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EVENT SPOTTERS GUIDE • TUNER EVOLUTION • SPOCOM • WEKFEST • FORMULA D CANADA CHALLENGE • VAG FAIR • ANOTHER LEVEL CAR SHOW • ALL IN TUNING CHINA SHOWCASE 10/10/2014 12:47:31 PM

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16.08 • DECEMBER / JANUARY 2015

CONTENTS

STARTED FROM THE DEREK CHAN’S BOTTOM BULLETPROOF 370Z

92 FEATURES

Page

84

F’D UP

YUKI KAMAKURA’S QUAD ROTOR RX-7

COLUMNS

79 Labor of Love Lauren Hansell & Eric Bungo’s Civic Si

18 Tuned In: Too Many Cooks

Spoil the Broth

by Adam Zillin

74 Project Ground Pounder:

Phase 5 – Ready to Rumble

by George Dimitriadis

98 Target: Newfoundland The Speed Academy Targa FR-S

54 Sound Advice: In

the Hot Seat

by Garry Springgay

118 Drift Insider: Drifting

Goes Viral

by Jacob Leveton

112 No Care Given Matt Field’s Formula Drift S14.5

70 Cabe’s Corner: Build a

Workshop on a Budget

by Cabe Sipes

TUNING

104 Legends – Part 5

Larry “Fishman” Rivera

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

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SPEAKERS • SUBWOOFERS • AMPLIFIERS • SOUND DEADENING • ACCESSORIES

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2014-04-25 9:30 AM

16.08 • DECEMBER / JANUARY 2015

CONTENTS ALL IN TUNING CHINA

TRENDING

21 31 34 38 44 46

e l y t s e Lif SEMA VEHICLE PREVIEWS

SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES

FEATURED EVENT

SPOTTERS GUIDE

HOT NEW PRODUCTS

TEST REPORTS

56 JVC KW V50BT DVD RECEIVER 60 RYDEEN DVA6 MULTIMEDIA RECEIVER 64 JL AUDIO 12TW1 SUBWOOFER 68 ORION XTRPRO154D SUBWOOFER

KONIG WHEELS CALENDAR

HEATHER

BATTLE FOR SEMA

Page 121

SHOWDOWN

Page 122

MOORE

LIVE WINNER TIC CAR SHOW WINNER CHRIS GARBACZ

Page 124

126

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Performance Auto & Sound Magazine (ISSN # 1710-1573) is published 10 times a year by Performance Auto & Sound Inc. 100A-219 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M6K 3J1, Canada SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (10 issues) Canada and USA: $24.99 (20 issues) Canada and USA: $34.99 (30 issues) Canada and USA: $42.99 Toll Free: 1 (888) 564-SUBS [7827] Email: subs@pasmag.com www.pasmag.com/subscribe

GROUP PUBLISHER & CEO Tim Rutledge PUBLISHERS Blake Breslin & Perry Breslin FOUNDER & SR. VP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Frank Spezzano

EDITORIAL

GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Shaun Keenan SENIOR EDITOR Jordan Lenssen ASSOCIATE EDITOR Micky Slinger TECHNICAL EDITOR Garry Springgay

CONTRIBUTORS

Phillip Awad Jeremy Chesharek Wei Chi Lin Kevin Choi Scott Demarco George Dimitriadis Ray Flores Jeremy Alan Glover

Chris Gosda Jacob Leveton Fred Lynch Paul Nguyen David Rivera Cabe Sipes TAS Imaging Adam Zillin

ART & PRODUCTION

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Queue Gonzalez PRODUCTION & SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Patrick Dinglasan SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Edward Shintani SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Patrick Beltijar GRAPHIC DESIGNER Mike Chan

SALES & MARKETING

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A D M I N I ST R AT I O N

DIRECTOR, CIRCULATION & RETAIL MARKETING Craig Sweetman DIRECTOR, CLIENT SERVICES Richard Robles FINANCE MANAGER Michelle Forsyth DIGITAL COORDINATOR Patrick Lagowski

Performance Auto & Sound Magazine welcomes unsolicited contributions including stories (typewritten), photos, club news, events, etc. (Forward to PAS, 100A-219 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M6K 3J1, Canada) Canadian Publications Mail Products Sales Agreement #40069655 PAP Registration #10760

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SEMA Member

ISSUE PREVIEW

WE’RE LIKE THE CHRISTMAS SWEATER YOU ACTUALLY WANT The "Fishman" in his natural habitat.

A

h, the holidays. A time to kick back and enjoy some time off with family and friends.

If you’re anything like us, we’re totally listening to uncle Paul’s drunken stories, but in the back of our minds, we’re counting down the days until we can snag our rides out of storage and forget about the cold weather. Luckily, we have packed this issue with the best content for curing you of those winter blues.

Warm your hands on our Trending section, where you’ll find everything you need to know about your respective scene. Our crack team of photographers (Avengers, who?) have been scouring events and shows to bring you the latest in fitment, aero, audio and horsepower. Also, our coverage of the tuning culture in China comes to a head with the featured event: All In Tuning China. Check it out and see how things work in the nation’s capital of Beijing.

Cuddle up next our team of columnists (some of them might be into it!). Garry Springgay brings the Sound Advice in the hot seat. He answers questions about audio installations from you and other PASMAG readers. Ground Pounder is also back! In this fifth chapter, George Dimitriadis puts the finishing touches on his city-shaking Hummer H2 build. He brought it to PASMAG headquarters and nearly blew our windows out. Cabe Sipes gives some great advice in Cabe’s Corner this issue. He answers the questions that independent audio builders want to know, and even shows you how to save some money when setting up your own workshop! And as always, the Drift Doctor, a.k.a. Jacob Leveton, weighs in on his favorite viral videos from the FD pros. Stay tuned for some serious hoonage.

Another Legends story has just come out of the oven and, boy, does it smell good! This time we take a look at world-renowned car audio builder David “Fishman” Rivera. That’s right, the crazy guy who thought, “I want to put fish tanks in my car.” Find out about his origins, what he’s been making into a “Fish Edition” these days, and what’s next for the Fishman.

On the features front, we’ve got cars that are going to make you wish show and shine season was happening now. Our cover car is Derek Chan’s Nissan 370Z. Working for Bulletproof Automotive does have its perks, as you will see. It’s got a lot of power, tons of style and so much carbon fiber... What’s not to like? Also on the docket is a Civic Si from Florida, owned by a power couple that just can’t be stopped. Wailing up as well is a quad-rotor RX-7 from Japan. If you weren’t already a fan of the FD3S, this will set you straight like spiked egg nog.

Mr. Leveton returns later on to deliver another feature from the world of Formula Drift. This time, our subject is Matt Field and his CX Racing / Nitto Tire S14.5 in highlighter yellow, freshly built and tuned from the Drift Cave.

So, open us up and take a look inside. It’s toasty in here, we promise. We’re like a shot of whiskey: nice and warm going down, but we’re not going to make you do anything stupid. While you’re reading and visions of burnouts dance in your heads, we’d like to extend our wishes for a happy and safe holiday season from all of us at PASMAG.

MICKY SLINGER

PA S M A G A S S O C I AT E E D I TO R

C O N N E C T MAKING IT EASIER TO STALK US THAN EVER BEFORE!

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Get the digital edition for your tablet at pasmag.com/zinio

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

PASMAG

17

TUNING

Tuning Insider

COOKS SPOIL THE BROTH TOO MANY

Facebook: /adamzillinphotography Twitter: @7Tune Website: www.7tune.com

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY

BY ADAM ZILLIN

C

ooking has become a pretty serious hobby for me over the last few years; a passion even, with the likes of Gordon Ramsay inspiring me to get serious with the way I prepare, cook and serve food. He is a leader in his field that commands respect when the stove is at its hottest.

Over these years, I have discovered that, through sheer trial and error, not to mention a number of crucial mistakes and various triumphs, that certain ingredients and cooking approaches gel so much better with some, rather than with others. One single ingredient can make or break a potentially fantastic meal, and overloading any dish with clashing or competing flavors tends to overwhelm the palate and make you feel like you are just shoveling food into your system for the sake of eating.

Cooking, like so many things in life, is all about balance, restraint, harmony

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and a careful selection of the best ingredients. It’s not all about just reading from a set of instructions and then chucking things together at random.

Food has to be appealing and enticing to all the senses and it’s so easy to hit one (or two) of them, while totally missing the others if you don’t know what you’re doing.

That analogy leads me nicely onto the Motor Games event I attended at Fuji Speedway earlier this year. An event that, incidentally, also hosted the inaugural Japanese round of Formula Drift. I spent both days at the event, observing not only Formula D qualifying on Saturday, but also the subsequent knockout rounds and “tsuiso” showdowns on Sunday.

There was a little bit of everything thrown into the massive cooking pot that is Fuji Speedway. Not only was there Formula Drift, but also a grassroots drifting event over at the

drift course, a time attack event at the short course, a lower paddock filled with Mazda and S-chassis rides on display, not to mention the “Offset Kings” event on the opposite side of the pit lane straight. To make matters even more confusing, the World Time Attack crew showed up with merely a handful of cars that ran for only 20 minutes as a demo, first thing in the morning and then early in the afternoon. Sadly, hardly anyone saw them running.

You would think that with all this action packed into two very long days, crowds would have been huge. But the reality was that crowd numbers were disappointing. Notwithstanding steep entrance fees, there was simply too much going on at any one time during the day and Fuji is a massive complex that takes time to navigate, especially on foot. Many of the stands were totally deserted, but I can’t say I was all that surprised.

Even the main card, Formula Drift, attracted few spectators, and the ones who braved the rain on Saturday didn’t bother coming back on Sunday. The ones who were there on Sunday didn’t stay long. I wondered to myself while standing trackside, looking around for signs of excitement or anticipation, just how many Japanese fans were going to sit on the soggy, mud-covered hill below the judging booth for eight hours each day watching Formula D when it is a completely alien “menu” to them.

I wondered what exactly Motor Games was supposed to be? Was it an American event, a Japanese event, or a mix of both? I pondered the reason Formula Drift was in Japan when the sport doesn’t necessarily line up with Japanese demographics. Obviously, the rules are different; very few of the actual Formula D drivers were present and the cars were of varying builds from different series, created and competing under totally different regulations.

Formula D, for all intents and purposes, appeared to simply open the floodgates to anyone who wanted a shot at the ¥500,000 (about $4,700 USD) prize money for first place, which meant that a car like Frederic Aasbo’s heavilybacked, NASCAR-powered, spaceship-like GT86 lined up against drivers hiring cars from the likes of Daigo Saito; cars that, for up to $7,000 in rental fees, came with small upgrades, full interior trim and could actually be street driven.

Even Mike Whiddett was there with his Japanbased triple rotor and he has never competed in any of these series before.

A perfect example of the disparities between machinery was found in Australian Rob Whyte.

Having rented one of Saito’s Chasers, complete with red Alcantara interior trimming, door inserts, factory electric windows plus a few power mods, Whyte promptly thrashed the four-door into the top 16. Even though he lost out in the following tsuiso runs, Whyte’s virtually-stockwith-a-few-mods Chaser was competing against Aasbo’s big dollar whip in the top 16 at an international event. This was a major eyeopener. It seemed to me the entire exercise was a chaotic crapshoot to see who could actually reach the finals. Unsurprisingly, I suppose, it was an all-Japanese final and, in the end, Masao Suenaga won it. But I can’t say I felt any ecstasy over the occasion. Rather just a nagging feeling of confusion.

Compounding this, D1GP, the premier drifting category in Japan, was hosting a Ken Block party down in Nagoya, 370 miles away on the exact same day. It was as if I were watching two worlds collide. The chefs in the drift kitchen appear to be at odds with each other. Primarily, I believe that to be a cultural imbalance that perhaps can be leveled over time, and with the right management approach.

Any good kitchen needs to run like any well-tuned motor: well-oiled, fueled and firing on all cylinders. The way I saw it was that Japanese people don’t seem to have an appetite for Formula D at the moment. Is it any wonder when you consider the Japanese have the MSC, D1GP, D1 Street Legal, Drift Muscle and D1 Venus championships? Why add the “American sport” of Formula Drift as well?

Who serves American burgers at a sushi bar?

Conversely, name an American diner where people line up for raw tuna sashimi. There doesn’t appear to be much demand for Formula Drift because the supply of other drift series in Japan is already well-documented and has been established for over 30 years.

Many major names have voiced their opinions on the event, including D1 legend, Nobuteru Taniguchi, who was very critical of the sport in general stating that, “There are a lot of people who support us to support motorsport in this industry. On the other hand, there are also those (who are) not in support and (they) are trying to pull us down, acting like enemies.”

