Friday, May 8, 2009

Crazy Loud Sound Pressure Levels

I've never really understood the whole car audio subculture. I mean I have put aftermarket stereos in my cars over the years. But I have never done anything like this: "Alan Dante's concrete filled Volvo is louder than dynamite, jet engines, gunfire, NASA rockets and pretty much any sound you can imagine for that matter aside from nuclear bombs and natural disasters." His subwoofer requires 26,000 watts (!) and generates 180.5 dB of er... sound pressure. But it's only purpose is to be really really really loud.

So here's an automotive/audio mashup that actually served a purpose. Robbie Coltrane and 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits
fire up a 1952 Chrysler Hemi V8 powered air raid siren. Watch the reaction from the bystanders when this monster spools up indoors.

Of course everybody involved here has suffered irreversible hearing damage. Just sayin'.