October
2019

Country of Origin

UK

Hylixa

Reviewer: Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac (4GHz quad-core with Turbo boost, 32GB RAM, 3TB FusionDrive, OSX Yosemite. iTunes 14.4), PureMusic 3.02, Audirvana 3, Qobuz Hifi, Tidal Hifi, COS Engineering D1, Denafrips Terminator, Soundaware D300Ref,  AURALiC Vega; CanEver ZEro Uno HPA [on review] 
Preamplifier: Vinnie Rossi Signature w. Elrog/WE 300B or 50/VT52, Nagra Classic, Wyred4Sound STP-SE Stage II, Vinnie Rossi LIO (AVT module)
Power & integrated amplifiers: Pass Labs XA30.8; FirstWatt SIT1 monos, F5, F6, F7; Goldmund/Job 225; Aura Note Premier; Wyred4Sound mINT; Nord Acoustics NC500 monos; LinnenberG Audio Liszt monos; Bakoon AMP-13R; SAG AIO; Crayon Audio CFA-1.2; Merrill Audio Element 114 [on review]
Loudspeakers: Audio Physic Codex; Cube Audio Nenuphar; Kroma Audio Mimí; Albedo Audio Aptica; EnigmAcoustics Mythology 1; Boenicke Audio W5se; Zu Audio Druid V & VI & Submission; German Physiks HRS-120; Eversound Essence; Fram Audio Midi 150 & 120; Acelec Model One
Cables: Complete loom of Allnic Audio ZL3000 and Zu Event; KingRex uArt, Zu and LightHarmonic LightSpeed double-header USB cables; Tombo Trøn S/PDIF; van den Hul AES/EBU; AudioQuest Diamond glass-fibre Toslink; Black Cat Cable redlevel Lupo; Ocellia OCC Silver
Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra on all source components, Vibex One 11R on amps/sub
Equipment rack: Artesania Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc Krion and glass amp stands 
Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators
Room: 4 x 6m with high gabled beam ceiling opening into 4 x 8m kitchen and 5 x 8m living room, hence no wall behind the listening chairs
Review component retail: £30'000/pr in any RAL silk or high-gloss finish, baffle/footers in polished nickel or black; metallic paints add £1'500/pr, pearlescent paint £4'500, polished rose gold adds £1'750/pr, polished 24K gold £2'500/pr

Does the cost of a Bentley have you blue?

No worries, Node Audio Research Ltd will gladly change your color.

Helical double-entry transmission line on background

Their Hylixa is a built-to-order—that's bespoke in proper British—compact 3-way from Cambridge in the UK. It debuted September 2018 "after 3 years of intense R&D". Its egg-shaped cabinet is 3D laser sintered but not of sand as we'd seen earlier this year with the Czechian DeepTime sub/sat system. Node instead use 0.2mm glass and nylon beads. Over about 45 hours of laser bonding, this grows a very complex monolithic thus seamless enclosure. It allows them to tunnel a double-entry 1.6m long helical exit path for the internal rear-firing woofer's front wave, then render that path with constantly changing diameter to avoid parallel walls and suppress standing waves.

The floating low-diffraction baffle whose circular air gap is the mouth of that spiraling transmission line and that of the woofer's main emissions contains a 4.5cm flat-membrane balanced mode radiator aka BMR. It covers 200Hz-5kHz on 2nd-order filters and mounts in very close proximity to the ring-dome tweeter. This particular bending-wave driver in this particular loading is said to propagate across nearly a hemispherical 180° for massive off-axis response.

Reminiscent of Fujitsu's Eclipse, the enclosure shape and its internal composition were computer modeled for acoustics and structural behavior to "eliminate resonance under extreme low-frequency pressure".

The all-Mundorf crossover parts mount in a 3D-printed cartridge of fused nylon. That inserts vertically into the stem of the integral stand with precisely fit chambers for each part. The filter terminates in silver-plated solid-copper posts. The feet and baffle are interchangeable. They'll live through plenty of changes of décor and interior design fancies.

The cabinet and stand can be piano gloss or silk finish in any color. The fascia and feet are offered in polished nickel, polished rosegold or 24K gold as well as black anodized.

In-room performance is specified as 39Hz-25kHz -6dB within just ±2.5dB of deviation above 400Hz. Nominal impedance is 6Ω with a 2.6Ω minimum at 100Hz. The fighting weight is a low-mass 15kg/ea. and overall dimensions are 97.1 x 43.3 x 43.5cm HxWxD. That's composite smarts, high wind-slip factor and modern style all curve-compacted into one.