Inside Reports & pix - CES 2012 & Summernats
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T H E L AT ES T M O B I L E E L E C T R O N I C S T R ENDS & T E C H N I Q U ES
ISSUE#2
-Rated! -Rated! Xtreme
Alpine X 1
Bonus f old-out poster
inside!
de: ed insi w e i v e R
t! u o t a l F t anywhere e… r Fi nd mo subs a
Flying high
Falcon Ute’s tray of tremendous tech
reviewed Alpine / Eclipse / Focal / Hertz / Memphis / Mongoose / Option Audio
22 CES 2012 Las Vegas
The Consumer Electronics Show 2012
Viva Las Veg Back in Sin City for this year’s Consumer Electronics Show your intrepid editor ventures to the wondrous circus that is the Las Vegas Convention Centre for a mobile electronics pictorial report.
A
s is now the dreaded norm, the crowds were frustratingly thick through the massive halls of the LVCC with the CES organisers, once again, claiming a record attendance. Of course this makes it all the more difficult to navigate around the exhibits – so much to see and cover, so agonisingly long to get there – but with comfy shoes (thank you Ala Moana Honolulu-stop-over Sketchers store), camera and writing pad at the ready, I ventured forth to cover as much ground as possible and snap all manner of in-car tech. Much like last year, the Mobile Entertainment portion of CES was expansive, with a host of brands we’re yet to see in this country. Of course the major Japanese brands had a strong presence as always and, with the exception of JVC whose product scope in the States is dizzyingly large, most companies’ displayed components which will eventually make it to our shores. Also strong in their representation were the classic American brands and some well-known Europeans.
It was great to see a strong leaning back towards high quality audio reproduction, now that the focus is slightly softened on the now expected features such as Bluetooth, navigation and iPod control. There seemed to be more new products that were squarely aimed at SQ with most brands dedicating R&D and trickle-down technology to more affordable offerings. Also this year more than past ones, there seemed to be a number of car manufacturers displaying a well-chosen model from their line-up and, as an added attraction, some form of concept vehicle or future technology – it was almost a mini car show. Again, despite the unnavigable crowds, the lack of appropriate availability of sustenance – be it food, drink or caffeine fuel – and the near-to-capacity shuttle service from the hotel casinos, the CES mobile electronics experience showed comprehensive industry representation, once again. The CES microcosm, I believe, makes a strong statement that, clearly, our beloved industry is once again buoyant.
any, We don’t see American Bass, the comp with eye my ht caug it exhib in this country but its the bly possi quite and range ct produ its extensive . seen ever I’ve ifier ampl st large
ion room at the Clarion once again exhibited in a funct ay boards Displ ds. crow and noise Hilton away from the any used comp the and cts produ with nt ende were respl Pandora with CES to launch a new range of Head Units revised with and alia) Austr in internet radio (not available XC here -anyw place utive dimin the GUIs. Also new are ifiers with ampl -AB) (class XR the and ifiers ampl (class-D) SRG range of gorgeous gloss black chassis. The SRQ and re a number featu and CES for speakers were also released tweeters, dome soft using ns desig axial of coaxial and multi und rolls. surro r rubbe polypropylene mid/woofers and natural
multitudes of As always, Soundstream displayed and subs in kers head units and vast numbers of spea company’s the cased show an exhibit that effectively cts produ of line iX Ingen new The . massive lines in Australia them see to hope we and ise prom ed show s. soon when they replace the current serie
as! On display at CES 2012
The mobile electronics arm of CES is predominantly spread over the North Hall with a number of exhibitors choosing to show in private suites at the Hilton Hotel (of course, in the opposite direction at the extreme South end). I’ll call it as I saw it on the day going by my trusty Nikon’s chronological image order. Earthquake once again exhibited in a sprawled open space with a cornucopia of product spanning home audio, home theatre and in-car electronics. On display were the new TNT range of products which include amplification and speakers. We liked the look of the PH series amplifiers, not to mention the massive HoLeeS subwoofer on a pedestal display. Holy Sh$t, it’s big, we say!
