The Secret World of Competitive Car Audio(housegrail.com)
housegrail.com
The Secret World of Competitive Car Audio
https://housegrail.com/getting-into-spl-competition-the-beginners-guide/
6 comments
I have a neighbor that has added some boom to their ride. Most of the time, they are cool with it, but every now and then (mainly weekends) they come home with the tunes kickin. It's not a regular, so I attribute it to a night out having fun and forgot to turn it down vs I'm an inconsiderate asshole.
At the same time, I find the loud pipes save lives people to be much more annoying as they don't ever give a damn about what time it is or what kind of sleepy neighborhood they are currently riding.
At the same time, I find the loud pipes save lives people to be much more annoying as they don't ever give a damn about what time it is or what kind of sleepy neighborhood they are currently riding.
2am seems like would be a pretty bad time for a competitive audio competition
From a nerdy standpoint, SPL competition is AMAZING.
The amount of math that goes into a proper enclosure design and to fit it properly in a vehicle is really fun. It's not going too much further than geometry, but theory can go far further. The differences that exist in rounded vs square ports vs flared ports, sealed vs ported vs bandpass box design, standard vs inverted vs isobaric mounting... the list keeps going.
To get the loudest, it's not always about adding the most power possible. The enclosure, capabilities of the subwoofers, power delivery, even the acoustic properties of the shape of the vehicle itself are all factors. Adding the weight of all the components usually means the vehicle's suspension needs upgraded. Higher output (or multiple) alternators need to be able to produce enough power. Extra batteries are added to support peak power for longer periods. Gaining DBs at high levels is exponentially more work as you continue to go higher.
The DB Drag events really showcase the hobby best. Much like how people tinker with their engine's performance and test it at a drag strip to see just how fast they can go, others tinker with how loud they can get their bass to go.
As noted by other commenters, these systems can be annoyingly loud when used at late hours, busy locations, or residential areas. The exact same can be said of people driving their cars way too fast / aggressively. Any hobby needs to have situational awareness to be respectful of its surroundings.
Anyone interested, https://www.diymobileaudio.com/ is likely one of the best information sources, both for current and historical SPL information.
The amount of math that goes into a proper enclosure design and to fit it properly in a vehicle is really fun. It's not going too much further than geometry, but theory can go far further. The differences that exist in rounded vs square ports vs flared ports, sealed vs ported vs bandpass box design, standard vs inverted vs isobaric mounting... the list keeps going.
To get the loudest, it's not always about adding the most power possible. The enclosure, capabilities of the subwoofers, power delivery, even the acoustic properties of the shape of the vehicle itself are all factors. Adding the weight of all the components usually means the vehicle's suspension needs upgraded. Higher output (or multiple) alternators need to be able to produce enough power. Extra batteries are added to support peak power for longer periods. Gaining DBs at high levels is exponentially more work as you continue to go higher.
The DB Drag events really showcase the hobby best. Much like how people tinker with their engine's performance and test it at a drag strip to see just how fast they can go, others tinker with how loud they can get their bass to go.
As noted by other commenters, these systems can be annoyingly loud when used at late hours, busy locations, or residential areas. The exact same can be said of people driving their cars way too fast / aggressively. Any hobby needs to have situational awareness to be respectful of its surroundings.
Anyone interested, https://www.diymobileaudio.com/ is likely one of the best information sources, both for current and historical SPL information.
Back in college, my roommate at the time worked for a custom car stereo place that routinely entered these competitions. Their car had plates that read "IDOSPL"
I feel sort of weird about how much I hate that this exists and how much I want to go to one of these events.
If driving by my house at 2am pounding bass loud enough to shake my windows really is quintessentially American, I’m not sure that America is the place for me.
I’ve encountered these people and I don’t like them very much.