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Comin soon..

2009-08-11T19:55:00.001+02:00

Welcome to the freshend up Resonance Factor.Expect previews,reviews,pics and videos of all the things that make us audio buff the nuts we really are.Stay Tuned....

JBL GTO gets stirred up

2009-01-19T23:27:00.004+02:00

JBL has launched a new(looks like a face lift to me)set of GTO components and multi element speakers to this popular range.The first noticeable difference is the new passive crossover,which now has better screw terminals than the previous GTO had(They were absolute rubbish if you ask me).Another change JBL's boffins made to the passive was o remove the +3db boost on the tweeter section.YAY JBL,that system just did not work using those MY-Ti tweeters as they were Mighty bright and sharp.Now the passives boast an incredible -6db cut off on the tweeter section,should soften those metal domes considerably.Other than a that and a new grill for the mid drivers,the GTO performance figures and specs remain pretty much the same.The most fun part I think though is the launch of a 3 way system later hopefully......

Sounds Limited now online

2009-01-19T12:37:00.003+02:00

Sounds Limited finally has it's very own website up and running.With many online specials and new products available visit www.soundslimited.com

New Kappa Amplifiers from Infinity

2009-01-19T12:28:00.003+02:00

Infinity,part of the Harman international group has launched a new range of Kappa series amplifiers consisting of three new models.A 5 channel,a 4 channel and a mono block all boasting Class D power supplies which allow for these amplifiers to have much smaller footprints without sacrificing on power delivery.These amplifiers,like with most of Infinity's products,have a really classy look to them.Top mounted gain and crossover selections make for easy access and adjustment.For more Info visit www.infinitysystems.com

Listening test:JBL P560 components

2008-10-29T20:53:00.004+02:00

I have long been an avid JBL fan,however certain aspects started drawing my attention away from the brand.So,after much decision and staring and reading,I have decided to give their new Power series speakers a good listening to,to see whether they match ,precede or dampen my expectations.

I wasn't very impressed by the previous Power series speakers as the tweeters were a bit too bright,and they were far too punchy and the mid bass was a tad bit sloppy.Anyways,enough rambling about the old & in with the new.My component set of choice are the P560C,(I know many of you are grumbling away,why 5's??). Well, to be pretty honest, I have had a lot of 5in speakers that had the potential to inspire me,even though they dint have the low end grunt that bigger drivers have,I was very keen to hear if the JBL's would fit into this category.On a side note,1 of these brands that really blew me away was the Phoenix Gold RSd series.Mighty impressive,and with a sweet price too.More on those in another review,not forgetting the formiddible Focal Polyglass range,not in everyone's pocket book range but worth the hefty price tag that they do carry.

Cosmetics & Layout
At first glance these splits have a really cool look to them.A lot of it saying more 'street appeal' with the funky rubber edged grills and silver trim with small screws around the center mesh.A Power Series logo across the center gives a clear indication of the series in the range and the aluminium JBL badges are a nice touch.Looking deeper, you can see the cone of the speaker has not changed from the previous models.JBL has stuck to using there propriety HCL cone which is a combination of two woven layers of glass fiber with an epoxy coated Nomex honeycomb core,which is exceptionally stiff yet lightweight and also helps with great effeciency.
New for the main drivers across the range are the separate connecting terminals with an extended cable,which make hooking these speakers up to factory wiring harnesses a cinch especially for when they're only needed as replacement speakers on factory systems(which to me,ofcourse, would be pretty useless).JBL claim's their power series range to be 'True Four Ohm'.Here's a little write up from their site explaining this-"All Power Series speakers feature two ohm voice coils. Original factory-installed speaker wiring in many cars is 18-22 gauge. This wire, and heating in the voice coil when power is applied, increase the impedance “seen” by the amplifier or head unit. The impedance of Power Series has been adjusted to compensate for this increase and can be safely driven by any head unit. "
The passives are a real treat compared to the previous ones.Boasting large plexi covers showing off the neat but simple layout,a -6db attenuation switch and neat and sturdy terminals,big shout out to the JBL R&D design crew,great job on the design.
Lastly,the tweeters!Finished off in a semi-gloss black they're not very different in terms of cosmetics(besides the colour and the grill)compared to the previous range.Again,taking a closer look at the tweeter domes show another change.JBL who were synonomous over the years for using metal domes have opted out of it this time.The new Power series boasts silk dome tweeters ala most European built speakers,which leads me to believe that the Harman crew in Europe were probably left with the dirty work here.

