Blight of Subwoofers in Cars: Why Do People Do This?

[leroyjenkens]

What a blight on society. Everybody hates them and the people who have them, except of course the people who have them.
I have some neighbors who just moved in next door and the FIRST thing they do is turn the music on in their car. All you can hear is thumping and rattling of their trunks, so it's not music. I don't know how long people will put up with this before cops get called. This was a quiet neighborhood. They're not playing it that loud, but that bass is really annoying. I'd rather hear the actual crappy music their playing than to hear just the thumping.
Why do they do it? They either don't care or they don't know any better. I'm betting it's both. They don't know any better, but even if they did, they wouldn't care.

 

[BobG]

What a blight on society. Everybody hates them and the people who have them, except of course the people who have them.
I have some neighbors who just moved in next door and the FIRST thing they do is turn the music on in their car. All you can hear is thumping and rattling of their trunks, so it's not music. I don't know how long people will put up with this before cops get called. This was a quiet neighborhood. They're not playing it that loud, but that bass is really annoying. I'd rather hear the actual crappy music their playing than to hear just the thumping.
Why do they do it? They either don't care or they don't know any better. I'm betting it's both. They don't know any better, but even if they did, they wouldn't care.

A Constitutional Amendment should be passed modifying the Second Amendment. Not only should citizens be allowed to possesses firearms, they should be able to use those firearms to blow holes in automobile subwoofers.

 

[xxChrisxx]

What a blight on society. Everybody hates them and the people who have them, except of course the people who have them.
I have some neighbors who just moved in next door and the FIRST thing they do is turn the music on in their car. All you can hear is thumping and rattling of their trunks, so it's not music. I don't know how long people will put up with this before cops get called. This was a quiet neighborhood. They're not playing it that loud, but that bass is really annoying. I'd rather hear the actual crappy music their playing than to hear just the thumping.
Why do they do it? They either don't care or they don't know any better. I'm betting it's both. They don't know any better, but even if they did, they wouldn't care.

Bcoz dey is wicked dog! Bangin with a top class boot build yo!

Translation:
Becuase one enjoys one's music very much, and ones expensive amplifiers and speakers make the music sound that much better. It must be played at full volume as any less would mean that one has wasted their time with such large speakers.

The joke is, especially in the UK. You get young lads with 500 quid cars with £1000 worth of stereo in them.Plus you can do funny thinks like this and stick them on youtube.

 

[SticksandStones]

The joke is, especially in the UK. You get yound lads with 500 quid cars with £1000 worth of stereo in them.

What's wrong with this? I have a relatively cheap car ($1,000 maybe?). It's 15 years old and runs like new. I spend a lot of time in there, so if I had the money to spare I'd definitely buy top speakers and subs. But then, I value music above most other things. I'd rather have an awesome sound system than leather seats, GPS, and a 6 cylinder engine.

 

[waht]

The act of projecting uncomfortable levels of infra-sound across the street constitutes an assault. One might just as well shine a laser at their house, but then, they wouldn't hesitate to call the cops and report harassment.

 

[magpies]

Two words... Get even.

Get a friend to lend you their dog for a few hours every night.

 

[BobG]

The act of projecting uncomfortable levels of infra-sound across the street constitutes an assault. One might just as well shine a laser at their house, but then, they wouldn't hesitate to call the cops and report harassment.

True. Subwoofers constitute warfare in a fashion and should be fougth with anti-subwoofer (ASW) weapons.

Pickup trucks with monster tires should be equipped with depth charges.

Standard size vehicles should travel in convoys where they can be escorted by monster pick-up trucks.

Unescorted vehicles should be equipped with Foxer acoustic decoys.

ASW nets and mines can be laid across key intersections.

 

[xxChrisxx]

What's wrong with this? I have a relatively cheap car ($1,000 maybe?). It's 15 years old and runs like new. I spend a lot of time in there, so if I had the money to spare I'd definitely buy top speakers and subs. But then, I value music above most other things. I'd rather have an awesome sound system than leather seats, GPS, and a 6 cylinder engine.

