And so it came to pass, on 05-07-96 13:47,
   that Tom Moore spake unto Rob Appleyard:
 TM> I myself am aware of what might be involved in the creation of a
 TM> "competition" mobile audio rig.  
"Might"?  You probably don't realize the half of it :-)
 TM> Great sound, however, rocks my boat every time.  Competition car
 TM> audio, for the most part, is ONLY concerned with loud.  
*Ahem* not quite.  As far as IASCA (International Auto Sound Challenge 
Assocition, *the* car-audio competition authority) is concerned, SPL counts 
for only a very small part of a competitor's total score.  Maximum score is 
given for 140dB SPL, with points deducted for levels below that... so in 
essence, going beyond 140dB is pointless, at least as far as competition is 
concerned.
Other sanctioning bodies, such as USAC, do have their "Outlaw SPL" 
categories, but even those are just one of the many categories in their 
competitions, none of which place a very high priority on SPL.
Most of the points are based on such criteria as installation safety and 
quality (running 500W worth of amps on 16-gauge zip cord that comes out the 
hood and through the door hinges is an automatic zero :), sound quality 
(subjective to individual judges' ears and, to some degree, tastes), imaging 
and sound stage, and RTA measurements (they do pink-noise RTA at around 100dB 
SPL).  There are even points for presentation (the car's owner has to give a 
brief speech on his system :) and car detailing (a rusted-out '74 Plymouth 
that you used for mud-racing immediately before the sound-off is a definite 
liability! ;-)
 TM> I have heard a couple of these 'competition' rides that did sound
 TM> pretty good, but that was when they were turned down and I could
 TM> sit in the car and listen.
Tom, you of all people should know how critical system headroom is to proper 
audio reproduction.  Just because a car's system could blow out the windows 
doesn't mean that it HAS to, or that the person normally (or EVER) listens to 
it at those levels.
 TM> I don't think Bonnie needs anyone to come to her defense - I've
 TM> seen some of her excellent retorts, but you should know that not
 TM> everyone agrees with YOUR viewpoint that competition audio is a
 TM> thing of beauty.  
For some, it's a hobby.  For others, it's a job, an occupation... a living.  
Hey, some guys put on funny rubber outfits and stand waist-deep in ice-cold 
water, waving a magic wand in an attempt to attract smelly, slimy water 
creatures, as a hobby... whatever turns your crank, dude :)
 TM> It requires a fat wallet, skill and devotion, but not necessarily a
 TM> good ear. 
Beg to differ... *winning* at competitions DOES require a good ear, and not 
NECESSARILY a fat wallet (although that sometimes helps, I have seen guys 
that built their own systems on a shoestring take the trophy from guys whose 
greatest involvement was buying the car and writing checks for obscene 
amounts of money to the stereo shop).
 TM> Bonnie gets paid good bux for her good ear (as do I - sometimes). 
 TM> Do you see why there is a rift?
No. :-)  Hey, Bonnie's heard my car system (the old one, anyway) -- for a 
$300 AM/FM/CD player and a pile of speakers I got for free, it sounded quite 
decent (right, Bonnie? :)  
I get paid good bucks for my ears from time to time as well.  For mine, the 
car environment is just another challenge... and a necessary one, given the 
amount of time I spend in the car.  I could never have survived that trip to 
visit Bonnie, driving from Vancouver to Sacramento, without good-quality 
sound in the car!
IKEA ... Swedish for "particle board."
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