Suprising Sound Off result

[Spyda]

I went to a sound off held at my local Autobarn.

For those who dont know its like a dyno for stereos.

I know many won’t be interested in this so ill get right to the point and share my results for the day.

My mk1 blew out a 135.5db on the term lab (playing Ice Cube - Gangster rap made me do it). If i had the chance i would have run test tones. I feel i could have done more but i only got one run. I didn’t enter the competition but i did convinced the guys to give me a free run at the end of it, if i did enter i would have only lost by 0.2db in my class with that run.

The loudest cars of the day where 2 vans and an excel in the open class running 153.1db, 149.9db and 149.8db respectively.

Just to put it in perspective:
A car horn is 110 db
Jet engines are 120 db
Gunshots 140 db
Every 3db up is twise the sound output.

Im realy happy with the result.

[Silver dub]

Nice job, what are you running to pull those figures. I'm really keen to test how much mine puts out.

[Spyda]

Im running a 12" Soundstream T5 in a 1.75cu.ft ported enclosure on a Responce 1000rms @ 1ohm. Im only running at about 13v so im not geting the full 1000rms, im waiting on a biger alt and yellow top. I think it capable of a fair bit more.

[Golf Loon]

You`ll need a hearing aid when you are old.
My hearing is permanently damaged by 2 10" Subs on the back shelf of a polo.
Might have been a few raves too

[Silver dub]

You`ll need a hearing aid when you are old.
My hearing is permanently damaged by 2 10" Subs on the back shelf of a polo.
Might have been a few raves too

I guess this means I am doomed as well. i have 2 10's that I always love to really test their limits?

[static1800]

I have two 4" speakers in my mk1

[Spyda]

You`ll need a hearing aid when you are old.
My hearing is permanently damaged by 2 10" Subs on the back shelf of a polo.
Might have been a few raves too

I guess this means I am doomed as well. i have 2 10's that I always love to really test their limits?

It depends on how long you listen to it and how many db it is.

90db is where sustained exposure will cause damage, like ipods at full blast.
Power tools like saws and grinders are about 100-110db
120db is when you start to feel pain in your ears, it kindo feels like the presure you get when a plane begins its decent.
140db is where it will start to damage your hearing right off the bat.
150-160db you will start to get a bit brain damaged
180db your brain will turn to mush and leak out of your nose (no kidding).
And the loudest possible sound ever is i think 195db.
I think the current world record is 180.5db with 157,000watts (13 subs, 52 amps, 128 16v batteries)

I don't listen to it loud at all, that would be stupid. It doesnt go over 80db on a normal day. The speakers alone can make you feel like youve just come out of a night club, im not a big fan of that feeling. A blast every now and then isnt going to hurt to much.

The guy in the excel drives it daily and its capable of 150db, his fave word seemed to be "WAAAHHT".

[BI65ND]

Good result on a music track. Depending on where the max frequency is in your car, you could expect gains of up to about 8db on a proper test CD. Just depends how good the track was that you used, while some tracks sound really bassy, they might not actually have more pressure in them. If you get a chance, play around with some sweeps and find your max frequency, then you can aim straight at that. Most Ive ever pulled was 139.8 in my old lancer with 2 x 12" subs - Sedans make it a lot harder to get good results which is what you'll find too Silver Dub. That figure jumped from a max of 132 while testing it out on some snoop dogg tracks.

Im about to start building the system in my Mk4 GTI now, got the gear, just need to build the install. Using a single Rockford Fosgate T2 15" sub and T1500 amp to start with, but the amp might need upgrading. Aiming for mid 140's once it's all set up. At our last soundoff, we had the Aust. champion for the 2 x 15" class come down from QLD. They pulled a 155.8 - which would have broken their Aus record by .1 of a db, but it wasnt a sanctioned event so didnt count as an official record.