Australian
Entertainment#2-2012
24 CES 2012 Las Vegas centreSony’s carbon fibre-skinned Audi took an meric all-A an stage in the large exhibit as did m syste audio Sony ive mass Pick-Up truck with a ring featu epts) Conc Auto inoa Mart (installed by equally more than half a dozen amps powering an s. ludicrous amount of subwoofer
prizes for its superb amplifiers We’ve awarded Arc Audio a number of well-priced but high and new any’s but I was also shown the comp re cloth tweeters, featu kers spea new The . range quality XDi speaker new ARC Series The s. cone large magnet structures and polypropylene , convex wool plugs e phas feature carbon fibre cones with aluminium the Moto Series is new Also . overs cross ty fibre tweeters and high quali metal file tweeters. Arc featuring similar specs but with composite featuring a fully-fledged also displayed a very hot-looking motorbike rep also raved about the any MPak ARC Audio sound system. The comp which he claimed will be ssor proce l digita upcoming Arc Audio DSP PS8 hope we’ll see that here too. the bee’s knees of digital processing. We
of its multi-level exhibit. JVC once again impressed with the scale the company was also and e wher every d sprea Products galore were th s. The ‘Turn Me On’ campaign celebrating its 30 year in mobile electronic ng illustrated the idea nothi was alive and kicking at the exhibit and ing promo girls. ‘Turn stunn the by worn rts better than the logo’ed T-shi was a whole heap of new Me On’ indeed. Um, yes, product-wise there (US$89.95) through to its rangeHead Units from the single-DIN KD-R330 US$269 (there’s a host of at s topping Arsenal KD-A95BT which retail its Double-DIN units starting with c prolifi as units in between). JVC is just g with the KW-R900BT at with the US$169.95 KW-R500 and culminatin we’re very familiar with here, US$269.95. The Arsenal range, of which couple of new amplifier models. a has also received a bit of a re-vamp and and five multimedia units units ation navig Also released were four new for US$1,299.95. with the range-topping KW-NT800HDT going
Australian
Entertainment#2-2012
s exhibit Reminiscent of CES 2011 was Pioneer’ in a years few a (the garage theme has been used an with lete comp ges) chan r mino row now with some the n pardo ing, boom any’s comp the of amalgamation So perched up pun, DJ/club business and the in-car arm. as a form tunes ing spinn on a high stage was a lady DJ ded inclu is that re featu ax Mixtr of promotion for the being idea the cts, produ r in-ca new the on many of the new that smart software technology in-built into sound and itions trans head units will provide DJ-style s. song een betw d adde lly atica effects that are autom more and ology techn more re featu cars st “Today’s newe nas, Carde music options than ever before,” said Ted s Division of Director of Marketing for the Car Electronic ed to offer excit are “We Inc. ) (USA Pioneer Electronics
for consumers aftermarket products that provide a way and portable tions unica comm c, musi t lates the to add car they the to y device connectivity safely and easil
already own.” units To this end, new classy-looking 1-DIN head with the DEHng starti less, no seven ay, displ on were on through 2400UB at the princely sum of US$90 and 30. All US$2 at 0BH P940 to the range-topping DEHthree top the and s input iary auxil , feature USB input ode’ which ‘AppM re featu All ooth. Bluet re featu ls mode music is allows navigation of iPhone/iPod apps while sees also range PRS The being played or streamed. 80PRS DEHthe in unit head new a of n the introductio ifier ampl nnel (US$350) and PRS-D800 bridgeable 2-cha way. their on (US$300). New AVIC units are also
JVC’s comrades-in-arms Kenwood was s showing its eXcelon series of electronic r in-ca of t which featured the full gamu tech from very classy-looking 1-DIN head to units (the KDC-BT952HD looks a doozy), HD multimedia touchscreen units (DNX9990 kers spea , is equally impressive), amplifiers and almost-flat cone subwoofers. Centrally the parked was a gorgeous Lamborghini with Kenwood works.
many of the company’s NESA represented its products well with moulds (mainly Kia INTEQ and VST head units and custom dash n were the Encore show Also and Hyundai) available on display. capable. very d looke that cts TSPower amplification produ
CES 2012 Las Vegas 27
Last stop along the never-ending span of the LVCC was the large Alpine stand. Sparsely furnished, the stand was a great relief in terms of physical navigation and one could spend some time here and really absorb product information in a peaceful ambience. I hadn’t seen the ‘Bassworx’ enclosure subs from Alpine before and the stand featured a number of sizes and shapes that have been designed with the existing subwoofer drivers in mind (we hope they’ll be available in Australia soon). While on subwoofers, the company displayed the new Type-R and Type-E subs that we’ll be seeing soon,
I’d say. Also new was the INE-Z928HD head unit which looked very promising with the world’s largest aftermarket touchscreen at 8-inches and is ultrafeatured, although some of these, like Pandora for example, won’t apply to us in this country. Installation kits will be available in the US for fitting into the most popular vehicles while a standardsized version of the INE-Z928HD is in the works. New reverse cameras were on show as fitted to a rather temperamental small remote controlled car that punters could attempt to park while watching the image on an Alpine head unit.