He went on to say that, “We should empower this industry through cooperation with an ‘all for one and one for all’ approach. I want other countries to see Japan’s automotive diversity.”

That last line is what really hits home because it underscores a deep reservoir of feeling within the minds of significant individuals within the confines of drifting. Is the sport of drift a coherent, functional self-sustaining form of

motorsport, or is it still struggling for an international identity?

In hindsight, I don’t blame the punters, organizers or Formula Drift for the varying views, approaches, comments or ideas. Drifting is, let’s face it, still in its infancy and will obviously take a while longer to mature.

But, quite simply, if Motor Games was any indication, American and Japanese motorsport have a long way to go before they can gel. It’s all a bit like oil and water right now, and those two things don’t mix. Personally, I really enjoy watching drift events and have even competed myself, but I have always had this niggling issue with the subjectiveness of the approach.

Competitors win or lose based on a decision made by a panel of judges who are not even in the car? Sorry, but I’m not entirely comfortable with that.

For the average spectator, drifting can be a confusing sport at the best of times, and I suppose that’s why I much prefer the stopwatch because, if I’m being perfectly honest, the stopwatch doesn’t lie. The Motor Games event, featuring Formula D, while packed with events and action, didn’t really deliver the punch I expected it to.

To use another food analogy, when you shake up a salad dressing, the liquids emulsify giving you a tasty filler, but let that same mixture sit for a while and, eventually, the liquids will separate. There will never be a long lasting cohesiveness due to the nature of the contents.

Is that necessarily a bad thing? Is it better to constantly shake things up so there is temporary harmony, or keep the ingredients separate to do their own things as nature (and, in many instances, culture) dictates?

The first ever Formula Drift Japan round was a classic example of too many competing ingredients clashing for superiority on the diner’s plate. Critically, the sport of drifting, in its current state, is like a disorganized, chaotic fast food chain trying to obtain a Michelin star.

As the old saying goes, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

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TRENDING

HOT TOPICS HOT SOCIAL MEDIA TOPICS 21 UPDATES EVENT GUIDE 31 FEATURED 34 SPOTTERS 38

LIFESTYLE

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HOT NEW PRODUCTS

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2014 SEMA

PREVIEWS S VIVA LAS VEGA

BISIMOTO ENGINEERING HYUNDAI SONATA Bisi and the other wizards at Bisimoto Engineering have been tasked with yet another Hyundai power build. Last year’s 1,000 horsepower Genesis Coupe was a hit, but this year’s SEMA build uses a family sedan as a base instead. This 2015 Sonata will boast over 700 horsepower out of its 2.4L Theta-II engine when all is said and done. The Sonata is stanced on 18-inch Fifteen52 wheels and wrapped in custom Bisimoto graphics. Put bluntly, this sedan eats supercars.

ENGINE MODIFICATIONS Bisimoto tuned (2.4L Theta-II engine, intake gasket, reservoir socks) • Web Level 2.4 camshafts • Turbonetics (TNX 82/64 turbocharger, blow-off valve, wastegate) • Deatschwerks 2,200 cc injectors • R&R steel connecting rods • Arias forged pistons • AEM (Infinity 6 ECU, smart coils) • Spearco intercooler • Golden Eagle (sleeved block, intake manifold) • Griffin radiator • Supertech valvetrain • Vibrant (Vanjen clamps, stainless hardware) • Magnafuel 750 fuel pump • ARP head studs • Portflow custom headwork • VP E85R fuel • Kinsler fuel filters • PurOl synthetic oil • NGK Iridium spark plugs EXHAUST Burns stainless steel exhaust system DRIVETRAIN Action Ironman clutch (Bisimoto-spec) WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES Fifteen52 Tarmac wheels - 18x8 (f/r) • ARP wheel studs • G&J braided lines CHASSIS / SUSPENSION Bisimoto roll cage • Progress (coilovers, sway bars) EXTERIOR MODIFICATIONS Extreme Autowerks custom laminated body wrap • Type 2 graphics • Bisimoto splitter • Denmatic design scheme INTERIOR MODIFICATIONS Racepack IQ3 dash • AEM wideband gauges • Odyssey ER-25MJ dry cell battery • Electronics Management mil-spec harness • EK Auto Worx interior paint

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Bisi’s 930 twin-turbo build is infamous, but the topless version is pretty nice, too. It’s vented whale tail, twin-snail rear turbo setup and TMNT green paint caused quite a few jaws to drop. Cowabunga dude!

This Odyssey is not your average soccer mom commuter. With a boosted V6 putting out over 1,000 horsepower, you’d better tell your kids to buckle up in this powervan.

The Gen Coupe’s 3.8L V6 already puts smiles on people's faces, but twin-turbocharged and tuned to over 1,000 horsepower will have you screaming for your life (good or bad).

Don't let the grinning intercooler fool you, this thing is nasty.

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

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LIBERTY WALK PORSCHE 911 (997) KIT

If you don’t know Liberty Walk, you’d better learn yourself quick before reading any further. After dressing up the Ferrari 458, BMW M3, multiple Lamborghinis and the Nissan R35 GT-R, Wataru Kato and company have set their sights on the 997 iteration of Porsche’s revered 911. When looking at the LB Performance 997, there’s no doubt that motorsport was an inspiration. Liberty Walk’s trademark riveted over-fenders are present and flow well with the Porsche lines. The aerodynamic front bumper extends back and meets up with the front over-fenders’ front cut outs. A new addition for Liberty Walk are the louvers up front, just between the lip and over-fender. A center exit exhaust and duckbill to swan-neck GT wing are just finishing brushstrokes to this masterpiece. We’re betting this will put a bit of friendly competition between LB founder Kato san and his close friend Akira Nakai of RWB. Two LB Performance 997s have been confirmed for SEMA. Just look for the swarms of people.

2014 SEMA

PREVIE WS VIVA LAS VEGAS

LIBERTY WALK’ S THROWBACK SEMA BUILDS! NISSAN R35 GT-R

FERRARI 458 ITALIA

The R35 GT-R already looks like a spaceship, but Liberty Walk took it to another level with this widebody kit. Wide fenders, custom diffusers and a giant GT wing; this is the way to stand out at the show among the line of R35s.

This 458 iteration is prboably the only one that garnered more attention than Deadmau5’ infamous Purrari. Featuring custom forged wheels with gold hardware, wide body, duckbill spoiler and a Platinum VIP cup kit, you could totally drive this daily — if you had the cash.

TRENDING

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LIBERTY WALK LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR Now, you may be having flashbacks to last year’s SEMA Show and saying, “Wait, didn’t Liberty Walk already do this?” Yes, yes they did. It was slammed, finished in a sexy brushed steel, and sported a big GT wing. This year, Kato and crew have upped the ante. 2014’s version rocks the signature over-fenders, a bigger wing, some serious air suspension, and is tuned to shoot flames out the back. Pair that with some pure, unadulterated V12 noise, and the janitor is going to have to stay after hours to sweep all the jaws off the floor.

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

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M2 MOTORING HYUNDAI ACCENT M2 Motoring looks to take a platform that’s normally not modified and show the naysayers what’s up. This 2015 Hyundai Accent is decked out in Battleship Gray with some popping light blue Rotiform BLQ wheels. It may be low, but Mike Ma proves there’s still functionality with a Rhino Rack roof rack that should house a bike for the show. It’s definitely a treat for the KDM fans out there.

ENGINE MODIFICATIONS Injen intake • Amsoil fluids EXHAUST Megan Racing exhaust system WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES Rotiform BLQ wheels • Toyo tires SUSPENSION Custom air suspension system EXTERIOR Aerojacket carbon fiber splitters • SEM Battleship Gray paintjob by BG Autoworks • Rhino Rack roof rack INTERIOR Alea leather seat covers • Custom upholstered (pillars, headliner) • Whistler radar detector

2014 SIEEMWAS VEGAS VIVA LAS

PREV

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ON THE GROUND DESIGNS 1973 FORD BOSS F100 New to the SEMA fray this year is On The Ground Designs.

Jason Jones set out to start a lifestyle brand that would appeal to enthusiasts and builders and hopes to show what his company is all about with his 1973 BOSS F100 truck at SEMA 2014. Teaming up with concept designer Tavis Highlander and making power with a Vortech supercharger, this truck is sure to set the new standard for these popular ’70s pickups.

ENGINE MODIFICATIONS Vortech supercharger • Hot Rod Power Source engine & transmission work • High Octane Hot Rods assembly • American Autowire wiring • Performance Rod and Custom cooling system • LMC Truck parts WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES B-Forged wheels • Wilwood brakes SUSPENSION Accuair air ride suspension • Scott’s Hot Rods front suspension EXTERIOR Design by Jason Jones & Tavis Highlander • PPG paint • Volker Auto Body paint & bodywork • Sadistic Iron Werks custom metal parts INTERIOR Sew It Seams Interiors interior • Relicate Leather Supplies leather components

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TJIN EDITION HONDA FIT As part of Honda’s #ProjectFit challenge, six notable builders were chosen to transform the 2015 Honda Fit and showcase its modification possibilities. Tjin Edition will contest their design against the likes of Spoon Sports USA and Bisimoto, which means that these Fits will be stretched to their limits of performance and design. With extended metal fenders fabricated in-house and some custom iForged wheels, we think Tjin Edition has a good chance of taking the title.

ENGINE MODIFIATIONS Bisimoto Engineering performance add-ons EXHAUST Bisimoto Engineering exhaust system WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES iForged wheels – 18-in. (f/r) • Falken tires • Baer Tjin Edition front big brakes SUSPENSION Airrex (air suspension, air management) EXTERIOR Custom metal fender flares • Coplus (headlights, fog lights) • Axalta custom paint job INTERIOR Katzkin interior AUDIO / MULTIMEDIA Sony audio system • Scosche wiring • Optima battery

NEIL TJINS' THROWBACK SEMA BUILDS! 2014 GULF FORD FOCUS ST

2013 FORD FUSION

2012 FORD MUSTANG GT

Tjin Edition teamed up with Gulf Oil to bring about this race-inspired Focus ST for the street. It proved to be a hit with motorsports fans at the 2013 SEMA show.

iForged custom wheels, Baer brakes and a side-exit MagnaFlow exhaust; what’s not to like? This build got a lot of media attention after SEMA 2012. We featured it!

This 5.0L Coyote convertible was Paxton supercharged and done up with Street Scene aero.

Someone extremely lucky got to take this thing home as it was a UTI sweepstakes giveaway car!

2014VSIEEMWAS S S VEGA VIVA LA

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TJIN EDITION FORD EXPEDITION Neil Tjin and crew built a Ford Explorer for the 2011 SEMA Show, which came away with the Ford Design Award for Outstanding Achievement in Design. Hoping to recapture that magic with something fresh at the table, Tjin Edition is bringing the Explorer’s older brother, the Expedition, to SEMA this year. Switching it up with a custom air ride setup and 24-inch Rotiform wheels, this will be one of the best Expeditions you’ll ever bear witness to.

ENGINE MODIFICATIONS Vortech (supercharger, intercooler) EXHAUST MagnaFlow exhaust system WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES Rotiform wheels – 24-in (f/r) • Falken tires • Baer TJIN Edition big brakes (f/r) SUSPENSION Custom fabricated air suspension • Airlift bag struts • Accuair air management EXTERIOR Axalta custom paint job • Custom metal fender flares • Lightwurkz headlights • Websto sunroof INTERIOR Katzkin interior • Glowshift boost gauge • LEDGlow LED lighting AUDIO / MULTIMEDIA Sony audio system • Scosche wiring • Optima battery

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For dealers inquires: www.orioncaraudio.com | info@mdaudio.net T: (305) 593.8361 | F: (305) 593.8413 | Toll free: 1-855.475.6048 Miami, FL - USA @orioncaraudioofficial facebook.com/orion.car.audio | twitter.com/OrionCarAudio

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ROCKET BUNNY LEXUS RC F Everyone is buzzing about the 2015 Mustang, and it will no doubt be one of the most talked-about cars at SEMA. The Japanese are coming out swinging with their own 5.0L V8 muscle – the Lexus RC F – and Kei Miura of Rocket Bunny is making sure that it goes into battle wearing the proper armor. The RC F gets the Rocket Bunny treatment of over fenders, a revised front bumper and grill, FR-S V1-style lip kit all around, and custom canards and splitters all over the damn place. If this thing were to line up next to a new ‘Stang, you’d be hard pressed not to pick this downforce demon.