The Set Up
My listening setup is not the greatest but it has proven to be quite adaquate.I had the speaker mounted onto my 16mm MDF enclosure,and had both mid and tweeter playing on axis.Amplifier wise, I used my faithful JBL GTO4060,I initially had the splits run in for just over a week for about 10 hours continuous per day,having them wired direct to only two of the four channels.For my test I opted to bridge these splits across the four channels to see how they would fair with some decent power being fed to them.For the best signal transfer I used Audison's Sonus directional interconnects from my Kenwood source unit and Audison's Flame range speaker cable from the amplifier to the passives and from them to the speakers.I had a pair of twelves wired to another amp for integration tests.I used a Hertz DS300 in a sealed enclosure and a JBL GTO1204 Anniversary in a ported enclosure.I turned off all equalization and loudness settings as well as setting the amp to full range on the crossover setting.

Listening
Fusion
By now most of you should know that I have a very particular liking to Jazz/Fusion.I fired these babies up with some of my old time fav's....Fourplay.My track of choice on the Best of Fourplay disc was the last track featuring Phil Collins,Why can't it wait till morning.
The track opens up with some light piano work and percussion's before Phil lets that smooth voice flow.Although the percussion instruments were being played lightly,they came through clear and with a hint of sparkle.No brightness just nice and sweet.The bass guitar came through prominent and controlled,quite impressive considering the speakers overall size.(Just to make mention,as with all Harman Car audio speakers,these too have the trademark Plus-One cone technology.Which,with the use of stronger adhesives and clever mounting of the rubber surround closer to the edge of the speaker rim,gives at least 30% more cone area.)
Mid bass attack was spot on,tight and deep as this track has a rather tight bass line to it.Phil's voice gave me the sensation that he was actually peering through my demo board,three dimensionality of these speakers were really awesome with this song,and placement of instruments and Phil's movement to and fro from the mic was just stunning.As with every song I had the splits playing with and without the sub,making use of the sealed enclosure for better integration when doing more conservative sound quality listening.These splits sure integrated well with the Hertz 12,on this track showing no hint of where the sub really was,they created the effect that they were actually doing the heavies all by themselves.Overall,they sounded really smooth with this track both with the sub on and off.
Score: 8.5/10

Electronica
Breaking the slow mood with some hard,fast paced beats from my Renaissance Masters Series.The song of choice called Ahh(D'Julz Remix) by ThugF*cker(nasty name),starts with some really hard hitting bass notes constant for 20 secs before some high notes start to pitch in.Wow,these woofers punch hard,and the tweeter remained sweet as honey.Great test for stability on the woofer as the bass line carries on for quite a while before a staunch varying low tone comes through pulsating the living grief out of these speakers.Even so they remained controlled.They sure do move a lot is what I can tell you,I really jacked up the volume to this track as the mid bass punched constantly into my chest.As with most music of this type there are loads of effects that can give a great impression of space.This song is no slouch at doing this,and these speakers threw such a wide stage I got up from my seat to look behind my set up!Yes it sounded so wide and 3 dimensional.There was however a time when the tweeters did sound a tad bit soft as the mids pounded away.This is where I thought that with music that sounds this way, the attenuation button seemed utterly useless, as,when I used it,made the split sound absolutely dull.More on this with other music.So then all you dance,rave and trance fans will really love these components if the punch is what you seek.Another little feature I should mention, incorporated into these speakers that really improves the overall feel of the 'kick' from the woofer are the Low Q woofer design.Unlike conventional woofers, which normally give you this similar feeling when they reach a certain peak in the spectrum, these JBL's were designed with a flat Q,so you get that response constantly.
So deading your door panels well is going to be a must!
Score: 9/10

