Table of contents for Issue 3 2016 in InCar Entertainment

JVC’s KW-V820BT multimedia head unit features a whole host of technologies including Apple’s CarPlay. With CarPlay the high-resolution 6.8-inch WVGA touch screen – which is flanked by a touch-sensitive button array on the right hand side – acts as the nerve centre to tasks such as Siri access for hand-free commands that can be applied to sending and receiving texts, listening to voicemail and accessing Apple Maps and all manner of App functionality. Android smartphones are also catered for via JVC’s Smartphone Control App which mirrors your Android device’s screen and allows full control via the head unit. The KW-V820BT extends its feature set to include the latest Bluetooth HFP1.6- and AVRCP1.5-enabled chip with improved voice fidelity, hands-free telephony, of course, and audio streaming. The in-built digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) is…

What 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…

With unrivalled off-road capabilities, Alpine’s 8” Navigation Station admirably complements a range of Toyota vehicles including the all-new 2016 LandCruiser 200 Series. Outstanding feature comforts help to make sure you’ll always arrive safe, refreshed and relaxed, wherever the destination. Convenience is enhanced through seamless vehicle integration as well as advanced smartphone connectivity. What’s more, incorporating an incredible database of 4WD maps with off road tracks, camping POI’s and streamlined “One Look” display technology gives you control to tackle Australia’s harshest environments in true Alpine style. Alpine’s 8” Multimedia Navigation Station is as reliable and hard working as your Toyota Landcruiser 200 series. Premium navigation will guide you every step of the way, while the built-in Bluetooth provides hands-free phone and audio streaming. Whether you’re driving around town or heading off-road…

The response graph we use to support each review is a two-dimensional snapshot of what a real time analyser (RTA) measures electrically or hears acoustically. With its calibrated microphone near the driver’s left ear in each test vehicle’s cabin and a test CD playing a special pink noise tone (all frequencies at the same level) via the car’s sound system, this gives us a more objective and consistent view of its linearity and tonal balance. There are a number of other crucial factors of course, but System Accuracy, and its tonal repercussions, is very important. So what does good car sound actually look like? Well, if we asked that on global enthusiast forums chances are we’d get opinions ranging from a flat line from the purists to a smiley face…

Charlie Lewis: What originally got you into customising cars? Ryan Friedlinghaus: It was just something I loved doing ever since I was a kid; customising bikes and skateboards then what was next, well obviously you start driving so it was your car. So really I think it was just in my blood. CL: Do you remember what the first car you customised was? RF: Yep, it was a 1987 Mazda B2000 pickup truck it was my first car and the first I customised. CL: What is your all-time favourite car that you’ve customised? RF: My favourite car… probably my 1950 Merc you saw down there. It’s probably my favourite all-time and my dream vehicle. It’s one of those things I’ve always wanted since I was a kid. I figured I…

Each month bears witness to products aplenty shuffling through our office’s door, many of which are receivers. This precipitates auditions, which ultimately begets reviews. As one would imagine, the question is often posed as to what makes a good receiver. A fairly logical question, though the answer is not always met with immediate agreeance… because having every feature in the world is not always conducive to a receiver being good. The sad reality for all technical devices worldwide is that the more functionality you have on-board the more memory it consumes, and you may’ve gleaned that the physical chassis dimensions of your standard double-DIN receiver aren’t growing anytime soon. This means that the chipsets for all that ‘stuff’ must fit within these physical confines, and this is where the technological…

Fusion products have been in the Australian marketplace for some years now and along the way have developed an enviable reputation for both performance and in particular, exceptional value. The Fusion EN-AB1102 10-inch Active Wedge Subwoofer continues the tradition. Sporting a Composite cone 10-inch Encounter driver (although the actual cone area measures 9-inches) with one of the stiffest and thickest rubber surrounds I’ve seen, it’s powered by a 750 watts Class-A/B amplifier. Front ported, this sub is housed in a Trapezium Enclosure (angled panels prevent internal standing waves), measuring 347 x 334 x 472 mm. It’s covered in black felt and weighs in at more than 10kg. Features include gain and level controls on the rear, a wired remote (included) and a substantial and heavy duty wiring kit. The front…

Just landing in our market is Alpine’s new mid-level/high value multimedia head unit, the IVE-W560A. At an Australian retail price of $579 the IVEW560A represents astounding value in terms of its generous features list tied in with Alpine’s recognised high levels of quality. Also as a package incentive Alpine is offering the IVEW560A with the HCE-C91C camera for an extra $20 for $599 offering additional value. It all starts with a high-definition WVGA 6.2-inch touch screen and a built-in disc mechanism able to handle DVD, VCD, Xvid, MPEG-4, CD, MP3, WMA, USB video playback and more. The delights of internet radio are available via Pandora while the unit also caters for good ole’ AM/FM radio via its in-built receiver. Full iPod and smart phone compatibility is available and the unit…