[beeza]

Ah yes, the good old days of massive sound systems.
Nowhere near as popular as they used to be like 10 years ago.
I had quite a big system in my Mk1.
It featured 600WRMS dual 2 ohm voicoil 15" Orion HCCA sub. Yes, the original.
2.4cuft ported box tuned to 44hz. It had a massive port, i swear. It was like 12 inches lond and i think it was 4 inches in diameter.
(2) US Audio amps running each voicecoil. The amps put out 300WRMS each and that was actually tested before i actually bought them. They did the job, however they were definitely not high quality amps.
I had a Bosch VR/VS 70 amp alternator with digital reg and a marine 700 cca battery.
I entered a soundoff at the time (set up by Autobarn), and actually won my class. My first run i got 139.? playing, Aaliah-Try Again . There was a remix with some insane bass in the middle of the track. Track 4 on the CD Single.
I then got a test track and ran a sweep from 50hz-40hz. The system achieved 143.1 db which is the most it ever got. In the final it could only do 141.2. But i still won, by only .2db. Not bad for a system that was not really designed for max SPL.
Good times.

[Spyda]

Ah yes, the good old days of massive sound systems.
Nowhere near as popular as they used to be like 10 years ago.
I had quite a big system in my Mk1.
It featured 600WRMS dua................... marine 700 cca battery.
I entered a soundoff at the time (set up by Autobarn), and actually won my class. My first run i got 139.? playing, Aaliah-Try Again . There was a remix with some insane bass in the middle of the track. Track 4 on the CD Single.
I then got a test track and ran a sweep from 50hz-40hz. The system achieved 143.1 db which is the most it ever got. In the final it could only do 141.2. But i still won, by only .2db. Not bad for a system that was not really designed for max SPL.
Good times.

For such low power running thouse big subs 141.2 is prity good. There was a charade there last night that had 2 12"s an it pushed out 147 somthing db. You would have been in the class above his (Street C i think). But it takes so much more effort to get gains after 140.

Good result on a music track. Depending on where the max frequency is in your car, you could expect gains of up to about 8db on a proper test CD.........................
Im about to start building the system in my Mk4 GTI now, got the gear, just need to build the install. Using a single Rockford Fosgate T2 15" sub and T1500 amp to start with, but the amp might need upgrading. Aiming for mid 140's once it's all set up. At our last soundoff, we had the Aust. champion for the 2 x 15" class come down from QLD. They pulled a 155.8 - which would have broken their Aus record by .1 of a db, but it wasnt a sanctioned event so didnt count as an official record.

You should be geting 140s easy with that one.

Im going to be running a second battery and bigger alt, hopefully if i get it up to 14.4v and burp some test tones i can get up to 140db in Street A class. You loose a couple of db by just having the parcel shelf in place. I know the difference between the Ice Cube song i played and Lil John - throw it up is quite significant but i was kindo rushed in to the run. If i was given a second run i would have run a sweep.
My box has been tuned to 36hz FYI.

TBH i only realy wanted to see what it could do so i could talk about it with mates and other audiophiles.

[static1800]

Just curious as i've never been into car stereos, does the music sound any good at that decibel output? or is it just noise?

[beeza]

Just curious as i've never been into car stereos, does the music sound any good at that decibel output? or is it just noise?

Well, you don't actually listen to it at that db output unless you really like bass tones and frequecy sweeps. Bass gain should be set a lot lower when listening to normal music i would say.
When you enter an SPL comp you only really run the sub/s and usually just a bass tone running through them, so not actual music.
There are competitions for SQ (sound quality) and this is where they play an actual track/song with vocals and instruments, usually a very high quality recording that features the whole spectrum of frequencies. A well set-up SQ system should have as flat a response as possible with small or no peaks.

[Spyda]

Just curious as i've never been into car stereos, does the music sound any good at that decibel output? or is it just noise?

Yeah what he said.

Usaly audiophiles try to balance it out so that they can go to SPL comps and put up big numbers and also listen to it realy loud and clear without the bass overtaking the music.

The problem is that the subs get loud alot easyer and with less money than speakers. If i crank the music the speakers will reamin clear and loud but if i crank the sub you wont hear the vocals anymore. To fix this i need more powerfull high quality speakers to match the subs power, but that cost more for a pair than the cars redbook value.