Beware of Sommer Sound Systems
Why 2011 Spring Fling has no dB Drag
On March 9th, Neill Barber (one of this country’s longest registered car audio competitors) makes THIS POST requesting that someone up the ante at SPRING FLING [It's a big car show in Panama City that's been going on for 20 something years]
So various promoters, including Casey from this forum, attempt to get something happening. And by happening I mean make it a 2x IASCA AND a 2x db Drag show (you know, it’s what everyone considers an awesome show that makes your time worth while, attracts the big dogs from out of the wood work, and gets everyone official world finals scores and points.)
Well it turns out the VITAL SIGNS car club promotes this event and is currently run by Doug Augustine. The process of hosting and organizing the car show is enough for them, so they pass the car audio side of things off to a local (Panama City) car stereo shop. They’ve typically been using Terry Floyd for years, but for the past 5 or so, it’s been Bill Sommer of SOMMER SOUND SYSTEMS.
Ole’ Bill thinks that this show is his big chance to make some money every year. He pulls out all of the stops and gets the IASCA judge (Terry Floyd) to pay all of the sanctioning fees (about $350) plus his annual retail member fee ($100) and he takes HALF of the entry fees per competitor ($20-40 each).
Can you imagine? Most judges offer a show to a retailer as an opportunity to promote their shop, get attention, and maybe even raffle off some equipment. But this guy thinks that because he spends a weekend in Daytona telling crowd members about Doug’s car show, that he should get half of all profits and ZERO of all expenses.
We started calling him at his shop on March 24th and his associate told us that he “wasn’t available” call after call, day after day. So yesterday (March 29th) I left him a message telling him that his antics were lame and that I wasn’t interested in waiting on him to help him make money any more. Miraculously, he called back……to attempt to ***** me out. I hung up on him twice for acting like a jerk.
He left this voicemail for me (Thanks for the property Bill!) Click here to listen
If you believe that a shop owner (who obviously doesn’t care about the competitors…hell I’d pay him for every rule he even knows if you know what I’m saying) who is trying to make money on the backs of the competitors is out of line, feel free to “call” his shop phone at 850-215-6664 or email him at sommersoundsystems@knology.net and tell him what you think. Tell him I sent ya! Please!
We’ve spoken to Doug at Vital Signs and let him know who we are and what we can do for his car show. Those of you who’ve attended our events or events we’ve sponsored know what we’re capable of. If you see Doug or any of the guys from Vital Signs at the show let them know what they’re missing out on by not having a multi-sanctioned event. Maybe next year we can make this thing right.
This year, we did our best.
FloridaSPL cited in recent book on sound
If you recall, FloridaSPL was featured in a large article in the March 2009 issue of Playboy. This article was basically an excerpt of George Prochnik’s book, “In Pursuit of Silence”.
Prochnik leaves the noisy confines of New York City and goes on a global quest to find those who still value silence. He examines the never-ending series of sounds that pervade his thoughts on a daily basis — the traffic helicopters, the leaky iPods, the neighbors who hold loud parties — and researches the scientific effects of noise on our bodies. Prochnik also dives into the subculture of competitive loud car-stereo tournaments. (“I didn’t hear sound,” the author observes of one window-shattering system. “I just experienced my bones and heart bursting apart through my skin.”)
In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise
Book website/blog
http://inpursuitofsilence.com
Audio interviews
http://www.npr.org/
http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org
Articles
http://www.nytimes.com
http://www.nypost.com
Book reviews
http://www.nytimes.com
2010 IASCA Rules Posted For Download
We’ve again uploaded the 2010 IASCA rules for those who don’t wish to create an account on IASCA.com to simply download their rules. Spread the word, no account needed here.
The rules are located here:
http://FloridaSPL.com/iasca_rules
March 13 – 14, 2010
Registration is open!
http://www.springbreaknationals.com
Floor map of the Ocean Center
Country Living Station (on Hwy 365)
4336 Cornelia Hwy
Lula, GA 30554
IASCA
Db Drag
Usaci
MECA
Entry fee: $10 and a toy to donate to charity.
Show starts at 9am
More info: 678-617-5262
Kicker QS60.2 Component Pictures
Pictures of Kicker’s QS60.2 component set, their new high-end car audio component set for 2009. Shipping weight is 12.5lbs.
Packaging
Midbass
Woven tinsel Leads
Center of midbass
Phase plug
Crossover without cover
Tweeter
March 2009 – They’re everywhere. You hear them at the mall, in the McDonald’s parking lot, and even driving through your neighborhood late at night; those booming car stereo systems. Surely they’re not all gun-toting, pants falling, gangster types intent on creating havoc and disturbing the peace. So what’s up with all the wall shaking mayhem? Find out in the March 2009 issue of Playboy. FloridaSPL.com provides inside information as writer George Prochnik explores the underground scene of sound pressure level competitions in Florida and around the world. Read interviews of Tommy “The King of Bass” McKinnie, Buzz Thompson, and Robin “MP3 Pimp” Butler. There’s even a cameo of Florida’s very own Michael “Gorilla Heavyweight” Hadden. Get to the roots of what drives an SPL (Sound Pressure Level) competitor to the brink of madness, catch up on the strange fascination with car audio you had as a high-schooler, and see where the extremists have taken it today.
