as CD, VCD and DVD while on the software side it’ll cater for, again, near on every acronym in the book. We’re talking MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, FLAC for audio and MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, WMV, H.268, MKV, JPEG, BMP, PNG for visual.

High-definition material is catered for via the HDMI connectivity.

Radio is provided via both analogue and digital tuner chips with analogue offering 18 FM

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presets while AM offers six, and DAB offering a multitude of preset slots for the numerous stations within each of the DAB bands.

Also on board is a Bluetooth 3.0+EDR chip set which deals with everything from telephony through to infotainment streaming duties. Multiple phones can be paired and it can handle Siri.

As is the growing trend even in factory systems now, both Android Auto and CarPlay, with full functionality for Android Auto being utilised via the USB cable while CarPlay requires an additional KCA-iP103 interconnect. One last prerequisite is that your Android phone be using the 5.0 ‘Lollipop’ operating system while the prerequisite for CarPlay is that your iDevice has installed one of the later Apple operating systems. Further to this you can also mirror your phone over Wi-Fi. You simply purchase the KCA-WL100 kit which includes a HDMI fed Wi-Fi dongle and away you go.

GPS navigation is provided via the highlyrespected Garmin system.

There’s an on-board 24-bit Digital-toAnalogue converter, comprehensive EQ and Kenwood’s own EXT bass boost feature.

Crossover-wise the satellite channels feature a high-pass filter settable incrementally from 30Hz to 250Hz with first order 6dB through to fourth order 24dB slopes in 6dB increments.

The subwoofer channels feature the same frequency points but as a low-pass, in addition to a 0- or 180-degree phase switch.

The time alignment section provides up to a whopping 6.1m distance delay on each channel and for a little extra control you’re also able to adjust speakers’ individual levels between -8dB and +0dB. The DNX8160DABS performs admirably.

Fittingly for InCar’s ethos, the sound quality was stunning with the on-board amplification being flawless in its technical prowess and musical performance.

Kenwood is on to a winner here… literally.

The DNX8160DABS is a superb example of modern multimedia design.

MULTIMEDIA HEAD UNIT OF THE YEAR

OVER $1500

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AWARDS 2017

CLARION NX706AU WWW.CLARION.COM.AU

Yet another multimedia head unit in the stream of new offerings from Clarion. And this one has been specifically recommended as the perfect source for the company’s state-of-the-art Full Digital System components.

The NX706AU has a massive features list including the latest GPS navigation and Bluetooth suites (hands-free telephony and cordless music streaming), comprehensive format compatibility, 15-band graphic equaliser, steering

wheel control and so much more. There’s the option for HDMI input control (optional smartphone connector required). And then there’s the full format capabilities spanning across the following: CD, DVD, MP4, H.264, CD, MP3, WMA, FLAC, 24-bit/96kHz and 24-bit/192kHz all provided for. In fact, the output is even switchable between 24-bit/96kHz or 24-bit/48kHz. As reviewer Scott Campbell put it, “Here’s the Clarion quality that you’d expect. A smooth,

even reproduction is the order of the day… the transparency of the technology involved is most impressive. Technology for its own sake can be interesting, but is less so if it’s difficult to access.

“The NX706AU provides a particularly clear and friendly interface to its wealth of features.

Experienced and novice users alike will be able to use what’s on offer and most importantly, thoroughly enjoy the results.”

a stunningly bright back-lit LED high-resolution touch screen. Befitting a flagship, Pioneer has incorporated an advanced digital sound processing suite which boasts numerous preloaded presets and the ability to auto-tune if you so desire. Then there’s the 13-band graphic equaliser, comprehensive crossover facilities and time alignment offering up to 500cm distance delay for each channel with the ability to adjust individual channel levels between

+10dB and -24dB. The judges thought the AVICF80DAB to be, “clean, precise, powerful, sharp, accurate, impressive and gutsy.” They went further by adding, “The navigation and display also appear superior to those past despite sharing similar specs on paper – a fitting tribute to Pioneer’s technical savvy and experience.”

Indeed, Pioneer’s AVIC range is once again enriched via its current flagship, the AVICF80DAB. Excellent.

