What is the Node HYLIXA?

Ashley May and David Evans, the minds behind Studio 17, pride themselves on their ability to think differently. Where others may see rigid limits on their creativity and project ambitions, the pair see boundaries to be broken and paradigms to be questioned.  Combining a back-to-basics approach with a keen eye for functional and aesthetic innovation, the design duo continue to consistently produce unique and award-winning products.

In 2019, Ashley and David took their vision into the world of Hi-Fi design, launching Node. After three years of development, they revealed one of their most exciting projects yet: HYLIXA.

Revolutionary in form and function, the HYLIXA rejects the box-life hegemony of most loudspeaker sets. Instead its distinctive geometry comes from a welcome return to audio’s basic principles. The result is a sound quality that is remarkably fresh and incredibly immersive, with an audio imaging effect that can only be described as holographic. Finished to your own tastes, this luxury stereophonic experience also serves as an aesthetically engaging piece of sonic furniture.

But what exactly does the HYLIXA do differently to other Hi-Fi sets?

How is the HYLIXA different?

In acoustic quality, it is in the HYLIXA’s innovative method of sound transmission that the speakers set themselves apart. Incorporating Balanced Mode Radiator (BMR) technology, sound waves travel with a pistonic movement at lower frequencies and with a bending wave motion at higher ones. The result of which is that most of the bandwidth is created by the BMR, and a bass and treble driver are only needed for only the most extreme frequencies.

In most speakers, this region usually requires a crossover, the device that splits the audio signal into specific frequencies for each driver, but this can clutter transmission and create acoustic anomalies. Instead, the HYLIXA’s crucial sonic region is free of a crossover, meaning its sound is delivered unimpeded. Emanating almost all from one origin and in the crucial time-domain, the HYLIXA gives superior texture and sonic timbre.

Intrinsic also to its audio imaging is the pod’s exterior profile. With a monocoque structure, the HYLIXA’s shape mimics the human head and its sonic signature. Dynamically inert with no flat edges, HYLIXA dramatically reduces sound wave diffraction, which is a common problem with box-like cabinets.

How is the HYLIXA made?

Node uses state-of-the-art Selective Laser Sintering technology combined with ‘slicer’-programmed CAD to create this unique design. Each HYLIXA pod must be ‘grown’ from microscopic glass nylon particles, added on at one 0.2mm layer at a time. This meticulous process takes 45 hours per cabinet. The surface is then machined with computer control before being hand-finished to ensure superior reflective quality.

Also integral to the HYLIXA’s innovative approach is its construction. With coalesced components, providing greater structural rigidity, all the HYLIXA’s electronics are hand-fitted, including those in the crossover, which is stored in the stand in a unique magazine-like design.

What options does the HYLIXA offer?

While the HYLIXA is optimised for acoustic performance, this does not compromise its aesthetic splendour. Slender and discrete whilst also visually engaging, the HYLIXA can be customised in an almost infinite number of combinations to match any interior décor. The pod can be glossed or finished in silk, while the metal facia and feet are available in a wide range of finishes, including 24 karat gold, rose gold and polished nickel, amongst many others.

The HYLIXA is a multisensory experience like no other. Visit Node’s website to book your audio demonstration today.