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HPI CUSTOMS CHEVROLET PICKUP At last year’s SEMA show, the husband and wife team of HPI Customs brought a 1966 Chrysler Imperial powered by a Paxton-supercharged Viper motor, which they lovingly named “The Tyrant.” This year, they teamed up with Vortech Superchargers to bring this custom Chevrolet pickup to life.

With tons of Chevy performance goodies and a modern touch, this truck is sure to go over well with enthusiasts of all ages.

ENGINE MODIFICATIONS Vortech supercharger • Holley Performance (EFI, methanol injection) EXHAUST Borla exhaust system DRIVETRAIN GM Supermatic transmission • PCS (paddle shifters, electronic push button shifting) WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES Budnik wheels • Chevrolet Corvette Z06 brakes • E-Stopp electronic emergency brake SUSPENSION Chevrolet C4 Corvette suspension EXTERIOR Auto Resurrection (paint, bodywork) INTERIOR Sew Fine stitched leather interior • Dakota Digital (proximity lighting, VHX dash, climate control) AUDIO / MULTIMEDIA Advanced Key (RFID keyless entry, push-button start) • Bluetooth connectivity • MB Quart (6.5-in components, 8-in subwoofer, Reference Series 5-channel amplifier, Marine head unit)

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MEMPHIS MUSIC

Music is in the air here, it’s in our blood. Memphis isn’t just a catchy name for us, it’s who we ARE. It’s also in our product.

You know when that favorite track comes around and you feel like turning it up just a little bit more? Memphis gear delivers.

Visit us at www.memphiscaraudio.com to find an authorized dealer near you and see what we mean when we say MEMPHIS MUSIC!

memph i s ca ra u d i o.co m

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★

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THEME OF THE DAY FACEBOOK.COM/PASMAG

@pasmag

TWITTER.COM/PASMAG

INSTAGRAM/PASMAG

During the week, our social feeds (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) consist of daily themed posts provided by our supporting staff of event photographers, as well as unique content provided by our fans via letters@pasmag.com. Here are some of the entries:

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

#MOTORMONDAY

#TRENDINGTUESDAY

#CARAUDIOWEDNESDAY

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY

#MORECOVERAGE

Mondays are reserved for anything and everything involving engines.

Turbocharged, supercharged, naturallyaspirated, swaps, shaved bays, wire tucks, painted, gold-dipped – these are just some examples.

Extreme negative camber, big wings, luminous wheels, custom steering wheels and custom modified parts.

Tuesday’s theme consists of cars, parts, custom modifications and accessories that are picking up speed all over social media. If it's big, it's here.

As the no. 1 source for aftermarket car audio, we focus on 12-volt products and insane builds on #CarAudioWednesday.

Glowing sub boxes, motorized amp racks and mind-blowing fabrications - they're all here.

A tribute to past highlights, events, project vehicles and classics.

Thursday is our “blast from the past” collection with the vehicles that have made their mark on the scene. Throw it back on Thurdays and take a nostalgia trip.

We have strong relationships with many event organizations.

We hype upcoming events and go through thousands of event photos from our contributing photographers.

You want more event coverage? Visit us here each and every Friday.

★ LS-POWERED ROCKET BUNNY

★ THE LACHUTE PERFORMANCE PHOENIX LP-700R STI RACE CAR FEATURES A SICK WIDEBODY, VOLK RACING TE37 WHEELS AND AN IMMACULATE ENGINE BAY.

★ MICHAEL SCHRADERS' CUSTOM AMP RACK AND SUBWOOFER ENCLOSURE FOR THE KICKER EQUIPMENT IN HIS 1994 CHEVY CAMARO Z-28, AKA “THUMPER.”

★ JSUTAI BMW E30

MAZDA RX-7.

★ THE BEAUTIFUL COLOR OF AN EVO SITTING AT STANCEWISCONSIN IN MILWAUKEE.

(PHOTO BY RAY FLORES)

✚ A TOP-MOUNT INTERCOOLER HELPS THIS SR20DET-POWERED S13 INHALE. (PHOTO BY PAUL NGUYEN)

(PHOTO BY JEREMY ALAN GLOVER)

✚ WRC WINGS COMPLIMENT THESE AGGRESSIVE AERODYNAMIC LINES. (PHOTO BY JEREMY ALAN GLOVER)

✚ BLAIR WILLIAMS’ 2002 CIVIC LX POWERED BY AN ALPINE PXA-H800 PROCESSOR, IMAGE DYNAMICS IDMAX SUBWOOFERS, DLS A3 TWIN MONO AND A6 MONO AMPLIFIERS, AND KINETIK BATTERIES.

M3 PROJECT BUILD.

(PHOTO BY KEVIN CHOI)

✚ MATHIEU CIMON’S 1989 NISSAN 300ZX TT, PAINTED IN 1992 PORSCHE 911 MINT GREEN. (PHOTO BY JEREMY ALAN GLOVER)

(PHOTO BY RAY FLORES)

✚ A MAZDA RX-7 SPOTTED ON THE QUARTER-MILE AT STREET FEVER IN NAPIERVILLE, QC.

(PHOTO BY JEREMY ALAN GLOVER)

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TEAM HYBRID CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY ESTABLISHED: 1995 I PRESIDENT/FOUNDER: James Lin CHAPTERS: NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO (CA), LAS VEGAS (NV), ATLANTA (GA), EL PASO (TX), SAN ANTONIO (TX), TAIPEI (TAIWAN) Founded in Oxford, California on January 7, 1995 by James Lin, Team Hybrid has grown exponentially to become one of the strongest and most revered teams across the globe. Lin chose the name ‘Hybrid’ for its implicit meaning: crossbreeding between the two species – and holds true to that today, as the team crossbreeds engines, bodykits, performance upgrades and audio across some of the hottest platforms in the sport compact, import, exotic and VIP scene. To date, Team Hybrid has won over 3,000 trophies and awards, and we look forward to another 20 years of mind-blowing builds and incredible success!

TEAMHYBRID.COM @TMHYBRID FACEBOOK.COM/ TEAMHYBRID1995

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A PROMISING PROSPECT All In Tuning shows there is a market for tuning in China

Story by Rex Cawagas Photography by Wei Chi Lin (Neo Motorsport) & YASN International

Experiencing the 2014 All In Tuning (AIT) show in Beijing, China was quite an experience. AIT was a feeding ground for knowledge and PASMAG had the opportunity to educate the locals. With that being said, we brought a few friends along with us as well to share that knowledge: Neo Motorsports, XS Power, Shining Monkey, Beltronics, Arc Audio and Redline Oil. Being my first time in China, I didn’t know what to expect from the tuning scene when the show first opened. Soon, cars started rolling in for the start of the show.

The first team to roll in goes by the name of iAcrophobia. You would think they shipped their cars straight from Japan with their stanced-out Subaru WRX STI or Liberty Walk widebody BMW M3. Their entire crew had their vehicles on point! There was also a yellow Nissan R35 GT-R suited up with a Ben Sopra body kit, which was hands down my favorite car of the show.

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Even though cars in China are limited to just modifying the exterior and interior of their vehicles, there were a few cars that were more than able to pull it off. I spotted a dark grey Toyota GT-86 with a molded-on Rocket Bunny kit that looked super clean.

I also scoped out a red Mitsubishi Evolution sporting a Varis widebody kit, which gave the Evo an ominous presence.

there is a market for authentic manufacturers to succeed here.

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One thing is very obvious at the AIT show: the hunger of Chinese enthusiasts for American and European muscle. Growling Mustangs, bellowing Camaros, luxurious Bentleys, stanced Audi R8s and exclusive Brabus Mercedes’ were all on hand. These guys came out appropriately, flexing their muscle.

Exhibitors ranged from Eibach (suspension), OZ Racing (wheels), Brabus (performance parts), Remus (exhausts) and Exedy (drivetrain) to name just a few.

Volkswagen is one company that stood out significantly, having brought out a real treat for attendees: the unveiling of the Volkswagen GTI Roadster Vision Concept, which easily stole the show.

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As this was happening, the taboo talk of China’s “grey market” began to slowly wither away from my mind, and I began to see that there is a market for authentic manufacturers to succeed here.

In addition to the showcasing of the cars, there was also the educational aspect of the show where PASMAG Publisher and CEO, Tim Rutledge, delivered a keynote a speech on the risks of street racing in the U.S. and how it is controlled in North America.

Rutledge highlighted that in order for tuning culture to succeed in China, they need to adopt legal standards similar to North America. That is, to draw a hard line in the sand when it comes to public spaces, but also to create spaces and venues where racing can be done safely and legally.

With the tuning culture still in its infancy stage compared to North America, China has the potential to reach the same great level as us. Granted, the government has some work to do with respect to regulations, but they also need to educate and spread the word that it takes time and effort for manufacturers to build these parts.

Choosing to buy legitimate parts over knockoffs only helps shows like All In Tuning stay in existence. This is where we come in as the North American consultants for All In Tuning. PASMAG will continue to support the tuning industry and reach out to people who want to learn more about it to help it grow and succeed. We’ll see you next spring in Beijing for All In Tuning China 2015.

SHIFT

To the next level of performance.

Tried-and-true mobile entertainment built by those who love live music.

Smooth, accurate KS-Series Coaxials work best with a KX-Series full-range amplifier for an impressive front or rear system.

Buy them together online at www.kicker.com, or visit your nearest Authorized KICKER Dealer.

/kickeraudio

www.kicker.com

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TUNER EVOLUTION Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Philadelphia, PA August 2, 2014

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN CHOI

1 Justene and Dawn Jaro make an appearance at the BlockStar Cars booth.

2 Salik Zaki’s Scion FR-S with a custom paintjob. 3 Bear Dellinger with a hot pair of GT-Rs. 4 A 2JZ-GTE-powered Audi. 5 Danny Rasoilo’s Varis x Seibonbodied 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. 6 Jay Toch’s amazing trunk setup.

VAG FAIR

York Fairgrounds, York, PA August 9-10, 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAS IMAGING

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1 Old school Audi with a newer gen four-cylinder powerplant. 2 Shaved and tucked MkI Rabbit GTI swapped with a clean VR6. 3 A custom MkIV Passat wagon with a Golf MkIV front end, sitting on CCW LM5Ts. 4 Diamond-stitched leather with a semi-hidden air suspension tank and audio setup in the DRKKN1TE MkVI GTI. 5 Moulded-in wide fenders to fit the staggered OZ rims on this MkIV Golf.

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CAR AUDIO

FOR FANATICS

ITHs part of who you are.”

DYthSatM BRoA c be ome mething “It’s s

Product customized by customer and is not representation of actual product.

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1 1 ANOTHER LEVEL CAR SHOW Boomers Stadium, Schaumburg, IL August 16, 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS GOSDA

1 AB Motoring’s Subaru BRZ rolling on Rotiform LHR flat-gold 3-piece wheels. 2 Mazda RX-7 FD with carbon accents via Impressive Wrap, rolling on Volk Racing TE37SL wheels. 3 Custom painted “Lifesavers” 7-gallon air tank in this Golf. 4 Larry’s Project X Customs Nissan 350Z with a custom-mounted big wing. 5 The Zima Motorsports lineup.

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New Jersey Expo & Convention Center, Edison, NJ August 17, 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN CHOI

1 This Mazda RX-7 equipped with a time-attack inspired RE Amemiya Super-G body-kit was a crowd favorite. 2 K-swapped Honda del Sol. 3 Kevin Liew’s Team Emotion 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR with a Galant VR-4 block 4G64. 4 Evo with carbon fiber accents. 5 Joe Cooper’s Team Emotion Comptech supercharger-powered 2006 Acura RSX Type-S.

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Slick.

The new TW1 10TW1 300 W, 4 ohm

12TW1 300 W, 4 ohm

• Patented Thin-Line woofer technology • Tiny enclosure requirements!

• Cast-alloy, space-saving frame design • Steel mesh grille included with each driver From the leader in thin woofer technology Also available in pre-built PowerWedge™ and MicroSub™ systems.

© 2014 JL AUDIO, Inc. For more information on our complete line of products, please visit your local authorized dealer or www.jlaudio.com.

In Canada contact GemSen Distribution at www.gemsen.com

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Neal Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, HI August 23, 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL NGUYEN

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1 A propped Grip Royal steering wheel exposed this Gen Coupe engine bay.

