Record Breaking 200dB Vehicle
Thai Stunner: SPL Cinderella Surprises at IASCA
Competitors like Mark Eldridge and Scott Owens are the legends of sound competition. But now they, along with all the other top people, have all been eclipsed. At a specially sanctioned IASCA event in Thailand, a local car audio enthusiast who calls himself "Thai Audio Fan" (or TAF, as his friends call him) registered an unconventional vehicle overburdened with speakers and oversized woofers. Scott Owens' 180dB mark seemed safe until TAF cranked his DIY system.
This three-wheeler may not be much to look at, but this little wonder suddenly appeared from nowhere and swept the key categories at this IASCA event. It registered an unheard of 200dB during the IdBL portion of the competition (inside AND outside the vehicle), thereby smashing the existing SPL records.
Several people who were too close to the judging lanes (after repeatedly being warned to keep their distance) suffered uncontrolled [certain bodily functions] and heart arrhythmia. One person had a collapsed lung. Paramedics had to be called to transport these unfortunate spectators to a nearby clinic. Fellow competitors lodged formal complaints with IASCA, as they could no longer compete due to the fact that all of the windshields on their cars had been shattered.

Thai Audio Fan's 3-wheel delivery truck transformed into the most dominating dB Monster vehicle ever built. Not only did it win the SPL competition, it also won its class in sound quality.
TAF's montrous 36" woofers are hooked up to a bank of 550 specially designed 12volt batteries that are only able to drive the system for 12 seconds before they need to be charged again. The cabin of the tiny vehicle was custom made with a windshield and door windows made of an exotic polymer developed by a new Chinese firm from the mainland.
But what was most astonishing about the vehicle was that it also took the top award for sound quality at the show (although of course, once the other competitors no longer had windshields of their own it made winning a lot easier). The midrange speakers and tweeters are actually not branded products but rather parts from various audio manufacturers that TAF cobbled together. As one of the judges said, "It wasn't the best sounding, uh, well, car I've ever heard, but it was the only one that still had an enclosed cabin." Which is one way to say it was the best SQ car at the show.
After the competition we had a chance to talk with TAF. He told us that he had wanted to base his masterpiece on a Thai delivery truck. "I had this delivery truck sitting around," said TAF, "and I had some speakers. The rest came naturally." Naturally to an audio genius perhaps.
The only other competitor that appeared capable of giving TAF a run for the money was disqualified immediately when it was discovered that there were two whales in an aquarium in his 18-wheel semi truck. "We won't tolerate such people who cannot participate in the spirit of honest competition," an IASCA official said.
Look for a feature on TAF and his next project next April. He promises it will "explode our minds". He says that he is in talks with Tata about using their Nano to build the ultimate SQ/SPL/show car. We will be there with lots of ear protection.