Fhrx Studios

Focal Australia Rejuvenates Its Website.

Focal Australia has just launched the latest incarnation of its website. Completely refreshed; the stunning new online presentation looks exceptional, feels warm and fluffy and tastes terrific too! Featuring the entire arsenal of Focal goodies, everything from flagship Utopia M right through to the extensive range of Focal Inside plug'n'play products; the new website is plentiful with product information.

So if you'd like to join literally millions of content owners of these incredible products, head over to the new Focal Australia website for an poke around:

https://www.focalaustralia.com.au

Alternatively, please email us via [email protected] should you require any information not found online.

It’s Silly Single Sale Time!

Our infamous 'Silly Single Sales' occur haphazardly when we need to move a single high-end item, usually at a seriously discounted price. Today’s item on the chopping block is a Helix P SIX DSP ULTIMATE six channel amplifier:

https://fhrxstudios.com.au/product/helix-p-six-dsp-ultimate-six-channel-car-audio-amplifier-processor/

As per the norm, boutique brands prefer we don't splash heavily discounted prices around the internet. Therefore please email us on [email protected] for the sale price.

The reason we’re able to offer these prices varies, though usually it’s due to auditioning. See we comprehensively test and compare many an item each month for various magazines, ezines, websites, blogs, tech forums etc.. Sporadically items will arrive for review that we’ve either already installed plenty of, else have them installed in one of our cars. Hence we already know the capabilities and characteristics of said item and don’t need to unpack the test specimen. Rather than returning the item though, many manufacturers prefer they just be sold off cheap. This means you’ll receive a brand-new product for an ex-demo price. Warranty and paperwork wise you’ll of course be afforded the full 'as new' warranty with all the associated support, bells and whistles.
Don’t procrastinate though; for these sales aren’t entitled 'single' for no reason. Once the item sells it’s gone. The last item went within hours of the sale being announced.

Helix P SIX DSP ULTIMATE - Six Channel Car Audio Amplifier / Processor | Fhrx Studios Helix – Ubiquitous Reference Standard Car Audio Since its conception in 1990 Audiotec Fischer has evolved from a niche supplier to an internationally recognised leader in innovative audio products. A DIN ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified company, it now delivers its award-winning brands Brax, Helix...

Morel’s New Sensus Range – Sublime Aural Immersion.

Whether you’re listening to your favourite tracks or diving headfirst into new music; you'll desire all the clarity, richness, depth and detail that the original artist intended. This intrinsically meant acquiring high-quality components with exceptional attributes, if indeed you're to feel like you’re right there in the recording studio. Undesirable though, is a price tag that would make Elon Musk blush. If only there was a company that could utilise technology from its higher ranges, thence implement said elements into an affordable range of speakers. There is. Its name is Morel and the range is called Sensus.

Available in both two-way and three-way component sets, Morel’s new Sensus range offers a superb return for its modest price. Utilising technologies aplenty found within ranges above such as advanced polymer diaphragms, treated silk domes, hybrid magnet systems and metallurgically superior motors; the Sensus range are bound to become the go-to intermediate component set for many moving forward. For more information either email us on [email protected] or be sure to check out Morel’s website here:

https://www.morelhifi.com/en/products/car-audio/performance-10/sensus-83/

They’re also within our webstore should you be interested in getting an earful of these beauties in your own vehicle:

https://fhrxstudios.com.au/?s=Sensus&post_type=product

Morel represents the embodiment of tradition, innovation and experience. A peruse of its history page reveals the simple byline the quest for more; a titanic understatement if ever there was one. Founded around fifty years ago back in 1975 by Meir Mordechai; Morel was a vision inspired by his love of music and motivated by a dream. A dream to create a range of speakers able to capture the magic of music in the most natural way. His life-long quest has been conducive to generations of highly acclaimed audio drivers, consistently setting new standards for superb build and sound quality. The name Morel is derived from the terms Mordechai and electro-acoustics; a moniker synonymous with passion and technical acumen beyond reproach.