PIONEER AVIC-F80DAB WWW.PIONEER.COM.AU

Pioneer’s flagship AVIC multimedia head units are the envy of the industry. Competitors are always aiming their cannon’s sights at the AVICs. Of course, being Pioneer’s top offering the AVIC-F80DAB includes an exhaustive list of all the technologies available in the head unit space. From the latest NaviExtras software for navigation and Version 3+EDR Bluetooth chip, to both analogue and DAB+ radio, to Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto. All controllable via

www.avhub.com.au

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AWARDS 2017

AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR

UNDER $500

DB DRIVE NEO4 WWW.DBDRIVE.COM.AU Many compare the amplifier to the heart of a car audio system – it pumps the lifeblood of it to the speakers by way of power and, ideally, high current delivery.

This latest NEO range from American stalwarts db Drive spreads across a number of amplification configurations but it was the NEO4 4-channel Class-D model that ultimately raised our eyebrows.

Placement of the NEO4 will not present many problems, given its small size and

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weight. Once the settings are locked in, it could be fitted under almost any dash or seat, or even behind some kick panels. Speaking of installation, db Drive’s specifications mention that this model is “water resistant”, meaning it’s suitable for a variety of marine installations.

It’s claimed that this is achieved by a special coating on components and boards, along with the very tight tolerance and carefully-designed wiring connections.

It may be relatively compact but the NEO4 packs a punch with its 125 watts per each of its four channels at 4-ohms. And there’s a 2-ohms drive capability meaning high current is available to drive tough speaker loads too.

Some neat features are included such as a 12dB crossover slope, high-pass/low-pass adjustment, a bass boost option at 45Hz, a bandwidth of 18Hz to 22kHz, DC short circuit protection and a buffered preamp input circuit.

And said circuit is peppered with audiophile-

grade components. All this is topped by very high exterior and interior build quality and overall engineering.

The judges exclaimed, “Small, neat and capable are the three words that spring to mind when describing the NEO4. Build quality is far better than we have any right to expect at this price point and sound quality likewise.

“It exhibited a good, honest full range sound with the crossover switch set on Full. While not being the last word in absolute power output, within its capabilities, it has a clean and transparent character. Channel separation is good, as are dynamic range and tonality.

The judges continued, “The NEO4 is a cleverly designed and executed surprise package with many possibilities for the installer and end user. Highly recommended.”

After some deliberation, in the end we went one better… the db Drive NEO4 is indeed a winner all round.

AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR

UNDER $500

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AWARDS 2017

AXIS XT4D WWW.AUDIOXTRA.COM.AU

Axis has been offering high value, well-thoughtout products for a number of years and the XT4D amplifier encapsulates this very ethos.

This Class-D amplifier runs 75 watts (4ohms) from each of its 4-channels and has been designed with the idea that it makes for a comprehensive upgrade for your car’s factory system. A decent Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of 90dB has been quoted while the XT4D features Variable Crossovers of 50Hz to 500Hz for the

high-pass and low-pass filters with a 0-12dB Bass Boost (Rear Channel) also provided.

The judges acclaimed its low noise and good behaviour under load while also stating, “The XT4D is a neat little performer. It handles big bass demands through to finicky treble requests with adequate control and accuracy, far superior to any OEM amplifier… combine these qualities with the $259 asking price and

you’ll see its size isn’t the only aspect that’s attractively small.”

Yes, indeed, a very attractive package with adequate power, solid sonic performance and superb value for money. As a cost-effective upgrade to your factory system and/or to get a little extra juice into your speakers, the Axis XT4D is a terrific option.

Highly Commended indeed.

cater to just about any system requirement.

Its versatility can even cater for the integration of Sony’s XS-GS1 super-tweeters which have been designed to take full advantage of high-res audio.

Reviewer Stephen Dawson stated, “The first thing to note is that the amplifier exerted excellent control over the bass end, whether driving separate subwoofers or full range speakers.

The kick drum on all manner of rock was tight

and full, utterly under control yet extended in depth… The amplifier tied subwoofers and higher frequencies together to audible perfection, delivering a sound that had plenty of bite when demanded by the source, but a fine smoothness as well.”

This is an excellently-built and competentlyengineered amplifier from a Japanese giant that has been innovating and expanding the electronics universe for decades.

SONY XM-GS4 WWW.SONY.COM.AU

When Sony, one of the planet’s largest corporations, gets serious about audio you’d be remiss not to prick-up your ears. And indeed we listened to the company’s latest designs aimed to compliment digital playback via the launch of its high-res capable head unit.

