Hip Hop Octopus Intelligent discourse for the curious and unpretentious

Eight Rules: Proper Sound System Etiquette

As an audiophile, one of the first things I did when I got a new car was to perform open heart surgery, strap some wires to the battery, and install my own sound system in it. The 500 watt amps power two 10 inch subs and four component speakers and shot a booming arrow into my heart - everything from swing music, jazz, and hip-hop sounded fifty times better. I was hearing nuances, making out instruments, and clearly hearing every word and breath in every lyric like never before. But with all this sexy sonic power, comes responsibility!

Enjoy responsibly. Photo by IceBone

Here are eight rules and tips to follow to be a safe car audio enthusiast and avoid being an Audio Asshole:

1) Rolling through residental neighborhoods with your system on blast won't help you pick up chicks or more street - it wakes up babies and takes off a couple of minutes off an elderly person's life every time you do it. So don't.

2) There is nothing wrong with bumping the hell out of a song you love. But if you must, try to keep your windows rolled up if a lot of other cars are around.

3) Booming bass is cool, but a trunk rattling like a tin can during a major earthquake definitely isn't. Put some sound dampening material in your trunk so your bass will kick better and your rattle won't scare little kids on the street.

4) For God's sake, I've seen booming sound systems with mothers in the car. Please have respect for her ears and everybody else in your vehicle.

5) As a male, any kind of contest is fair game. I've fond memories of how far I can throw licked gummy bears onto ceilings, for example, but sound system battles on the street tend to hurt the competitor's ears in what equates to a pissing contest - and bothers everyone around you.

6) If you are driving through a rather seedy looking neighborhood, it's best to keep the volume on your system to a minimum - stolen audio equipment are hot commodities on the street.

7) Police or emergency vehicle sirens should never have to compete with your system.

8) If you notice a big group of children (such as a school or a playground), it might be best not to play the Geto Boy's "Still" at full blast.

Let us reverse the trend of car audio "thuggery" and be recognized as serious car audio enthusiasts instead!

How do you feel about car audio systems?