# Is there a solution to BOOMING car stereos? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 20, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221 "2005-04-20T13:48:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/41 "2005-04-20T16:52:25Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > **picker** , when I win the lottery, I’m hiring you to drive me around. Name your price. Tree Fitty. 😃 > [@squeegee](#): > > I don’t think it’s possible to produce bass speakers that cannot produce sound below a certain frequency. Perhaps the signal being fed to them could be filtered with a sharp bass cutoff. Dunno if that would suffice. Easy to do, but you need to install a crossover in line before the speaker, which I doubt most of these fuckwickets could, let alone would, do. Short of legislation mandating this, it’ll never happen (nor should it - this is an etiquette problem, not a government one) A better solution would be to install some kind of phase canceling system in your own vehicle, with a microphone and a phase inverter to cancel out the incoming sound waves, and a speaker system powerful enough to equal the magnitude of the incoming sound waves. Tricky to engineer for a mobile system, but I use similar technology all the time in the recording studio and when engineering (or recording) live audio. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/42 "2005-04-20T16:58:47Z")
1. A friend of mine had one of these ghetto blasters, as they’re called round these parts. She also gave me a ride to school every morning, so I had no room to complain. But I couldn’t help but laugh when she’d turn the bass so high up, it’d rattle the car, causing the CD to skip. If the fact that your music is disrupting itself isn’t a hint, I don;t know what is. 2. Hm… so if you can have bass that can’t be heard at the source, but can be loud and disturbing a given distance away, can a, well, 1920’s Style “bass ray” be constructed? Silent to the user, but causes a constant heart-jiggling bassline say, fifteen feet away? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/43 "2005-04-20T17:08:48Z")
“Nuke it from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.” What, what this? People think I an advocating violence? Me? No, tow it out into the middle of a nuclear testing ground, then proceed. Heh heh. No violence here, that’s for sure. ::Innocent face:: Oh, and if the person who commits the crime lives in your neighborhood, and/or always dries past at a regular time, how about asking a copy to come by, so you can have him ticket the guy for violating noise-pollution ordinances. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/44 "2005-04-20T17:28:08Z")
> [@Troy McClure SF](#): > > 1. Hm… so if you can have bass that can’t be heard at the source, but can be loud and disturbing a given distance away, can a, well, 1920’s Style “bass ray” be constructed? Silent to the user, but causes a constant heart-jiggling bassline say, fifteen feet away? An interesting article from the [Fortean Times](http://www.forteantimes.com/articles/153_sonicweapons.shtml), detailing research and attempts at sonic weapons, ranging from potentially useful to outright wacky. And for fun, google “brown note” as well. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/45 "2005-04-20T17:54:23Z")
> [@picker](#): > > Sorry, **UrbanChic** , but I’m with **Silenus** on this one. As I said before, there’s no need to apologize. I recognize I’m being the jerk in this situation and I’m not asking for a pass at all. What I’m saying is that I do turn decrease the volume of my music when in residential neighborhoods and I don’t have my bass up high enough to rattle my windows, let alone yours. I don’t have a tiny penis, by the way. I have a big, black monster cock.\* \*[sub]I keep it in my sock drawer.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/46 "2005-04-20T17:58:27Z")
I’ve often had nasty fantasies about walking up to one of these assholes’ car at the gas station, where they pump their gas with the stereo at full fucking blast and stare around at other customers as if daring them to complain, leaning throught the window, and putting one .45 caliber round right through the faceplate of the stereo. Nobody’d hear the shot, and the engine block would stop the bullet. I’d just quietly walk away. No, I’ve never done it. No, I never will. But I can dream. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/47 "2005-04-20T18:10:03Z")
It doesn’t make the noise level lower, but I find it does express my annoyance quite nicely to toss a urine-filled balloon through the window or sunroof of one of these rolling annoyances. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/48 "2005-04-20T18:15:49Z")
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the physical effects on some people. It was discussed in a previous thread on this subject. Anyway, the pounding bass makes me physically ill. My head hurts, my chest hurts, I get short of breath. It is damned uncomfortable and I feel like I might die if exposed to it for too long. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/49 "2005-04-20T18:46:56Z")