The 4-channel XM-GS4 is a wide bandwidth amplifier (10Hz to 100kHz) offering 70 watts at 4-ohms which is able to be assigned a wide variety of channel configurations in order to

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AWARDS 2017

AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR OVER $500

HELIX A4 WWW.DYNAMICAUDIO.COM.AU Although retaining a comparatively low profile in Australia hitherto, Helix forms part of a cadre of European developers synonymous with ultimate high-end audio equipment. It’s a master crafter of everything audio from processors through to high-end amplifiers, with the impressive A series amplifiers being amongst the most popular.

Although its switching methodology remains primarily within the Class-A realm, in actuality the Helix A4 is an expertly engineered Class-AB blending the best of both classes with aplomb.

The A4 is capable of outputting just over 85 watts continuously when presented with a 4-ohms load and 150 watts continuous when saddled with a 2-ohms load it boasts impressive supporting specifications such as stunning total harmonic distortion of 0.009%, damping factor of 450, slew rate of 9V/µs. Further, its channel separation is specified at 85dB while the signal to noise ratio stands at 100dB and frequency range spans between 15Hz to 20kHz. It’s one very clean unit, and just one

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audition is all it takes to reveal why it’s received an accolade in this year’s awards.

Appearance-wise the A4 is an unapologetic work of art, presenting a rather sizable (but not too outrageously so) 240mm x 432mm x 35mm extruded aluminium chassis which can be purchased in either silver or black.

The top panel is made from a classy smoked Perspex, thus presenting the immaculate internals for display to the, no doubt, admiring world. Featuring everything from superb quality components through to intelligently designed topology, the A4 is an engineering pièce de résistance.

It also offers plenty of controls for tailoring to system configuration and personal user taste, ranging from gain and 0dB - 9dB bass boost through to 15Hz – 7kHz high, by or low pass crossover.

The A4’s performance is rather special to say the least. It’s an extremely enjoyable listen no matter the musical material. It’s a sound that we’d call not only robust and controlled in every way, but downright accurate and life-

like in every sense of the word no matter what the music demands – in any genre. It’ll quickly have you convinced you’re actually sitting at the live event rather than within the confines of your vehicle.

In conclusion, don’t be fooled if the numbers and acronyms purportedly show it as outputting a little less power than some other high-end amplifiers. Make no mistake, when push comes to shove the Helix A4 performs with unparalleled competence and can easily show up the very best of the opposition.

NEO

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NEO 1.5

Mono Class-D technology 750 watts with 1-ohm capability Sub-sonic filters & Bass Boost Remote dash bass control included Amphibious grade PCB coating for exceptional reliability & durability

/dbdriveaus&nz

NEO 4 INCAR AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR UNDER $500

db Drive NEO4

 Full range Class-D amplification  Four channels 125 watts of ultraclean and dynamic power  Bridgeable output @ 4-ohms load  Amphibious grade PCB coating for exceptional reliability & durability

Please see our website for more details www.dbdrive.net.au or call 02 9482 4444

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AWARDS 2017

SPEAKERS OF THE YEAR

UNDER $500

VIBE AUDIO BLACKDEATH 6C-V6 WWW.VIBEAUDIO.COM.AU The model title may sound rather ominous but here is a superb set of speakers from British car audio specialist ‘Vibe’.

The BlackDeath 6C-V6 speakers are a 2-way component set featuring a 165mm mid/bass driver and a 28mm tweeter. The tweeters are mounted on to their own fixtures which actually allows a small degree of aiming – for optimising both the soundstage and imaging – while there’s also the option of flush mounting.

The 6C-V6s are capable of handling 140 watts RMS with a rather extended frequency response from 45Hz to 25kHz while the sensitivity has been specified as a fairly efficient 93dB. These are very well engineered drivers with heavy vented magnet motor structures (particularly on the mid/bass drivers) and die-cast

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baskets – no cheap pressed steel here. The spider is heavily sprung and the short leads from the terminals to the coil are refreshingly hefty. The terminals themselves are screw types, so a good hold on speaker cables is assured.

The design care continues to the crossover which is a large and solidly built environment for the generous provision of quality electronic componentry – visible under the classy semitranslucent smoked plastic cover. It measures 128mm by 84mm, with the top and bottom plates held apart by four metal posts. The overall height is 39mm.