One of the largest exhibits was Directed any’s Electronics’ and it covered the comp ms as Viper car alarm and communication syste tStart Smar The s. brand well as the Orion and Polk n withi ioned ment been has concept from Viper has idea the and times of er numb a s these page and now extended to iPad use. On a different ive mass the n show rather amusing note, I was its have to had that Orion HCCA 152 sub from sub to magnet structure removed in order for the actually fit within the display.
America’s JL Audio launched a new range usly of products that take discretion very serio ion ificat ampl From . range od’ lthM ‘Stea the in ding inclu (and s to speakers and to subwoofer cabling) the new JL products are diminutive and discreet. Perfect for non-blingers that appreciate quality sound.
White Cloud – The green men from the Land of the Long for the first time. iting that would be Fusion – were exhib sured subs; enclo ded moul ic On show were the new plast Both are 21. W11 EN-A the and 21 W11 the upmarket CP-A , specific sures enclo ctive attra with subs d signe smartly-de VBASS (with ol contr custom port profiles and remote bass n your flatte don’t you so 21 W11 voltage meter on the CP-A
the new Fusion car battery). Also launched at CES were mechless unit L600 CA-M the were show On . head units vers. All are recei and the CA-CD700 and CA-CD800 CD prices yet No built. well well-featured and seemed very at the red Pictu . soon alia Austr in but we will see those ger and Mana ct Produ l Globa anyi Batty Les stand were . Glenn Orr Head of Region NZ/Asia/Pacific
Australian
CES 2012 was very successful despite its changed timing to mid-week. The LVCC was just as crowd-packed as in past years and perhaps even more so (a somewhat different story over at the Venetian’s High Performance Audio exhibits where crowds were thin on Day 1). We look forward to 2013 and the tech wonders that we’ll see at the largest consumer electronics show in the world. Entertainment#2-2012
pt F125; Boy, we love the Mercedes Benz conceisn’t too we want one! Below that, the SLK Coupeone... scruffy either, we can slum it with that
s
Car makers at CES’s ts mobile electronics exhibi edes Benz came The first of the car manufacturers that I it exhib large a across was Kia who had with several of their current models. Of interest was the concept ‘Naimo’ with iPadstyle control screen and ancillary smaller of dash-mounted touchscreen. All manner ns scree the on ayed displ be information can ation inform full a of one is pt conce and Kia’s hub within the car environment. Similarly, Chevrolet (Holden to us Aussies) had a demo ‘Volt’ with Samsung tablets as backseat comms and ol entertainment hubs while the driver’s contr and ble capa webcentre within the dash is can control the turning on/off of house lights, air conditioning, etc as you drive away/to your home. German car maker Mercedes Benz e had what looked like a gorgeous SLK coup d‘clou ce2 Mbra any’s comp the with fitted based’ apps and smartphone comms to the vehicle (apparently will be available
across the 2013 models). Merc is obviously on a mission to entice tech. savvy and cash-fluid customers to its ranks allow Apps will be available that will vehicle monitoring, engine diagnostics, etc. The company also displayed a show h whic , F125 the le, vehic pt conce ing stopp is constructed primarily of carbon fibre and plastics and features a whole host of technologies which will appear in future Mercedes vehicles. Within an amazing-looking display of a blinding neon brightness Audi displayed sting intere an and crop nt curre number of its little concept vehicle. The current cars featured ‘Audi Connect’ voice control systems while the little two-man concept vehicle, the ‘Urban’, was a bit of a mystery its in terms of overall technology aside from being electrically powered engine and eight clad in the latest fashion attire of lightw carbon fibre.
Chevrolet assistant demonstrates the latest Volt communication systems in the US-version
s tion s Kia’s tablet-based in-dash communicavehic le systems in the company’s Naimo concept Australian
Entertainment#2-2012
36 falcon xr8 ute ities great opportun ts en es pr e Ut The Aussie of flash stems with lots sy g bi l al st in to rd XR8 the this expansive Fo In . ry nt ne po m co ial‌ its full potent to n ke ta is t ep conc
f o y a Tr
excell Story ED KRAMER Images TONY RABBITTE
37
f
lence Australian
Entertainment#2-2012
38 falcon xr8 ute
Although not necessarily the best environment for audio, the Ute presents some scenarios which open doors to a whole heap of audio gear. With a large tray at the mercy of any smart installer, the expanse of space can be used to mount subwoofers in various configurations while still fitting all the supporting amplification in a visually exciting way, taking full advantage of the available space.
