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Writer: PICHET WONGNAK

It’s few and far between for this writer to get his hands - ears rather - on an audio system with championship credentials in the less-than-B60,000 category of the USAC Thailand competition. I was privy to this particular audio system fitted to a Honda Civic, costing B42,000.

 

Components

The system comprised of the following components:

- Pioneer P80RSII head unit.

- Performance Colorful4000 power amps (two units).

- Two-way component speaker DLS PS6A, JL Audio 10W0 10-inch subwoofer.

Installation

This one, a winner, used a front stage setup style. The new Pioneer head unit replaced the factory-issue unit. Speakers were DLS P6A. And since they were component speakers, the tweeters went to the newly-built A-pillars for optimal angles .

The woofer was slotted in its original position, but the pros tweaked the woofer’s angle upwards for better sound stage.

Doors were treated with a bit of damping, five layers to be precise, which in turn enables it to work as a high-quality speaker enclosure that is capable of reducing exterior noise as well.

The wiring is tri-amp with an electric crossover integrated into the head unit without using a passive that came with the speaker set. The reason for this is to ensure convenient fine-tuning from the head unit itself.

The tweeter has a mid-range frequency filter for protection against the lack of a passive crossover.

Front speakers use a Performance Colorful 4000 four-channel to independently drive the two-way component one speaker/one channel setup.

Then the subwoofer JL10W0 installed at the rear as a closed enclosure uses the other Performance Colorful 4000 power amp to serve as a bridge mono to drive the subwoofer.

User-friendliness

Easy is the key word here. However, don’t meddle with the crossover because the sound quality will change.

You should remember the set parameters of this system or else you’ll lose hours trying to figure it out later.

Sound quality

After hours of listening, it was such a pleasant experience. The sound stage, image and focus were easy on the ear because of natural tonal balance.

If this system was subjected to a blind test (without seeing the actual system), the quality of sound would seem as if it was coming from a system worth hundreds of thousands of baht.

In reality, this Q Consumer 60000 champion spent only B42,000 on the head unit, speakers, power amp, wiring and damping.

In summary, this is the best system under B50,000 (including installation costs).

The Perodua Kancil rolled out for the last time at the company’s manufacturing plant in Rawang today, after 15 years of production.

At the start of it all …

Vehicle number 722,223 left the line to a simple ceremony, marking the end of a journey that began on Aug 29, 1994. Final composite figures for the ultra compact is a volume of 709,000 sold domestically, with a further 4,000 in the Indonesian market as well as another 9,000 units in the UK and other markets.

And this is the very final one.

The car sold its first 50,000 units after its first year of production, and on the average, the Kancil sold about 4,000 units monthly, and in Oct 2002, the unit had its highest single monthly sales of 7,700 units.

With the phasing out of the Kancil, Perodua is setting as its replacement the ViVA 660BX, the most basic variant of the type, as its entry-level offering.

Taking over the mantle of entry-level, the 660BX.

Equipped with a DVVT (Dynamic Variable Valve Timing) 660cc engine, the ViVA 660BX comes in three colours; Ivory White, Ebony Black and Glittering Silver. This variant is only available in manual transmission, and will not have a radio, power steering, central locking or power windows. No painted bumpers as well, though the good news is that it’ll be priced at RM25,300.

Perodua today unveiled its latest ViVa variant, the Elite, and the premium 1.0l model features some upgraded exterior styling cues and a number of other enhancements to differentiate it from the rest of the ViVa family.

The revisions to the exterior are a new bonnet, replete with protruding centre hood, and front grille, as well as a new complete bodykit. The front bumper features fog lamps, the rear bumper comes with reflectors, and there’s of course corresponding side skirts.

Can’t miss the bonnet.

Elsewhere, the external dress up kit adds on chrome door handles and new 14-inch 12-spoke alloy wheels. Also new to the version is all-round UV-cut glass.

Inside, the new list is led by new seat fabric in both colour/material, as well as new matching door trim fabric, and a painted centre cluster. The car also features a revised stereo head unit that is MP3/WMA-ready.

New fabric and cosmetic enhancement to be found inside.

Other items include an instrument meter cluster with chrome rings, a front passenger side underseat tray, front seat rear back pockets, retractable side mirrors with fully-illuminated side repeaters integrated into the unit (only on the EZi version). Speaking of which, the EZi also gets a rear spoiler as standard.

Five colours are available, the Ivory White, Ebony Black and Glittering Silver found across the entire model range, as well as Pearl Jade and a new shade unique to the Elite called Midnight Blue.

Spoiler is new, as is the colour too.

The car comes in three versions - Elite manual (RM37,900), Elite automatic (RM40,900) and the range-topping Elite EZi auto (RM44,900; all prices on-the-road with insurance, Peninsular Malaysia).

With the introduction of the Elite, the current ViVa line-up is made up of five models, the four other versions being 1.0, 850, 660EX and the 660BX entry-level unit, which was launched on Mon. The model  replaces the Kancil, which has been discontinued (read story here).