‘Best Ever’ CD Receiver Award
Mobile Electronics Magazine Bestows Honor Voted by Industry Members
TORRANCE, Calif., Feb. 10, 2009 – Alpine Electronics of America, Inc., the industry-leading manufacturer of automotive mobile media solutions, has been honored with the award for “Best Ever” CD receiver by Mobile Electronics magazine. The online poll of the mobile electronics industry was conducted during the fall of 2008 and Mobile Electronics recently presented the award to Alpine.
In 1989, Alpine introduced the 7909 (with an SRI of $1,200) as the company’s flagship AM/FM CD receiver, targeted to audiophile consumers and auto sound competitors. The 7909 was best known for its incredible sound quality at a time when the CD format was gaining major popularity in the car. It used a dual Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) architecture designed to outperform other single DAC-based CD receivers. The 7909’s 18 bit, 18x oversampling technology used with a 1 bit DAC delivered the best possible sound reproduction for CDs. The unit also featured CD Straight, which allowed the audio signal to bypass the bass, treble, balance and fader controls for the purest sound reproduction in the automotive aftermarket. Its 4-volt preamp outputs helped to further reduce noise.
The 7909’s performance made it a favorite among consumers and a popular source unit for International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA) competitions. In 1998, Alpine re-introduced the 7909 Anniversary Edition, tied-in to the company’s 20th anniversary in North America. Acknowledging the changes in consumer use, the Anniversary Edition did not have the Quick Release Bracket (QRB) pull-out chassis design that was found on the original 7909. Today, the 7909 still enjoys a strong cult following among car audio enthusiasts.
“Alpine has always held exceptional sound quality as one of our key tenets, and the 7909 set this foundation for Alpine’s Engineering Team. This knowledge ultimately influenced Alpine’s product design principles, resulting in its strong reputation for sound quality,” said Stephen Witt, vice president, marketing, Alpine Electronics.
2009 IASCA Rules Posted
We’ve again uploaded the latest IASCA rules for those who don’t wish to create an account on IASCA.com to simply download their rules. Spread the word, no account needed here.
The rules are located here:
http://FloridaSPL.com/iasca_rules
Toyota MR2 Subwoofer Installation
Real factory stereo systems didn’t really start flourishing until the aftermarket companies made a huge impact on the car manufacturers in the 1990s. The problem is, the same companies that made in-dash changers and USB inputs were the same companies making the lackluster headunits in the OEM cars. Back in the day, it was given that you would gut the original stereo and put in something with some versatility and some balls. And after the vehicle manufacturers caught on, they started demanding fancy gizmos and even countermeasures installed in their factory radios to make them less appealing to replace, or even impossible to remove.
Well, this 1986 Toyota doesn’t have that problem.
After we removed the factory Dolby Noise Reduction Cassette Tuner, installed an Alpine in-dash DVD player and upgraded the dash speakers, it was time for a little bottom end enhancement. You see, the first two years that Toyota released the MR2 in the US, they included a factory 5 ¼ inch subwoofer under the driver’s seat.
Don’t get yourself all worked up. Since the only other speakers in the car are 4 inchers, it was all they could do to bolster the well-needed lower frequencies. But after 23 years, the foam surround on this factory subwoofer is shot.
And we’re not interested in shopping the market for a replacement to the measly performance of this generation-old bass maker. It’s time for a modern upgrade to match the other components in the system.
If you’ve paid any attention to the DIY home speaker market at all you’ve heard of the Tang Bands. They’re an inexpensive Chinese manufacturer of well-built drivers that people prefer to audition before they announce what you’re listening to. We got a hold of a TB W6-1139SI subwoofer for this project. 
Since we’re using the factory amp, which is used to a 4ohm driver, we wanted to keep it simple and power a single driver in the MR2. The TB just fit. And no pun intended; there isn’t any room for a subwoofer in an MR2. The factory sub is under the driver’s seat. We chose the area behind the driver’s seat for our sub.
Here’s what we did:
Take a 6 inch piece of PVC tube
Cut it to 17 inches long.
Make an MDF plug for the end with a router
Install and epoxy the endcap in the tube
Drill some holes in the other end for attaching the sub
Install a piece of closed-cell foam dampening in one end
Cut a piece of closed-cell foam for a seal around the sub
Drill a hole in the factory subwoofer for the wiring
Install that sucker in the car and get to jamming
This is a substantial improvement over the factory subwoofer. Of course all of you 6ft plus Deuce owners are out of luck. The seat won’t go all the way back. But if you’re really jonesing for some bass in your ride, then suck it up and put one of these behind the passenger seat. Or if you’re really looking for performance, get an amp and power one behind each seat.