Tales From The Toybox – Audison Thesis Components!

Being a high-end car audio store is conducive to messing about with the best of the best, and it’s no different when talking about Italian audio authority Audison. In the process of breaking up yesterday’s monotony we cracked open some toys to play with including the Thesis components; components designed to reach beyond the absolute.

The illustrious history of the Thesis juggernaut began in the Marche region in eastern Italy, a geographical location world-famous for the production of esteemed musical instruments. Obstinately leaving no stone unturned during their arduous development, the Thesis range of components are designed to combine pristine boutique electronics with absolute musical fidelity. The ambition being that the components become completely transparent, leaving you solely with the emotion evoked by your music.

To read more about the various design elements of the Thesis components simply head to the Audison website via the link below, or contact us on [email protected].

https://audison.com/collections/car-speakers-thesis/

They’re also within our webstore should you be interested in owning your own piece of Italian art:

https://fhrxstudios.com.au/?s=Thesis&post_type=product&type_aws=true

Since 1987 Italian audio virtuoso Audison has been crafting some of the world’s finest mobile electronics. It firmly believes that sound reproduction is a fascinating world where emotion and technology cohabit. Like any form of art, the greatest result is achieved when these two values embrace at their peak. Following this dogma, every project Audison develops is conceived with an attitude drawing from its love for music and a desire to challenge the existing standards. As Audison say, it’ll forever follow its istinto innovative.

Potential Dynaudio Esotar2 Group Buy.

Many within the high-end car audio game appreciate that Dynaudio products are the metaphorical hens teeth when it comes to high performance drivers, especially the highly coveted Esotar2 range.

However between acquisitions, relocations, stock shortages and plain mismanagement; actually obtaining Dynaudio stock in recent years has been a complete debacle.

Until now… Well maybe…

We’ve recently been talking to Dynaudio along with various international distributors and we've found an avenue to import some of this Danish goodness into the country. However we need to know ballpark numbers. We have a heap of people our store notification alert list waiting for Esotar2 series E650 6.5” midranges and E1200 12” subwoofers, so we’ll need at least a few of them. But can people here email us on [email protected] if there are other Dynaudio models you’d like to see ordered?

https://fhrxstudios.com.au/?s=esotar&post_type=product&type_aws=true

i0.wp.com

Audiophilia M-Bodied Part 8 – DC Electricity Transporting.

We’re slowly undertaking a humble little upgrade of Adriaan’s magnificent gunmetal metallic BMW M4 50 Jahre special edition, between jobs and as time permits.

When installing a quality system don't ruin it with cheap cables. With Adriaan’s Helix C series amplifiers now receiving the clean signals mentioned in the previous post, we now turn our attention to getting some power to them. High-end amplifiers intrinsically require copious levels of current to output large amounts of clean power. Aspects like strand count, construction material, skin effect etc. all play a role in how electrons flow. For this reason we’ve used quality Stinger 4 AWG cabling to transport the current from the battery beneath the rack to each amplifier. All terminals, fuse holders and distribution blocks are plated to fight corrosion which impedes current flow, and all components are mounted to custom plates and bolted in using OEM bolts. See here for an expanded explanation on the topic of cable quality:

http://www.fhrxstudios.com.au/faq/ #46

The same principle applies for the earthing. Whilst most vehicles don't require a full-size earthing kit, a system the size of Adriaan’s certainly benefits from one. Earth upgrades are absolutely essential when adding aftermarket electrical components, as manufacturers habitually include the absolute bare minimum earthing required for what the vehicle comes with from the factory, and the bottleneck is the attachment point rather than the cable itself. For the M4 we’ve used multiple 4 AWG runs from the amplifiers back to the earthing rail, which is machined with an M4 logo for a little individual touch. The entire amplifier rack is also earthed, making it a most effective faraday shield. For more information regarding earthing upgrades see here:

http://www.fhrxstudios.com.au/faq/ #31

Brax’s New Revelation Series – A New Era Dawns!

