Is car audio dying?

[dog24fret]

I agree with Ray's comments on the decline. Plus would like to add to it with the car manufacturers. Making it harder every year to add aftermarket audio equipment. Then the fact of crooked audio shops and individuals. Have hurt the industry with overpriced products and services. I have seen it shrink from the hay days to now. It is hanging in there and with people like Ray,Tony,Snafu,Steve and people on this forum who have shown the excitement and helpfulness. Are what will keep it going and make it bigger again. That is my opinion it may be right or wrong.

[Krakin]

completely disagree. The more that my friends and random people ask for demos, the more interested they are in it. I feel like if more people were actually exposed to car audio, more and more people would enjoy it.

Whenever I had my first system (before I blew those old 11 years old subs). My friends would always be like there is no way you can make that single cab truck loud without putting 2 15's in it. And when I would say 500w they would be like "Well the install I had done has 3,000w". Now most of my friends have a general understanding that there is a lot more you can do for your money then have someone else do it.

[WastedTalent]

This is a fascinating thread to read. I bought my first system right after buying my first new car (a 1993 Honda Civic). I maxed out a $1300 credit card and bought the best system I could for the money. Stock mids and highs powered by the 25x4 head unit and a pair of Orion 8" subs in a prefab bandpass box powered by an Orion amp. I thought it was the loudest system on earth. I also bought an IBP CD that was at the register, and that's when I got hooked on Miami bass. I bet to this day I have one of the most comprehensive collections of miami bass music out there.

We eventually needed a bigger car, and moved to a 1996 Eagle Vision (like the Dodge Intrepid). That's when I bought my first and only 15" sub. After moving from Florida to Nebraska, I found myself seemingly alone in my passion for car audio, as there weren't many big builds like there were in Florida. I found a local shop and did the usual small-scale upgrades, and never lost the love of the hobby. As I got older and money became easier to come by, I got more and more into it. If this forum had existed back in 1993 I'm sure I would have progressed more rapidly. Truth is, the scene has gotten more and more underground since the glory days of the 90's, but it doesn't have to stay that way.

Every stereo shop i walk into has walls and walls of head units, prefab boxes, car alarm displays, rims, and HID's. What they SHOULD have are demo vehicles. Imagine walking into your local Ford or Chevy dealership, and having the showroom cars all customized with high quality, SPL or SQ vehicles. When you walk into a Ford dealership looking for a Mustang, and you see the Boss 302 or GT500 on the showroom floor, you can't help but be enticed to look, maybe even to sit in it. You start it up, hear the engine, and think to yourself "I HAVE to have this".

I got a demo from Steve last year...my first taste of what loud/clean is all about. All I could think was "I HAVE to have this".

Show me a HID, I'll buy an HID. Show me a 155+db customized monster, or a audiophile quality SQ install, and I'll be tempted to fork over the money. It's up to the storefronts to fork over the cash to make this happen, and money trumps everything. If remote starts are the better revenue generator, it makes sense to go that way. If I ever decide to start a business, it'll be in car audio, and I know what I'll be showcasing...

I agree but disagree. I mean with car audio, takes money. As you can't install that top of the line stuff in a car and have it for JUST demo'ing. I do think they could crank up their personal car and do it, considering some shops have people with systems. But again, most people come in and "I want this" thinking they already know. And most of the local people don't have experience with the good things. I mean how many shops have we all entered and asked about FI, Sundown, ect ect and "What the hell is that?" or "No, that shit all sucks"? But I do think if they had demo cars, maybe more people would be interested. I think what turns people off is the noobs who get a system and blast it EVERYWHERE.

[Joshex]

I agree with Ray's comments on the decline. Plus would like to add to it with the car manufacturers. Making it harder every year to add aftermarket audio equipment. Then the fact of crooked audio shops and individuals. Have hurt the industry with overpriced products and services. I have seen it shrink from the hay days to now. It is hanging in there and with people like Ray,Tony,Snafu,Steve and people on this forum who have shown the excitement and helpfulness. Are what will keep it going and make it bigger again. That is my opinion it may be right or wrong.

I agree with the crooked audio shops. It seems like they are more concerned with money rather then actually being helpful. Also some of the install prices are pretty steep. Plus I know a reputable shop here that has done botch work to a friends vehicle for an over-priced install. So I see for beginner car audio enthusiasts how this would make them shy away.

