How Far Down is or going Car Audio

[Lakota 5,000+ posts]

SPL is slowly dying.

The # of competitors in many organizations has really shrunk. When I was younger I used to go to a lot of SPL shows with my brother, but there are very few shows around here anymore.

 

[Santoro300 10+ year member]

I think its about time Car Audio installers start coming down in prices. Same as audio companies. Some installers are go**** ridiculous on their pricing.

 

[gqqse13 10+ year member]

my area still has alot of people with stereos and what not. just no place is doing any spl or anything. usaci this year is about only ones doing anything

 

[galacticmonkey 5,000+ posts]

Around here, there have been more shows as ever, and the number of people I see getting into SQ competition has actually gone up over the last couple years. People getting hooked, and getting better at it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Definately noticed that at SBN. There were almost as many cars doing SQ as there were SPL.

 

[LaserRed38 10+ year member]

SPL is slowly dying.
The # of competitors in many organizations has really shrunk. When I was younger I used to go to a lot of SPL shows with my brother, but there are very few shows around here anymore.

Well, the limits of physics are to blame I'd say. It was only a matter of time before it would plateau. There's not much else you can do that hasn't been done. At least in SQ comps, people strive to get the most realistic sound as cars change and become more complicated to work on. That being said, even SQ comps will probably plateau soon too. Nothing will ever replace seeing a band live, no matter HOW good your system is.

 

[thumpin ranger 10+ year member]

i have noticed not as many people buying new stuff but at my school. there must be at least like 50 of us who actually know what a amplifier is. alot of us dont have the money for the really nice stuff so we get the cheap used stuff every once in a while one of us will find a good deal but you got into a store and look at subs shit the cheap sony xplod 12s are 100 bucks now so i ya i picked up a xplod 10" for 60 bucks at the beggining of the summer 2 years ago but i bet i wont spend another dime at any place to buy speaker or an amp. so i dont see car audio going any where.

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

Well Zier, being an owner of your own shop and what not, I would imagine you would notice it and it is just not you, but everywhere.

Friend has had a shop open and closed 4 times in the last few years because of slow business and not making enough money to make the payment on the shop. Sucks, but you do what you can do I suppose.

I use to go to shows all the time. The last one was last year in the summer and there were maybe 15 cars there......with nothing special. I believe the winner in the db drag was a 140.1 on the TL. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif If I would have entered, I would have come close to that with 1 12.

All I am saying, seems like we used to have some big dogs come out at shows, but not anymore. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[KEVCO951 10+ year member]

I got confused reading the title

I forgot what I was reading while looking at your avatar.

 

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

All I am saying, seems like we used to have some big dogs come out at shows, but not anymore. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

Alot of the MECA folks just get their 35 points from a couple of local shows and don't show up until finals, if that.

I'm completely guilty of it myself.

 

[Lakota 5,000+ posts]

Alot of the MECA folks just get their 35 points from a couple of local shows and don't show up until finals, if that.
I'm completely guilty of it myself.

hehe. I'll probably be doing that.

 

[S.B.C. 10+ year member]

Guess it depends where your at..

Im still banging out 1-2 150+ db streetbeaters- and 3-4 boxes weekly!

Noone wants to watch a car burp for 3 seconds in the lane anymore- its all gonna shift to the streetbeat- bass race scene..

But db drag- usaci etc are gonna have to pull in more peep from the "newbie" crowd to keep it (comp) going..

I think its about time Car Audio installers start coming down in prices. Same as audio companies. Some installers are go**** ridiculous on their pricing.

Yea, if you want $hitty installs, then well come down in pricing //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[alvitae 10+ year member]

Usaci pulled out of the Northwest completely this year.

 

[stuckinok 5,000+ posts]

Guess it depends where your at..
Im still banging out 1-2 150+ db streetbeaters- and 3-4 boxes weekly!

Noone wants to watch a car burp for 3 seconds in the lane anymore- its all gonna shift to the streetbeat- bass race scene..

But db drag- usaci etc are gonna have to pull in more peep from the "newbie" crowd to keep it (comp) going..

Yea, if you want $hitty installs, then well come down in pricing //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

So you knock out around 100 150db+ installs a year?

 

[Santoro300 10+ year member]

Yea, if you want $hitty installs, then well come down in pricing //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

I don't agree with that at all. Economy is down people don't have the money. The labor is still the same. Material may have gone up, but not much. They need to realize that and start leveling out the prices.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

I'm willing to bet the people that had the money for the best in workmanship, still have it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Just a matter of whether you're a low volume, high margin shop with a stable clientele, or a shop dealing in high volumes of sub-and-amp only type installs.