Loud, Louder, Loudest

THE 2011 Kicker Sound Off also measures the sound generated while the car’s doors are opened. Photo by Charles E. Buban

Finding a parking slot in Tiendesitas in Pasig City was next to impossible last Saturday. Throughout the day, the place was jampacked with all sorts of cars.

No, this wasn’t a motorshow and those who were expecting to see some super-expensive or exotic car models got the wrong invite.

The unique gathering of auto enthusiasts at the Tiendesitas wasn’t about which cars would look best but rather which would sound the best if not the loudest.

“Those who really enjoy their car audio system definitely relished last week’s Kicker Sound Off competition. The event not only served as an excellent venue for those just starting out in sound pressure level (SPL) competition but also for meeting experts whom they could talk to and who could give them priceless advice and guidance,” said Gilbert Lee of Winterpine Marketing Corp., Kicker’s authorized distributor in the Philippines.

Kicker is one of the world’s premier high-performance car stereo manufacturers, reshaping the world of car audio with innovative products that consistently raise the bar for mobile audio performance.

THIS particular car entry generated an ear-splitting 134.8 dB sound inside the cabin. Photo by Charles E. Buban

Highest decibel

In an SPL sound competition it’s not about the music or the quality of the sound, but rather it’s about who has the highest decibel (dB) levels (unit used to measure sound level).

Lee explained that the SPL refers to sound energy measured in decibels.

“Unlike sound quality, the SPL is not about how it sounds but how much it sounds. In an SPL competition like the 2011 Kicker Sound Off, the participants have the opportunity to see how well their cars’ system could pressurize the car cabin with bass. The scoring process is simple: the participant have a limited time to play an SPL track provided by the organizer and will attempt the highest dB reading that could be attained,” Lee explained.

Two SPL measurements were taken: while the car’s doors were shut and when opened.

Different

ORGANIZERS made sure participants followed all the necessary safety precautions. Photo by Charles E. Buban

“People usually equate this type of competition to car owners who could spend the most for their car audio system as well as to those who could load up their cars with tons of amplifiers and batteries. But the Kicker Sound Off event took a different approach,” informed Lee.

Lee informed that he would rather entice those who are still starting out in this kind of pursuit, help them hone their skills if not gain more experience.

“To level the playing field, we divided the competition into several categories. The Classic category may be regarded as the basic, as those who bought the ‘staple’ Kicker audio system (two subwoofers and one amplifier) were able to join. In the Open competition, we invited those who have two, three as well as four subwoofers. They could use their existing Kicker amplifier should they choose to,” said Lee who added that it was up to the participant’s car audio technician how to set up the said package to be able produce the highest dB reading.

Lee wanted to make last week’s event an annual gathering: “We have so many talented car enthusiasts out there waiting to be discovered. By participating or by just watching this event, we may be able to produce world-class competitors that would put the Philippines on the map.”