Though digital sound processing is ubiquitously accepted as being critical for achieving superb sound, it's been analog amplification hitherto that's considered the benchmark for achieving the best sound quality. The Revelation series from Brax however is about to change that perception. For it marks the commencement of a whole new era; an era where digital amplification will outshine everything that has come before it.

Many will ponder if it’s really possible to make a world-class flagship standard amplifier using ultra-modern class D switching technology, rather than the well-proven class A and class AB topologies? Like others, we initially wouldn’t have though so either. However it only takes a single audition of these masterpieces to guarantee there will be no further discussion entered into as to whether it can be achieved. They’re quite simply sublime.

Collaborating closely with the Danish manufacturer Purifi, together these two master designers have implemented technologies that take the new Revelation range to heights many previously considered unattainable, thus allowing the amplifier to possess ancillary performance specifications beyond the stratosphere? "But I’ve heard all this marketing hype before," you might say. But can you argue with a total harmonic distortion of 0.0002%? Or a damping factor just north of 10000? Didn’t think so. Nor could we.

If you'd like to read the full gambit regarding their history, attributes and abilities; either head to the Brax website or have a read of Car & HiFi International’s latest review via these links:

https://www.audiotec-fischer.de/en/brax/amplifiers/revelation-rx2-pro

https://carhifi-international.com/dl.php?id=2176

They’re listed on our website for pre-order if you’re interested in acquiring some of this German power genius. Feel free to email us on [email protected] for further information not found within those links.

https://fhrxstudios.com.au/product/brax-revelation-rx2-pro-two-channel-car-audio-amplifier/

i0.wp.com

Audiophilia M-Bodied Part 7 – AC Electricity Transporting.

We’re slowly undertaking a humble little upgrade of Adriaan’s magnificent gunmetal metallic BMW M4 50 Jahre special edition, between jobs and as time permits.

When installing a quality system don't ruin it with cheap cables. You need to get crystal clear signals to your equipment, preferably without interference or artefacts infringing upon the sound stream. To achieve this, you’ll need good quality cables with decent shielding.

For the primary source Adriaan has opted to employ a digital link from his device to the processor, as he enjoys supreme sound quality. The second input comes courtesy of the OEM source, as it must remain connected because a good portion of functionality comes via this feed such as lane departure warnings, parking sensors, cabin chimes and BMW’s questionable ASD system.

Ensuring all the BMW hardware remains connected and any potential error codes remain non-existent we’ve constructed a custom interface look using Match parts. This loom is terminated at each end with all the correct BMW plugs, thus ensuring nothing on the mighty M4 needed to be cut anywhere.

Once signals aplenty have made their way into the Helix DSP ULTRA S processor we needed to get said signals back out to the amplifiers. Naturally a system of this calibre shan’t be using any $5.95 off the shelf RCA interconnects. No sir, a system like this requires some of our custom made high-end interconnects. Employing some impressive names like Furutech, KLEI, Vegemite and the like; we regularly make up custom RCA’s to suit exact lengths we require.

Audiophilia M-Bodied Part 6 – Laying Solid Foundations.

We’re slowly undertaking a humble little upgrade of Adriaan’s magnificent gunmetal metallic BMW M4 50 Jahre special edition, between jobs and as time permits.

From an engineering perspective; when constructing an equipment rack you need to ensure it’s strong enough to cope should anything go pear-shaped, say in the event of an accident for example. For this reason we opted to construct the M4’s rack from welded and bolted alloy rather than glued and screwed timber. Put simply; the combined weight of four Helix C series amplifiers, two JL Audio W6 subwoofers and other ancillary items such as Helix processor and Audison rear fill amplifier was just going to be too much.