2 Nissan S13 powered by a SR20DET rolling on WORK Meister S1 3P wheels.

3 Clean Nissan S14 Kouki with Volk Racing TE37s (bronze on passenger side, Takata Green on driver side). 4 Team Section-D’s Toyota Corolla AE86 on Volk Racing TE37V wheels. 5 Restored Toyota Sprinter Trueno Coupe 1500 SR.

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1 Pat Cyr letting it loose with his Yokohama Scion FR-S. 2 The fan cheers were unprecedented during the Top 16 driver introductions; Daigo Saito came out wearing a Montreal Canadiens jersey, showing his love for his Montreal (Canadian) fans.

3 Dean Kearney and his Dodge Viper finished in 2nd place. 4 Kenny Moen's wall-tap damage will buff right out. 5 Once the smoke cleared (and there was a lot of smoke!) the winner of the first-ever Formula Drift Canada event was Daigo Saito!

Autodrome St-Eustache, St-Eustache, QC August 30-31, 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY ALAN GLOVER

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Lifestyle

HONDA K-SERIES BLUEPRINT (GLOW IN THE DARK) SHIRT $28

HONDA OK SHIRT $28

Just like the B-Series version, this shirt glows in the dark.

Hand drawn with super clean lines to show all the detail of this legendary engine. Eeffect is the first company to ever have the approval to use this blueprint. The back features the Honda logo on the top neck and Eeffect logo on the bottom right corner. Honda Officially Licensed Product.

The first release from Eeffect’s Honda vintage line is the Honda “OK” logo shirt. This was the sticker placed on the original US-built Hondas when they left the factory, to let dealerships know they were OK to put up for sale. Heavy-duty tagless B-SERIES VALVE COVER (RED EDITION) SHIRT black shirt with the “OK” logo on the front and the Honda and $28 Eeffect logos on the back. Honda Officially Licensed Product.

Besides the Honda “H,” the valve cover is probably the most recognizable piece on the car. Taking the iconic red from the Type-R valve cover, mixed with some white dripping paint, it gives the design that artistic style on the front of this shirt. Honda Officially Licensed Product.

HONDA DUAL LOGO FITTED HAT $30 The “Dual Logo” fitted hat is part of Eeffect’s signature line of Honda officially licensed hats, made from scratch. Featuring the raised white Honda word logo on the front and the Honda H logo embroidered underneath the bill, they come in two sizes: S/M or L/XL, which fit slightly bigger than Flexfit. Check it out in red or black.

HONDA LOGO RESERVOIR COVERS $10 The perfect dress-up item for any engine bay. Made of super-thick, high-quality material and double layered, when it is flipped inside out there is no “back” of the embroidery. They will fit most Honda reservoirs (brake, clutch, power steering, etc.) or can be used as a fashionable wristband! Available in black, blue, red and gray.

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TSELLI STRIKE & BLOCK TEES The Tselli collection is now available to pay tribute to Fatlace/ILLEST’s history with cycling. The tees are made on a lighter, 100% cotton tee with a slimmer profile, which features a 3M reflective graphic on the sleeve. Perfect for any activity.

eeffectapp a

rel.com

PAGE TAKEOVER

KING APPAREL BOTANIC CAP $50.89 | king-apparel.com King branded strapback cap. Made on the same production line as their Starter branded hats, they carry the exact same low-profile block, shape, and construction.

Made using classic pinch panel construction, with no compromise on quality. Available in cream and burgundy with black floral patterns and a black leather adjuster strap.

WHEEL HEADZ VINYL FIGURES $6 Eeffect teams up with automotive toy juggernaut Real Wheelz Inc. to release the Wheel Headz Series 1 urban vinyl figures. These rare figures mix the essence of Japanese vinyl toys with the underground world of rare aftermarket wheel collecting.

HONDA VALVE COVER KEYCHAINS

POLER CAMERA COOLER $65 | polerstuff.com You can run it as a camera bag with its padded dividers that hold a DSLR, lens, and small accessories. The side pockets fit iPhones and iPads, and the three-way strap system is ideal for biking or boarding. When you feel like partying, take the padded insert out and it’s a soft-sided cooler, sized to hold a six-pack or your lunch with some ice packs.

$10 Honda valve cover rubber keychains. Measuring about 2.5-inches long and available in red, black, gray and blue (depending on model). Honda and Eeffect logos are on the back. Honda Officially Licensed Product.

WAYPOINT WATCH CO. ADVENTURER STAINLESS STEEL WATCH $229.99 to $249.99 | waypointwatches.com Waypoint Watches are storming onto the scene with rugged, bold, and stylish designs like the Adventurer. With its large face, 47 mm stainless steel case, large dust cover crown, and durable silicone strap, the Adventurer is built to go anywhere and look good doing it. #WaypointLifestyle for more photos! Get 5% off your entire order with coupon code: PASMAG.

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BLITZ Advanced Power Air Intake $535 | optionsauto.com | blitzpowerusa.com The Advanced Power Air intake uses Blitz’s unique SUS Power stainless mesh filter element for maximum airflow while producing an aggressive induction sound. A large diameter adjustable cooling shield reflects radiated heat from the engine while maintaining high airflow efficiency.

The blue anodized top ring and locking plates give you the ultimate racing appearance. Available for the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ, ’08-14 Impreza WRX/STI, Mazda RX-8 and ’08-14 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

ARC AUDIO XDi Series Amplifiers

COMPUSTAR DASH Camera System

$319 to $799 | arcaudio.com

$449.99 | compustar.com/dash

Designed by Robert Zeff exclusively for ARC Audio, the XDi series amplifiers offer up to 90% efficiency at full power, a compact design to save valuable space, and availability in 4-, 5- and 6-channel configurations and two monoblock designs. Most of the XDi amplifiers offer 150 watts at 4 ohms and 350 watts at 2 ohms, while monoblock designs come in 500-watt and 1,100watt outputs.

Compustar DASH (CD-3200) is a front-and rear-mounted HD camera system that records video activity around your vehicle. DASH is an embedded solution that connects directly to your battery, ensuring 24/7/365 surveillance.

Built-in motion and impact sensors also trigger ‘events’ that are stored separately for future viewing. Professional installation required.

DS18 KEQ7 Equalizer Contact for pricing | ds18.com The DS18 KEQ7 is a 7-band stereo equalizer/crossover specifically created for the mobile environment. The KEQ7 provides powerful features in a compact size. On top of seven equalization bands, the KEQ7 features three stereo RCA outputs, an auxiliary input for portable devices and extended frequency response from 20 Hz to 30 kHz, with exceptional 100 dB signal-tonoise performance.

AUTO TECH INTERIORS Scion FR-S / Subaru BRZ Triple Meter Gauge Pod Contact for pricing | autotechinteriors.com ATI is excited to announce its latest product for the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ: the Triple Meter Gauge Pod. Available starting November 1 in black felt or flat black finish, the Triple Meter Pod fits directly into place within minutes for a seamless fit and finish.

DIGITAL DESIGNS AUDIO A-Series Amplifiers Contact for pricing | ddaudio.com Digital Designs A-Series amplifiers offer reliable, feature rich designs that are generally found only in highend amplifiers, but at entry-level prices. The line consists of a monoblock, a 2-channel and two 4-channel amps to cover virtually any application. All A-Series amplifiers feature MOSFET power supplies, class AB topology, LPF/HPF crossovers, variable bass boost and soft turn-on five-way protection.

ARLON GRAPHICS Ultimate PremiumPlus Color Change Film Contact for pricing | arlonautomotive.com The Ultimate PremiumPlus line of films boasts an unprecedented color selection, including new colors and finishes that are unattainable with paint. In addition to the exceptional color, Ultimate PremiumPlus is highly comformable to curves and other various substrates.

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ENGINEERED EXCELLENCE PROVEN PERFORMANCE

FORTIN EVO-ONE All-in-One Remote Starter/Security System $195.95 (CAD) | fortin.ca Compatible with all EVO-ALL T-Harnesses and also providing new, broad access to High Power T-Harnesses, the EVO-ONE now sets the industry benchmark. Its compact design brings new meaning to hassle-free installation. EVO-ONE is an impressive stateof-the-art unit at a reachable cost.

LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM FLYWHEELS & PERFORMANCE CLUTCHES Faster throttle response – Quicker acceleration – Smoother shifting Easier braking – Free additional horsepower – Longer clutch life Better clutch performance - Replaceable friction surface When you’re racing, you need the winning edge.

Choose Fidanza Performance, and smoke the competition!

For nearly 20 years, the choice of champions.

FIDANZAPERFORMANCE #FIDANZAPERFORM

For info: 440-259-5656

www.FIDANZA.com

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SLAMSTOP Universal Soft-Close Device Contact for pricing | slamstop.net SLAMSTOP uses a unique sensor that automatically monitors when a vehicle’s door reaches a specific distance from the car frame. As soon as the door is detected, it is softly and securely closed. Works with all standard driver and passenger doors, as well as sliding doors.

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S U B S C R I B E O N L I N E N O W AT WWW.PASMAG.COM/SUBSCRIBE FACEBOOK.COM/PASMAG

TWITTER.COM/PASMAG

INSTAGRAM.COM/PASMAG

YOUTUBE.COM/PASNATION

2014-10-10 5:43 PM

TRENDING

MB QUART N1-WBT Controller $129.99 | mbquart.com MB Quart’s N1-WBT marine-certified waterproof, wired Bluetooth preamp controller is an excellent solution for playing music from your device. With simple audio outputs to connect to an amplifier, the N1-WBT is easy to install, and allows you to stream music via any Bluetooth enabled device. Now your truck, sandrail, pontoon boat or forklift will be ready to rock!

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MB QUART NK1-120 2-Way Speaker

MEMPHIS CAR AUDIO Power Reference Series PRX 69C Speakers

$319.99 | mbquart.com

$169.95 | memphiscaraudio.com

MB Quart now offers what truck doors have always needed: an 8-inch twoway. The NK1-120 handles 140 watts (peak power) and includes a 1-inch pure titanium dome tweeter, 8-inch poly mid/bass and is completely water and mud proof. They sound so big, you may not need a subwoofer (but you’ll still want one). There is another model available, NK1-120L, which illuminates!

Size: 6x9 in.

Design: Component Cone / Surround Material: Polypropylene cone / Polyurethane surround Tweeter Material: Polypropylene Power: 60 W RMS / 120 W Peak Basket: Stamped steel

2014-10-14 1:37 PM

PIONEER AppRadio 4 MOREL Ultimo Titanium Subwoofer Contact for pricing | morelhifi.com At the heart of their new subwoofer is Morel’s titanium voice coil former, which is exceptionally stiff and lightweight. The titanium improves driver dynamics for an even higher transient response, with lower distortion and increased power handling.

The Ultimo also features a 5.1-inch Hexatech EVC and a dual magnet motor design, which achieves over 90% efficiency.

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$600 | pioneerelectronics.com AppRadio 4 brings together the use of cloud- and device-sourced content from compatible iOS devices (iPhone 4 and up), Android smartphones and MirrorLinkenabled smartphones. It also features enhanced smartphone control, voice control for Siri Eyes Free and Google Voice Recognition, Bluetooth hands-free calling and audio streaming on top of a new graphical user interface.

PIONEER TS-G Series Speakers

OPTIMA Digital 1200 Battery Charger and Maintainer

$50 | pioneerelectronics.com

$199.99 | optimabatteries.com

Pioneer’s TS-G speakers offer well-balanced sound quality, high power handling and a new cosmetic design. Available in five sizes (4-in., 4x6-in., 5.25-in., 6.5-in, 6x8-in.), each model boasts a new polypropylene cone, high sensitivity dielectric piezo tweeter, longer voice coil, high-power handling and a new grill.

The OPTIMA Digital 1200 12-volt Performance Battery Charger and Maintainer enhances the performance of AGM batteries, recovers deeply discharged batteries and extends battery life. It also features an LCD display for charging, maintaining and fault mode indication. Fully compatible with any 12-volt battery.

2014-10-14 1:37 PM

TRENDING

ROCKET BUNNY FD3S RX-7 Widebody Aero Kit

RYDEEN DVA6 Multimedia Station

$ 3 , 2 0 0 | g r e d d y. c o m /p r o d u c t s /a e r o d y n a m i c s /r o c ke t b u n n y Computer rendered by master Japanese designer Kei Miura of TRA Kyoto, these precision-fit Rocket Bunny aero parts exude style and craftsmanship. What sets apart every Rocket Bunny aero kit, distributed by GReddy Performance Products, is that they are hand-made in Japan using high-tech CNC molds.