Jazz
Al Jarreau and George Benson made a deadly duo with their Givin' It Up album.The return of some classics remastered with an awesome recording and some great instrument use and awesome singing make this a must have to all jazz fans.
My favorite track on this album,track 5,Summer Breeze.It opens up with George playing his Jazz guitar and a tight and heavy kick drum.A lot of speakers failed hopelessly at delivering this deep, heavy bass note without breaking the guitar notes up.The JBL's fared really well.The High hats in this songs are just that High pitched.They came through crisp with awesome shimmer and the decay of the tweeter on these notes,which reminded me of the Focal tweeters,was great.However,as I mentioned before there were some notes that sounded a little softer than usual on these tweeters.I know on a lot of systems that I have listened to, the hats and High hats were quite bright,as is the overall recording on this disc.Again,i used the attenuation and it just mumbed the entire sound completely.
When the duo start singing their voices are discretely separable on certain parts of the song,I could definitely hear with very little effort where George and Al were positioned.Again as with Fourplay,these components sounded ultra smooth,without being too laid back.Turning up the volume on this track also showed that they could play at high volumes without any hint of struggle.Man have these speakers got my attention now.....
Score:8.5/10

World
Another formidable duo,Rodrigo Y Gabriela,this Mexican Duo sure know how to make guitars sound out of this world.My favorite track on this disc,Satori,was my next weapon of choice.The opening of the track sounds really meaty and at the same time woody.The meaty bit came out quite heavy on these mids,but still not being way out of proportion,and also not straining them in any way.The woody bit sounded pretty convincing too.I have been a great fan of the way Mexicans played these acoustic guitars for years,Gypsy Kings are and old time fav of mine and there music gave me pretty good reference as to how these instruments should sound.
Having read up a lot about,and watched videos of this duo,I also had a great reference as to the area they recorded this music in.A small room with wooden flooring with both guitarists playing pretty close to the microphones.
The Power's gave me excellent sense of the environment without exaggerating the area.At one stage I felt as if I was in this room with them engulfed by the sounds of the strings and wooden echo from the acoustic guitars bouncing off the wooden floors and the reverb from the walls close by.Tonally here as well,with just these two instruments being played and the occasional foot stomp and tapping of the guitar body, these components sounded fantastic.
Score:9/10

I spent days,yes days,listening to loads of different music,my all time fav's Linkin Park,some more Deep House by Jimpster and Justin Martin,Michael Jackson, Yello and so on,and regardless of what I played these splits just kept me smiling and nodding and tapping my foot away.With the two subwoofers running for testing both SQ and pounder applications,the Power's did not disappoint all except once.This one occasion however,was when listening as a pounder application,the tweeters just couldn't do enough to keep up to the roaring,rumbling bass from the ported enclosure.That said,these speakers would certainly find there way into the hearts of the Sound Quality minded community and those seeking a component set that can handle power,that can play music,but without the harshness associated with loads of other components using metal dome tweeters.Overall tonality was nothing short of stunning,listening fatigue was down to a big zilch and the speakers ability to show no signs of strain was also very very impressive.I do however find the use of the attenuation switch completley useless as this tweeter is realy sweet if not sometimes a tad bit too soft.JBL have once again caught my attention with this stunning set of components,and now I am really curious to know what the three way component set would perform like.......

Listening test:Harman Kardon CA1500M

2008-09-17T22:07:00.005+02:00

Not too long ago I done some sneak peaks and specs on the Harman Kardon range of amplifiers.For my test I have chosen to begin with the mono amplifier from the range to see just what these range of amps have on offer.I will be testing the 2 channel,4 channel and later the 5 channel amplifier.

I stated before that these amplifiers have awesome cosmetics,but,now I would like to see if the cosmetics are not just masking a 'dud'!To start off with I chose a trio of 10 inch subwoofers from the Hertz stable.Being their entry level range,the Dieci series,which handle a measly 150w RMS and are single voice coil units.I had an enclosure fabricated for them from MDF and had it partitioned so that each sub would have it's own dedicated enclosure space.For my source unit,I used a Kenwood DDX-7029 which has 5 volt preouts and all the rest of the bells and whistles one would equate with such a unit.

