Are huge car sound systems only for rap music? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

German Stare · #1 04-20-2007, 01:04 PM

When cars that pass my house with these ZILLION watt sound systems that cost more than the car usually, all I ever hear as their choice of music is rap.
I like loud rock sometimes, but not windshield shattering bass.

I enjoy most kinds of music except rap. I just can't imagine that for most listening styles that anyone needs - 10,000 watt amps, four 15" subwoofers.

They shake my house! I can't even imagine what the idiot inside his car is being subjected to.

Is this a cultural thing? Age thing? IQ thing?

Please explain...

Dee8go · #2 04-20-2007, 01:17 PM

I'm with you, German. I like to hear music slightly on the loud side and with full dynamic range. I just don't understand the attraction to the crap I hear such as what you are describing.

Of course, I have passed on into "old fartdom" now, so . . . .

iwrock · #3 04-20-2007, 02:08 PM

I have a nice stereo in my car that mainly used to listed to jazz, rock, oldies, punk, soul, funk, you name it.... Sometimes rap as well...

Actually, I have a rather large stereo.....

But the point of it is that every note is reproduced as clearly as my stereo will allow... I like my music fairly loud as well. Nothing says more about a person than listening to The Who while sitting in traffic. Ah yes...

WINGAS · #4 04-20-2007, 02:36 PM

I'm a bass player ( amatuer but gigging), and I dont prefer the floppy "drum-n-bass" stuff. Like shred metal, I simply dont find it musical at all.

Having said that, the stock stereo in my "new" 95 E300D has a woefully muddy low end. First thing after I get all the mechanicals squared away.

And I like old skool funk, ( and old Grand Funk! ) blues, and some classical LOUD!

The Swede · #5 04-20-2007, 02:39 PM

MB's have ****ty stereos, plain and simple. Ditto with BMW. $35K Japanese car have factory systems that blow away the German competition.

My S600 Bose system sucks. From a car that listed at around $120K? C'mon.

Hatterasguy · #6 04-20-2007, 02:45 PM

My buddy had a crazy expensive sound system put in his truck, cost a few grand easy. He plays mostly classic rock, country, and Rammstein. He has a sweet pair of 12in subs in the back under the seat, no sloppy base like you see in crappy sound systems. These are nice subs, with one heck of an amp driving them. Anyway AC/DC sounds great!

G-Benz · #7 04-20-2007, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 427L88

I'm a bass player ( amatuer but gigging), and I dont prefer the floppy "drum-n-bass" stuff. Like shred metal, I simply dont find it musical at all.

Having said that, the stock stereo in my "new" 95 E300D has a woefully muddy low end. First thing after I get all the mechanicals squared away.

And I like old skool funk, ( and old Grand Funk! ) blues, and some classical LOUD!

I'm a fellow bassist too (and keyboardist, etc...)

And NO...rap music is not the absolute genre for high-powered car audio systems...it's just that the youthful owners (who haven't gotten their systems STOLEN yet) want to flaunt their power everywhere they go. 99% of rap music material is bass heavy, to say the least.

Makes you wonder if they actually enjoy the music or just show off...a sad waste of money if the latter is true. Kinda like dropping your ride by cutting springs or installing loud exhausts...cool stance and awesome exhaust tone, but the driving experience is nothing but a teeth chattering, bone shaking, deafening experience...oh well, you looked cool doing it!

The rap lyrics "I'm hot cause I'm fly"...what the heck does THAT mean?!!!

Anyway, I did the car stereo competitions nearly two decades ago...grown tired of multi-thousand watt systems in cars. OEM is fine. Besides, if I want to kill my hearing and straighten my spine, I just play in my band on weekends...and stand in front of my bass cabinets!!!

300SD81 · #8 04-20-2007, 04:23 PM

I don't understand rap... I think its kind of a little show off, and enjoying the music too, at least for the people I know.. Personally, I prefer some not so loud music, that the stock 81' system can supply, and a VERY loud engine.. I'd vent the exhaust into the cabin next to my ear if there weren't any fumes....

Monomer · #9 04-20-2007, 05:31 PM

http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/autotuba.html

Most efficient car sub around. I'm currently building one loaded with a TangBand 8 inch speaker.

I'm a Bass player and Prosound nut. I have a Tuba 30 sitting outside. It's just to huge to haul upstairs where my practice rig is. My tops cant even keepup with it. I could do some serious structural damage to the house with it. Amazing.