Tray of goodies
This XR8 has been decked with some of those ideas as the firm mandate; its chockers with terrific
components. Let’s start the story right there because there’s a heap to talk about. For starters, the system has been specified with Clarion as the major brand provider of electronics, speakers and subwoofers. The tray cover features a speaker pod, covered in blue vinyl, which is home to a pair of Clarion speakers, but with a twist. In an opposing left/right configuration to the pair on the tail gate, there’s one SRP1620M speaker aimed in one direction and one SRP6920M 6x9 speaker facing in the other. The opposite configuration, as explained, features centrally on the tail gate. Tweeters sit just to the outsides in both set-ups.
Along the full length of the side walls, in custom MDF enclosures covered in black and blue vinyl, you’ll find the subwooferage. And there’s plenty of it too. There you’ll find four Clarion PXW1251 12-inch subwoofers magnet out. Two further Clarion WF2510 10-inch subs are mounted inside on either side behind the front seats. Mounted on small plinths along the black vinyl-covered tray floor (which was heavily treated with Dynamat) are two Clarion XH7110 amplifiers. Up against the cabin wall sits vertically a 32-inch Hisense LCD TV, ideal for Show time. The tray floor is further adorned with a nicely inset ‘XR’ in blue vinyl contrasting the black. A similar accent
Australian
Entertainment#2-2012
40 falcon xr8 ute
“...it looks a million bucks and we’re sure it also sounds it...”
41
Driver Lic ence
Australian
Incar Ente rtainment Name: Wa yne Antho ny Car: 2003 Ford XR8 Ute
1. What go
t you into
Because m
usic has to
car electr
onics? sound good
2. How lo ng have yo u been in to it for? It’s been m y long time dream 3. Occupat ion? Painter 4. Favouri te music fo r testing au RnB and H dio gear? ip Hop and all big bass CDs 5. Dream car?
Ford Falcon 6. Other h
XP
obbies/in
terests? olf, doing-up cars 7. Where to next? Getting my Ford XD U te ready fo r shows an sound syst d puttin em Football, G
g in anothe
Australian
r
Entertainment#2-2012
42 falcon xr8 ute
decorates the top of the subwoofer enclosures, this time depicting the Ute’s registration: ‘BAD 8’. On the tray cover and just in front of the speaker pod is another pod that houses three 9-inch LCD monitors. The audio componentry continues on in the cabin where, as described above, the Clarion WF2510 subwoofers sit either side of the seats. Right behind the seats on a blue-covered vinyl baffle – actually an extension of the centre console – sits a 7-inch LCD screen directly above a Clarion XH5410 4-channel amplifier which runs a set of Clarion SRP1620M splits with their tweeters mounted high on the A-pillar. The whole shebang is fed via the excellent Clarion VZ5091A head unit.
Interior and exterior beauty
The Ute is also quite the stunner in and out. The blue colour scheme is continued on the inside with the
black leather contrasted with blue accents. In fact the interior is customised as far as the seats, the dash, the centre console, the door trim, etc with most of it in contrasting blue. The exterior is quite racy too. We’re talking ‘Bad 8’ custom silver stripes along the sides in contrast to the metallic blue body paint. The body kit is a mean stunner with further embellishments, such as the chromed multi-spoke wheels (with their own blue metallic accents) and multi-vented bonnet with central air scoop, taking the look at step up in terms of visual assault.
Conclusion
owner:
Wayne Anthony 2003 Ford XR8 Ute
vehicle:
engine: 5.4L Boss 260 transmission: 5-speed manual exhaust: Full Hurrican with Pacemaker Headers clutch: Exedy clutch kit wheels: 8.5x20-inch tyres: 225x35 R20 front, 245x35 R20 rear
system source: Clarion VZ5091A game console: Nintendo Wii front speakers: Clarion SRP1620M splits
Much is to be said about this glorious Ute. The XR8 has a powerhouse of an engine which is way too powerful for the vehicle’s standard weight. Given the amount of electronics, speakers and subwoofers on board, we’d say the power to weight ratio is now a tad more even. It looks a million bucks and we’re sure it also sounds it. This is truly a beaut Ute.
