SoundDomain: I Introduce To You: Team Sounddomain.

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#1428117 - 01/07/08 05:25 PM

I Introduce To You: Team Sounddomain.

veedubb8
SD Editor
Administrator

Registered: 19/08/02
Posts: 2007
Loc: Seattle, WA

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By Andy Jones

I introduce to you Team SoundDomain.

Several weeks ago I began talking to Sean (veedub8) at SoundDomain about starting a competition team. I, like many of you, post on several car audio forums and have done so over many years. But I always come back to SoundDomain. It is my home. The forum has enough traffic to keep things moving along, and still offer several different points of view on each topic. The forum has a good mix people, from knowledgeable industry veterans to individuals just getting started in car audio. This mix of members allows us all to learn more with each and every thread. I can't remember the last thread I read that didn't trigger some thought related to my own vehicle.

So why start a competition team? Several of the regular contributors on the forum were beginning to compete, we live close to each other, and it's a great way to draw some much deserved recognition to the forum where we all have learned so much. I've also found that the right teammates can help push everyone on the team to greater success. This is the goal with Team SoundDomain - take a group of strong vehicles and push all of them to greater success, while promoting the website that we all call home.

As of right now, Team SoundDomain is a Sound Quality competition team (SQ). In the future I can easily envision the team expanding into an SPL division (anybody interested in applying?). Below is an introduction to each of the current members. Over the course of the remaining competition season you will get a full view of each of our competition vehicles, a glimpse inside what preparing for a show is like, the travel to the shows, participating in the shows, and what we've learned along the way.

There are three competition organizations that support sound quality: MECA, IASCA and USACi. At least two, if not more, Team members will be attending each organization's world finals events. Further members will be attending several regional and local events the remainder of the year. Hopefully we can make SoundDomain proud!

You'll notice a few stickies in here for each team member. Each sticky has a bio for each member, some pics of their cars, and links to their CarDomain and SoundDomain Show-Off page.

Without further delay, the 2008 Members of Team SoundDomain:

Jonathan Denton
SoundDomain ID: Thumper26
I compete with a 2005 Honda Accord. I first got into car audio about seven years ago, in 2001. Like anyone new to the hobby, I had no clue what I needed or what to get. Fortunately for me, I worked with someone that built home theater speakers as a hobby, and had also kept a pretty nice stereo in his car. He helped me understand the basic principles, as well as guide me towards a more SQ-oriented setup. I stumbled on SoundDomain in 2004 while searching for a wiring diagram for the Honda Civic I owned at the time. On SoundDomain I was able to dig through the different sections and come to a much better understanding of what’s involved in getting a car to sound good and the reasons behind the methods and techniques. SD was the springboard that really launched me into the hobby. There are several very knowledgeable people on the site who have endured more than their fair share of beginner questions from me. The Civic was my test car, and from 2004–2007 the Civic went through over 20 different stereo configurations while I tested different amplifiers, speakers, subwoofers, and head units, trying to find something that made me say Wow!". Since I lived in a small town with only one local shop that focused more on SPL, I never knew what true sound quality was all about.

It wasn’t until I went to IASCA Finals in September 2007 that I got to hear a true competition level stereo, and I was amazed. I didn’t know anything could ever sound that good, especially in a car. When I got back from the show, I worked even more on the Civic, and made it a goal to be ready to compete with it in the 2008 season. A month later I ended picking up my current vehicle, the Honda Accord I have now, and I knew right away I wanted to only do one stereo in this car, and do it right from the ground up. I sold the Civic and its stereo and put all the money towards what I’d compete with. After a month of research for speakers that had the sound I wanted and would work in my car, I ended up going with a full Dynaudio speaker system – MD102 tweeters in the a-pillars, MW162 mids in the doors, and a pair of MW190 subs installed in the trunk. The speakers are powered by three Alpine PDX 2.150 amplifiers. For the EQ, I chose the Alpine 701 processor. It receives its signal via a fiber optic cable from an Alpine CHA-S624 changer. And I used SecondSkin for sound deadening.