SIKKY Nissan 240SX LS Swap Kit

$699 | rydeenmobile.com Google, Pandora, YouTube, SKYPE, Instagram, Waze… all at your fingertips. The DVA6 is the second generation of RYDEEN’s Internet-connected double-DIN DVD multimedia station. The new DVA6 improves on its predecessor with an updated version of the Android OS that has been optimized for automotive use. The DVA6 features a dual-core CPU with 8 GB of system memory and a new capacitive touchscreen for quick response.

$ 1 , 7 5 0 | s i k ky. c o m The Sikky LS swap kits are designed for use with the LS series of motors (LS1-LS9) and the Tremec T56 transmission. The LS Swap Kit requires no modifications to the factory crossmember or subframe and does not hang below the crossmember when installed. When using the Sikky kit, it’s a direct drop-in solution.

SYLVANIA ZEVO LED Strip Kit

VM AUDIO Shaker Bass Package

$39.99 | sylvania.com/zevostrip

$273.99 to $356.99 | vmaudio.com

Put more colors and more light where you want while adding endless design options to enhance the interior look of your vehicle.

True RGB mixing technology gives you 16 colors and five modes.

A 20-button remote and 12 V car adapter makes for an easy plug-and-play installation. Easily expandable with extension kits.

VM Audio’s Shaker Bass Package is an affordable, all-inone bass system for audiophiles with a discerning ear and wallet who still want to get high-performance. The Shaker Bass Package includes one of VM Audio’s high-performance subwoofers, a single-channel MOSFET class A/B amplifier, a pre-carpeted ported enclosure, installation wiring kit and mountable bass remote control.

TURBOKITS.COM Kia Forte (2009-13) OE Clutch Upgrade $694 | turbokits.com Turbokits.com’s upgraded OE clutch disc and pressure plate is the solution to maintaining stock drivability while holding gobs of power. The OE clutch disc and pressure plate from Kia are altered with higher friction materials. This kit has been proven on their Project Forte, which held 450 hp. Smooth engagement, even in heavy traffic, allows you to enjoy driving your upgraded Forte every day.

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DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

2014-10-10 5:43 PM

Prepare for the elements XS POWER XP3000

with Philips Upgrade Headlights and Philips Windshield Treatment Kit

Contact for pricing | 4xspower.com XS Power’s XP Series batteries are designed for constant power use and any supplemental power needs you may have. The XP Series are high capacity batteries for secondary power use and are available in various sizes, from 15 lbs up to 74 lbs.

TURBONETICS TNX Turbochargers Contact for pricing | turboneticsinc.com The new TNX turbochargers are able to support anywhere from 200 to 800 horsepower. Available in T25, T3, and T4 footprints, they have an optional V-band or hose outlet on the compressor cover.

Turbonetics anticipates expanding this line to a more vehicles as they gain traction in the marketplace. Stay tuned for more from the SEMA Show. (Actual product may differ from image)

Get 30%, 60%, or up to 100% more light on the road with Philips upgrade headlights.

And, dramatically improve your driving visibility in tough, wet conditions with the Philips Windshield Treatment Kit. Get more light on the road and clearer vision with Philips upgrade headlights and Philips Windshield Treatment Kit. To learn more call 1-800-257-6054 www.philips.com/automotive

Scan the code to watch the Philips Windshield Treatment Kit video

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POWERBASS XL-WB8 8-inch Loaded Enclosure $119.99 | powerbassusa.com This new version of PowerBass’s XL-WB8 slot-ported loaded enclosure features the improved XL-804 subwoofer with a coated laminate applied to the 2-inch voice coil, allowing it to handle higher temperatures than its processor. Protective woofer grill guards are also included. The enclosure measures 19.25-in. (W) x 11.25-in. (L) x 5.5-in. (D).

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S U B S C R I B E O N L I N E N O W AT WWW.PASMAG.COM/SUBSCRIBE FACEBOOK.COM/PASMAG

TWITTER.COM/PASMAG

INSTAGRAM.COM/PASMAG

YOUTUBE.COM/PASNATION

2014-10-10 5:43 PM

TRENDING

EXEDY Hyper Single VF (Various Frictions) Clutch Contact for pricing | exedyusa.com

EIBACH ANTI-ROLL KIT for Scion FR-S / Subaru BRZ $413.10 | eibach.com Eibach’s anti-roll kit allows critical fine-tuning of your car’s handling characteristics. It reduces body roll through increased design stiffness over stock sway bars. The result is increased handling and cornering grip in any performance-driving situation.

Manufactured from cold-formed, high-strength aircraft-grade steel for precision and finished with a long-lasting red powder-coat finish. Comes complete with greased urethane bushings, all mounting hardware and instructions for easy installation.

Developed for people pursuing both the comfort of street driving and the durability under aggressive driving and abusive clutch conditions, the Hyper Single VF features more heat durability and dissipation using an integration of organic and metal friction surfaces. The reengineered and redesigned engagement point, combined with newly-developed cushioning plates, improves pedal feel while reducing effort.

EXEDY Clutch Kits for Scion FR-S / Subaru BRZ Contact for pricing | exedyusa.com Exedy, the OEM supplier for the Toyobaru twins, has developed a performance range of clutch kits for the vehicles. The Stage 1 upgrade is an organic clutch, supporting 203 lb-ft of torque. Stage 2 is a Hyper Twin cerametallic clutch supporting 340 lb-ft of torque. Stages 3 and 4 are Hyper Twin cerametallic clutches supporting 615 and 923 lb-ft of torque, respectively.

A

800-

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2014-10-10 5:44 PM 2014-10-02 11:51 AM

Untitle

1:51 AM

LUMENS LED SEALED BEAM CONVERSIONS

LUMENS LED HEADLIGHT BULBS

FONDMETAL STC-10

Contact for pricing | lumenshid.com

Contact for pricing | fondmetalusa.com

Lumens High Performance Lighting now offers LED conversion kits for your halogen bulbs. An alternative from conventional bulbs, they provide outstanding light output and superior color. Additional accessories are available for newer vehicles with sensitive CAN-BUS systems, light out indicators and daytime running lights.

Founded in Italy in 1972, Fondmetal is an elite wheel brand that specializes in monoblock forged and one-piece alloy wheels. Every wheel is 100% made in Italy and TÜV certified. The STC-10 is a concave 10-spoke wheel in a gloss titanium finish with super tuning milled accents.

Contact for pricing | lumenshid.com These lights are a great addition to increase your light output. Convert your dull, sealed beam headlights to the new LED standard with Lumens High Performance Lighting Sealed Beams. Choose from various sizes to make a bright, bold statement.

The offer exceptional quality at an affordable price. Don’t get left out in the dark!

MEGUIAR’S Air Refresher $ 7. 9 9 | m e g u i a r s . c o m Meguiar’s Air Refresher is a single-use odor remover that removes the toughest smells throughout the entire interior of your car, truck or SUV. By using a car’s recirculating air system, Meguiar’s Air Refresher moves throughout the inside of your vehicle, removing odors from those hard-to-reach areas while leaving a pleasant, fresh scent.

LED PERFORMANCE BULBS

Available in: WHITE 6000K 800-525-7422

Untitled-3 1 HNP 16.08.indd 8

WHITE 2400Lm

YELLOW 2800K

YELLOW 1800Lm

» Increased Vision Over Halogen » Precisely Focused Beam Pattern » Will Outlast the Life of the Vehicle » Plug and Play Installation www.piaa.com/LEDbulb

2014-10-02 AM 2014-10-10 11:50 5:44 PM

SOUND ADVICE

WITH GARRY SPRINGGAY

IN THE HOT SEAT Real world questions from readers like you! Have a car audio related question? Send it to us at letters@pasmag.com!

Matt: Hi there. I have a 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe. It has two Kicker CompVRs powered by a Kicker ZX 1500.1 amplifier. The system shuts down when I crank on the volume. I have already blown the amp once. I have been told that my amplifier is not getting enough power through my $30 fourgauge CCA wiring, and that the voltage drops to below 10 volts. I don’t believe this, since my wiring is already rated for 2,100 watts, and my dash voltmeter never goes below 12 volts. So my question is: What do I need to do to keep the amp from shutting down?

Garry: Matt, unfortunately you can seldom go by the wire manufacturer’s watt rating as it’s printed on the package, unless the kit is full-spec, 100-percent copper. Those numbers found on the cheap CCA kits are typically very optimistic, and shouldn’t be believed.

CCA wire is fine if you run a larger-gauge than you normally would with copper. I suggest going up two full gauge sizes to get performance equivalent to copper. At this point, you’ll find the large gauge CCA cable is about the same price as the four-gauge pure copper kit.

There’s no free lunch when it comes to physics.

With your existing cable, you have several things working against you at this point. First, you are trying to power a high quality amplifier that can draw in excess of 100-amps of current with a very inexpensive copper-clad aluminum wiring kit. Premium components will never work well with inexpensive, low-performance cables. Despite Internet marketing claims, CCA wire is NOT equal to copper cable of the same gauge size. CCA wire has over 30-percent higher resistance than pure copper wire. Add to this that most of these el-cheapo kits are under-gauged to begin with. This means that as the amp’s current demands increase, the actual voltage delivered to the amp is reduced. In many cases, the voltage can drop by several volts between the battery and the amp terminals.

Your truck’s voltmeter is not fed off the CCA

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cable, so it does not show the problem. Running that wire with that amp is like putting retreads on a Ferrari.

Buy a good quality, pure copper, full-spec four-gauge wiring kit, or a much larger-gauge CCA kit and replace your existing wire. Then make sure your alternator and battery are in good condition. Once you get those points looked after, that Kicker amp will provide you with all the power it was designed to, and you won’t have to worry about damaging it or starving it for power any longer.

Mike: I have a Focal FPS 4160 amplifier and a Focal Sub P 30 DB subwoofer. Can I drive the woofer’s dual coils with the front and rear channels of the amp in bridged mode?

Garry: Your amplifier is designed to work with no less than four-ohm loads in bridged mode. If I recall correctly, the Sub P 30 DB is a dual four-ohm coil woofer rated at 300-watts, or 150-watts per coil. You could conceivably connect each woofer coil to a set of bridged connections on your amp, but you’d have a lot more power on tap than the woofer was meant for. This would work, but you’d need to be careful with the volume control.

Another way to do this would be to wire the woofer coils in series, which would give you an eight-ohm load. A bridged output on that amp will produce about 200-watts into eight ohms.

This would work fine, but it will not give you all the power the amp is capable of, and you’d only be using one set of outputs.

If it were up tp me, I would use that nice Focal amp for my mids and tweets, and get a small, capable two-ohm mono amp to drive the sub. Good luck whichever way you go!

Casey: Hi, I enjoy the magazine and I get lots of great ideas from you guys. This is my first time writing to a magazine

for help. I tried an Internet forum and got too many different answers, so I want to ask the pros. I have three older JL Audio subwoofers that I want to put in a single enclosure and drive them with a Hifonics Colossus amp. The woofers all have dual six-ohm coils. How do I wire this setup to get absolute maximum power from the amp?

Garry: Hi Casey, glad to hear you enjoy the magazine, and also happy to answer your question.

Frankly, this one is pretty obvious, so I’m surprised there was another way even discussed. This was a popular woofer configuration back in the 1990s. Since your Colossus amp is capable of driving one-ohm loads, to maximize power delivery you’ll want to get a final load as close to one-ohm as possible, but without going under one-ohm.

The easiest way to do this is to wire everything in parallel. This means connecting the woofer’s positive terminals together, and then the negative terminals are connected together. This results in a three-ohm woofer configuration. Now, if you parallel all the positives together and then all the negatives together, the final impedance for the three woofers will be about 1.5-ohms. Your amp will drive this load with no problem and you will be getting the most power possible to your rather cool, old school woofer system.

Facebook: garry.springgay Website: www.cogentaudiolabs.com

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

10/10/2014 10:20:00 AM

In Canada

888-557-8278 I www.automob.ca

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2014-04-04 3:33 PM

TEST REPORT

JVC KW-V50BT

DVD Receiver Review For those who interact heavily with their smartphone and their favorite apps contained within, JVC has introduced a double-DIN multimedia receiver with you in mind. With a top quality seven-inch touchscreen, CD/DVD playback, USB port and built-in Bluetooth, the KW-V50BT is designed to satisfy all of your in-car entertainment needs. Its ability to interface with either Apple or Android-based smartphones via the addition of HDMI/MHL connections makes it a great choice no matter which type of smartphone you use, plus it allows you to keep your options open in the future.