rear speakers: Clarion SRP1620M and SRP6920 splits subwoofers: 2 x Clarion WF2510 and 4 x Clarion PXN1251 front and rear amplifiers: Clarion XH5410 4-channel amplifier sub amplifiers: 3 x Clarion XH7110 monoblocks front screen: 1 x 9-inch TFT monitor rear screen: 3 x 9-inch TFT monitors, 2 x Clarion 7-inch monitors and 1 x 32-inch Hisense LCD TV wiring: Zero gauge battery: Standar plus Optima batteries lighting: Down lights sound deadening: Dynamat installed by: Autobarn Campbelltown by Ben McLeod total build time: 2 months total system component cost: $7000 credits: The team at Autobarn Campbelltown and Pedders at Bankstown
Australian
Entertainment#2-2012
50 Mongoose Q222 Receiver with GPS navigation
AUDITION Reviewer: Marty Price
Taking the quality-to-price ratio to a new level. When it comes to reviewing flagship double-DIN navigation head units the offerings from the larger companies become much of a muchness in that they’re all similarly featured, offer similar connectivity and all lie within a similar price range. This can lend itself to a certain degree of apathy as you go through the motions of auditioning and reporting on them with very little differentiation. However every so often one comes along that makes you stand up and take notice. Or if you’re one of the aforementioned larger Japanese manufacturers you might instead want to sit down before you read this. While Mongoose has become famous over the last few decades for its security systems recently it branched out into the audio visual facet of the market, first with the Q360 roof mount monitor, which we were most impressed with, and now with its first doubleDIN navigation head unit. The problem for the competition is that not only does the new Q222 possess the same qualities as their units do; it’s also over a thousand dollars cheaper.
Monster Mongoose Reading the above may cause you to wonder “Amost half price? what’s the catch?”. However I’m quite serious when I say the Q222 is the complete audio visual package. Sure, it needs some plug-in modules for things like
digital TV but so do all the rest. Immediately upon startup you’re first presented with the radio mode so I’ll start my report there. The radio tuner chip is a powerful new variant that provides for a much cleaner reception even on AM – to that end there are 12 AM presets and 18 FM presets incorporated. The disc mechanism within the Q222 plays all the standard hardware such as DVD/ CD/VCD and software of most types including AVI/MPEG4/MP3/WMA/AAC/DivX/WMV and so on. Variable bit rate tracks don’t pose a problem either which is refreshing. Getting your music and videos into the unit is easy thanks to an abundance of digital and analogue connectivity that comes in the way of a USB port, SD card reader and 3.5mm analogue jack, all housed beneath a small cover on the face, while hanging from the rear is an iDevice plug. In addition to these inputs there are the usual audio/visual inputs including provision for a reverse camera. Output wise there are 4-volt front, rear and subwoofer pre-outs and twin audio visual outputs for things like head rest monitors. If you’re simply running this deck into the speakers there is a powerful internal MOSFET amplifier which offers 45 watts maximum into each channel (around 16 watts continuous) and lastly there is provision for your factory steering wheel controls to be hard wired to the unit in addition to a hand held IR remote control.
Moving from the physical ins and outs to the software on board; the basic system, like most, runs from a Windows-based operating system. Sound processing abilities are not in-depth but beyond the standard balance, fader and loudness there’s a 3-band equaliser built-in. This isn’t parametric although it does offer various pre-set modes if you’re not sure how to set it yourself. Time alignment has also been omitted but there is a crossover control that offers low-pass (60Hz/80Hz/100Hz/200Hz), mid-pass (500Hz/1kHz/1.5kHz/2.5kHz) and high-pass (10kHz/12.5kHz/15kHz/17.5kHz). The subwoofer controls include a level control in addition to a low-pass filter which can be set to 80Hz, 120Hz or 160Hz. Looking at the physical design of the unit, the first thing you’ll notice is how sharp the resolution is. This is because the 16:9 ratio, 6.2inch wide anti-reflective thin film LCD screen boasts a superior resolution of 480x800 which is more than double some of its competition. This coupled with the smaller screen (i.e. it’s not 7-inches plus) means the Q222 has one of the cleanest screens on the market today. Naturally both PAL and NTSC are supported and on the left hand side is the main rotary commander knob in addition to a couple of the main control buttons and the input panel. The entire face is finished with a neat blend of gloss and flat black. Overall the unit looks
AUDITION
pretty clean and will look right at home in many a dashboard. When it comes to the navigation I pray you’ve used a deck with it before because the manual included hardly makes a mention of the navigation portion of the deck. In any case, the Q222 is loaded with the latest iGo map software and is packed with features including spoken voice instructions and a fully-programmable point-of-interest (POI) database. It also contains red light and speed camera locations, school zones, railway crossings, speed limits and the map can be switched between two and three dimension perspective. The software of course is completely updateable too. The last element to discuss is the Bluetooth functionality. The version it uses is 2.0 meaning the older incompatibility issues are largely gone (although Nokia still haven’t completely come to the party). The Bluetooth is primarily designed to allow the deck to function as a phone kit handling all your calls and contact details. However besides this the Bluetooth chipset also allows you to stream your music from any device capable of doing so. Multiple phones can be synchronised with the deck at once and the microphone is built into the face so you don’t need to worry about finding a spot in your cream interior for an ugly black microphone. After recently reviewing some other 2-DIN decks which offered considerably less ability for much more price, then not finding anything majorly untoward regarding the Q222’s abilities, I turned my attention to looking for short falls in the build quality. Opening it up for inspection I was surprised to find the internals