Hooking up and setting the amplifier was pretty straight forward,using only Allen head screws for both power and speaker inputs and outputs.The terminals are classy and are a very sturdy design.I used Audison's highest range RCA,the Sonus series for audio transfer into the amplifier.Again,great quality RCA inputs are used on this amplifier and the Sonus RCA's held firmly and secure to them.
This amplifier comes supplied with a Bass remote which I did not use in my test as my source unit has it's own sub level adjustment.

A little technology borrowing was done from inside the Harman stable(JBL and Infinity).The DBO(Dynamic Bass Optimizer) circuitry found on both JBL and Infinity amplifiers is also available on the CA1500M.This basically allows the user to fine tune the amplifier to get the most out of the subwoofer/s in terms of the extreme sub bass notes.
On the controls side of things along with the DBO there is a variable Phase Adjustment from 0 to 180 degrees,a variable low pass crossover and the gain control.

I wired my trio of subs in parallel(me being brave) to give me a final load of 1.3 ohms,the amp capable of handling a 1 ohm load producing 900w RMS!My reason for loading the amplifier down so low was that I was keen on seeing and listening to the control and strain the amplifier would handle and how well it would do so.

On a side note,I used another amplifier,a JBL GTO4060 Anniversary series to power my JBL GTO507 splits for full range and had another JBL GTO2060 Anniversary,which I used earlier to just listen to the subs(the subs being wired in series at 12 ohms,bridged,giving me a final load of 6 ohms)and in doing so giving me not as much power but loads of damping for control.The control was there but the sub bass was a bit boomy and rowdy at times.

Back to the listening with the HK(not Hong Kong....lol).I started my listening with some of my favorite jazz tracks.Some Michael Buble to get things going.My first impression when the subs were playing although not moving was,are the subs even working??
Yes indeed they were,the integration with the splits was seamless with the higher bass tones(65Hz up).Then came the low stuff......WOW!The power delivery was extremely smooth and the overall control this amplifier had on these baby woofers was phenomenal!I got up and took my multimeter just to be sure I had a 1.3 ohm load!!

Man this got me excited!!Swapped over to Me and Mrs Jones,a smooth track,smooth tune and my oh my did this HK let out the bass notes smooth as silk.Deep,tight and once again,oh so controlled!Monitoring the amp lighting as well as my power supply,this amp sure was doing the heavy stuff but without the heavy current draw I was expecting!

Swapping over from Michael to the drum track on the Focal test disc,and again,sitting right next to the subs and the higher bass notes integrated so well with the splits.Like I mentioned earlier,using the JBL amp,dialing in the required frequency on the LPF still drew my attention straight to the subs with 60Hz up as you could literally hear it emanating from them.This Harman really is a well engineered piece of kit then and I havnt even been listening for more than 5 minutes!With the drum track,the kick drum came through sounding big and deep,as well as being tight and yes you guessed it,very controlled!

So 50Hz down sounded awesome how about the really lows.I popped in my cd of Vanessa Hudgens(the Disney freaks will know her from High School Musical)the track Say ok,close on to the end of the track there's some serious low note work going on in this track.How did the HK cope with it?With sheer style and grace,showing no signs of dramatic strain or any strain at all,and in doing so it still sounded so smooth.I wonder if the Harman geeks weren't feeding this baby Swiss Chocolate......

Another one of my all time favorites with real sub tones, is the music of Hans Zimmer, for the Pirates Of the Caribbean series.The intro track of the movie has some kettle drums that resonate really low.Damn this HK belted it through these 10's with ease and precision.I couldn't believe how well this amplifier made these 'cheapie' subs sound.

I went through numerous tracks,from Tracy Chapman to deep house from Jimpster to Infected Mushroom and Eric Clapton even the odd Linkin Park and I just could not get over how composed and smooth this amplifier is,and the control it offered at such a low impedance.
After almost 2 hours of battering and bashing and booming I leaned forward from my seat to check the temperature of the amplifier and my word was I shocked to feel that it wasnt even near warm!!My GTO2060 had been on idle and it was warm!

To be honest I must say I was very sceptic in the beginning when I was saw these amplifiers,expecting them to be 'fancy' JBL cover ups,but,I take back my words,the team at Harman international have stuck by their claims of this being a Sound Quality amplifier.It wont keep the bass junkies out there entirely happy but to those of us who do enjoy our music for what it was intended for,then I must say,big ups to Harman Kardon on a really awesome piece of kit.