You don't see the irony in having a car worth £1500 and 2/3 of that is the stereo. I find that really rather funny.

Well let's be fair to these people they probably have about 300 quids worth of stick on parts from halfords.

 

[russ_watters]

A Constitutional Amendment should be passed modifying the Second Amendment. Not only should citizens be allowed to possesses firearms, they should be able to use those firearms to blow holes in automobile subwoofers.

We could just add a sledgehammer clause.

 

[waht]

True. Subwoofers constitute warfare in a fashion and should be fougth with anti-subwoofer (ASW) weapons.

Pickup trucks with monster tires should be equipped with depth charges.

Standard size vehicles should travel in convoys where they can be escorted by monster pick-up trucks.

Unescorted vehicles should be equipped with Foxer acoustic decoys.

ASW nets and mines can be laid across key intersections.

Anti-ELF attenuators are being developed by DARPA in a zero gravity environment as we speak...

 

[BobG]

Although research is still on-going, there are indications that people with subwoofers are more likely to be smokers of cigarettes.

(Now watch the hate roll in).

 

[DaveC426913]

What a blight on society. Everybody hates them and the people who have them, except of course the people who have them.
I have some neighbors who just moved in next door and the FIRST thing they do is turn the music on in their car. All you can hear is thumping and rattling of their trunks, so it's not music. I don't know how long people will put up with this before cops get called. This was a quiet neighborhood. They're not playing it that loud, but that bass is really annoying. I'd rather hear the actual crappy music their playing than to hear just the thumping.
Why do they do it? They either don't care or they don't know any better. I'm betting it's both. They don't know any better, but even if they did, they wouldn't care.

Don't assume the worst.

Sure, people are normally oblivious - as long as they're anonymous. Put a face on it and you'll often get different behaviour.

I have had success with approaching new neighbours and asking them - politely - to turn their music down.

 

[waht]

Although research is still on-going, there are indications that people with subwoofers are more likely to be smokers of cigarettes.

That's because smoke enhances the acoustics, and some brands of cigarettes are better suited than others.

I have had success with approaching new neighbours and asking them - politely - to turn their music down.

What happened to the days of going to your neighbor with a six pack, and closing off streets on your block to welcome new residents, or whatever excuse there is to do so?

 

[SticksandStones]

You don't see the irony in having a car worth £1500 and 2/3 of that is the stereo. I find that really rather funny.

Well let's be fair to these people they probably have about 300 quids worth of stick on parts from halfords.

There is no irony in that. My car gets me from point A to point B reliably, gets great gas mileage, and does everything I need it to. On top of that, I also want it to sound pretty when I play music in it. How is that ironic?

I don't NEED or WANT a better car right now, but I DO want a better sound system. Should I buy a whole new car just so I can get a better sound system? That doesn't make any sense at all.

 

[leroyjenkens]

Don't assume the worst.

Sure, people are normally oblivious - as long as they're anonymous. Put a face on it and you'll often get different behaviour.

I have had success with approaching new neighbours and asking them - politely - to turn their music down.

I shouldn't have to.

On top of that, I also want it to sound pretty when I play music in it. How is that ironic?

I don't NEED or WANT a better car right now, but I DO want a better sound system. Should I buy a whole new car just so I can get a better sound system? That doesn't make any sense at all.

So basically you want to force other people to listen to your music?

 

[vibjwb]

This is all about attracting attention and it works.
It is not about music.

 

[Evo]

Am I one of the few that doesn't get why you spend tons of money for a sound system in your CAR? A car, especially an old clunker isn't the optimum place if you really enjoy music. What the people that put these systems in their cars want is VOLUME.

Not to mention, you're in a car...on a road...in traffic...and you can't hear horns or sirens or the screeching brakes of the car that is careening into you.

But then there are Darwin Awards...