By January of 08, I had the car deadened and the wires ran, but there was no way I was going to have everything finished in time for the first MECA show of the year in February, largely due to a job that required frequent travel, and the fact that I lived in apartment with no convenient place for in-depth work. After many late nights and weekends I finally finished the install with, of course, a slew of hiccups and learning experiences along the way. For my first show I actually borrowed amplifiers from a friend and competed without the subs installed. I got things in the car, tuned the best I could that night and the next morning, and then went out to the show. I came in 2nd by five points to a strong MECA finalist. He and I were the only ones in our class, so I technically came in dead last, but it was still amazing to be there with one of the best in the region. I have continued competing throughout the season, and go to two or three shows a month. In the off-time, I’ve continued to work on making my car sound better, usually employing anyone with a set of ears that will listen. My goal is to win MECA Finals. It will be a long uphill road before I get there, but the work I have put in has been more than worth it, and I’m loving every minute of it

Andy Jones
SoundDomain ID: Foam
I currently compete with a 2007 Nissan Altima and I also have a 2002 Ford F150 extended cab truck which I will be competing with this year.

I attended my first sound quality competition in 1991. I was absolutely hypnotized. It was about this same time that I discovered Car Stereo Review magazine (now defunct). The magazine had coverage of the 1991 IASCA world finals with a short write up of each of the Amateur class winners. I decided right then that I wanted to be an IASCA world champion. Unfortunately I was a freshman in college, and like most college students, I was living paycheck to the Friday before the next paycheck.

From 1991 until 1997 I basically moved into various car audio shops around the Montgomery, Alabama area. If I wasn't at school or work, I was in a shop. I watched installers, talk to salesman, talked to customers, basically anyone who would listen and/or talk back I was all over. I also read every magazine I could find on car audio. Unfortunately we did not have the internet back then (at least not at the level we have now) and most of my experience came while working on my vehicles and on my friends vehicles (sorry guys).

Finally in 1997 I had a vehicle I thought was ready for competition. I bought my first IASCA membership and headed to a show at Car Audio Plus in Montgomery. I came in 3rd. Unfortunately, there were only 3 people in my class, but I received some great feedback from the judges and some of the other competitors. Unfortunately that car was totaled in an accident a few months later. It never reached its full potential, but all of these years later, I still talk to some of the competitors from that show.

Life got in the way for a few years after my initial start, but I kept up with car audio, I just didn’t have time to build anything until 2002. Between 2002 and 2006 I competed in several shows, met people, attended several finals events, and soaked up as much information as I could. Finally in 2006 I was to the point where I was ready to make an attempt at qualifying for finals and competing at a finals event. I was fortunate enough to have met Scott Buwalda right areound the time he released the Hybrid Audio Legatia L3 midrange. I bought a pair of the 3” midrange drivers and immediately knew I had found a driver I could build a winning system around. I competed in 23 shows in 2006 in my 2002 Ford F150. I competed at IASCA Finals in the SQC class (Sound Quality only, no install judging). I came in 7th out of 15 vehicles and I could not have been happier. Next, I competed at MECA finals, and with a tremendous amount of help from my Team Schil Acoustics members and Team Hybrid members, I was able to win the Modified + class. It was an incredible feeling to win a World Finals.

I started off 2007 trying to rebuild my truck to be competitive in IASCA and MECA. It quickly became apparent to me that I would never fit the equipment I wanted in the truck with the quality and caliber of install necessary to be competitive in IASCA's semi-pro class. So I competed at Spring Break Nationals with my truck just in MECA. I was lucky enough to win my class and was only 1 point behind the legendary Gary Biggs for Best of Show. Truly a great accomplishment. Soon after, I bought my 2007 Nissan Altima. I researched for months trying to find the perfect car. All I cared about was a vehicle that worked for car audio competition. The Altima worked for me. I knew I did not have the time, equipment or skills to build a vehicle to the level I wanted this car to be, so I turned to an individual I met back at that first show in Montgomery---Jeff Smith, now owner of Audio Designs of Atlanta. After several weeks of discussion, I dropped my new car off with Jeff - he had the car before I even made the first payment on it! Jeff turned the Altima into an incredible competition vehicle.