There are two large capacitors, two large coils and two high powered resistors. These are real 2-way crossover networks, not just high-pass filters to protect the tweeter. Six holes in the top plastic sheet align with the

screws of the six terminals (plus and minus for in, low and high).

The judges were in unison when it came to proclaiming, “The Vibe BlackDeath 6C-V6 speakers were good. Very good indeed. True high-fidelity-good. They present a solid and well-balanced bass with great depth – without a subwoofer – while the rest of the frequency spectrum displays superb detail, resolution and dynamics.”

Stephen Dawson’s review concludes with the following statements, “Vibe makes a bit of a thing about it being “designed and engineered” in Britain. And I think it should. It’s clear that they are drawing on the British audio heritage to develop stand-out audio systems.

The Vibe BlackDeath6C-V6 speakers, dubiously named though they may be, demonstrate that British quality.”

SPEAKERS OF THE YEAR $500 - $1000

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AWARDS 2017

ALPINE DLX-F17S WWW.ALPINE.COM.AU

Alpine has always challenged the status-quo with speaker designs that feature modern materials and excellent designs from a talented pool of engineers dedicated to advancing car audio.

As part of Alpine’s legendary DDLinear range of high-end speakers the DLX-F17S feature a 170mm very carefully crafted transducer with a heavy-duty alloy frame, composite hybrid diaphragm with a central aluminium phase plug, beefy wire terminals and a massive ‘DDLinear’ magnet structure. With a 4-ohms impedance and 200 watts handling capacity,

these are seriously-engineered drivers. The mid-bass driver is complemented by a superb damped cloth tweeter with an aluminium phase “nipple”, as it’s colloquially know, and housed in a superbly machined aluminium housing. The crossover is an example of high quality componentry, design and layout.

The DLX-F17S are rated at 50 watts RMS with an extraordinarily wide frequency response quoted at 28Hz to 60kHz. These are high efficiency, low distortion drivers capable of tremendous resolving power and best mated to excellent amplification.

Excerpts from the review highlighted the outstanding qualities of this extraordinary

design, “… portraying the tone and detail of the recording and placing the listener so close to the artist, they create the emotional engagement that’s so often missing in a system…

Ambient cues that can put you right in the recording venue… Nothing was missed, covered or disguised in any way. Just pure enjoyment.”

Indeed, the judges concurred claiming the DLX-F17S as one of the most accurate yet musical speakers heard for some time while also being totally impressed with their dynamic snap, detail retrieval and fast transient attack.

Alpine has engineered what may just become another DDLinear iconic speaker system.

Superb stuff.

FOCAL EC 165 K WWW.FOCALAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

If you know about quality car audio speakers then you don’t need an introduction to Focal.

The French company has been designing its own transducers for many years and has always produced outstanding drivers that employ advanced materials and engineering. In fact, they are the envy of the high-end world.

The EC 165 K embody the Focal ethos. The story starts with the new TKM tweeter now featuring an inverted ‘M’ profile and a woven aramid fibre inverted dome. The powerful motor features a 20mm 4-ohms copper clad aluminium voice coil wound on a Kapton former. This is supported by an extremely supple suspension system that returns an efficiency of 93dB. All this is via a backend featuring Focal’s patented IAL chamber structure as also found in Focal’s famous flagship Utopia range.

The 165mm mid-bass driver features Focal’s

renowned ‘W’ sandwich fibre cone, now in its third generation, which comprises a top layer of Kevlar which is attached via molecular bond to a membrane of composite foam.

Power handling is 80 watts, the frequency response is quoted as 60Hz to 22kHz while the efficiency is 93dB. The judges thought, “Running through all manner of music genres, it was satisfying to hear a delightful blend of deep articulated midbass, well controlled midrange and crystal clear highs. Scarily impressive was the EC 165 K’s projection.”

Overall this is, once again from Focal, a thoroughly well-engineered product with stunning build quality resulting in astounding sonic performance.

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AWARDS 2017

SPEAKERS OF THE YEAR

OVER $1000

ROCKFORD FOSGATE T3652-S WWW.DIRECTED.COM.AU As one of the quintessentially American car audio brands, Rockford Fosgate has a proud heritage peppered with dozens of award winning products. And they span across all the categories from electronics, to speakers to massively powerful subwoofers.