TECH SPECS
Mongoose
Q222 DVD Receiver with GPS navigation Type: Double-DIN 6.2-inch flat screen with DVD, VCD, CD and MP3 ability. Navigation, Bluetooth and iPod control included Power Handling: 4 x 18 watts continuous, 4 x 45 watts maximum Features: Basic sound processing, 6.2-inch touchscreen, multiple digital and analogue inputs and outputs, reverse camera input, iGo GPS software, version 2.0 Bluetooth Cost: $1099 Contact: Mongoose Australia on 02 9482 4444 Web: www.mongoose.com.au
• Bright and sharp screen • Full features list • Well-built • Marginal distortion at its upper power range limits
not only neatly laid out on a well-designed plan, but the components and parts employed within are also of a good level of quality. Sitting among the components of course is the disc mechanism with what is perhaps a stranger looking suspension system to what I’m used to but you cannot argue with its effectiveness – during my audition time it didn’t skip once. The rear end of the unit where the cable plugs enter and attach to the circuit board is also reinforced making the complete picture of one very solid design overall.
Mongoose in a box The Q222 is extremely well packed inside a somewhat colourful container and inside you’ll find everything required to get the unit in and functioning, including a clearly labeled RCA loom, main power loom, GPS antenna, iPod adaptor cable and a USB adaptor cable. This last cable is especially important because when you open the face cover you’ll discover that the USB input is in fact a mini-USB. This is fine for us because we have a myriad adaptors here at our office but it would be downright infuriating if you’d spent all afternoon at home installing the deck only to find you then had to head back to the shops for an adaptor. Especially after you’ve consumed half a case of beer while playing home installer. Setting the deck up is easy enough but this is more attributed to the logical layout of the menu schema than the instruction manual which is pretty thin on info to say the least. Even programming the steering wheel remote control is easy, which is refreshing because this is usually one headache even experienced installers don’t look forward to. However with the Q222 it only took a few minutes in our test car. So with the feature to price ratio being perhaps the best we’ve ever seen, and the build quality being above par, would the Q222 stumble at the last hurdle of auditioning? I started out as usual by outputting the sound straight into the real time analyser to measure the frequency response. The output of the unit is relatively flat although it does seem to have a little more bass and treble boost than most others – to the tune of about a 2dB rise from 160Hz down and 10kHz and up. However the level controls built in the EQ happen to be centered on these points so by turning them down to -1 /0/-1 on bass/mid/treble respectively you can flatten the response right out. Once the unit is tuned and the gains set to match the amplifier, the unit is quite nice sounding although it does tend to begin the distortion some distance from the top end. But if you’re using a larger amplifier and have an installer who knows how to match gains correctly using an oscilloscope instead of raw ears you could easily defeat this. Despite this distortion at the extreme end there is still very little hiss which is fantastic performance for a deck with this price tag. The image is the unit’s strong point though – the combination of the smaller 6.2-inch screen, ultra-high pixel count and the bright LED back lighting making
Clarion’s InCar Award-winning VX401A has many of the same features and is priced at $699 but does not feature GPS navigation
Orion’s AVR6.1 provides the same features, including GPS but at a price hike of $1899 and is the closest competition in price point
the image crystal clear, accurate and brilliantly vibrant. Even without mention in the instruction book I setup and used the navigation without issue. It’s not quite the behemoth that some navigation systems are but don’t let’s forget what the entire purpose of navigation is to get you from point A to point B quickly and safely. Sure you won’t be able to program septillion points of interest but believe me with the builtin POI database plus allowance for more than enough of your own, you’ll quickly be getting told where to go with the best of them.
Conclusion Overall the Q222 is one scary unit – not for us consumers but for the larger multimedia conglomerates. If you sit down and eyeball the specification and feature list of the Q222 it doesn’t have absolutely everything. But then you notice it’s nigh on a thousand dollars cheaper than most of the other brands, and that’s when you realise the competition must be actually sweating it and hoping you don’t discover Mongoose’s latest Q222 multimedia offering before buying theirs. A superb value indeed.
