Found this on the carsound.com forum. Thought it was kinda funny.

http://members.aol.com/mpwright9/boomcar.html

He's just mad because he cant hear when he is talking on his cell phone when driving.

Heh, good one.

For the record, I don't like boom cars either, but mostly from a "what's the point" perspective rather than the rabid hatred displayed by the author of that web site.

I think a loud stereo is fine, and in fact necessary at highway speeds. I like subwoofers because they can help a car audio system produce the proper full range of music. But to change the purpose of the woofers so that they are no longer intended to make your in-cabin music sound good, but rather to make booming sounds outside the vehicle, is simply wasteful.

When my windows are rolled up, I can crank my stereo to 0db and it does not "boom". In fact you can't really hear the music very much at all outside the car. But inside, 0db is right on the threshold of the volume level getting irritating, and I cap it there. That's my maximum volume for when I absolutely need the stereo at its loudest.

Yeah same here I see no point in a loud overly bassy sound system, but subs are essential in a good sound system. On a funny note my friend blew out his windshield because his subs were so loud. apparently it had a little crack in it and when the bass hit the glass just shattered

Two guys at work are good examples of the poles of this debate. Very similar cars, but completely different desires from audio. Dave has spent a fair bit of money getting a top-quality installation - one that is crisp, clear and full across the spectrum and from soft to loud. John's was cheaper, but booms terribly at any volume, distorting the music into a terribly bass-heavy experience. I suppose it's both what they wanted, but I have to feel that not only is John going to suffer ear damage in the long run, but no-one's going to enjoy the experience of driving in his car...

And while our friend the antipathist of 'boom cars' may be hyperbolic in his rhetoric, I think he does have a good point on the medical side. I worry about people's hearing when they listen to high-volume music for long periods of time. (My own included - *wry grin*)

Have fun,

Paul

Man, I've never seen so much of a literalist. This was my favorite:

All decent people should be infuriated by Exhibit Six. Here we see an affluent arrogant privileged young jerk using his boom car to inflict damage on a wage-earner driving a truck. The ad boosts of "awesome power" with the implicit message that this power can be used to oppress those contemptible working people.

As if someone's bass really could pop the tops off water bottles

As if water tanks are actually carried that way

I'd have to agree that it is "kinda" funny... but I do see his point. Yeah, he generalizes and gets a little carried away, but having several family members who drive ambulances, I know he is not making THAT part of it up. I think it is mainly an age thing however. When I was 16, I didn't know any better and thought this was kinda cool. I couldn't afford anything except a worthless sub. Although I have to admit, even at that age, I always lowered the volume at stop lights and one of my biggest pet peeves to this day is a rattleing licence plate.

I'm more of a home audio guy and it will ruin my night if a ceiling tile is rattling during a scene in a movie! The same goes for my car. If I am playing music so loud that part of my car is shaking, I gotta turn it down.

Oh yeah, OffTopic, but I hate that I've spent over $100 each on some patch cables, all this money for a clean amp, etc etc and I can hear my DVD players motor from across the room! :P

Okay, given that i way prefer quality over BOOM... i'll feign an attempt at explaining why somepeople might like boom. Subtract all the obvious kids who have boom cars just to get attention first off. You're left with those who either do it for competition SPL stuff, and those who like to FEEL their music. If you've ever been to a dance club, you know how insane some of their sub-systems can get. I don't frequent clubs... but when i go to see my friend DJ... i "get it". I totally understand why people love to go dancing... it's about feeling the music to a lot of people... and bass certainly does that. I've got two 10's in my trunk, and when i turn it up, it can get boomy... and every once and a while i'll crank it, because sometimes it just feels kick ass to have sound surge through your body. I too lower the volume at stop lights, i'm considerate that way =]

I'd wager that a small minority fall into that category. I'm not trying to argue any points... just food for thought.

There's nothing wrong with enjoying the feeling of bass pulsing through your body. And it's even possible to create a good-sounding system which also has that effect.

I object to those who open the rear hatch of their sport pickups so that the boom goes outside of the car instead of inside the car.

It's easy to tell who's in it for the sound and who's in it for just a bass system. If a guy has four 15" crappy subs in his trunk with some amp you'd find at radio shack, and all you hear from his/her car is a distorted headache, then you know they are in it for the bass....

In reply to:

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...no-one's going to enjoy the experience of driving in his car...

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An anti-theft device?