The T3652-S is a 2-way component set comprising two 6.5-inch midranges, two 1-inch tweeters with matching crossovers. The tweeter features a 25mm dome constructed from a liquid crystal polymer material (LCP) – this advanced material is also featured on

the 165mm mid-bass driver – developed to be extremely unreactive and inert which results in uncoloured and neutral sound reproduction.

A large neodymium magnet system helps efficiency and driver control while the large voice coil is ferrofluid cooled. The 165mm driver which has been meticulously designed employing Germany’s Klippel laboratory’s three speaker certification programs. The 38mm double layer aluminium voice coil is cooled via a number of vents while the powerful magnet system is, once again, made from neodymium.

The T3562-S speakers are rated at 125 watts continuous with a frequency response from 40Hz to 30kHz and an impedance of 4-ohms.

The judging panel was unequivocal in its praise with comments such as, “These splits reproduce all manner of low level details that other component sets tend to miss… a component set designed to reproduce music with indubitable accuracy… “ with the final sentiment being that the T3562-S component speakers from Rockford Fosgate outperformed many opponents that are multiples of its price.

paper composite diaphragm profiled to provide extremely linear response and is aided via a butyl rubber surround and flat rolled Conex spider. Lastly, the mid-bass driver’s 165mm cone features a heavier gauge paper composite, a 32mm voice coil and a massive ferrite magnet

system. The judging panel found the CVEN63CV4 splits to provide a very natural presentation with superb high frequency detail and the overall levels of punch and power were impressive.

To sum it up… Good design, clever engineering and great performance.

VIBE AUDIO CVEN63C-V4 WWW.VIBEAUDIO.COM.AU

Yet another example of Vibe Audio’s design prowess, the company’s CVEN63C-V4 high-end offering thoroughly impressed us. This 3-way 4-ohms design features 165mm mid-bass, 75mm midrange and 25mmtweeter drivers with respective continuous power handling of 60, 40 and 30 watts. The frequency response is a more than decent 45Hz to 20kHz. The tweeter is the result of years of materials research featuring a coated textile diaphragm shaped specifically to project its sound well forward, in a wide azimuth and with minimal distortion and breakup. Its 22mm vented former is encased in a neodymium magnet with thorough cooling strategies. The midrange driver features a

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The ultimate experience all-new state-of-the-art Thomastown showroom.

209 Settlement Rd Thomastown Ph: 9464 4373

14 Translink Drive Keilor Park Ph: 9336 0188 www.streetsoundvision.com.au

474 Whitehorse Road Mitcham Ph: 9874 5678

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AWARDS 2017

SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR - SQ

IMAGE DYNAMICS IDMAX 12D4 V.4 This is one hell-of-a-sub from American-born Image Dynamics, whose engineering is so impeccable they see fit not to upgrade their subwoofers unless they have developed true technical advances – marketing be damned!

The IDMAX 12D4 .V4 is a fourth generation (as the model implies) flagship series available in various sizes. But it’s the 12-incher that so impressed us.

This is a fast and punchy subwoofer no doubt due to the two-piece diaphragm which consists of pressed treated pulp, a material that many equate with naturalness and detail due to its inherent quick response, lightness and relative stiffness. A butyl rubber surround with the proprietary Image Dynamics EROM

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profile terminates the cone. A progressivelyrolled polycotton spider is attached to twin 4-ohms, four layer, square-wind copper-clad aluminium voice coils. The suspension system, aided via a rather generous motor system, is quoted as having a peak-to-peak excursion of 85mm… no typo there.

The motor system features a double stacked ferrite magnet which has been engineered to produce massive flux strength – all is bolted to the matt-black cast alloy frame. It’s a considerable chassis, possessing a healthy mounting depth of 210mm and featuring eight webbed fingers which have been meticulously shaped in order to present a minimal aerodynamic fingerprint.

WWW.DYNAMICAUDIO.COM.AU

The entire system has been designed with careful thought to cooling and temperature management via zephyr outlets and ventilated pole vents. This has been done to such a high level of efficiency that Image Dynamics rates the IDMAX 12D4 .V4 at being capable of coping with between 200 watts and 1000 watts of continuous power.