Fast forward to IASCA finals 2007. For the first time I was at the event with a strong vehicle capable of winning. The dream since 1991 was obtainable. And you know what? I won. It was one of the happiest days of my life. So many people helped me get to that point; so many manufacturers helped me get to that point. I would never have accomplished it without them and I am forever indebted to them.

This brings us to 2008. The car is being reworked, and that will be detailed in many write-ups here on SoundDomain. I'm currently in the process of rebuilding my truck, and I plan on having the car at IASCA, USACI and MECA finals. The truck will also be at the IASCA finals.

I look forward to this year on Team SoundDomain and detailing our journey through this wonderful hobby of car audio competition.

Robert Petty
SoundDomain ID: TtownCLS
CarDomain ID: TtownZ
I guess there’s no better place to start than at the beginning. I’ve been a car fanatic since I was old enough to know what a car was. To show my age a little, my first attempt at installing a system in a car was back in 1989. It wasn’t pretty, but I was proud of it. It sounded just a little better than the factory 1981 Honda Accord radio. I love the music, and the cars, that’s what really got this whole obsession started. I’ve read CA&E for as many years as they have been around, and always wanted to have one of those setups that could be in a magazine. Marriage, children, college, time in the US Navy, all kept me from doing anything really big. Now that I’m a lot older and have the career settled and the kids all in school, I decided to start putting a nice system into my daily driver, the 2003 Acura 3.2 CL type S.

I installed a very basic system with Infinity Kappa series components, Alpine 9887, H701, Alpine type E subs in a sealed enclosure, and Infinity reference amps. I thought it sounded pretty decent, and started thinking of going to some shows. While looking through the standings for IASCA, I found that Andy Jones lives in the same city I live in. I had been talking to guys at the local shops and most were not familiar with SQ, and nobody had an RTA. Long story short, I ended up calling Andy, thinking there’s no way guys at that level of competition will ever talk to me about my car - that’s the way it was back in the 80’s and early 90’s. Andy offered some tips and encouragement to get the car to a show. The worst that could happen is I have some fun, get some advice, and gain a little experience. That weekend I entered the car in amateur SQ, my first car audio SQ competition. Well, I came home with a first place trophy and the "Phat Car" award! Kirk Proffitt was the SQ judge and I remember thinking how cool it was to have him judging my car after seeing his name at the top of the SQ standings so many times. I don’t think I quit smiling for at least a week.

The guys in SQ are all top notch, and will help you any way they can. I was so excited about that first show, I decided to strip the car down and do a real install with the best equipment my checkbook and install skills could handle. The Acura now has an Alpine W205 in the dash, Zapco reference amps, H701, Morel Elate components in the doors, and Image Dynamics IDQ12V3 subs. It’s still in the tuning stages, but it landed me another 1st place trophy at Audio X nationals in Florence. I have also started building a system for my 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Mega Cab that I intend to take to some shows next year. It will be built to show that you can build a decent SQ system without breaking the bank.

Everyone I have met this year has been nothing but helpful and loads of fun to be around. My only regret is that I didn’t do this a long time ago. I know I won’t win every show, but the fun, knowledge, and friendships gained are worth every minute of it. My connection to SoundDomain.com came along this year as well. I have been reading the forum for several years but never registered. I decided to join the forum in February so that I could post some questions if needed. After meeting all these people this year who share their knowledge so willingly, I figured as an Electrical Engineer, I should also share some knowledge when I can. So while these guys are teaching me about audio, fabrication, and tuning, I’ll be sharing what I can about the theory of electricity and electronics. It is an honor to be on Team SoundDomain and I hope to be a part of taking great car audio to the next level.