5ive Channel Solutions

2008-07-11T10:02:00.050+02:00

I have recently taken keen notice of how many of people prefer a single multi channel amp versus the multiple amplifier scenario,especially those who have space issues in their vehicles.

So,I thought I'd do a little write up on what is available as multi channel solutions as I have access to a few.Unfortunately, I havn't had the pleasure of listening to all of them but I can offer some specifications and pricing as guidelines to those looking at purchasing a multi channel amplifier in the future.

To start of with,Alpine comes in to the multi channel arena with there tiny(smallest,size wise) PDX5.Boasting an impressive 75w RMS(4ohm) x 4 + 300w RMS(2ohm) on the spec sheet,however the birth sheet states otherwise.A whopping 103w RMS x 4 and 383w RMS on the sub channel,all at 4 ohms at 14.4v!Wow how does Alpine cram all that power from such a little package.I think the saying "Dynamite comes in small packages" describes this little amp perfectly.

Alpine's trick is of course the power density design power supply which uses I.C.E technology and delivers huge power outputs and sound quality while still operating at 90% efficiency,which is also what adds to the "BIG" price tag!
The tiny footprint of this amplifier means it can be hidden easily or mounted out of the way using minimal space.As with all Alpine goods,this amp comes well supplied,with a simple to understand manual and tools and nifty little input jacks for the speaker outputs.

Recommended retail-R6900

Next on our list we have Audison's LRX5.1k.A really sleek and neat design(typical Italian) and also has the largest price tag from the lot.This amplifier makes use of Class A,AB and D circuitry.The class A channel,normally the fronts,push out 50w RMS at 4 ohms,ideal for running an efficient pair of splits or a set of tweeters,or even a mid a tweeter combo from a 3 way split setup.The second set of channels on the hand are a different story altogether.Making a staunch 160w RMS at 4 ohms,this would be perfectly suited to a pair of dedicated woofers.Now the sub channel on this amp is just astounding,boasting a hefty 650w RMS at 4 ohms and a 1150W RMS at 2 ohms this mono section is packin' BIG TIME!!This amplifier would be well suited to users who want to run their system full active.

As with all Audison amps these too come very well equipped.Other standard equipment on this monster are,computer monitored fan cooled system,which continuously monitor the amp temperature and adjust fan speed accordingly.The ECI(Easy Common Interface) is a hi level input system which also has a signal sensor that automatically turns the amp on for cars which do not have a remote turn on from there source units.This interface basically just slots in place after removing the RCA module from the ECI slot.A stencil layout to help setup the switching according to your system layout,the famous Audison amp tool,and even a long philips bit for your cordless power drill to aid with mounting.The manuals too are very informative.Like the Alpine,this amp also comes supplied with nifty terminal connection blocks.

Recommended retail-R8500

A newcomer to the scene,Massive Audio enters with their P950.5.I have mentioned before that to me the Massive amps have a rather conservative but clean look to them.Then again,Massive is about performance and not just looks.The gift box packaging of this amplifier is very very cool though!Now regarding power figures,this amp also has some very impressive figures.Belting out 100w RMS x 4 + 550w RMS @ 4 ohms at 13.8 volts.Judging from my previous listening experiences with Massive amplifiers this 1 should really be a treat as the multi channel alternative.

I stated before that these Massive amplifiers run really cool to touch after strenuous listening sessions.I inquired as to how this was possible from the local distributor,and according to them,the heatsinks used are made from 100% aluminum!I'm really keen on giving this baby a listen to ASAP.

Recommended Retail-R5400

JBL's new offering to the multi channel field has changed from the previous 6 channel arrangement to a 5 channel.Design wise,the amplifier no longer has the plexiglass covers but sport blue neon strips which light up around the badge and the center of the amplifier.JBL borrowed there DBO(Dynamic Bass Optimizer) circuitry from the larger Power series amplifiers,this allows you to extract and tune your sub to it's peak!In terms of power,this amp puts out 55w RMS x 4 + 225w RMS at 4ohms and 75w RMS x 4 + 360w RMS at 2 ohms.