Further, the sub is rated down to 20Hz and up to 200Hz as far as its frequency response while the sensitivity figure is quoted as 91.3dB. The judges were extremely impressed with the IDMAX 12D4 .V4’s total control of the bass frequencies, superb detail down to the lowest depths of bass, punch and a natural tone across its bandwidth.

SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR - SQ

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AWARDS 2017

FOCAL 30 A4 WWW.FOCALAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

This subwoofer from Focal’s entry point Access range impressed us not only for its superb performance but for its outstanding value for money.

Here is a 12-inch subwoofer produced by a French company with an enviable reputation as a leader in car audio that comes in at under $300! Really? You may ask. Yes indeed. And the 30 A4’s engineering and specifications are rather impressive at any price point.

Focal poured considerable R&D for such a product and has developed an advanced new dual fiberglass polyurethane-sealed structured diaphragm and has backed it with generous motor and high quality suspension systems.

The 50mm Kapton/copper voice coil structure is rated at 4-ohms while the subwoofer itself is specified as ranging between 32Hz and a highish 500Hz. While the 30 A4 will not set loudness records, it will with its performance quality with

the judges acclaiming, “… it extends quite low and is able to pleasantly fulfil the requirements of music the likes of classical with its pipe organ and cellos, right through to Jazz with its double bass while still shaking the chassis.”

Their summations stating, “Yes, Focal’s entry level products just get better and better, despite the associated price continually dropping.” The Focal 30 A4 just typifies this excellence and extraordinary value-for-money.

12W6v3-D4 is massive and at its bottom you’ll find attached an enormous 178mm double stacked, Y35 grade strontium ceramic magnet which has been designed with JL Audio’s own proprietary Dynamic Motor Analysis (DMA) optimisation. The massive 70mm Kapton former dual 4-ohms voice coils are supported via a progressively-rolled polycotton spider in what JL calls its Floating Cone Attachment Method, or FCAM. The entire set-up has been engi-

neered with multiple cooling methods allowing high power output. We’re talking a massive 600 watts continuous and 20Hz to 200Hz frequency response. The judges summarised, “Its bottom end extension is clean, smooth and fluid, playing low frequency instruments such as double bass, pipe organ and the like with complete competence. Put simply JL has created a subsonic masterpiece, one that’ll happily perform even in the most austere of conditions.”

JL AUDIO 12W6v3-D4 WWW.CUSTOMCAR.COM.AU

American company JL Audio has been building outstanding products for four decades.

So the company knows a thing or two about subwoofer design.

This is clearly demonstrated in the 12W6v3D4 12-inch subwoofer, now in its third iteration.

JL is an absolute master of its trade and the vast technological developments it’s achieved – many of them patented – can be found here in abundance. The cast alloy frame of the

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AWARDS 2017

SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR - LOADED ENCLOSURE

ALPINE SBR-S8D4 WWW.ALPINE.COM.AU There’s no doubt that any high-end car audio system demands a quality subwoofer. Of course, these should be adopted into the system by specialist installers that can reap the best from the given subwoofer.

However, there’s also an alternative that makes it a lot easier to implement whether you’re an enthusiast or a busy installer given the task of efficiently and cost effectively upgrade you to a sub. The alternative is the loaded enclosure subwoofer. And this year the very best of them is Alpine’s SBR-S8D4.

The SBR-S8D4 is an 8-inch subwoofer with dual 4-ohms voice coil which is loaded into a ported enclosure designed for optimum volume in terms of matching

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to the driver. The sturdy timber enclosure is smartly finished in durable grey carpet front and back while around the perimeter edge is black laminate.

The driver is none other than Alpine’s own Type-R 8-incher, itself a superb bass transducer. The two piece diaphragm structure features a two-piece sandwich with the lower section being made from Kevlar reinforced paper fibre chosen for its combination of strength and natural sound. The upper dust cover portion is constructed from a poly-mica material shaped with a parabolic profile so as to propagate sound forward of the driver.

The surround is made up of Santropene with a multi-roll profile. A Nomex spider and a

massive magnet system complete the driver design. The SBR-S8D4 can cop from 150 watts to 300 watts continuous within a frequency of 28Hz and 200Hz. And the judges waxed lyrical, “The SBRS8D4 is a serious little powerhouse which blends superb subsonic qualities with considerable force… it’s quite the impressive little beast; scarily so at times as it manages an extraordinary level of output given its size.”