Rick Sellers
SoundDomain ID: Rick Sellers
CarDomain ID: Audio_Fusion_SQ
A little background info on me: I grew up in Picayune, Ms, a small town 45 minutes from New Orleans, LA. I have a wonderful fiancée (Amanda) and we’ve been together since high school. One of my first loves has always been baseball, but after high School playing in college didn't work out due to an unfortunate knee injury. But it’s all good! I still love the game and plan to coach high school ball when I finish college next year. Right Now, I live in Jackson, MS where I’m a full time college student majoring in Special Education and Coaching. I want to work with sever/profound SPED programs and hopefully make a difference for a few kids.

On the car audio front: I am very passionate about car audio competition. I love going to shows and meeting fellow competitors. Over the last 4 years I have competed in 50+ SQ shows, four of which were USACi & IASCA World Finals events. I own three Dodge’s that I’ll be competing with: a 2002 Ram 1500, 2006 Ram 3500, and 2003 Intrepid.

I began competing in late 2003 while using Bazooka Mobile Audio gear. My 2002 Dodge Ram was one of their booth cars at several large events including Texas Heatwave, Mardi Gras Nationals, and Autorave. I also attended USACi World Finals in 2005 and finished 5th in a very tough Intermediate Pro SQ class. My 2002 Ram was featured in Performance Auto & Sound Magazine in June 2006. Along with being featured on several web sites including Bazooka's website, NOPI Nationals website, DIalD, and Performance Auto & Sound’s web site.

The past two years I have also done very well with my 2006 Dodge Ram 3500. I was lucky enough to win two world titles (IASCAa & USACi) in 2007. The 3500 was also shot for a small feature in Car Audio and Electronics that appeared in the February 2008 issue. The Dually’s system consist of an Alpine F#1 head unit and processor, Genesis Profile amps, Hybrid Audio components, and an OZ Audio sub.

This season I will be competing with my 2003 Dodge Intrepid. The Intrepid will have a stealth style install with a Clarion head unit, Genesis amps & components, and Polk Audio SR Subs. It made it’s debut at Deep South Nationals and will also attend Texas Heatwave, The Tulsa Invitational, and Iasca Finals, along with several local events here in Mississippi. See you at the shows!

Ben Vollmer
CarDomain ID: BenVollmer
I've been an auto enthusiast for as long as I can remember. From playing with matchbox cars at an early age to my first stereo in my first car; cars are what make me tick. I am also a gadget addict and computer freak.

My first amp is one that I still own and use on my test board, the venerable SoundStream MC140. I'm also known as somewhat of a Phoenix Gold freak, running their amps in my first Audi and current Audi. From my first car audio system in the early 1990’s until now, I have been deeply entrenched in trying to get realistic sound from an automobile environment. I first competed in IASCA in 1992, when my 1985 Audi got soundly beaten because I drove the car, (it had over 300,000 miles on the vehicle at the time). I am also a devoted Audi fan, and have owned more than 10 in my time, including one that I put over 300k miles on and flogged them all relentlessly. This has included running Phoenix Gold Amps in my first Audi and current Audi. I got into sound quality after one of my friends bought two subwoofers and proceeded to play them at full volume every day, with me not being able to actually hear the music. So with my budget, I couldn’t get louder, but I could get better sounding.

I'm an active IASCA, MECA and USACi competitor with all three of my vehicles. My A4 has won the SLAP National Championships, and I have placed second in IASCA and USACi World Finals for two years. The wife’s truck competes in MECA Street class with a system in a car driven every day running the kids to school and other activities. Recently, the opportunity presented itself to buy Harry Kimura’s legendary Acura Legend. The car is currently being worked on for the 2008 Season as more of a restoration than a completely new install (look for more details soon!!!). I am currently running equipment from a wide variety of manufactures including Alpine & Alpine F#1, Audison, Focal, Phoenix Gold, BatCap and Dynamat. New gear for this season will include USD Audio and Zapco gear for the Acura.

In my spare time I run Car Audio Nationals, trying to build some additional excitement in this industry. I am especially thankful for my awesome wife of almost 10 years and our two boys, who are very understanding of Dad’s weird ways. $;\)$

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