P.S. Watts is NOT a measure of sound. Never was; NEVER WILL BE. Nearly an utterly useless measurement. If it does not come with an spl chart; it's not worth your time/money.

mikemover · #10 04-20-2007, 05:46 PM

I tend to enjoy music at louder levels too...and my SD has a decent older system in it... Or perhaps it's just because I'm deaf after being a drummer for 20+ years!

...But for most of those rump-shaker car stereo guys, it has NOTHING to do with actual sound quality and enjoyment of the music.

As ridiculous as it sounds, it's a "status" statement... It's about ego and perception... "getting noticed"... getting "one-up" on the next guy who "only" has a 50,000-watt, 24-speaker, 10-amplifier system. Nothing more.

NO style of music sounds good with THAT much bass overpowering everything else.

Mike

2k2s430 · #11 04-20-2007, 08:43 PM

I have a friend who has a crazy system in his car. T.V.s' everywhere the trunk I believe has three 15 inch subs like four huge amps. If he gets it crankin the whole car shakes if you are sitting in the car it hits so hard that you actually feel like your are being blown out of your seat. All of this in a Cadillac. It is hard to explain it is a part of the Hip Hop culture it involves ego a little bit of showing off. Hip Hop or Rap is the Rock n Roll of our times. While I admit I listen to Rap myself I tend to listen to old school rap. Not realy fond of the new style which tends to be about money, cars and Cristal. I also listen to rock,some metal and a little popular radio. I kind of think these huge systems are one of those things that take on a life of their own. first you want some speakers, but wouldn't these T.V.s' be awesome with the killer sound. But wait with the t.v.s' we could get you some cameras so you can see behind you. I know this type of thing happens when I am doing something in my house myself. It ends up being, well the money I saved doing it myself means I can buy all of the more expensive oak trim, but then I can add this decorative strip and so on the simple project takes on a life of it's own.

Monomer · #12 04-20-2007, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2k2s430

I have a friend who has a crazy system in his car. T.V.s' everywhere the trunk I believe has three 15 inch subs like four huge amps. If he gets it crankin the whole car shakes if you are sitting in the car it hits so hard that you actually feel like your are being blown out of your seat. All of this in a Cadillac. It is hard to explain it is a part of the Hip Hop culture it involves ego a little bit of showing off. Hip Hop or Rap is the Rock n Roll of our times. While I admit I listen to Rap myself I tend to listen to old school rap. Not realy fond of the new style which tends to be about money, cars and Cristal. I
also listen to rock,some metal and a little popular radio. I kind of think these huge systems are one of those things that take on a life of their own. first you want some speakers, but wouldn't these T.V.s' be awesome with the killer sound. But wait with the t.v.s' we could get you some cameras so you can see behind you. I know this type of thing happens when I am doing something in my house myself. It ends up being, well the money I saved doing it myself means I can buy all of the more expensive oak trim, but then I can add this decorative strip and so on the simple project takes on a life of it's own.

I HATE "Hip Hop" "Culture"

Any form of music that singles out a specific people should never exist. People should be brought together by music; not spread further apart.

My Favorite Label's Creed:

Quote:

Originally Posted by undergroundresistance

Underground Resistance is a label for a movement. A movement that wants change by sonic revolution. We urge you to join the resistance and help us combat the mediocre audio and visual programming that is being fed to the inhabitants of Earth, this programming is stagnating the minds of the people; building a wall between races and preventing world peace. It is this wall we are going to smash. By using the untapped energy potential of sound we are going to destroy this wall much the same as certain frequencies shatter glass. Techno is a music based in experimentation; it is music for the future of the human race. Without this music there will be no peace, no love, no vision. By simply communicating through sound, techno has brought people of all different nationalities together under one roof to enjoy themselves. Isn't it obvious that music and dance are the keys to the universe? So called primitive animals and tribal humans have known this for thousands of years! We urge all brothers and sisters of the underground to create and transmit their tones and frequencies no matter how so called primitive their equipment may be. Transmit these tones and wreak havoc on the programmers!

Long live the underground...

mikemover · #13 04-20-2007, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2k2s430

Hip Hop or Rap is the Rock n Roll of our times.

Sadly, this is true.

Mike

Dubyagee · #14 04-20-2007, 09:17 PM

I like even frequencies albeit at 1500 watts or higher. I was never a "basshead".

I prefer Led, Halen, ACDC and blues.

I detest cars that sound like 100 men beating a rubber raft with distorted mids/highs and vibrating body panels.

Dubyagee · #15 04-20-2007, 09:27 PM

For the record, bass (120Hz or less) is the cheapest frequency to reproduce. To reproduce Higher frequencies takes real money and attention to staging and detail.