For the 2006 IASCA world finals, held in Atlanta, GA, audio enthusiasts from around the world traveled to the Atlanta Motor Speedway to compete in the co-shared event with NOPI. The IASCA-sanctioned part of the show was stationed along the backstretch of the speedway, in an attempt to keep the noisy crowd and turbo engines from interfering with audio judging. The montage of faces in the staging lanes featured rookies, veterans and previously retired competitors stricken with the competition bug yet again. The turnout was greater than expected; with largest competitor class being the Sound Quality Challenge, which emphasized acoustics over aesthetics. Of course, a show cannot exist with some controversy; but in the end, cooler heads prevailed to make the 2006 IASCA Finals another success.
Competitor Profiles
Phattaraphong Emnuwattana
Ultimate Pro
1995 BMW 575, Bangkok, Thailand
Can you discuss the dedicated theme of the car? This car used to be my personal vehicle. We took five members from Team DLS Thailand to transform the car into a sound-quality vehicle. This took nine months with only three to four hours of sleep every night to complete. The team members who constructed the car have been named Team Suriya - representing the car's given show name. The theme of the car is Suriya, which means sun, and represents energy and life.
What are some special features of the car that incorporate the Suriya theme? Amber LEDs are strategically placed along the exterior of the vehicle giving a visual impression as if the car was on fire when in motion. A solar cell was installed in the sunroof to use the sun's energy to power the audio equipment's cooling system.
Have you competed in other locations around the world? We have competed throughout Europe in the EMMA organization, but with a different vehicle. The vehicle was first introduced in IASCA Thailand, where it earned championship honors in the Ultimate Class. After having a successful showing in Thailand, Paul Papadeus extended us an invitation to compete in the IASCA Finals in the U.S.
Do you see yourself returning to the U.S. to compete? Yes, possibly next year. This car will probably remain in the U.S. for CES 2007 in Las Vegas. Actually, in Thailand there are a couple of cars in progress that are at the same level of customization as our car. My team is currently working on another exciting vehicle that may be present next year.
Can you compare differences between the IASCA U.S. and IASCA Thailand? The two are quite the same actually. I believe that this is a true testament to the uniform training and standardization that has been incorporated by the organization. There is a difference in the audience between the two countries: The people in the U.S. seem to be more interested in audio than in Thailand where there are only a couple of car audio clubs. The U.S. presents a much stronger and visible market.
Jan Bennett
Amateur Street
2000 Volkswagen Golf, McKinney, TX
The word on the street is that you have a new equipment lineup for this show. Is that right? Yeah, I decided to make a couple of changes - most notably to the amplifiers and speakers. We created a new amprack to make a new home to the Steg K-line amplifiers. The Focal Polykevlar drivers replaced the drivers from Focal's new Beryllium line.
With the new install, how has the preparation been for this championship event? Pretty time-consuming, as we just finished the install the Tuesday before the show. The change to Steg amplifiers required us to fabricate a new tubular steel amprack where we also took the liberty to build a new sub enclosure. Our main goal was to complete the install prior to leaving for the show and dedicate the majority of time to system tuning once we arrived in Atlanta.
How does the computer integrate into the overall system of the car? The computer brings an entire new dimension to the system providing unlimited possibilities. We use the computer as the system's head unit and main control source. The computer gives us the opportunity to add Wi-Fi and GPS to the system in addition to over 200 Gigs of multimedia storage space. Using the computer, we will also be able to take advantage of the Steg Link option on the Steg amplifiers that provides real-time monitoring of the amplifiers' performance, which will allow us to tweak the amplifiers parameters. Contrary to popular belief, we are able to obtain a great sound from the computer along with all of the functionality it provides.
Any plans for the upcoming season? For the most part we plan to continue refining the system in preparation for a successful 2007 season. One of the changes that we're investigating is the ability to perform all of the audio tuning with the computer without the need of an external audio processor. We have an idea of what is needed to make this happen, but we are trying to track down all of the required software and hardware.
Keith Chu
Rookie
1996 Nissan Altima, Pasadena, CA
How did you get into car audio? For about two years my sister worked part time for an installer whom I soon became friends with. He became my coach teaching me about IASCA. He took me to my first show and I was hooked from there.
What was the basic concept behind the system installation? Basically the DLS speakers have a really good on-axis response, which is why I chose to mount them up high on the dash, firing toward the listener. This produces a nice soundstage that does not require a lot tuning or adjustments. Also, I didn't want to build kick panels because I was afraid that passengers would damage them since this is my daily drive.
How has your competition experience been as a rookie? My competition experience has been pretty limited so far, since this is my first show of the season. There were not many IASCA shows on the West Coast this year. I made the two-day trip here to represent the West Coast at this world finals event. So far it has been an amazing experience. I've had a chance to meet competitors from all over the world and have my first show be a championship event. I am definitely looking forward to competing again next year.
Any changes planned for next year? Yeah, I'm contemplating a couple of changes-including upgrades to my speakers and subwoofer. I am also considering a new amprack, including the new DLS tube amplifiers, but it may be difficult since I spent all of my college money on my current install.
Mike Reinholtz
Rookie
1999 Pontiac Grand Am, Richmond, VA
What got you interested in sound competitions? Over the past couple of years I've been going to shows with my brother Will who competes in sound quality competitions. Those shows were my first taste of the competition atmosphere. I enjoyed the experience so much that I wanted to get involved not only as a co-pilot, but as a competitor too.
How did you come up with the design of the system? Well the car is my daily driver. I wanted to maintain as much usable space as possible and didn't want to sacrifice my entire trunk solely for an audio system. I wanted to keep the car looking as factory as possible, but also create a high-end audio system to compete with. I turned to Keith Turner, who I met through my brother, to discuss my design intent and relied on him for the installation and system tuning.
How do you feel your first season has gone so far? I've enjoyed it so far. This event is only my third show thus far, so still I don't have much experience. The season has been exciting, as every show presents a new challenge.
Any changes forecasted for next year? I don't have any major changes planned for next year. The equipment will remain the same, but I plan to put more of an emphasis on the tuning aspect and continue refining the overall install.