The rack is mounted to the floor using 316 stainless M6 and M8 bolts, firmly attached to nutserts that're installed into a plethora of OEM holes. These can be collapsed and removed if need be, meaning the entire boot can be returned completely to original should the need one day arise.

Audiophilia M-Bodied Part 5 – Acoustic Boot Prep.

We’re slowly undertaking a humble little upgrade of Adriaan’s magnificent gunmetal metallic BMW M4 50 Jahre special edition, between jobs and as time permits.

Before the running of cables, the mounting of fuse holders or the installation of equipment; we first had to prep the boot acoustically. This meant various forms of Morel Acudamp deadening being placed on and around the floor, wheel arches, boot sides and boot lid.

Looking For a Bargain?

In case you’ve not heard; we test and review many a product here each month for various magazines, e-zines, blogs, websites and so on. This means we’re often tasked with selling this equipment off once we’ve completed said testing. These items can often be found upon our ‘special page’ linked below. Why tell you this? Well there’s plenty of bargains to be had at reduced pricing, many of which only a few hours running time. Most items are still in new condition and retain their full ‘as new’ warranty. Couple that with our free registered and insured shipping and you cannot lose. The other reason for tell you is we're running out of room again. :P

https://fhrxstudios.com.au/product-category/specials-clearance/

As an aside; we also sometimes list discontinued products and components from our demo-cars as we go about upgrading them with the latest equipment.

i0.wp.com

Audiophilia M-Bodied Part 4 – What Lies Behind.

We’re slowly undertaking a humble little upgrade of Adriaan’s magnificent gunmetal metallic BMW M4 50 Jahre special edition, between jobs and as time permits.

Normally we don’t recommend upgrading rear speakers. The reason being; they’re somewhat redundant most of the time because you’re seated at the front, your ears face forward and 99.9% of your music is two channel stereo 2.0 with no dedicated rear channel information. Between these factors and the diminutive air volume of the cabin itself, you’ll find it intrinsically leads to a battle against the laws of physics should you attempt to achieve perfect surround sound within said confines. That said though, one perfectly acceptable reason to upgrade the rear speakers is when the owner simply says it’s happening regardless. :P

Adriaan’s not naive though. He's well aware he didn’t need to go as hard fiscally speaking as he did up front. Hence the rear side speakers and the shelf surround speakers were upgraded with the tried and true Focal Inside combination of ISBMW100 and ISBMW100L component sets. And though these fine French agitators may not be quite on par with the Reference series drivers up front, nevertheless they’re still a gazillion times superior to anything BMW included from the factory.

Helix Releases New Cylindrical Enclosures.

Given the enormity of the stable commanded by German audio behemoth Audiotec-Fischer, it understandably takes a little time for this champion designer to revise each range. In recent times we’ve witnessed the reincarnation of its integration range of equipment, leading the company to now turn its attention to refreshing its round shaped passive enclosures. Now if you’re reading this wondering why on earth anyone would want a glorified donut for a subwoofer enclosure; these cabinets are designed to slot under your boot floor within your spare tire cavity, either to replace the spare tire or compliment it. As many modern cars possess enough clearance to house both!

These rotund new enclosures amalgamate into the award-winning IK range of subsonic equipment from Helix and are available in two fundamental designs. The IK ER8.1-DVC2 features a single shallow 8” IK S8-DVC2 subwoofer; designed to integrate into cars with a space-saver type spare wheel or lower boot floors with less clearance.

https://www.audiotec-fischer.de/en/helix/subwoofers/ik-er8-1-dvc2

Whereas the larger IK ER8.2-DVC2 on the other hand features a pair of full depth 8” IK W8-SVC2 subwoofers. This enclosure is designed for vehicles with a full-size spare tire or plenty of clearance.

https://www.audiotec-fischer.de/en/helix/subwoofers/ik-er8-2-dvc2

In choosing carefully the number of voice coils and their resistance configuration, Helix has provided for three different impedance options; hence you’re able to tailor the resistance to match your amplifier. The enclosures are finished in robust black carpet and feature the Helix logo embossed neatly atop. The protective grilles are intelligently mounted flush with the enclosure top, rather than poking up like an unwanted speed hump.