[FosgateLife]

I wouldnt say its dying at all... I actually think its growing because of all the Name-Brand audio systems in cars nowadays, RF,alpine,tsunami,.... And i hear people ALL the time from 30-45 years old saying, "oh i remember back in the 90's when RF and MTX and all them were good ". So i think its supporting the industry to some extent... I think whats absolutely killing it though is those stupid teenagers with ricers and some visonik, or kicker subs in a sealed box with a 2000w boss amp that blows everything out of the water....no offense to anyone my age (teens) but i try to give the image of being the complete opposite of that..because i think if people actually see that its not just about being loud and annoying..its about having a good quality, good sounding, loud sound system. Not just to be annoying, but to actually enjoy it. Thats what i want people to see, that its just like any other hobby. But i dont wanna look ghetto while doing it...thats the big part

[Joshex]

I wouldnt say its dying at all... I actually think its growing because of all the Name-Brand audio systems in cars nowadays, RF,alpine,tsunami,.... And i hear people ALL the time from 30-45 years old saying, "oh i remember back in the 90's when RF and MTX and all them were good ". So i think its supporting the industry to some extent... I think whats absolutely killing it though is those stupid teenagers with ricers and some visonik, or kicker subs in a sealed box with a 2000w boss amp that blows everything out of the water....no offense to anyone my age (teens) but i try to give the image of being the complete opposite of that..because i think if people actually see that its not just about being loud and annoying..its about having a good quality, good sounding, loud sound system. Not just to be annoying, but to actually enjoy it. Thats what i want people to see, that its just like any other hobby. But i dont wanna look ghetto while doing it...thats the big part

I also agree with this, there are a couple people here at my school that tried to say they have banging' loud systems and I ask what they have and it's complete garage. Then I show them my system (though not the best) still makes them shit their pants. They are also the ones that don't respect where they are at while playing their subs.

[FosgateLife]

And i cannot stand it when i hear someone saying, "man i got my subs installed by roberts (local audio shop, WAY overpriced but decent work. So i know its better than yours"

And i look at it and its a kicker comp with a 250 watt max kenwood amp. Its just a disgrace to what stupid people have made car audio these days. I think their should be a limit that car audio products cant be allowed on the market unless they pass an SMD approval check

[iwannabeloud]

Car audio will never die. I never been in a car that somebody choose not to listen to music other some reason like a phone call or something like that. But I guess you are referring to " loud aftermarket" car audio dying off.

[Need Bass]

I wouldnt say its dying at all... I actually think its growing because of all the Name-Brand audio systems in cars nowadays, RF,alpine,tsunami,.... And i hear people ALL the time from 30-45 years old saying, "oh i remember back in the 90's when RF and MTX and all them were good ". So i think its supporting the industry to some extent... I think whats absolutely killing it though is those stupid teenagers with ricers and some visonik, or kicker subs in a sealed box with a 2000w boss amp that blows everything out of the water....no offense to anyone my age (teens) but i try to give the image of being the complete opposite of that..because i think if people actually see that its not just about being loud and annoying..its about having a good quality, good sounding, loud sound system. Not just to be annoying, but to actually enjoy it. Thats what i want people to see, that its just like any other hobby. But i dont wanna look ghetto while doing it...thats the big part

Well said

[Krakin]

I wouldn't say its dying at all... I actually think its growing because of all the Name-Brand audio systems in cars nowadays, RF,alpine,tsunami,.... And i hear people ALL the time from 30-45 years old saying, "oh i remember back in the 90's when RF and MTX and all them were good ". So i think its supporting the industry to some extent... I think whats absolutely killing it though is those stupid teenagers with ricers and some visonik, or kicker subs in a sealed box with a 2000w boss amp that blows everything out of the water....no offense to anyone my age (teens) but i try to give the image of being the complete opposite of that..because i think if people actually see that its not just about being loud and annoying..its about having a good quality, good sounding, loud sound system. Not just to be annoying, but to actually enjoy it. That's what i want people to see, that its just like any other hobby. But i don't wanna look ghetto while doing it... that's the big part

Another example of one of us "teens". I just heard somebody's system at 15 till 9:00 in a quite neighborhood on the road easily 400-500 feet from where I am sitting right now. It makes all my neighbors come up to me and say the generic repetitive comments I get all the time. "Turn that stuff down! You'll be deaf by the time you graduate." I always try to be nice about it and nod my head. But every now and then when a close friend or family member says it that one time I really don't want to hear it. I always respond with, "It's not like I'm some douche that plays my music as loud as I can at the stop light even when I see people are on their phones or having a conversation with the passenger." And other responses along those lines. But slowly my family has come to see that I'm truly not one of those people and started to have a mild interest when I say something about it.