 

[xxChrisxx]

There is no irony in that. My car gets me from point A to point B reliably, gets great gas mileage, and does everything I need it to. On top of that, I also want it to sound pretty when I play music in it. How is that ironic?

I don't NEED or WANT a better car right now, but I DO want a better sound system. Should I buy a whole new car just so I can get a better sound system? That doesn't make any sense at all.

I'll freely admit I'm highly biased as I love cars and I love driving. I'd rather spend it all on the car.

To me it would make more sense to have a £1000 car, for which can buy a semi decent motor, then stuff £500 of music into it if you really must. Generally cars for £500 are ****boxes. You get the odd gem for cheap but mostly they are just cheap naff old cars.I'd argue that it's worth spending more for the better car, as doubling the car budget can buy you so much more.

Is it really necessary to have a £1000 pound sound system over a £500 one? does it really honestly make 2x the differnce. A £500 system provides decent quality music, and can go to obnoxious volumes.

 

[turbo]

It's like a plague. Kids get an old beater sub-compact, install a very loud exhaust, up-size the wheels and pay $$$$ for tires with no sidewalls, shoehorn in a stereo that would deafen you at 1/10th the volume they'll crank it to, and slap on a spoiler and a bunch of decals. Voila! They have an example of personal expression that is so personal that only every other wanna-be is doing the exactly the same thing.

When I was a teen, we all wanted to learn how to tweak performance out of vehicles to create "sleepers" - cars that looked low-key, but were very hot under the hood. At least you learn transferable skills by concentrating on mechanics as opposed to bolt-on bling.

As a long-time Harley-tweaker, I recognize the bolt-on syndrome in the weekend "bikers". As long as they've got the money to pay H-D for all the bolt-on bling, that's their look-out, but "chrome don't get you home". When I bought my venerable old '85 Wide-Glide, the first thing I did was to remove about 75# of stupid chrome and gold-plated "Live to Ride, Ride to Live" crap that the previous owner had installed, strip off other extraneous stuff, and then make it GO.

Edit: the only "extra" that the previous owner had installed that I left on the bike was a radiative oil cooler (seen just in front of the motor between the risers). That add-on was suggested by a friend of his who serviced the bikes for the Massachusetts State Police, and I left that on because I intended to tweak that machine and run it hot, and heat can be death for air-cooled engines.

 

[Moonbear]

I don't think they put in quality sound systems in their cars (I actually could understand paying extra for GOOD speakers if you have long commutes or travel by car a lot), but it's more that they put in LOUD sound systems in their cars. Bass is not appreciated at such close ranges...which is of course why the rest of us hear it so much better at great distances from the car. And, if you're playing it at volumes that make the whole car rattle, that certainly isn't improving the quality of the music.

I also agree that I am not as bothered by hearing loud music if I can hear ALL the music as I am by hearing just the bass and rattling trunk (of course, I mostly prefer getting to choose my own music rather than having someone else impose their music selections on me). Until we get that added clause to the second amendment proposed above (I really like that idea ), I just try to console myself that they will all need hearing aids before they reach 40. (With all the loud music kids listen to in confined spaces or piped directly into their ears with earbuds, I am considering that a designer line of hearing aids with lots of bling would be something good to invest in.)

 

[turbo]

With all the loud music kids listen to in confined spaces or piped directly into their ears with earbuds, I am considering that a designer line of hearing aids with lots of bling would be something good to invest in.

I'd like to form a start-up with you, Moonie. Unfortunately, I have no experience in micro-miniature audio circuitry. I have many, many years of experience rebuilding and restoring tube-driven guitar amplifiers, but it's hard to fit a 6L6GC or EL84 circuit into peoples' ears. Eskimos might like the heat, though.

 

[DaveC426913]

Don't assume the worst.

Sure, people are normally oblivious - as long as they're anonymous. Put a face on it and you'll often get different behaviour.

I have had success with approaching new neighbours and asking them - politely - to turn their music down.

I shouldn't have to.

Well, think of it as karma.