The two IK ER enclosures are due to hit Australian shores within the next fortnight or two. To read more about the technologies and methodologies incorporated into their design, simply click the links above. Naturally they’ll be on our webstore too, should you be left wanting one:

https://fhrxstudios.com.au/?s=%22ER8%22&post_type=product&type_aws=true

If you require any other information, technical or otherwise; please shoot us an email on [email protected].

i0.wp.com

Latest Image Dynamics Subwoofer Replenishment!

Awesome news peeps; our latest batch of Image Dynamics subwoofers is about to lob! This will top up many ranges including the terrific entry level ID series, the sound quality oriented IDQ series and their shallower IDQS siblings. And of course; where would Image Dynamics be without the mighty IDMAX behemoths? Yes they’re absolutely here as well!

Car audio enthusiasts are no strangers to stock shortages. For it's so intrinsic to all high-end manufactures that we’ve even addressed the subject within our FAQ page. That said though, there’re still plenty of high-end goodies consistently making their way to our shores.

To browse through the Image Dynamics products simply click the link below. Keep an eye on the number showing in stock, as we try to keep this count accurate at all times. Remember shipping is free Australia wide too:

https://fhrxstudios.com.au/brand/image-dynamics/?orderby=price-desc

i0.wp.com

Audiophilia M-Bodied Part 3 – Underseat Rumble.

We’re slowly undertaking a humble little upgrade of Adriaan’s magnificent gunmetal metallic BMW M4 50 Jahre special edition, between jobs and as time permits.

For decades now nearly all BMW vehicles have sported a pair of factory-mounted 8” drivers under the front seats, and though the marketing department like to label them subwoofers it’s fair to say we all know they’re in fact midbass drivers. For nothing under the front seats of your BMW is going to competently handle true subsonic frequencies we’ll give you the tip.

There’s a vast abundance of plug’n’play options for the OEM under-seat locations, and they’re by far the easiest option to install so naturally we’d run with them, yes?

Of course we wouldn’t...

Given the calibre of the surrounding system, a pair of mid-tier 8” drop-in drivers wasn’t going to make the grade. So we took the OEM enclosures out and reworked them a little with aperiodic membranes and various acoustic treatments. We thence laser cut a set of 4.5” acrylic baffles to hold a pair of Utopia M 8WM midbass drivers. All of which is completely reversible should the OEM drivers need to make a return. Now the little M4 can rumble peoples butts most eptly, providing rich midbass with a quality hitherto unheard of in any BMW factory system.

Latest Eton Stock Arrives – Including The Mighty GRAPHIT Components!

Our latest batch of stock from German audio thaumaturgist Eton has just arrived, and sandwiched within the cartons are the superb new GRAPHIT series flagship components!

When Eton began developing a range of speakers capable of superseding the legendary CORE series, the task was always set to be herculean. Designed to deliver a new level of automotive aural authority; the new range features the epitome of advanced engineering philosophies and materials, refined to excess through superior technological acumen. Oh, and they were to be a lot more affordable too.

Impossible task we hear you scoff? Eton begs to differ. The resulting GRAPHIT range of drivers are not only supreme in their aural presentation, but aesthetically beautiful to behold. They really are the complete package to satisfy all the senses.

To read more about the technologies, methodologies, ideologies and other really big words, take a quick trip over to our webstore here:

https://fhrxstudios.com.au/?orderby=price&paged=1&s=graphit&post_type=product

i0.wp.com

Audiophilia M-Bodied Part 2 – Working Those Fronts.

We’re slowly undertaking a humble little upgrade of Adriaan’s magnificent gunmetal metallic BMW M4 50 Jahre special edition, between jobs and as time permits.