Kenwood’s non-navigation flagship multimedia head unit is the DDX9016DABS and as the rather long nomenclature implies, it carries on-board DAB+ digital radio, a feature that is becoming almost ubiquitous in top-end decks. Priced at $1099 recommended retail, the unit features a 7-inch high-resolution WVGA capacitive screen – this means that the touch screen will behave in a similar way to your smartphone’s in terms of responsiveness and speed. Included in its vast features list is Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto App-based functionality and control (including Siri). Also featured are multiple inputs and outputs including dual USB, auxiliary, two camera inputs and three 4-volts pre-outs. The latest Bluetooth iteration is included with AAC for high quality audio streaming and Profile 1.6 for echo-free and clear telephony with fulltime connection of two…

Our last issue brought you a comprehensive report from Las Vegas’ Consumer Electronics Show 2016. Space and layout limitations didn’t allow this important section of the report to be included so we bring it to you here and now… The show may be done and dusted now for a few months but the exhibits’ quality, tech and ideas still resonate strongly. CAR SHOWS Ford America introduced the new and improved 2017 Ford GT supercar. As the official vehicle of the CES the all new Ford GT celebrates the 50th anniversary of Ford GT race cars’ placing 1st-2nd-3rd at the 1966 24 hours of Le Mans. Exploring around in Ford’s monstrous show stopping booth, I spied Ken Block’s Gymkhana Ford Fiesta with mods to push 650 HP out of the four…

It’s the age of communication and in this wide and vast island of ours the mobile phone has been an ubiquitous tool to remain in touch, even in outback Australia and other remote areas of the country. Of course, amplification of the mobile phone antenna reception becomes all the more important in such situations. So in the 4WD space a good and reliable antenna may make, at best, the difference between being immobile for some time and getting back on the road asap or, at worst, the difference between life and death. AudioXtra distributes the Axis range of high quality antennas of which the CLR8 is the all bells-and-whistles model (yes, there is such a thing in the antenna world). The CLR8 is suitable for use in a wide range…

Spanish automotive technology research and developer Ficosa is about to launch into production with a novel system for viewing the environment around the vehicle which may prove to be extremely useful on the 4WD track and trail. To be labelled ‘CMS’ (Camera Monitor System), the system aspires to provide an alternative to the rear and side view mirrors (with the dreaded blind spots relegated to history…) by using a series of cameras strategically placed around the vehicle. In-vehicle screens display views from around the car’s immediate vicinity. Aside from providing the obvious extra safety element, the system has enormous potential (Ficosa has been granted a number of patents, we’re told) for the inclusion in the multitude of systems required in the developing autonomous car. Víctor Iglesias, Ficosa’s Systems Architect states,…

It’s not often we get to cover a world-famous shop, let alone one that’s on television. Yes, here we bring you the highly renowned West Coast Customs located in Burbank, California. In other pages in this issue, we featured a phenomenal 2006 Porsche 991 Turbo S wide body convertible built by the professional team at West Coast Customs. It shows how the crew at WCC is professionally trained and capable of displaying their fine craftsmanship skills. And it’s quite simple really… call in or stop by and you can have your own vehicle rebuilt and redesigned for uniqueness that will be beyond your wildest dreams. A graphic designer will sit down and go over your own vehicle and analyse and interpret what your visions are to get your rendering done…

Confucius once proclaimed that “life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” I’ve found the same can be applied to car audio, especially where receivers are concerned. Many manufactures are nowadays attempting to cram so much functionality into receivers that most tend to become mired in the aforesaid abilities; bogged down to the point of functioning with all the speed of the local council. Seldom do any emerge exactly covered in glory, and this phenomenon only grows more relevant pertaining to single-DIN chassis; whereby real estate for chip sets is an extremely sparse commodity. Pretty soon the wisdom of age becomes a mitigating factor, thus highlighted beautifully here in the new CDE-196DAB receiver from Alpine. EXPERT FUNCTIONS Experience has taught this Japanese behemoth not only what to…

As this reviewer has noted in the past, db Drive products have developed an enviable reputation worldwide. Their marketing claims of “Fidelity, Accuracy and Purity” and “The Return to Sound” are more than just the usual hype. This organisation seems to have a genuine interest in making sure their products actually meet the market’s expectations, and in some cases exceed them by a fair margin. Not just in terms of sound quality and output, but also in the less noticeable (but equally important) areas of build quality – including the internal, less visible build quality. Ease of installation, logic of wiring layout and access to controls have all been considered, making their products some of the most popular among the installers we’ve spoken with. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The NEO range of…