Me too, **Wile E**. I always seem to be next to one of these cars when I’m driving home from work with a throbbing headache. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/50 "2005-04-20T19:37:33Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > And for fun, google “brown note” as well. Which doesn’t exist. ---
**Author:** ![PinkMarabou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PinkMarabou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PinkMarabou)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/51 "2005-04-20T19:46:42Z")
I’m like **Indygrrl** , I turn my music up, but mostly when I’m out of residential areas and heavy traffic. But sometimes on my way home from work in the afternoons, my radio stays turned up. I have to listen to all these people’s brats making noise at all hours, they can listen to 20 seconds of my listening pleasure. We also have people working on construction (not speaking of city workers, people doing personal work) at 7 am in my neighborhood, so turnabout is always fair, IMO. But I am respectful of quiet neighborhoods and traffic. And yes, the loudest songs I play are either rap/hip-hop or classic rock. I enjoy my music and my nice stereo, and I really love base. Maybe you just have to have the dancing gene or the whimsical side to understand. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/52 "2005-04-20T19:53:24Z")
The first idiot stereo guy: I used to have a neighbor with one of those big distortion generator “stereo’s”, he came home every night at the same time and sat behind his garage until the song finished. I went and talked to him (I was nice!) and he told me “this is America, I’ll do what I want”. I began calling the Police EVERY time until they were sick of dealing with him (he was loud, stupid and hated Cops). The almost constant Police attention eventually made him move, problem solved. The second idiot stereo guy: I seemed to be on a schedule with this shitstain, we always met on the road at about the same place and he always had the distortion cranked up to 11. I was bitching about this idiot one day when someone handed me one of those canned air horns, the next time he pulled up next to me I “put forth” stopping long enough to tell him “I’ll shut mine off when you shut yours off”. It worked like a charm!. You can get a certain joy from the knowledge that most of these folks grossly overpaid for the junk equipment in their cars, if you run quality stereo equipment (not Circiut Shitty or Adequate Purchase Crap) it does not take nearly the power (it’s about the efficiency and specifications) to have a killer system, but “real” stereo equipment doesn’t have gaudy winky lights and full page magazine ads so the Goobs don’t buy it. Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/53 "2005-04-20T19:54:23Z")
> [@Google](#): > > The “brown note” refered to is the legendary fequency that when (supposedly) played at sufficient volume, the listener loses muscular control of their bowels. Urban legend? Perhaps, but since the compact disc format cannot reproduce the frequency in question, the question cannot be proved with this [a]recording. You might want to think twice about attending a live show… > [@Indygrrl](#): > > And I’ve never had an accident as a result of loud music. Now there’s a timely anecdote. **Wily E** , I did a brief search but didn’t see the thread and missed it when it was current. I’m intrigued. Do you have a link? ---
**Author:** ![Canadiangirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Canadiangirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadiangirl)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/54 "2005-04-20T20:40:08Z")
I live on a very old, small residential street and am unfortunate enough to have someone living up the street who owns one of the stereos mentioned (doesn’t seem to be music, just thumping). I can hear him coming from a block up. I haven’t got my garden hose set up yet but will this weekend…I know he keeps his passenger window open (if you really want to listen to it that loud, close the damned windows) so you can pretty much follow the rest. I resent sitting in my backyard having to listen to that crap. Saw a bumper sticker once: “If I wanted to listen to the music you’re playing, I’d be sitting in your car”. Though that was kind of appropriate. Why should I have to listen to my windows rattling when this stupido goes by? I’m all for music, but play it at a level that no one else can hear. If you’re on the 401, crank it. When you’re in a residentential neighbourhood, turn it down. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/55 "2005-04-20T20:46:15Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Now there’s a timely anecdote. > > **Wily E** , I did a brief search but didn’t see the thread and missed it when it was current. I’m intrigued. Do you have a link? Well, I had to search a little for my posts in the BBQ pit but [I found it](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=285157). ---