For the front doors was chosen Morel’s superb Integration Reference series IR-BMW42 component set. Arguably the best plug’n’play option on the market today; these hand-built wonders bolt directly into the OEM locations, conducive to nothing being damaged during their installation. They provide crystal clear and accurate highs along with delectably smooth and tonally balanced midrange, well above and beyond anything emanating from the BMW factory.

As an added bonus the M4 has a clear pass-through within each door’s loom-tube. This conveniently allows for our large aftermarket speaker cables to be run into each door without ado, as we’ll be running these components actively from Helix C FOUR amplifiers mounted in the boot.

All Entry-Level Speakers Are Garbage, Correct?

One witticism we’re famous for is “in no facet of life will you find 'cheap' and 'good' in the same sentence; this fundamental law does not cease with car audio”. Usually quoted in response to younger folk who’re genuinely shocked they cannot have the metaphoric world for a handful of dollars.

So all cheap speakers are exactly that, right?

This is where things get a tad messy for us. For whilst we’re stoked to announce the arrival of the new entry-level ESB 1000 series, one might highlight the apparent hypocrisy given all our hoo-ha and hype regarding the high-end equipment we usually work with?

Although the sentiment in the aforesaid statement is spot-on, it’s not absolutely 100% accurate. For the outcome is heavily influenced by heritage. See when talking the world’s best speaker designers; they don’t simply discard the design methodologies from their flagship big-dollar component sets and reinvent the wheel when designing a new entry-level sibling. Instead, they trickle these intricate technologies down into the new range. As a result, these entry-level offerings sound astoundingly impressive despite their modest price.

Don’t misunderstand us; it’s true most cheap speakers are average at best. However if the manufacturer you’re looking at has speakers priced well north of four figures in its stable, you can bet it’s entry-level offerings will be absolutely on point too.

i0.wp.com

Photo Galleries Updated!

As many are aware we have quite the penchant for photography, as we've always preferred the 'show people rather than tell them' approach when discussing the many facets of car audio design and installation. To that end we've recently updated most of our main galleries with more photos.

So whether you're interested in our 'behind the scenes' photos showcasing our installation methodology, or the exteriors of the beasts we work on, or perhaps just some of the nonsense we've been called to rectify of late; you'll find our photo galleries contain something for just about everyone. So if you're having a slow day then why not head over for a gawk at our latest shenanigans.

https://fhrxstudios.com.au/gallery/

Eton’s New Subsonic Wonderment!

German audio maestro Eton has been busy developing new subwoofers of late, to coincide with its award-winning speaker stable. It’s developed a whole swag of new deep-diving drivers, however one range in particular we've had eyes on is the new MW series.

Available in both full size and slim chassis’, the new MW series of subwoofers range from 6.5” right through to 12” diameter and represent a true summation of articulate control and kinetic despotism. So for those amongst you who enjoy your music immensely but have a penchant for regular overenthusiasm with the volume k**b; just check out this aural artillery:

https://eton-audio.com/subwoofer/performance/mw-serie.html

Due to hit Australian shores in the coming fortnight, the mighty MW range are listed in our store for pre-order. Should you want to read more about the design please visit that link, for in addition to our regular listing information is a full review from European Car & HiFi Magazine. For any further information please email us on [email protected].

https://fhrxstudios.com.au/?s=eton+mw&post_type=product



Since 1983 Eton has designed products with a single goal in mind; to provide the ultimate listening pleasure. It’s Eton’s passion, its claim, its drive, all backed up by that solid 'made in Germany' reassurance. Eton products have always been one step ahead of the competition due in large part to its extensive knowledge, ability and manufacturing quality standards stemming from over thirty-five years of loudspeaker development.

fhrxstudios.com.au

More Photographic Hijinks!

Here’s a few more recent piccies, to lighten up that potentially slow hump day...

Photographic Buffoonery!

Looking like a slow hump day? Here’s a few randoms from the past fortnight that’ll entertain you for almost a minute!