The car is the latest battleground for IoT (the Internet Of Things), with the Ford-owned software company Livio using CES to show proof-of-concept for integrating Control4’s smart-home technology as an app in a connected car. Using an Android phone and a Toyota head-display unit, the Control4 demo was accomplished by leveraging SmartDeviceLink (SDL) technology, Livio’s open-source software designed specifically to integrate Internet functionality into vehicles. The Control4 app syncs with the head unit to access and control smart-home devices such as thermostats, lights, locks and garage doors, right from the driver’s seat. The app can initiate automation scenes from the dashboard, so that the driver could touch “Arrive” before turning into the driveway to automatically turn on relevant lights, get the heat going, even transfer a current music playlist from…

There are a number of brands that inspire the enthusiast who seeks the ultimate in high quality sound. In the upper echelons one of the most revered is Italy’s Audison. In this Ford GT, owner Paul Laurence has chosen a mostly Audison system to crank out the tunes in utmost fidelity. MARVEY-LOUS INSTALL Talking audio system to start off with, the signal flow starts here with a Kenwood DDX403BT multimedia head unit neatly integrated into the dash (the system has been beautifully installed by Marvey Tech Car Audio & Security). An Audison bit One has been used to massage the sound and align all acoustic outputs, with the controller handily placed by the centre console for easy reach. Amplification is by way of Audison LRx 4.5 4-channel amplifier running front…

When Alpine set out to study the Prado driver’s car life, they had only one goal in mind: to create a high-end infotainment system that exceeds all expectations a Prado owner may have. The result is a premium infotainment system that perfectly integrates into the LandCruiser 150 Series Prado to bring the latest media compatibility, cutting-edge navigation technology and audiophile sound quality to your vehicle. Perfect vehicle integration with premium components. Performance without compromise. Welcome to Alpine Style. Explore Australia’s off-road tracks with advanced 4WD maps, featuring an all-digital 3D terrain and intuitive turn-by-turn navigation. A comprehensive database containing over 120,000km of tracks and an extensive list of POIs including campsites ensure you’ll always know where you are and what’s around you – even on the most remote of adventures.…

BMW’s reputation as a car maker catering to the driver in all of us is most embodied – not least by way of sheer relative affordability – into its middle range 3 Series offerings. Extremely popular in all global markets, the 3 Series features excellent performance and driveability, luxury, comfort and high levels of all-round quality. So it was with barely-held exuberant excitement that we arrived at the BMW press car collection depot to take possession of the 330i and put it through its paces as part of our ‘Factory Sound System Test’ semi-regular adventures. As usual, we’ll be testing the car’s overall levels of engineering, some of its safety technologies and, very importantly in our space, its audio visual systems’ capacity to talk to smart devices, navigate us to…

Once again, a great adventure unfolds for our USA reporter Charlie Lewis as he goes behind the scenes for a VIP tour of MTV’s ‘Pimp My Ride’ custom shop. It all takes place at West Coast Customs’ large headquarters located in Burbank, California. Beyond ‘Pimp My Ride’, WCC still enjoys fame via the currentlyshowing reality TV show ‘The World Famous West Coast Customs’ on the Fox Network. The show launched around February of 2011 and Season 3 is now in production. Even though ‘Pimp My Ride’s star was famous rapper Xzibit, the WCC crew and owner Ryan Friedlinghaus played a major role and were equally star-worthy behind the scenes. The West Coast Customs 60,000 square foot facility is a one-stop shop with 10 cutting edge departments offering a wide range…

It is clear that increasingly the design motivation for motor vehicle head units has been to provide devices that do all things for all people. Music, yes! Of course! But video too, both for entertainment and practical purposes (eg. for use with a reversing camera). Navigation to get you where you want to go, and hands-free telephone calls. Sony, of course, does that with the best of them. However with the RSX-GS9 it has gone back to the roots of car stereo, delivering a device designed only for pure, high fidelity audio. HI, HIGH-RES Actually, not just high fidelity, but high resolution. That is, this unit supports such formats as ALAC (Apple Lossless) and FLAC, plus uncompressed (Mac friendly) AIFF and (Windows friendly) WAV. It can handle resolutions up to…

Akin to any industry, the car audio one also has its distinguished leaders and followers and while not detracting from those who don’t feel the need to reinvent the wheel, some manufacturers like to take a different approach. They buck trends rather than conform to them, boldly forging innovative paths ahead. American manufacturer Phoenix Gold is one such manufacturer and, despite undergoing a few reboots over the last three decades, it’s garnered somewhat of a reputation for developing new technologies in order to produce superior products. ALL-IN-ONE Nothing showcases this legacy more succinctly than the new SX series components, in particular the SX1200.5 amplifier. Renowned not so much for absolutely outlandish abilities but rather as an overall package, the SX1200.5 is the penultimate culmination of everything you want in a…