Features and Functions This is a head unit designed primarily for people who prefer to take advantage of the apps installed in their smartphones. With the addition of HDMI/MHL input (cables sold separately), it’s possible to transfer control of your smartphone (and the majority of your smartphone apps) directly to the seven-inch TFT touchscreen. The KW-V50BT is also capable of the playback of streaming audio services such as Pandora and iHeart Radio. Certain operations, such as zooming in and out of navigation apps still need to be controlled by the smartphone screen.

The home screen provides three possible source options with one touch, with others available on a secondary menu. To make everyday operations easier, simply choose your three favorite sources to display on the home screen.

Voice control with Siri Eyes Free and Android voice control is also supported.

The motorized 1.15-megapixel touchscreen can be set to various angles for easy viewing, and the panel color and button illumination provides over 30,000 different colors to choose from. So yeah, it will match your dash lighting.

Background themes can be selected from eight built-in themes, or you can import your own image to display. Rear seat video outputs are included along with dual zone audio, so keeping the kids entertained in the back seat will be simple. Other available accessories include a rear view camera input (activated by selecting reverse gear), SiriusXM satellite radio, and compatibility with most factory steering wheel controls using an external adapter.

With the addition of HDMI/ MHL input, it’s possible to transfer control of your smartphone (and the majority of your smartphone apps) directly to the seven-inch TFT touchscreen.

Audio

Controls and Ergonomics

The KW-V50BT is equipped with a fourchannel power amplifier and front, rear and sub pre-outs. The amplifier is rated at 22 watts per channel, and the output voltage of the pre-outs is advertised at four volts.

The JVC unit is very simple and easy to operate. The majority of frequently-used functions require minimum input. Volume is adjusted via hard buttons on the lower left edge of the faceplate, but track changes are done

AMPLIFIER

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For signal control and system tuning, a three-band parametric EQ provides adjustment for 12 different frequencies. The front and rear pre-outs can be set separately to one of eight high-pass crossover frequencies, or simply left at full range.

The subwoofer output comes with five lowpass frequency settings or an all-pass setting. In addition to the crossover frequency, the sub outs also have adjustments for phase and level.

PREAMP SECTION

CEA-2006A Power Per Channel (all channels driven @ 4 Ω)

18.0 W / ch x 4

Max Usable RCA Output Voltage

3.7 Vrms

A Wtd S/N Ratio (ref. to 2 V/1 W @ 4 Ω) Amplified Output

-80.6 dBA (CD)

A Wtd S/N Ratio Ref. to Full Output Voltage

-86.1 dBA (CD)

THD+N @ 2 V/1 W @ 4 Ω 1 kHz

0.07 %

Output Impedance

235 Ω

Frequency Response (-3.0 dB)

20 Hz – 20 kHz (CD) 20 Hz – 20 kHz (Aux)

Frequency Response (-3.0 dB)

20 Hz – 20 kHz (CD) 20 Hz – 20 kHz (Aux)

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

TEST REPORT JVC V50BT (16.08)_DHPS.indd 1

2014-10-14 10:10 AM

A MILLION AND ONE WAYS INSTALLED OUTCOME...

MORE WORLDWIDE SOUND QUALITY CHAMPIONSHIPS THAN ANY OTHER CAR AUDIO MANUFACTURER

W W W . A R C A U D I O . C O M AM PLI F I E RS

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SP EA K ERS

SUBWOOFERS

PROCESSORS

MOTORCYCLE AUD IO

2014-08-12 11:33 AM

TEST REPORT

JVC KW-V50BT DVD Receiver

on the touch screen. The on-screen icons are large enough to select easily, and the amount of pressure required on the touch screen is near perfect. However, all is not sweet and light in terms of the KW-V50BT’s functionality. I find myself wanting more than just three source choices on the home screen. The size of the three source selection icons is huge, so adding another source or two would not have hurt the ease of use. I also miss having an HD Radio tuner, but with iHeart Radio available and a good data plan, this isn’t a big issue. Another minor gripe is the inability to adjust the subwoofer level without at least four touchscreen presses and three menus.

For many enthusiasts, the sub level is one of the most often adjusted controls, so it makes no sense to have it buried this far down. Aside from that, the unit seems pretty straightforward to use and adjust.

TEST REPORT JVC V50BT (16.08)_DHPS.indd 2 Untitled-2 1

mobile.jvc.com

JVCMobileEntertainment

@JVC_USA

JVCAmerica

mobile.jvc.ca

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@JVCCanada

JVCCanada

Listening In the listening room, the KW-V50BT proves to be a very good sounding and able performer. The sonics from the DVD player and the iPod interface are top notch as you’d expect from a high quality audio company like JVC. All of the controls and adjustments work well, and pairing my phone to the unit is dead simple. I also tried out the included infrared remote control, and it works great.

Bluetooth audio sounds as good as can be expected from this type of source, and is pleasant, if not truly hi-fi worthy.

2014-10-14 AM 2014-10-08 10:11 2:05 PM

4 OHM POWER VS. THD+N 100HZ 14.4V BATT

On the Bench With the unit connected to my Audio Precision analyzer, I run a battery of tests and the results are very good. The internal amplifier makes the same power as the other high quality head units that use the same MOSFET IC, and signal-to-noise confirms a very low noise floor. Frequency response, crosstalk and THD also measure very well. Pre-out voltages don’t quite meet the published spec at 3.7-volts, however. Output impedance is average, at 235 ohms.

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Conclusion With the ability to interface with virtually any Apple or Android smartphone, the JVC KW-V50BT has a lot of appeal to the advanced or habitual smartphone user. Even better, people who care about their music will appreciate the excellent sound quality and tuning control, and everyone will enjoy the customization options and layout. If it’s time for you to replace that relic in your dash with some of the latest technology, pay a visit to your local JVC dealer and see what the KWV50BT can do for you.

AMPLIFIER MAX FLAT FREQUENCY RESPONSE

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2014-10-14 2014-04-10 10:14 12:02 AM PM

TEST REPORT

Rydeen DVA6

Multimedia Receiver Review The Rydeen name may not come immediately to mind when discussing vehicle electronics, but the company is working hard at changing that. From their headquarters in Torrance CA., their staff live and breathe consumer electronics and are building the brand to represent safety, convenience and lifestyle.

I first saw their new DVA6 multimedia receiver ($799 MSRP) at the Consumer Electronics Show last January. After learning a bit more about it, I realized this is not just another video based head unit. In fact, there is nothing else really like the DVA6 on the market, period.

Features The DVA6 is equipped to playback virtually any type of media including DVD, VCD, CD, MPEG4, MP3, WMA, and the usual variants. It includes an AM/FM tuner, multiple auxiliary inputs, and has full Bluetooth connectivity. “Big deal,” you say. “A lot of head units do that.” Yes, but rather than just another app-centric head unit that revolves around requiring your smartphone for operation, the Rydeen DVA6 is an actual Android-powered multimedia receiver. Because the unit has its own special automotive version of the Android OS built in, it’s automatically Google centric.

This is probably also a good time to mention that it comes with an eight gigabyte hard drive builtin, and another gigabyte of RAM. The CPU is an ARM Cortex A9 dual core working at 1GHz, based on the widely supported ARMv7 architecture. Oh, yeah, this isn’t your typical head unit!

Rather than installing a bunch of apps on your phone and then trying to get control of them via your head unit, you simply install the apps directly onto the DVA6 using the Google Play Store! The DVA6 eliminates the need to hard wire your smartphone to your radio every time you get in and out of the car. Additionally, it eliminates the often less-than-successful business of mimicking the touch and swipe experience of your smartphone onto your head unit screen – or worse yet – having to touch the phone itself.

Internet connectivity can be accomplished via several different methods. You can tether a mobile Wi-Fi device, use your smartphone, or connect to 3G or 4G access via the supplied Wi-Fi dongle that plugs into a rear-mounted USB port.

The DVA6 even allows you to create your own Wi-Fi hotspot. Once connected to the Internet, the unit provides tablet-like access to real time traffic, navigation, email, and all the other apps you may have installed.

This is a very sophisticated and capable device, but it’s also surprisingly intuitive and

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This is a very sophisticated and capable device, but it’s also surprisingly intuitive and logical. logical. It took me just minutes to have full Internet connectivity and even create my own hot spot that I use to connect my laptop to the Internet. With the DVA6, your choices for multimedia are expanded to basically any available app on Google Play, including those pre-installed: • Google Maps • Waze • YouTube • Pandora • Facebook • iHeartRadio • Google Search (voice controlled) • Gmail • SYGIC (free short term trial subscription) Of course Bluetooth connectivity for phone and music streaming (via A2DP or AVRCP), voice search and Siri is also supported.

Other useful features include dual zone

PREAMP SECTION

CEA-2006A Power Per Channel (all channels driven @ 4 Ω)

17.5 W/ch x 4

Max Usable RCA Output Voltage

2.0 Vrms

A Wtd S/N Ratio (ref. to 2 V/1 W @ 4 Ω) Amplified Output

-69.4 dBA (CD)

A Wtd S/N Ratio Ref. to Full Output Voltage

-80.5 dBA

THD+N @ 2 V/1 W @ 4 Ω 1 kHz

0.13 %

Output Impedance

252 Ω

Frequency Response (-3.0 dB)

20 Hz – 20 kHz

Frequency Response (-3.0 dB)

20 Hz – 20 kHz

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

TEST REPORT Rydeen DVA6 (16.08).indd 1

2014-10-14 10:18 AM

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3 r d G en erati on C LA S S IC

CLASSIC POWER, LOOKS & PERFORMANCE UNDER A NEW LIGHT Available now at car audio retailers (check www.powerbassusa.com/dealers for a dealer near you)

PowerBass faced the daunting task of improving our now legendary ASA-Series amplifiers. Welcome ASA3! Our third generation of our Classic ASA-Series amplifiers have a narrower footprint for installation versatility, increased overvoltage protection, broader input sensitivity, new extruded chassis designed for better heat management and a sporty new light--light up badge that is. Our backlit PowerBass logo badge can be turned on or off by the flick of a switch--how cool is that!

We still managed to keep all the popular features usually found only in other brands' high-end ranges. Feature packed with a wide line-up of 2, 4 and even 5 channel amplifiers, ASA3 Amplifiers meet the needs of any serious audiophile. The PowerBass Classic continues. Audition one at a dealer near you!

www.powerbassusa.com Š2014 PowerBass USA Inc.

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|

tel: 909.923.3868

|

fax: 909.923.8048

2014-06-25 10:21 AM

TEST REPORT

Rydeen DVA6

Multimedia Receiver audio, camera input (Rydeen has a brilliant 360-degree multi-camera setup available), and a SDHC/USB slot for music, movie or photo files. You’ll be pleased to know that the software can be updated via a micro SDHC slot, so the unit will be updated and efficient for years to come.

Controls and Ergonomics On a head unit with this much capability, the interface is critically important. So rather than confusing things, the DVA6’s main control screen sort of resembles an icon-based tablet screen. Controls are easy to understand, and the unit is equipped with a tried-and-true rotary volume control. The net result is a very capable unit with far more features and convenience than ever before, while remaining quite simple to use and understand.

Button illumination is red or blue with customizable wallpapers.

The faceplate is fixed in position, and the CD loading slot is located at the top edge of the faceplate. Audio controls are simple to access and easy to adjust, regardless of what source you have selected. I also liked the ability to adjust the gain (relative volume) of each source independently.

Because this is an Android based unit, it does not directly support Apple devices, although using either Bluetooth or the USB connection, it connects with virtually any type of personal music player, Apple or otherwise.

If you have a car with steering wheel controls, the DVA6 can also interface with those controls via a third party adapter like the SWIRC from PAC. Additionally, an infrared remote control is included in the box.

Rydeenmobile.com

RydeenMobile

@RydeenMobile

to use, seldomly requiring a second attempt.

The noise floor of the unit is good, maybe not quite as good as my reference source unit, but enough for use in a car. People who buy this unit will be drawn to the fantastic array of available features and the convenience of full-time Internet connectivity. After listening to this unit for a few hours, it’s obvious nobody will be sacrificing audio performance to get these features.

Rydeen Mobile Electronics

typical 17- to 18-watts of clean power into fourohms. Pre-amp output voltage is the advertised 2.0-volts, with an output impedance of around 250-ohms. The DSP powered equalizer with its 12 bands of adjustment and selectable Q work well, but I would have liked a bit more adjustability of the subwoofer output, and a way to control the sub volume with fewer screen taps.

Conclusion Doing a thorough review on a product with this much capability and available functionality could fill up half of this issue, but suffice to say it’s the most intuitive, easy-to-use and well-thought-out Internet-based receiver I have tested to date.