**Author:** ![orbitingio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@orbitingio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orbitingio)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/56 "2005-04-20T20:49:46Z")
Count me in as another who bumps conscientiously. If I’m in a neighborhood and it’s late, I’ll probably keep it down a bit. If it’s a situation wherein I might be causing obvious disturbance, same. Otherwise, turn that shit up. And hey, I rather like it when I am out walking or something and catch a few seconds of someone’s music – sometimes it’s good. When it’s not, it tends to be funny. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/57 "2005-04-20T21:04:31Z")
> [@](#): > > And hey, I rather like it when I am out walking or something and catch a few seconds of someone’s music – sometimes it’s good. You know, so do I. I concur with the others, too much bass doesn’t sound good and kind of makes me nauseous. I really appreciate fellow audiophiles’ car systems, though. You can tell when someone has taken the time to equilize their shit just right so that it sounds good at both low and high volumes. I’ve even been known to give a person or two a thumbs-up because I liked their sound system. I recognize I’m in the minority, but there you have it. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/58 "2005-04-20T23:18:22Z")
I’m deaf as a post in one ear and the problem is NOT correctible by hearing aid. When I’m close to one of those inconsiderate, detestable louts with their damned thumping bass rattling my windows, it damn well is a safety hazard—I can’t hear an oncoming siren until it is right on top of me. Nor can I conduct a conversation with my darling Marcie and I’d rather hear her voice than any music ever composed. Plus, I’m now at an age where I don’t consider rap to be music anyway. I don’t know what hip-hop is, either, and I don’t care. And, I too have the fantasy of putting a well aimed shot right through the damned stereo. If I’m ever diagnosed with terminal cancer and a very short life expectancy, I’m damn well gonna do it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/59 "2005-04-20T23:35:54Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > People who like loud music are ignorant wankers? Of course not, not all of them. However most wankers of the reckless fast’n’furious-wannabe boy racer type happen to like playing loud music in their cars; hearing it approaching can be a useful safety warning. I’m sure there is a handful of non-wankers out there who like listening to loud thumping bass in their cars without driving recklessly and throwing McDonalds litter and empty cans and bottles from their open windows; perhaps they just don’t live near me. > [@](#): > > And I don’t see how it’s that inconsiderate. It’s on the streets, fer chrissakes. It’s not like it’s next door to you, pounding in your ears incessantly. You hear it for a few seconds and then you move on. Well, except it’s not just on the street, or rather, sometimes it’s stationary vehicles in the cul-de-sac outside my house, in the middle of the night. And as I said, sometimes it extends to a domestic situation too, but of course, again, it’s only the wankers that do this; Again, I’m sure there must be considerate people who turn it down in situations where they might cause an actual disturbance, I just wonder where they all are. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221/60 "2005-04-20T23:46:16Z")
> [@PinkMarabou](#): > > I’m like **Indygrrl** , I turn my music up, but mostly when I’m out of residential areas and heavy traffic. But sometimes on my way home from work in the afternoons, my radio stays turned up. I have to listen to all these people’s brats making noise at all hours, they can listen to 20 seconds of my listening pleasure. We also have people working on construction (not speaking of city workers, people doing personal work) at 7 am in my neighborhood, so turnabout is always fair, IMO. But I am respectful of quiet neighborhoods and traffic. And yes, the loudest songs I play are either rap/hip-hop or classic rock. I enjoy my music and my nice stereo, and I really love base. Maybe you just have to have the dancing gene or the whimsical side to understand. Yes, there is some music that is just meant to be turned up. In fact, it’s not even worth listening to unless it’s nice and loud. When Lemmy screams, I wanna hear it, baby, and not at a nice quiet level. 😃 But, like several people have said here. I don’t jam out in residential neighborhoods or turn it up loud enough that it could possibly be _that_ annoying unless you are just completely intolerant. If you had to sit next to me at a light for 30 seconds today, you probably heard my music. But damn, it’s 80 degrees outside and it’s time for some fun. I’ve waited all winter to roll my windows down, I’m certainly not going to roll them up for the tight ass sitting next to me at a red light. Lots of things annoy me, but I’m not lobbying for legislation about them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-solution-to-booming-car-stereos/300221.md?page=4)