Out Of This World Car Audio

Out Of This World!

Hello Earthlings. Welcome to the July edition of Driving Sounds Club News. With the nation waking up, we are blessed with more reasons to use our cars. We have certainly been enjoying ours. I was personally invited to sit in the FOUR Porsche. This car features a system that has been through a number of changes over the years. If you have ever visited a Driving Sounds Stand at a live event, it is likely that you will have seen it in one of its iterations.

This most recent revision sees the car fitted with mighty Audison Thesis speakers. This was the first time I had had a serious listen to a 2-way set of Thesis in a properly set up car. You can read the results in our featured article below.

This month's hidden track (click on the image above!) has an off-world theme, as does the Top Five so read on but don't get lost in space. The featured track is so much better in Hi Res but you will need Qobuz or Tidal to experience that.

This Month's new and exclusive feature draws a spotlight on the magnificent 2-way Audison Thesis speakers installed into a Porsche 911 (964). We reviewed the speakers with a piece of interplanetary music that we thoroughly enjoyed.
Hit the button below to read the feature yourself.

Porsche The Limits

Transparency in speakers is very difficult to define and in the age of DSP's perhaps not as necessary as some experts may claim. The dust caps on these woofers are transparent, but that isn't what we mean! Click the button below to find out what we do mean!

A Thesis On Car Audio

We have selected This month's Top Five ourselves for a change. They all have a spacey kind of feel to them and sound better when the sound in your car is not coloured by sub standard speakers. Here we have listed song, artist and the album containing our favourite version! We did our best with the YouTube links!

Black Hole Sun - Nora Jones ('Til We Meet Again)
Quirky cover of this Soundgarden classic. Naked Piano and smokey vocal expose the class and skill of the songwriter!

Life On Mars - David Bowie (Hunky Dory Remastered 2015 Hi Res)
Rick Wakeman tickles the ivories then low strings from 32s quickly followed by the rest of the strings and drum kit with slap echo - Just a perfect piece of art in our opinion!

Super Massive Black Hole - Muse (Live At Rome Olympic Stadium)
Nice to hear the crowd mixed so high on this version.

Fly Me To The Moon - Frank Sinatra/Count Basie Orchestra (Nothing But The Best)
Try following the luscious Double Bass line but watch out for cheeky low brass at 36s

Man On The Moon - REM (Automatic For The People Live)
Typically understated beginning then gets big at 1:29 (first chorus.)

Don't forget, you can all contribute to this bit. Just five songs you are currently enjoying in your car. Press the button below!

My Top Five

Festival Season!

Summer music festival season is upon us. These take many forms and attract many different types of music-lover. However, the vast majority of festival goers will travel by car. Wouldn't it be great if they all travelled in a vehicle with an upgraded audio system?

Upgrading is easy, although it may require a little bit of faith. Always try to take the advice of your installer. Unlike you, they have lots of experience of what equipment works in which vehicles. Having said this, if you have an equipment preference, do not be afraid to stick to your guns. However, bear in mind that a lot has happened even in the last 10 years in car audio. New brands have come along with better performing technologies becoming available. It could be that the brand on the tip of your tongue from the 90's is no longer the best, so do keep an open mind.

If you are starting from zero knowledge or experience, do get a demonstration from your installer. It may not always be possible for them to demonstrate the exact equipment mix they would naturally use in your own vehicle, but an expectation of the result is vital to ensure you have a pleasing outcome. Do take some familiar music along with you!

In the meantime, do remain careful out there but have a fabulous return to live music and life in general.

Carl Hynes

Editor