With products like this, Rydeen is sure to become a recognized leader when it comes to cutting edge technology for your car.

On the Bench The Rydeen DVA6 confirms my listening experience, and all of the usual tests produce respectable numbers. The response is quite flat all the way across the audio spectrum. Stereo separation and distortion measures low as well, and the internal amplifier produces the 4 OHM POWER VS. THD+N 100HZ 14.4V BATT

EQUALIZER FUNCTION FREQUENCY

5 +16 +14

2 +12

1

Listening For my listening session I have the DVA6 drive two amplifiers using the front and subwoofer pre-amp outputs. As you would expect from a unit as sophisticated as this, the audio performance is very good. Frequency response sounds nice and flat, and the sub output controls provide me a way to shift crossover points and adjust the amplitude of the sub separately from the main outputs. The 6.2inch TFT touch screen is responsive and easy

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TEST REPORT Rydeen DVA6 (16.08).indd 2

2014-10-14 10:19 AM

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2014-09-24 11:28 AM

TEST REPORT

JL Audio 12TW1

Woofer Review As I watched my neighbor fill a full-size Ford Excursion to the gunnels with her potted plant collection, it occurred to me that whether you drive a gigantic three-row SUV or a tiny Peel P50, there is never enough room to carry everything you’d like. And since you’re reading this, I can safely assume that among your most important items that must be on board is a good subwoofer system. So, if you have been wondering how to get great subwoofer performance without losing the space needed for the dog, groceries, golf clubs, hockey gear or full tool collection, read on.

From JL Audio comes the new, lower-priced TW1 Thin-Line subwoofers and PowerWedge enclosures, which are specifically designed for anyone who needs great subwoofer performance in a very limited amount of space.

Available in 10 and 12 inches, the TW1 woofers are designed to fit small, shallow enclosures and require minimal frontal clearance. For our review, they kindly supplied us with a pair of 12TW1s and an appropriately small enclosure.

Features The 12TW1 woofer utilizes a low profile, cast aluminum frame with a mounting depth of less than 140 mm. Including a metal mesh grill, the woofer only protrudes about 22 mm from the front of an enclosure. This is partly

Power Handling

75-300 W continuous

QUICK

Frequency Range

20-300 Hz

SPECS

Sensitivity

83.2 dB/SPL @ 1.0 W

Nominal Impedance

4 Ω coil

TECH

64

thanks to a recessed, two-piece, mineralfilled poly cone and rubber surround that are built around JL Audio’s patented Concentric Tube Suspension technology. This innovative design eliminates a conventional top plate and optimizes motor placement, specifically to maximize excursion in low profile woofers.

The magnetic motor itself is designed to provide reduced distortion and much more linear cone movement because of JL’s use of Dynamic Motor Analysis (DMA), which allows engineers to fully analyze the force applied by the motor, not just over the full excursion travel, but also as the AC signal is applied to the coil in real time.

The 12TW1 uses a six-pound (2.7 kg) strontium ferrite magnet that powers a 34 mm diameter voice coil, wound with round copper wire on a Kapton former. Because the pole is not vented, the back of the basket can fit flush against the inside wall of the enclosure, further decreasing mounting depth requirements. The woofer is rated to handle 300 watts continuous power. The result is a nicely finished, high-tech looking woofer.

Put all of this technology together and you get a 12-inch woofer that will work in sealed enclosures down to 0.65 cubic feet. (18.4 liters) Think about that for a minute. That equates to an enclosure barely bigger than the woofer itself!

PASMAG

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

Listening For my test, Manville Smith of JL Audio was kind enough to provide me with one of their CS212LGTW1 PowerWedge enclosures. The enclosure, measuring only 26.25 x 14 x 8.875 inches (66.7 x 35.6 x 22.5 centimeters) contains a pair of the 12TW1 woofers, wired in parallel. Even with a two-woofer enclosure, the whole thing is small enough to fit in any trunk space, and most hatchbacks as well. It also works very well in my Tacoma pickup.

With the system connected in my lab’s dedicated listening room, I power the JL subwoofers with a 500-watt amplifier and set the crossover to 80 Hz, with a fourth-order L-R filter. The session begins with a favorite disc, Jazz At The Pawnshop.

This disc is so well done and so musical that good equipment can seemingly make it come to life.

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

TEST REPORT JL Audio 12TW1 (16.08)_v2.indd 1

2014-10-14 1:46 PM

For four days, what’s next is here now.

The 2015 International CES.® With the who’s who of innovation, business and technology, it’s the one show on Earth that promises the future. And delivers it in ways you never imagined.

Register today at CESweb.org.

JAN. 6-9, 2015 LAS VEGAS, NEVADA CESWEB.ORG #CES2015

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2014-09-22 2:02 PM

TEST REPORT

JL Audio 12TW1

Woofer Review ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS

Re

3.60

Ω

Electrical voice coil resistance at DC

Le

3.149

mH

Frequency independent part of voice coil inductance

L2

4.824

mH

Para-inductance of voice coil

R2

12.97

Ω

Electrical resistance due to eddy current losses

Cmes

769

µF

Electrical capacitance representing moving mass

Lces

26.87

mH

Electrical inductance representing driver compliance

Res

75.81

Ω

Resistance due to mechanical losses

fs

35.0

Hz

Driver resonance frequency

Thiele-Small Parameters (Klippel Analyzer)

MECHANICAL PARAMETERS

Mms

212.042

g

Mechanical mass of driver diaphragm assembly including air load and voice coil

Mmd

204.763

g

Mechanical mass of voice coil and diaphragm without air load

Rms

3.636

kg/s

Mechanical resistance of total-driver losses

Cms

0.097

mm/N

Mechanical compliance of driver suspension

Kms

10.26

N/mm

Mechanical stiffness of driver suspension

Bl

16.603

N/A

Force factor (Bl product)

LOSS FACTORS

Qtp

0.594

Total Q-factor considering all losses

Qms

12.826

Mechanical Q-factor of driver in free air considering Rms only

Qes

0.609

Electrical Q-factor of driver in free air considering Re only

Qts

0.581

Total Q-factor considering Re and Rms only

OTHER PARAMETERS

16.533

l

Equivalent air volume of suspension

n0

0.112

%

Reference efficiency (2 pi-radiation using Re)

Lm

82.69

dB

Characteristic sound pressure level (SPL at 1m for 1W @ Re)

Lnom

83.15

dB

Nominal sensitivity (SPL at 1m for 1W @ Zn)

Sd

346.19

cm2

Diaphragm area

SPL VS. FREQ

MAGNITUDE OF ELECTRIC IMPEDENCE Z (f) 90

Free Air Impedance

80

70 90

87

dBSPL

60

84

dBSPL

That’s just what the 12TW1s does. The bass performance from these low profile woofers in an impossibly small enclosure is truly amazing.

Sure, there is plenty of output, but what really makes me smile is the musicality of the system. I expected the tiny enclosure to result in more resonance and narrower bandwidth, but that is not the case at all. The bass is well controlled and damped. Extended low frequency stuff is obvious and credible without being boomy or obnoxious. Definition in bass notes and nuances in a players fingering are not just audible, they’re correct. Track after track, disc after disc, the session goes on into the evening.

I always know I’ve come across something uncommonly good when the listening session turns into more fun than work.

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30 69

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TEST REPORT JL Audio 12TW1 (16.08)_v2.indd 2

2014-10-14 1:47 PM

Conclusion When I first listened to JL’s TW3 Concentric Tube Suspension woofers last year, I came away impressed. Now the TW1 series offers similar performance for less money! Although the 12TW1 woofers are priced lower than their TW3 big brothers, these are still not what you’d call cheap. At a suggested retail price of $299.95 for the 12-inch version, or $699.95 for a pair of them in a very well constructed and nicely finished cabinet, you can spend less, but if you do, that’s probably what you’ll get.

Less output, less musicality, less value.

While the JL Audio 12TW1 woofers may not be the absolute best subwoofer system in my shop, they are easily some of the best woofers I’ve heard that will work so well in such a small enclosure. If you need to conserve as much space as possible, but don’t want to compromise on your system’s sonic performance, the JL Audio 12TW1s should be very high on your shopping list. jlaudio.com

jlaudio.ca

jlaudio

@jlaudioinc

jlaudioinc

1K

Untitled-5 1 TEST REPORT JL Audio 12TW1 (16.08)_v2.indd 3

2014-07-22 1:48 4:01 PM 2014-10-14

TEST REPORT

ORION XTRPRO154D Woofer Review Look at any successful company and you’ll notice that they didn’t get that way by resting on their laurels. As a prime example, the team at Orion have been hard at work redesigning and improving their already-impressive XTRPRO series subwoofers.

I was lucky enough to receive one of the first samples of the company’s renewed woofer line in the form of the XTRPRO154D, which is rated for 1,800 watts of continuous power.

Features The new XTRPRO154D woofer seems to have taken some design cues from the legendary HCCA woofers. The heavy-duty, cast aluminum basket is designed to make the woofer field rebuildable, which is a huge advantage for anyone who’s into any sort of SPL contesting. To disassemble the woofer, simply remove 20 hex head machine screws and the entire cone, surround, coil and spider assembly lifts out. To further simplify the job, the speaker wire set screw connections are built into the spider landing spacer, which also comes out with the rest of the assembly.

You can rebuild the entire woofer in less than 10 minutes.

Even though the woofer is easy to rebuild, I doubt that most buyers will ever need to. This is very ruggedly-built. The all-copper voice coil is wound on a Kapton former measuring three inches in diameter. The coil is treated

Listening

1,800 W RMS

QUICK

Frequency Range

27 Hz – 400 Hz

SPECS

Sensitivity

89 dB/SPL @ 1.0 W (1.414 V @ 2 Ω)

Nominal Impedance

(2) 4 Ω coils

PASMAG

Prodigal Son is exceptionally well defined and musical. Songs with very low frequency information, such as Yello’s Unbelievable or Avril Lavigne’s Sk8ter Boi really show the woofer’s capability in a vented application. Even with the steeper, low frequency roll-off of a vented box, deep bass has tremendous authority and realism. Kick drum and tympani notes are clean and well defined, and the bass in general is natural and warm sounding. Regardless of the type of music, the XTRPRO performs with the authority that only comes from a great woofer in the correct enclosure, and plenty of clean power. Adding to the enjoyment of how the woofer sounds is the lack of any unwanted high frequency output, which often requires very steep crossover filters or lower crossover frequencies to remove.

The XTRPRO manual provides plenty of great information on getting the most from your system, covering a wide variety of install configurations. It’s well written and worth the read, even if you’ve installed more woofers than I have. After the woofer is broken in, I choose to do my listening using a vented enclosure with an internal volume of threecubic-feet and tuned to 38 Hz. A woofer this serious likes serious power, so I decide to use a Crown Macro Tech MA-3600v2, capable of over three-kilowatts at two ohms. I set my electronic crossover for 80 Hz at -12 dB/Oct, and settle in to listen to a couple dozen of my favorite woofer tracks. The bass in Billy Idol’s

Power Handling

TECH

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with an ultra high temperature varnish rated for temperatures well in excess of the norm.

There are twin linear spiders to keep the coil centered and provide mechanical compliance. The voice coil former is bonded to a paper cone with a poly outer coating, and the cone is bonded and stitched to the tall “symmetrical tuned” rubber surround. Peak-topeak excursion should exceed one inch!

Driving the coil is a massive doublestacked ferrite magnet assembly trimmed out with a nice looking protective boot. Helping keep the voice coil cool are large area vents covered with protective mesh screens in the pole piece and under the spider landing.

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

TEST REPORT ORION XTRPRO154D (16.08).indd 1

2014-10-14 3:09 PM

"Even though the woofer is easy to rebuild, I doubt that most buyers will ever need to. This is very ruggedly-built."

On the Bench After finishing up my listening session late at night, I let the woofer rest overnight and move it into the lab for parameter measurement. Using my Klippel analyzer and with the voice coils in parallel, I obtain the following parameters (see tables to the right).

Conclusion After putting the new XTRPRO154D woofer through its paces, I think it’s safe to say the company is doing anything but resting on its laurels. The new XTRPRO woofer is better than the woofer it replaces in almost every way.

Pricing is unavailable at press time, but if it’s anywhere near what the previous versions sold for, it will be a real performance bargain.

ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS

For an expanded version of this test report, go to pasmag.com/testreports/OrionXTRPRO154D

Re

1.84

Ω

Electrical voice coil resistance at DC

Le

1.311

mH

Frequency independent part of voice coil inductance Para-inductance of voice coil

L2

2.177

mH

R2

5.97

Ω

Electrical resistance due to eddy current losses

Cmes

1389

µF

Electrical capacitance representing moving mass

Lces

21.74

mH

Electrical inductance representing driver compliance

Res

61.34

Ω

Resistance due to mechanical losses

fs

29.0

Hz

Driver resonance frequency

Thiele-Small Parameters (Klippel Analyzer)

MECHANICAL PARAMETERS

WOOFERS FREE AIR IMPEDANCE coils in parallel

60 55 50 45

Ohm

40 35

Mms

344.626

g

Mechanical mass of driver moving assembly including air load and voice coil

Mmd

315.321

g

Mechanical mass of voice coil and diaphragm without air load

Rms

4.046

kg/s

Cms

0.088

mm/N

Mechanical compliance of driver suspension

Kms

11.42

N/mm

Mechanical stiffness of driver suspension

Bl

15.754

N/A

Mechanical resistance of total-driver losses

Force factor (Bl product)

30

LOSS FACTORS

25 20 15 10 5 0 10

20

50

100

200

500

1K

Hz

Qtp

0.457

Total Q-factor considering all losses

Qms

15.501

Mechanical Q-factor of driver in free air considering Rms only

Qes

0.464

Electrical Q-factor of driver in free air considering Re only

Qts

0.451

Total Q-factor considering Re and Rms only

OTHER PARAMETERS

NEARFIELD SPL RESPONSE Three-cubic-foot vented enclosure, tuned to 38 Hz 96 93 90

Vas

95.165

l

Lnom

89.37

dB

Equivalent air volume of suspension Nominal sensitivity (SPL at 1 m for 1 W @ Zn)

Sd

876.16

cm2

Diaphragm area

EBP

62.5

87

dBSPL

84 81 78 75 72

orioncaraudio.com

69 66

Orion.Car.Audio

@OrionCarAudio

63 60 10

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70 80 90 100

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200

300

400

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DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

TEST REPORT ORION XTRPRO154D (16.08).indd 2

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2014-10-14 3:10 PM

CABE'S CORNER

BY CABE SIPES

Many installers who go independent fall into the same trap of thinking they need $100,000 worth of tools and supplies to properly become independent... Well, it’s time to stop the madness and realize that the most important tool in your arsenal is your brain.

• Wire stripper

BUILD A WORKSHOP ON A BUDGET Many installers who go independent fall into the same trap of thinking they need $100,000 worth of tools and supplies to properly become independent. This normally happens to installers who start at big box stores or high-end shops where everything needed to finish a job is already on hand and arranged. I am the first to admit that I, too, fell into this trap and spent thousands of dollars on tools and so-called “installer” materials. Well, it’s time to stop the madness and realize that the most important tool in your arsenal is your brain and the skills that you have acquired. In this article, I am going to list out the must-have items for all installers/fabricators, as well as where to get them.

HAND TOOLS (BASIC INSTALLS) There are many different hand tools out there, but you can get away with just a select few.

The following tools are absolute must-haves for any installer and the whole list can be found on Amazon for under $100. ∫∫ ∫∫ ∫∫ ∫∫ ∫∫ ∫∫

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Cabes Corner.indd 1

Crimpers (Klein) Wire strippers (Tekton) Radio removal tools (HDE) Plastic pry tools (HDE) Star Drive screwdriver set (Tekton) Metric and SAE hex keys (Stanley)

∫∫ Socket set (Stanley) ∫∫ Torx bit set (ATD) ∫∫ Phillips/standard screwdriver set (Stanley) ∫∫ Multi meter (Innova) POWER TOOLS (BASIC FABRICATION) For basic fabrication, which includes building a sub box or making adapter rings, you only need a few power tools.

All the tools listed below can again be found on Amazon for less than $150.

Always be safe when using any power tool and wear eye protection. ∫∫ Circular saw (Black & Decker) ∫∫ Jigsaw (Black & Decker) ∫∫ Screw gun (Black & Decker)

• Circular saw

POWER TOOLS (ADVANCED FABRICATION) For any type of advanced fabricating, you will need to step into the world of the router. Routers are probably the most dangerous tool in the shop. If you don't respect it, you will get hurt. Seriously. When I used to

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

10/10/2014 10:31:00 AM

Untitled-1 1

2014-09-29 3:24 PM

CABE'S CORNER

• Router

train installers, I would make them use a jigsaw for a minimum of six months before they were even allowed to touch a router. In the world of custom fabrication, you must learn how to properly use a router to achieve some of the intricate shapes and designs you may have seen. Routers are only as good as the router bits you use with them though, so don’t cheap out on them. You want to pick up carbide, solid one-piece bits. If the bits are covered in paint, avoid them because the paint is there to hide the weld seam where the two pieces of metal have been attached. You want a “solid one-piece bit” because it’s no fun having a cheap bit separate at 15,000 RPM. As far as brands of routers, there are many to choose from, but my personal choice is Porter Cable and it can be picked up on Amazon for around $200 with another $100 for the proper bits. ∫∫ ∫∫ ∫∫ ∫∫

• Brad nailer and air compressor

Cabes Corner.indd 2

Router (Porter Cable) Flush trim carbide bit (Amana Tool) Rabbet Bit (Amana Tool) Corner round bit (Amana Tool)

AIR TOOLS (ADVANCED FABRICATION) If you’re using air tools, then you have either made some money from basic installs, or you have been

saving your pennies. This is the final and most expensive tool setup for any fabricator because of the air compressor needed to use these tools.

Air compressors come in many makes and sizes, but don’t even think about buying the cheapest one you can find, or you will be doomed to spend hours trying to sand the smallest of projects because you have to stop every 30 seconds and wait for your compressor to catch up. The air compressor is where you want to spend big money. If you do that, the compressor will take care of you for many years to come.

I personally have had mine for over 12 years now. You can pick up your air tools and fittings on Amazon, but I would suggest heading to Sears, Home Depot, or your local hardware store to buy the air compressor and plan on spending at least $1,000 by the time you get the compressor, lubrication kit, water catch and fittings. The following air tools can be picked up on Amazon.com for around $500, not including the needed accessories and attachments. ∫∫ ∫∫ ∫∫

∫∫

Brad nailer (Campbell Hausfeld) Upholstery stapler (Fasco) Three-inch mini random orbital sander (Chicago Pneumatic) Angled air die grinder (Chicago Pneumatic)

10/10/2014 10:31:31 AM

Untitle

Air tools like these come in handy when doing advanced fabircation work.

That concludes the list of tools required to do everything from basic to advanced jobs, and while I know some of you may be questioning the brand choices, you have to remember that you have to start somewhere.

Once you have established yourself, you can spend some money and move up to the next level, but for now, all of these tools will get anybody started. If you were to add up the list, including all of the advanced fabrication tools, you would see that we are just under $2,500. Now factor in a shop vacuum and the wood to build your worktables, and you have built yourself a decent workshop for $3,000.

For the continuation of how to set up your workshop like a boss, visit PASMAG.com/WorkshopSetup101

Cabes Corner.indd 3 Untitled-3 1

Twitter: @cabesipes Facebook: /CabeSipesFanPage Website: www.customaudioreimagined.com

10/10/2014 10:33:35 2014-10-02 11:51 AM AM

MOBILE ELECTRONICS

I N S T A L L

READY TO RUMBLE

PROJECT

GROUND POUNDER PHASE.5

THE BIG BRUTE IS COMPLETE AT LAST! STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE DIMITRIADIS

A

ll good things must come to an end, but in this case that’s only partially true.

The only things coming to an end are the never-ending days, weeks and months of building to get Project Ground Pounder up and running.

It’s a bittersweet moment. Sweet in the sense that I’m finally able to enjoy the end results. Bitter because I always looked forward to working on another aspect of the build, even if it was a source of great anxiety.

The last phase of construction saw the completion of the custom headliner, trim panels, rear window speaker pods, enclosure painting and battery rack to house a total of 21 VMAX CT2500 batteries.

Fabricating a rack that could support everything was a huge accomplishment in itself. Then there are the custom bus bars that needed to be made from scratch, while at the same time wiring everything together correctly. The fifth and final phase of the build looks at this process along with many other final details and adjustments down the home stretch.

With the rack complete and topped up with batteries, we made another visit to the steel mill to order some aluminum bar stock; specifically, two pieces measuring 48-inches by three-inches by one-half-inch, and another two pieces measuring 48-by five-inches by one-half-inch.

Phase five begins with drilling and tapping seven holes on each of the small pieces and 14 holes on each of the larger pieces, where the batteries will be bolted. From there, an

74

PASMAG

additional 90 holes are tapped and dyed between all four pieces for the hundreds of feet of KNU Konceptz OFC one-gauge alternator charging wires, amplifier power cables, ground wires and battery jumper cables.

The whole process takes the better part of a day, having gone through multiple drill bits and taps.

The next step is to connect the wire to the busbars. For this, we utilize the incredible installation accessories from KNU. We use a total of 90 one-gauge set screw terminals on the various runs of wire. Using the set screw terminal makes it easy, clean and provides a fantastic finish. Hats off to KNU Konceptz for providing unsurpassed products once again.

With voltage taken care of on both the charging front and the battery bank, it is time to enlist the help of CTEK's battery chargers. CTEK is at the forefront of battery charging units, so when I approached them about the build and explained my particular challenges, they knew exactly what to offer: the MULTI US 25000. This unit has a charging capacity of 25 amps - more than sufficient for maintenance and charging when the vehicle is in storage or off the road. I install the charger in a dedicated compartment in the rear and wire it directly to the batteries with a quick-connect plug in the back.

The CTEK unit surpasses all expectations thus far, showing why it’s the premier choice for smart chargers.

The next step is to start working on the amplifier rack. Fitting no less than a dozen amplifiers is another

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

Custom buss bars fitted on the battery bank.

Spaghetti anyone?

The CTEK Multi US 25000 Smart Charger.

monumental task, but it was decided many months before the build that American Bass would be the amplifier of choice. Bob provides customer service that is second to none, which, with top notch gear, makes them an easy choice.

Of the 12 amplifiers mentioned above, four are for bass reproduction and the other eight are for the mids and highs.

Having a sufficient amount of wattage available is important to me, so I selected the biggest amplifier they have available: the American Bass 1100.1 monoblock amplifier. It’s conservatively rated between 9,000 to 11,000 watts, which of course, is dependent on the amount of voltage you give it. So I believe a battery bank with 21 batteries will do just fine over the long haul. Four

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I decided to go fully active for sound processing, and the obvious choice to address my digital processing needs is AudioControl.

After reaching out to Sean Reid and explaining what we want to achieve with this build, he happily walked me through the various The completed options available. We decided that amplifier rack. pairing AudioControl’s THREE.2 in-dash EQ alongside the 6XS electronic crossover will yield the best results. The ability to tweak on the fly thanks to the half-DIN EQ and the high-level outputs of the crossover are just a few things AudioControl Trio of that make this pair an unbeatable THREE.2 amplifier installation. addition to the build. switches.

With the amplifiers all wired up, a trio of switches are incorporated to give 1100.1s supply power to the 10 RE me the ability to control and separate the Audio XX15s. Each amplifier is wired system into three separate parts. The first at 0.8-ohms and each pair is strapped switch turns on the amplifiers, which power at 1.6-ohms for every five subwoofers. The the speakers in the front portion of the vehicle remaining eight amplifiers are four-channel (front door and A-pillars). The second switch AB 150.4 amplifiers, conservatively rated at 75 turns on the amplifiers, which powers the rear watts times four. That’s more than enough for speakers (rear door and rear window pods). the 16 RE Audio component sets.

The third switch turns on the amplifiers which power the 10 15-inch subs.

I wanted this configuration so I could turn off all the mid/highs (if needed) while competing in SPL competitions, where the goal is to attain the loudest SPL measurement in a single burp frequency. I also want to be able to turn off the rear speakers for daily usage because the rear doors are closed while driving. Being able to control the system this way is a huge advantage and comfort.

The final piece of the puzzle is loading up the enclosure with the 10 RE Audio XX15s – no easy task for many reasons: namely their immense weight, size and the already minimal space to work with for mounting. This is where Mike Martel from Ultimate Autosports comes into play. His ability to fit in small and confined places is just what the doctor ordered, and we slide Mike into the enclosure, handing him one woofer after another, all while assisting him with mounting and screwing each into place.

Each side has a total of five woofers mounted, with the back two oriented normally, and the front three inverted to accommodate the size and mounting depth required by the sealed chamber.

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