Consider Alpine’s SBR-S8D4’s superb driver engineering, outstanding build quality, excellent sonic performance and affordable price – all backed by a Japanese giant and industry stalwart – and you have an unbeatable package. Winner indeed.

SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR - LOADED ENCLOSURE

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AWARDS 2017

AXIS XT1408A WWW.AUDIOXTRA.COM.AU

Want a simple and extremely effective upgrade for your factory system that is lacking in the low-end wallop department? The Axis XT1408A presents an astoundingly good value option that will well improve factory mediocrity. The enclosure has been designed to take-up as little real estate as possible, sitting upright rather than flat, so can be tucked against your vehicle’s side walls. Inside you’ll find a good quality 8-inch driver powered via a Class-AB

mono amplifier providing 125 watts continuous and 250 watts maximum. Frequency span is from 37Hz to 200Hz while crossover point is adjustable from 50Hz to 125Hz. Further adjustments can be made via the gain and phase controls with the wired remote provided. The unit features a cone consisting of injection moulded polypropylene – or IMPP – with a flattened profile for linear travel, is terminated via a butyl rubber surround and is attached

to a 35mm voice coil and treated polycotton spider. Some of the impressions exclaimed, “if you’re driving around listening to a factory system, then the XT1408A will provide a solid foundation for the OEM system to build on… it maintains quite a linear response too, which in turn equates to a smooth bottom end devoid of booming at particular frequencies.”

For the princely sum of just over $150, there ain’t no better factory upgrade.

described by Fusion “The Twin Bar Bass Deflector not only protects the Encounter cone but also circulates maximum bass throughout the vehicle.” There’s an on-board 750 watts ClassA/B amplifier while the trapezium enclosure is front ported (the angled panels prevent internal standing waves), measuring 347 x 334 x 472 mm. Features include gain and level controls on the rear, a wired remote (included) and a substantial and heavy duty wiring kit. The

specifications provided by Fusion are quite impressive too, down to a very low 10Hz and up to its upper limit at 200Hz (crossover adjustable from 50Hz to 200Hz). The judges thought, “Fusion’s EN-AB1102 active subwoofer showed just what an impressive beast it is. Dialled back to be barely noticeable at normal listening levels, it jumps into action when the music demands.” We found the Fusion EN-AB1102 an superb performer at its price point.

FUSION EN-AB1102 WWW.FUSIONENTERTAINMENT.COM.AU

New Zealand company Fusion has a global presence and as such is in a position where economies of scale allow the offering of products which represent outstanding value.

The EN-AB1102 10-inch sub is an active ‘Wedge Subwoofer’ which comes ready to go.

For a good start, it features a 10-inch Encounter composite cone driver mated to a very stiff surround promising tight and punchy bass. The front of the driver itself is well protected, as

www.avhub.com.au

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AWARDS 2017

CUSTOM INTEGRATION SOLUTION OF THE YEAR

ALPINE PERFECT F.I.T. WWW.ALPINE.COM.AU Alpine has innovation and valiant product development written deep into its DNA. Being an outstanding creator of leading edge products and a strong OEM provider led the company to develop a system of integrating its top-flight head units into a variety of specific high-selling car models.

But with further tricks up its sleeve Alpine designed multimedia head units offering larger screens than the norm while still providing all the features you’d expect at the top level. Ergo, there are offerings featuring 6.1-, 7-, 8- and 9-inch touch screens of superb brightness and sharp-

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ness. Further, Alpine has diligently engineered full integration solutions that incorporate select vehicles’ other controls, such as HVAC and comprehensive steering control.

Of course, the head units themselves offer GPS navigation, Bluetooth for hands-free telephony and music streaming, Alpine’s own split screen viewing option, multi-format capabilities, MirrorLink, and in select models, CarPlay and Android Auto. So these are extremely well-specified head units sporting the latest technologies. And the list of vehicles – both cars and SUVs – keeps growing exponentially.

Alpine is now offering its extraordinary solutions to multiple models from the stables of major players such as Audi, Ford, Holden, Honda, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen, and more.