SIGNIFICANT OTHERS
52
56 Focal 165W-RC 2-way component speakers
AUDITION Reviewer: Marty Price
Top class components at a middle class price. Let us start by posing a hypothetical dilemma most companies would die for. In your 2011 stable you have arguably the world’s best component speakers and subwoofers, as evidenced by the enormous number of accolades Focal’s Utopia drivers have accumulated over the years. However faced with the challenge of producing something new for 2012, where do you go from here? You don’t achieve the tentative title of ‘best speakers in the world’ without investing a heap of coin and, to this end, some of the Utopia range (such as the Grande drivers); are well into six figure territory. So making them superior (and ultimately more expensive) would achieve boasting rights but wouldn’t elevate the company’s sales figures a significant amount. Ever the innovator, Focal instead decided to go the other way; taking the technologies and materials utilised in the acclaimed Beryllium range and injecting them into a new range of speakers designed to sit a level beneath the flagship model. The issue though was typical of Focal; the further it ventured off into designing the new range, the more of the Beryllium technology was employed at no extra expense to you – to the point where if it wasn’t for the magnet and crossover looking completely different, you’d swear the new 165W-RC components were in fact the full tilt Utopia Kit-6 component set.
Fancy exotics The Beryllium series of components are the pinnacle of Focal’s car audio drivers, demonstrating the epitome of French engineer-
ing technology and, although the 165W-RC are technically a level below, they employ so much of the same technology that they almost deserve placement with the Beryllium family anyway. Removing the components individually allows you to again appreciate the unprecedented build quality. Sadly you don’t get an alloy rifle case with these components but what you do get are two 165mm midrange drivers and two crossovers which are large but still a far cry from the titanic ‘crossblock’ included with the Kit-6 component set. Last but not least are the tweeters that give the component set its title. Also contained within is plenty of mounting hardware and fasteners which are silver plated to complete the overall design look. Seeing as the entire range derives its name from the tweeter material, let us start by examining what makes this smaller driver so unique. Both the Beryllium material and the inverted dome diaphragm shape are trademarks of Focal and are the result of decades of experimentation and development. The biggest enemy of any moving diaphragm is physical distortion, so for years companies have invested big dollars in looking for more and more exotic materials which offer strength and light weight. Despite their diminutive size this rings especially true for tweeters because they have to change direction literally tens of thousands of times a second and retain their shape with near perfection. Starting out in the early years researching various fibre and elemental materials for the tweeter designs, Focal soon turned its attention to the actual shape of the dome rather
than concentrating so much on the material. It was here that the engineers developed the reverse dome design and, because of the shape, you get extreme strength against physical deformation in addition to superior dispersion characteristics. So much so that Focal patented and began designing all its high-end tweeters in this way. The rest as they say is history. The design hasn’t changed in years because, after all, if it isn’t broken then why fix it? So when the time came nearly a decade ago to start on a new flagship range of components, Focal retained the diaphragm shape but began looking for a superior material to the titanium and silk it had been utilising. Hence the Beryllium concept was born – here was a material that was stronger than most other elements and at the same time much lighter. Beryllium only has two real downsides; the first is that’s its extremely rare and hard to refine and the second is that it’s quite toxic to humans. It has a density 2.5 times lower than Titanium while its rigidity is roughly triple. Sure it’s more expensive too but in using a Beryllium dome Focal achieves rigidity around seven times that of titanium despite it having the same mass. The surround holding this inverted dome in place is made from a material named Poron and the simplest way to describe it would be as synthetic rubber which is extremely strong but ultra-flexible at the same time. Turning the tweeter over reveals a robust machined zinc alloy frame which was chosen for its magnetic properties. Living within this frame is the tweeter’s powerful motor which is comprised of a neodymium magnet assembly surrounding a double layer,
20-millimeter, 6-ohms voice coil that is wound on an aluminum former. Around this motor is a specially designed multi-chamber labyrinth that angles back waves away from the underside of the dome while on the side are two clear Perspex terminal plugs with small gold plated terminals. Starting at the top of the larger driver; the 165mm composite “W” fibre cone is actually a far improved version of the early Poly-K sandwich cone material developed during the eighties and used on the old Utopia speakers. The ‘W’ design is quite a complex one and starts with two fine tissues of woven glass that are lighter and thinner than aramid fibers commonly found in other cones. The molecular bond between these materials is also far superior and the resulting cone design mechanically boasts far superior strength and stiffness against compression force. Between these two layers is a third foam layer and, by varying the thickness of the foam, the internal damping of the moving structure remains very controlled. The relationship between the thickness of the glass tissue layers and the foam core allows engineers to carefully optimize the performance range of the cone structure for certain frequencies depending on the particular application the driver will see.