There's no law that says they can't play their music as loud as they want (provided it's before 11PM), so why should they change their behaviour to accommodate you? In fact, https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=350500" that want you to accommodate them? Hmm?

 

[206PiruBlood]

I enjoy my music with a ton of bass. I can't bump my loud music without subs! Although I do turn the music down when I enter a neighborhood. You can hear me before you see me..

Whats weird is that some people have speakers in the grill of their car so that individuals outside of the car can hear...

 

[TurtleMeister]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loud_music

Playing loud music that can be heard from outside of the property from where it is being played (such as a house, apartment, hotel room, or motor vehicle) is considered to be rude by many people and societies. Among those opposed to the practice, it may result in the loss of respect and possible legal action.

I am one of those "many people and societies".

 

[physics girl phd]

True. Subwoofers constitute warfare in a fashion and should be fougth with anti-subwoofer (ASW) weapons.

When I worked for the AFRL, a friend had problems with the neighbor kid's playing their radio too loud after their dad left for work every weekend... we built an decent antenna, put it inside (by the window) and broadcast a "noise" signal of our own over their favorite station(s). I think we probably violated radio laws, but after a few times, they stopped thinking the radio was whacked at loud volume. They weren't smart enough to try tapes.

 

[BobG]

When I worked for the AFRL, a friend had problems with the neighbor kid's playing their radio too loud after their dad left for work every weekend... we built an decent antenna, put it inside (by the window) and broadcast a "noise" signal of our own over their favorite station(s). I think we probably violated radio laws, but after a few times, they stopped thinking the radio was whacked at loud volume. They weren't smart enough to try tapes.

You can mess those up, too. I worked at a space radar site in Alaska that was sending radar pulses into space. If your dorm room was on the wrong side of the building and you didn't shield your stereo, you could hear the pulses on your stereo whenever you played cassette tapes. They would also be recorded on video recorders. Very obnoxious place to live (especially before people recognized the hazards of electromagnetic radiation - in the old, old days, before my time, operators could sweep the admin offices at night, lighting up the flourescent lights - it used to freak out the security guards making their rounds).

Of course, you might need your own electric generating plant in your backyard to generate that much power, which might be a lot more obnoxious than the subwoofers.

 

[Moonbear]

When I worked for the AFRL, a friend had problems with the neighbor kid's playing their radio too loud after their dad left for work every weekend... we built an decent antenna, put it inside (by the window) and broadcast a "noise" signal of our own over their favorite station(s). I think we probably violated radio laws, but after a few times, they stopped thinking the radio was whacked at loud volume. They weren't smart enough to try tapes.

I need something like that. I can't even figure out which house the noise comes from...it's not one of my immediate neighbors, which means it's loud enough for probably the entire neighborhood to hear. Someone blasts music awfully loudly on some weekend afternoons and early evenings on weekdays...yeah, only the thumping is heard everywhere. I didn't hear it all summer when I was sitting outside a lot, so figure someone's teenaged kid has just gotten their first set of big speakers. But, it seems to always end at a predictable time each evening, so I'm guessing that's when the parents come home and tell them to turn down the racket. So far, it hasn't been too big of a deal, because it doesn't last forever and isn't really much worse than someone running a lawnmower or leaf blower on the weekends in terms of the noise level that reaches my house (not sure the closer neighbors would feel the same way). I'm just worried about what happens the first weekend the kid is left home alone while the parents are out of town.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

A Constitutional Amendment should be passed modifying the Second Amendment. Not only should citizens be allowed to possesses firearms, they should be able to use those firearms to blow holes in automobile subwoofers.

Near as I can tell, these glorified transistor radios are protected under the second amendment.

 

[leroyjenkens]

Well, think of it as karma.

There's no law that says they can't play their music as loud as they want (provided it's before 11PM), so why should they change their behaviour to accommodate you? In fact, isn't it par for the course to be a d*ck to people that want you to accommodate them? Hmm?

