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://mediasearch.wnyc.org/

http://www.abc.net.au

http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org

http://www.blogtalkradio.com

Articles
http://www.nytimes.com

http://www.nypost.com
Book reviews
http://www.nytimes.com

http://www.cleveland.com

http://www.dallasnews.com

http://bookforum.com/

Video
http://www.silenceopensdoors.com

The rules are located here:
http://FloridaSPL.com/iasca_rules

Registration is open!

http://www.springbreaknationals.com

Floor map of the Ocean Center

IASCA
Db Drag
Usaci
MECA

Entry fee: $10 and a toy to donate to charity.
Show starts at 9am
More info: 678-617-5262

Packaging

Midbass

Woven tinsel Leads

Center of midbass

Phase plug

Crossover without cover

Tweeter

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.

The rules are located here:
http://FloridaSPL.com/iasca_rules

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.

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