I have had a listen to this amp before,typical JBL signature sound,very warm,I did however find the sub channel a little on the flat side though.Don't get me wrong,there was grunt there,but for some reason it lacked the current of it's predecessor when bridged.As well,the DBO does tend to get on the fiddly side when you try and set it up,something not for the amateur user to get involved with!This amp does come supplied with a bass remote,making it easier to adjust levels for those who do not have a source unit with a separate sub level control.

Recommended Retail-R4500

Another entry from the Elettromedia house is the Audison SRX5.Completely revamped from the ground up,these new SRX amps look the business.The new SRX range kinda remind me of the older Alpine V12 amps as far as the cosmetic department goes.The little SRX badge on this amplifier glows blue when turned on,as well the silver trim panel lifts up and can be removed showing all the controls,input and output terminals and the fuse.Power ratings are 53w RMS x 4 + 175w RMS @ 4 ohms

This amplifier also comes well supplied,with the fancy Audison multi-tool a very detailed and an easy to understand manual.I would be keen on listening for the difference between this and the previous model,as the previous model didnt fail to impress.

Recommended Retail-R4550

Another offering from the Harman International stable is the Infinity REF5350A.At first I thought it would be another JBL amp in Infinity clothing.Wrong!!There are a few differences between the 2 as far as specifications go.This amp as well has a dual blue neon strip that lights up the center of the amp.The Infinity does share the IMS input as with the Harman Kardon amplifiers,which allow for Ipod control and bluetooth pairing via special interface.
This amp puts out 50w RMS X 4 + 150w RMS @ 4ohms making it the weakest from the lot here.

I have listened to this amp,very warm and smooth,typical Infinity,but the sub channel lacked a lot in the oomph department.I was rather disappointed with this amp versus it's 6 channel predecessor.I wouldn't recommend this amp to any of you who would like to keep your weight levels low in your vehicle because this is the heaviest amp from the pack!!

Recommended Retail-R3199

Lastly,and yet another offering from the Harman stable,is the new Harman Kardon CA5250.These amplifiers are available only to Europe,Asia and our South African market.The smoked plexiglass tops showing the internals and a Harman logo which glows blue when the amp gets life.Boasting some cool features such as IMS input and output which allow connectivity for IPOD and bluetooth through an interface.Power ratings on this amp are 55w RMS x 4 + 200w RMS on the sub channel @ 4 ohms.

I am really keen on listening to this amplifier as Harman claim this amp has awesome sound quality attributes.Judging by whats on paper and the build quality I hope it will not disappoint!

Recommended Retail-R5170

So there we have it,a basic insight as to what is available and what will suit your fancy and pocket.Keep a look out for a competitive listening test on these in the very near future!

Harman Kardon amplifiers now available

2008-07-10T10:24:00.007+02:00

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Harman Kardon,synonymous with hi-end home theater as well as OE car audio systems for manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes Benz,has launched some rather stunning looking after market "hi-end" car audio amplifiers.These amplifiers look really awesome,with tinted plexiglass covers showing off the neat component layout inside the amp.The Harman Kardon logo lights up blue when the amplifier is turned on.There are four models in the range consisting of a mono,a 2 channel,a 4 channel and the flagship 5 channel.

Here's a short product philosophy and some specs.

Product Philosophy
Sound Quality First
Multi-layer PCBs with quality SMT parts for super low noise and distortion design
High current capability for high output power at low impedances

Elegant Design combined with High Quality Finish
Cast Aluminum heatsink with brushed Aluminum inlays
Single-screw RCA connectors and solid power and speaker terminals
Plexi top cover with back-lit brushed Aluminum Harman Kardon logo badge

Innovative Cable and Bluetooth-enabled Input Management
Optional Input Management System (IMS) with various line level and Bluetooth inputs
IMS allows basic iPod control via AVRCP BT profile and 3rd party BT adapter
Multi-channel RJ45 inputs and outputs on all amplifiers for simplified connectivity

Power ratings are as follows:
Model:CA280
2x110W RMS @ 4 ohms <1% THD
2x160W RMS @ 2 ohms <1% THD