Your little switcheroo would make sense if I was breaking the law somehow.

And you can't just play your music as loud as you want. I hear about people getting pulled over all the time for having their music too loud.
You think you can just blast your music to glass shattering levels just because it's not past 11:00 PM? Think again.
http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/1642336.html

 

[Monique]

I need something like that. I can't even figure out which house the noise comes from...it's not one of my immediate neighbors, which means it's loud enough for probably the entire neighborhood to hear.

Too bad that it would only work with radios, I had neighbors that lived two floors down from my apartment that would manage to wake my up in the middle of the night by their hysterical screaming. We complained with the house-manager, who said that he couldn't do anything about it. The funny thing was that when the prostitutes started to complain, that they were packing up their things in no time

I'm just worried about what happens the first weekend the kid is left home alone while the parents are out of town.

The kid is probably going to have blast when that happens You could either find yourself a decent antenna, or just pour yourself a few drinks.

 

[DaveC426913]

Your little switcheroo would make sense if I was breaking the law somehow.

You're still in denial. s'OK. It's not for me to straighten you out.

You think you can just blast your music to glass shattering levels just because it's not past 11:00 PM? Think again.
http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/1642336.html

OK, wait a minute. So you're claiming that, in one case, an existing law does not apply to you, yet here, your case is built upon a non-existent law that may be put into place, someday.

Oh come on. Do you not know when to stop digging?

 

[BobG]

The solution is to equip my car with a sound system that will assault the subwoofer crowd as much, or more, than their subwoofers assault my sensitive ears.

The plan is to equip my car with speakers that will output a steady 17.4 kHz frequency at 165 dB. I'll be completely immune to this audio assault since this a frequency only young people and dogs can hear.

Everytime I hear a subwoofer, I turn on my anti-subwoofer. The driver of the subwoofer car maintains a very, very large distance between his car and mine since the mosquito-like buzz is driving him insane.

Hmmm, the drawback (or benefit, depending on how you look at it) is that the city's entire population of stray dogs will commit suicide within a month.

Okay, a second drawback is that parents will have no idea why their small children are crying in the backseat, but small children should be strapped into carseats and will be unable to commit suicide.

 

[leroyjenkens]

You're still in denial. s'OK. It's not for me to straighten you out.

I'm explaining how this situation is different from the other one. You don't get to change reality just so you can have that joke.

OK, wait a minute. So you're claiming that, in one case, an existing law does not apply to you, yet here, your case is built upon a non-existent law that may be put into place, someday.

What law did I say doesn't apply to me?

And the link I posted at the beginning tells about a law that's in existence that's being extended from 100 feet to 25 feet. It says there's already a law in place, just that the new one is more strict.

 

[DaveC426913]

I'm explaining how this situation is different from the other one. You don't get to change reality just so you can have that joke.

What law did I say doesn't apply to me?

You're claiming this situation is different because you claim you aren't breaking the law by cruising in the left lane. I pointed you to a law that says otherwise. So you were breaking the law. Pretending it doesn't apply to you is not a valid defense, thus the source of the common phrase "ignorance of the law is no excuse".

the new one is more strict.

Not yet it isn't.

Still, you're using a proposed law as your case here yet in a similar situation you're ignoring an existing law.

C'mon buddy, you're nailed.

 

[Saladsamurai]

What a blight on society. Everybody hates them and the people who have them, except of course the people who have them.
I have some neighbors who just moved in next door and the FIRST thing they do is turn the music on in their car. All you can hear is thumping and rattling of their trunks, so it's not music. I don't know how long people will put up with this before cops get called. This was a quiet neighborhood. They're not playing it that loud, but that bass is really annoying. I'd rather hear the actual crappy music their playing than to hear just the thumping.
Why do they do it? They either don't care or they don't know any better. I'm betting it's both. They don't know any better, but even if they did, they wouldn't care.

I didn't realize that GD was such a dumping ground these days. Is whining all that you do? Or have you got any other tricks?