Overall, this initiative from Alpine is to be commended. It provides specific solutions for the upgrading of factory systems that encompass the inner workings of the vehicles while also offering the latest multimedia head unit technologies… and all in gloriously beautiful panorama-like touch screens. Phenomenal stuff Alpine.

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

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AWARDS 2017

CLARION FULL DIGITAL SOUND WWW.CLARION.COM.AU Are the days of analogue playback numbered?

Perhaps yes, perhaps not so. But if you consider Clarion’s revolutionary Full Digital Sound (FDS) you would not be blamed if you thought in the affirmative.

Here’s an all-in-one solution that takes the signal from source to speakers fully in the digital domain. Just whack in Clarion’s upmarket NX706AU with its multi-format and multi-resolution capabilities and the music will escalate across the signal path to the speakers in the digital domain totally losslessly.

But what is extraordinary is that the digitalto-analogue converters are actually built into the speakers themselves… huh? Clarion claims to have developed the world’s first

automotive grade LSI for car audio. The Z3 Full Digital Sound processor features a 32-bit DSP which, via its dedicated commander, can control all manner of system functionality. The Z3 feeds digital signal to the Z3 25mm tweeters, Z7 170mm mid-bass drivers and ZW25 250mm (10-inch) subwoofer.

The FDS Z7 driver contains its own amplification – all six channels of it! This also means the driver contains a six-layer voice coil! Yes, six voice coils within a single driver, each with its very own dedicated amplifier, all right on the voice coils. Just mind boggling and takes the idea of “Active Speakers” to a whole new level.

The amplifier itself consists of an LSI (Large Scale Integrated) chip that’s mounted inside

the driver, effectively making the system into a Full Digital System. So, from the moment the “1s” and “0s” leave the source the signal flow remains in the digital domain throughout the processing, separation, distribution and amplification. The LSI becomes the last point in the digital chain. The signal only becomes analogue with the cone’s physical movement, which then produces the sound waves.

The technology has profoundly wide implications when it comes to tuning and system configuration and space here restricts full coverage of its entire potential. However, at this stage, the Clarion FDS is unique and is at the very cutting edge of what current technology permits. Extraordinary!

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AWARDS 2017

JUDGES’ CHOICE

SONY RSX-GS9 DIGITAL MEDIA PLAYER

WWW.SONY.COM.AU

Really, how could we help ourselves? In the RSX-GS9 Digital Media Player, Sony offers a high-end product aimed squarely at our hearts here at InCar magazine – it’s purely aimed at providing the very best sound quality from the latest high-resolution music formats. And it’s a dedicated processor only – you’ll need additional amplification. Purist indeed.

Did we say multi-format and high-resolution?

Yessir. The RSX-GS9 supports ALAC (Apple Lossless) and FLAC, plus uncompressed Mac-friendly AIFF and Windows-friendly WAV. It can handle resolutions up to 24-bits and 192kHz plus Sony’s own Direct Stream Digital format (DSD) which is being more widely adopted now for mainstream releases. It can play the standard version of this, with 2.8MHz sampling from USB, and both that

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and the double rate 5.6MHz version when in USB DAC mode. Of course it also plays MP3, WMA and AAC, so your not-so-high resolution audio is fully covered. USB DAC? Yes indeed.

And the RSX-GS9 maybe a standard 1-DINsized unit but it’s made to the highest standards with beautifully-brushed aluminium fascia and superb interior circuit design. There are multiple inputs including 3.5mm Auxiliary, multiple USB including Micro-B USB and the unit also supports Bluetooth for both hands-free telephony and music streaming. The in-built USB DAC allows the direct connection of a laptop for music playback too. Plus multiple analogue outputs (including two subwoofer outputs) in common with good but more run-of-the-mill head units.

There is a full set of setup features, such as a

10-band graphic equaliser with built-in presets and customisable options, a low-pass filter for the subwoofer outputs (which can be set to mono) with eight frequencies from 50 to 250Hz and an adjustable filter slope (12 to 48dB per octave), a high-pass filter for the main speakers with similar settings and the very useful time alignment facility.

From reviewer Stephen Dawson, “Smooth sound, superb imaging, utter digital silence where appropriate: the RSX-GS9 simply delivered the sound as held in the files with total transparency. I loved it.”

And so did the judges. This is a true high-end product aimed at providing the best possible sound quality from PCM and, as a world first, from DSD formats. Love it indeed.