Model:CA470
4x85W RMS @ 4 ohms <1% THD
4x135W RMS @ 2 ohms <1% THD

Model:CA5250
4x55W RMS @ 4 ohms + 200W RMS <1% THD
4x80W RMS @ 2 ohms + 320W RMS <1% THD

Model:CA1500M
1x360W RMS @ 4 ohms <1% THD
1x600W RMS @ 2 ohms <1% THD
1x900W RMS @ 1 ohm <1% THD

New Hertz Energy Goodies

2008-05-30T11:46:00.011+02:00

I have been eagerly awaiting the launch of the latest offerings from Hertz locally.I received a huge batch of their latest Energy series,comprising of component sets,coax speakers and various sized subwoofers.

First noticeable difference is the packaging.In typical Italian flair everything must first,look Good!The bright orange and black packaging is beautiful,but,then it's not about the packaging,but what is on the inside.

To start of with,the subwoofers have undergone numerous changes,both cosmetically and mechanically.The basket design is brand new,with a few motor design traits borrowed from their flagship Mille Subwoofer range.The cooling system on the center pole piece,which Hertz have been awarded an Innovation Award for on their Mille range,is now used across the Energy range.

Hertz propriety Triple Venting System,basically combines a flared port with radial vents in the central pole of the bottom plate of the sub,which carries compressed air from the movement of the subwoofer cone directly away from the voice coil which decreases the voice coil operating temperatures by 30%.
What does this mean to the end user?Well simply that you can pump it up harder and for longer periods of time!

A really nice treat as well is the new wiring configuration on the dual coil subs.Hertz supply a pair of jumper leads for either parallel or series connection of the coils.The terminal block is clearly marked for series,parallel or bi-amp configurations as well as showing the impedance for the different configurations.
One very interesting note to make is that Hertz supply 2 manuals.A quick start guide,and an advanced manual which gives a very detailed explanations of enclosure fabrication and wiring configurations and set up.

The Energy subwoofer range consists of 8,10,12 and 15 inch,in both single and dual coil configurations.

New Focal Goodies

2008-05-29T11:53:00.009+02:00

It seems the boys and girls over at Focal have been at it again,having launched new speakers in there Access,K2 and Utopia ranges.

The Access range,Focal's entry level range of speakers,now gets a 3 way component system in it's line up.The Access 165A3 kit comes equipped with a 165mm woofer,a 100mm midrange and the TN44 tweeter synonymous with the Access range.They boast a power handling of 160w peak and 80w RMS and have a sensitivity of 90db.These should add some pep to many a budget sound quality setup I think!

Most impressive from the new line up is the addition of the new K2 series coax speakers and component systems.They now sport much more improved passive crossover units,2 ohm load impedance on the component systems and a new design tweeter.The tweeters are now made from a material known as woven aramid fibre,which Focal claims,gives better overall coherence.
The coax speakers are available in both 5 and 6 inch,both equipped with a separate precision passive crossover with 3 levels of tweeter adjustment.
Perhaps the most important change,the 165KR2,is the use of 2 ohm voice coil layout.It seems many companies are now opting for lower impedances coils extracting more power from amplifiers.

Lastly for those who have space issues,Focal have the answer with their new slim powered subwoofers,called the BUS(Bomba Under Seat).They come in both 8 and 10 inch dual voice coils with integrated 120w amplifiers.

(click on images for Higher resolution)

Coming Soon..

2008-05-22T16:35:00.000+02:00

Keep an eye out people,lots of product info and news coming soon

Massive Audio system Review

2008-05-16T10:17:00.014+02:00

Not many have heard of the product Massive Audio,which is relatively new to our shores here in South Africa.Having seen the exceptional build quality on the products and read some really interesting views of the products I was rather keen on having to audition a vehicle set up with the product.
Well now it seems my wishes have been granted as the guys from AcousticWorx,the local distributor of Massive Audio,have just had 1 of their cars kitted with some of their goodies,and they brought the car around for an audition.
Ok to begin with,the car was fitted with the following products:

Massive Audio DC12 in a spec slot vented enclosure
Massive Audio CK6 6in split system
Massive Audio SX6 6in shallow coax
Massive Audio P500.1 mono
Massive Audio P400.4 4 channel
Sony CDX-GT700D

