The previous Harrier does not allow changes to be done to its head unit. The control panel for the air-conditioning system is integrated into the head unit. Changing the head unit is a difficult task as you would have to modify the air con control panel to be separate from the head unit. That's not going to be a popular idea with the owner as the modification would degrade the dashboard.

There is good news with the new Harrier Air S, which comes with a 9-channel audio system designed by Panasonic and JBL. You can change and upgrade the audio system's head unit as there is an OEM replacement head unit panel that you can order. It is a perfect fit and it comes with matching colour. The owner of this Harrier Air S decided to go for the upgrade in the head unit, as well as change the speaker system.

System Design
The entire standard audio system was dismantled. The OEM head unit was replaced by the Pioneer flagship DVD player - the AVH-P7550DVD (see details next page), mounted on the OEM replacement head-unit panel (specially ordered, costs RM480) with its Hide Away Unit mounted below the glove compartment.

Amplifiers & Speakers Set-up
The DSP processor has a 6-channel output. The front and rear outputs are fed to an Italian made amplifier, the STEG QM75.4X, a 4-channel amp (75 watts per channel). Two channels drive a set of Eton Adventure A160 Series component speakers (a pair of 6 1/2 inch mid drivers and a pair or tweeters) mounted at the front. The mid driver has a cone made of a honeycomb structure diaphram; the tweeter has a low resonance frequency of 700hz. The ETON A160 comes with its own custom-design passive X-Over network. The mid drivers are mounted at the original speaker mounts, while the tweeters are mounted at the end corners of the dash.

The two other channels from the QM75.4X are used to drive a pair of Pioneer Reference Series Co-axials, the TS-D160R, mounted at the rear door. The centre output is fed to a 2-channel amp, which is from by STEG as well - the AQ75.2X. It is a 2-channel amp with an output of 75 watts per channel. This amp is bridged mono to drive the centre speaker, which is a Pioneer TS-CX7. The TS-CX7 is an upgraded version of the TS-CX9. It has a lower frequency response, from 140hz compare to 200hz previously. Both the STEG amplifiers are mounted underneath the front passenger seat. The Subwoofer output is then fed to a Zapco Reference Series 200 amp. It is bridged mono to drive a single 10-inch Orion woofer, which is in a sealed enclosure. The woofer is mounted in the boot. The Zapco amplifier is mounted underneath the driver seat.

Inter-Connect Cables
The signal from the processor to the amplifiers is delivered using Monster Cable's 401XLN series interconnects. A total of four pairs are used. 4-gauge powerline by Aura Dynamics are used to channel the power supply from the battery to the amplifiers, guarded by a 60 ampere fuse protection block.

Conclusion
The original 9-channel sound set-up is meant as an audio system only. It has a centre speaker mounted on the dashboard, a pair of 6 1/2 inch woofer mounted at the front doors, a pair of mid-range mounted at the A-pillars, a pair of tweeters mounted at the end corners of the dash and another pair or 6 1/2 mid range drivers mounted at the rear doors.

The original sound system lacks low frequency notes. It produces good mid range vocals though.

It is strange to have the woofers mounted at the front doors. When the owner tried to add in more bass note, it made things worse. There was a loud humming, a resonance created by the woofers.

The new multi channel system can be configured to perform multiple playback, be it an audio system or an A/V system. It is a state-of-the-art mobile multi media system. The total amount of money spent: RM22,000.
(For more info, call 'Dr Audio' Mr Kho at 019 3352029. ckkho@carhifi.com.my)

The AVH-P7550DVD is compatible with DVD Audio disc, a leading-edge format expected to replace CDs as the listening format of choice in the near future. Whether a movie or audio disc, DVD stores a lot more data than regular CD (4.7 gigabytes vs 650 megabytes). More data means better sound. Harmonics that are lost in the CD mastering process are kept intact with DVD Audio. DVD Audio's high specifications create a warm sound that is to that of vintage vinyl albums.

The DVD specification numbers tell the real story: In a 2-channel stereo mode output at 192khz/24-bit rate (this is as good as reproduced sound can get) and in a 6-channel mode output at 96khz/24-bit rate (ability to create an audio surround field that gives the impression that the band is in the same room with you).

The 7-inch TFT matix LCD colour monitor display screen has a built-in Touch Panel Operation Display capability mode. The screen is coated with AGLR (anti glare, low reflection) material and comes with automatic dimmer control. This function is very useful because the display will automatically adjust its screen contrast when exposed to bright daylight and re adjust itself when the surrounding area becomes darker.

The AVH-P7550DVD comes with a Hide-Away Processor Unit that houses the 5.1-channel multi-sound processor, which includes the built-in DTS/Dolby Digital/Dolby Pro Logic 2 and Linear PCM decoder. Its built-in DSP includes an industry first (for mobile entertainment) -the AUTO EQUALISING and AUTO TIME ALIGNMENT tuning capability. The Auto EQ function allows the user to tailor specific musical characteristics to taste, according to the car's acoustics. This is done using a microphone to monitor and analyse acoustics inside the car. The feature then automatically finetunes the system across the entire range of frequency bandwidths with its built-in 13-band graphic equaliser for both front and rear speakers.