Focal point Moving away from the cone the speaker has a butyl rubber surround and a soft material dust cap that has the Focal logo embossed on it in the centre. The entire magnetically-inert Zamak frame is constructed from aluminium and is powder coated grey while the machined
If you want to jump into hyperspace, the Audison Thesis 2-ways are at the far reaches of the Universe at $4947 and actually compete with Focal’s Utopia range
actually sitting between real bass drums. Even when playing actual extended notes, from the lower tuned acoustic and electric instruments such as tuba, viola, oboe, bass guitar and so on through to the higher range flute, violin, trumpet, guitar and so on, this component set adds a lifelike sound I’ve not heard in years from a component set. Another thing, also quite unusual with component sets, is the crossover’s performance in the transitions from the lows to the highs is almost flawless. Most crossovers need a partial or complete reworking to achieve a seamless blend between driver roll-offs once the car’s interior is factored in. Listening to the highs you again appreciate why these tweeters have amassed such adoration. They’re clinically accurate and crystal clear to the point where you’ll hear details never before noticed. But there is something else about their output that makes them so special. It’s that their sound is as close to the real instrument as you’ll get a speaker producing – to the point by which you may need to be a musician, or be intimately familiar with musical instruments, to truly gain an appreciation of just how impressive they sound.
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Conclusion Okay so the Utopia component sets might be a little beyond Mr and Mrs Joe Citizen fiscally speaking. However the 165W-RC component set has been designed with this in mind and, thanks to the price tag being significantly less, Focal has now given the aforementioned Citizen family a chance to buy into this prestigious class of what can only be described as speaker royalty.
Focal
165W-RC 2-way component speakers Type: 6.5-inch and 1-inch 2-way component speakers Power handling: 80 watts continuous, 160 watts maximum Frequency Response: 60Hz – 30000Hz Impedance: 2-ohms midrange, 6-ohms tweeter Cost: $1999 Contact: Focal Australia on 02 9724 6070 Web: www.focalaustralia.com.au
• Astounding sound quality • Extraordinary build quality • Large main driver may be difficult to install
TECH SPECS
SIGNIFICANT OTHERS
The Dynaudio Esotec System 242 is a price point lower at $1149 and has been around for some time
surfaces are all brightly polished. Keeping the motor concentric below the cone is a raised progressive spider and hanging below this is the key component that sets this midrange aside from the flagship midrange. Here it features a larger strontium magnet rather than the neodymium one. Around the frame, just above the magnet, are the air expulsion vents and these coupled with the 8mm intake pole vent allow the motor a continuous power handling of 80 watts. The suspension is stiff enough to handle peak bursts of 160 watts before you run the risk of bottoming the Kapton 32mm former containing the 2-ohms copper voice coil on the machined back plate. The terminal plate is also located on the side of the frame next to these vents. The largest component of the 165W-RC set of course are the crossovers and although these come housed in a beautifully-finished Perspex case, sadly they’re not a patch on the cross-block. They run an open wall design with four posts holding a smoked black Perspex cover featuring the Focal logo on top. Removing the cover for inspection I found that despite the crossovers being from the lesser component set, the high quality standard is still retained. From the two large air-core coils and capacitors that form the 12dB/octave switchable 2.5kHz/3.5kHz filters through to the two massive resistors which form part of the 0dB/-3dB tweeter attenuation circuitry, the components are all top-notch although now they all just have Focal printed on them as opposed to their actual brand names. Installation of the 165W-RC might not be so straightforward in your target car because of the midrange’s large physical size. Because of the strontium employment the midrange’s magnet diameter overall is larger although the mounting depth still remains at 72mm. However, when it came to installation and setting these up in the test car, it ended up being a reasonably easy fit as we use the Kit-7 as our reference. It was just a case of swapping drivers. This also meant that there was a set of A-pillars ready to hold the 165WRC tweeters too. So after bolting both the midranges and tweeters in place we headed out for a day of listening. Given their strong pedigree we did have extremely high expectations and they didn’t disappoint provided you do a little experimenting with the settings in order to optimise the sound. Once you do have them finally setup though, sit back and you’ll immediately start to appreciate why the Utopia sound has become famous worldwide. The midbass drivers are very strong and extremely accurate in their articulation and, thanks to the combination of smart suspension design and the sandwich fibre cone, they resist physical deformation extremely well. This is especially important during the ultra-high speed reciprocating tones such as those associated with the blast beats of someone like Gene Hoglan or Raymond Herrera. Indeed they kick with such force and accuracy that you’ll believe you’re