About the Product
Firstly,taking a closer look at the products,you can see that the guys at Massive are really about High quality products.The finishing on the speakers and the amplifiers are stunning.The only gripe I have,but this would be knit picking, is that the passive crossovers on the CK splits aren't cosmetically pleasing.
The subwoofers sport some really impressive features,like 2.5" voice coils,"finger-cut" Kevlar/glass fiber cone which reduces mass while increasing output.Diamond polished die cast basket,and massive dual stacked 120oz magnets.Power handling is an impressive 600w RMS with a sensitivity of 91.5db.

The splits too are really impressive!Boasting woven carbon fiber cones with butyl rubber surrounds,new 35mm Kapton voice coils,heavy duty rope tinsel leads and relatively shallow cast baskets.The passive consist of audiophile grade components featuring an 18db slope.The tweeter unlike many others,have a Nomex dome which Massive claims to give a smooth and wide dispersion of sound.The CK6's are rated at 130w RMS and have a sensitivity of 93db.

Going on to the amplifiers,these amps will not be to everyone's taste as far as cosmetics might go.They look particularly conservative at first site,with the Massive logo embossed into the plexi-glass top.Turn the amplifier on and things change as the plexi lights up a soft blue highlighting the embossed Massive logo.The amplifiers used in this car are rated as such:(All Massive amplifiers and speakers are CEA tested and approved)
P500.1-500w RMS x 1 @ 4ohm with a minimum impedance load of 1ohm
P400.4-100w RMS x 4 @ 4ohm with a minimum impedance load of 2ohm in stereo

Listening
Now the most important part.What do these Massive products sound like?I started my listening session with 1 of my favorite drum tracks from the Focal demo disc,and set the headunit to defeat turning off all equalization and other processing.I started auditioning the splits first by fading the rear's out and turning off the subwoofer.Whoa!!The control on the midbass was astounding.Every beat of the drums came through clean,crisp and with much authority.The reverb on the drum skin was distinctly noticeable,and the tweeter complimented the mid very well.
A side note however concerning the tweeter,it did seem to show some sort of brightness with certain cymbals,but,as the Massive rep informed me,the system has not even played for more than 10 hours.

I then went on to an old time favorite of mine,Tracy Chapman's Fast Car.In the beginning of the track the bass guitar comes through quite strongly and what I have noticed with many splits in the past,is that, they tend to break up quite early and the acoustic guitar becomes rather muffled by the heavy bass.
Not so with these CK6's!These speakers held there own when it came to this song regardless of how high I turned up the volume,they remained detailed and very composed.With most tracks the transparency on the split system was very good.

After at least 5 full length track sessions I sure was impressed by these splits on their own.They showed no sign of strain with both the mid and tweeter.I think what impressed me most was the fact that there was no shift in the stage,instrument placement was good if not great,and depth was stunning, regardless of what I played on the system.These speakers reproduced music instruments with such precision,considering their price range,they were really musical and tonally they sounded really smooth.

So now it was time to audition the system with the subwoofer turned on.I started using the same drum track from the Focal disc,and DAMN this sub was tight and controlled.The integration was nothing short of amazing.I then switched to something more up tempo,a track from Infected Mushroom.Again,this sub just belts out whatever you throw at it,with accuracy and speed,and no hint of boominess even though I kept turning the sub volume higher and higher.Now this came as a shock to me as I auditioned the car before seeing the install,the sub was playing in a slot port enclosure and I was convinced during my listening session that it was a sealed enclosure.The roll off was silky smooth on all types of music.
I was overly impressed by how well this sub performed in both SQ and pounder applications without any major tuning or setting.

After my listening session I went to have a look at the amplifiers,and just put my hand on them to check how much heat they were giving off.Those heat sinks work really well because after almost an hour of listening with some really testing music these amps were luke warm.

My verdict.....I would recommend this product with high regard.For the money,I reckon Massive has got it right.Not many companies can have bragging rights to products which deliver stunning sound quality and build quality at a very decent pricing.It has been quite a while that something new on the market has got me this excited,Watch this brand they're going places.....