Hmmmmmmm i must have been very fortunate in my first couple of comps as i havent done too shabby... but i have a feeling i am gunna be given some very stiff opposition from bodyjar at the next comp...which is a good thing. I would also have to say that the feedback u get from the judges is a very good thing...i upgraded my earth wire last night to 4ga and i could imediantly tell a diffrence in the response from the front components...soundy more realistic and accureate...i dont know could just be one of the placebo effects again..

I was a bit reluctant with my first and only entry, but i came away a winner. What i was worried about was how much i had spent on mine, and if someone with an amp tape player and 5" coax speakers beaing me. What i say is enter and you may be pleasantly surprisd, or you may recieve feedback to further improve. I spose it not about winning but making your system the best thatit can be.

Yeap. I agree winning is not important and that I have a lot to learn from losing. The next SQ comp in victoria will be the first time I will be competeting in an SQ event.

I saved hard to afford all the gear I have now, and I am reading and learning more every day. I honestly have very high hopes for my system. Let's say I fail, I migbt be a bit upset and might be disheartened from competeting again.

So one suggestion I have is an encouragement award. This will be good encouragement and help people build confidence to compete in the next event.

There is already an encouragement award given in [CAASQ]

Fair enough - I know I'd be terribly disappointed if I had spent a lot of money on gear and not come away with a favourable result.

But the whole thing with the SQ revival is getting tips on how to improve your system.

So for example - fair enough - you don't come first - BUT - you come away with a whole bunch of tips on how to tune your existing components better by adjusting the eq's and gains to make it all sound better.

I'd probably rather that I came away with a method of making it sound better - than just someone saying - 'yeah it sounds good'.

So as I see it - even if you lose - you win - because you get tips to make you more competitive for the next round.

Hmm, I think you touched on the only bad part of my comments.

Sigmeister - I guess you are opening up a whole other can of worms there - of course people will buy the good gear to have a great sounding stereo - I guess what I was saying that if you thought you had a geat sounding stereo - and then were told your system was just 'average' then you would be terribly dissapointed.

But my focus was meant to be on - if you come away with the comps with tips on how to tune your system better and make it sound better for you - then surely that is worth more than winning the competition.

I agree with people that SQ comps can be daunting, however aslong as people know that they will not be 'baged out', rather certan aspects will be critisised people my find them less daunting.

Im itching for a comp, more or less to workout where i should spend money or time, and to compare my system.

when i entered the SQ comp at AutoExpo Sydney.
I entered purely to support CAAASCA, and for no other reason,
i was expecting to do poorly, as the splits hadn't been run in, they had only been installed 12 hours before, i had on TA or EQ, and i'd never seen a comp rnu before, so i had no idea what i was getting into.
i walked away with first place, and a few tips on how to improve my system!
the judges were very considerate when giving pointers, and i didn't feel as though they were putting my system down, just giving pointers on how to improve it.

a few things to remember:
a system that scores well, isn't necessarily fun to listen to, nor will it necessarily suit your personal taste.
there are plenty of points to be earnt that don't cost much money, or involve re-vamping your system.
e.g. fire extinguisher.

If you enter an SQ comp for the sole purpose of winning, then the odds are stacked against you, and chances are you're set for dissappointment.
If you enter hoping to get pointers on improving your system, or just for the heck of it, then you've got nothing to lose, and winning means alot more to you.

most of us have poured our hearts, souls and wallets into our systems, and any "unkind" words are sure to hurt, so be friendly with other competitors, and have a great day.

SQ is a "gentleman's sport" it's not like SPL.

Very well said Ben

Perfect summary of competing in Sound Quality i think

sorry but i would be in it to win it. if i didnt win the first time you take notes of what the judges tell you that you can improve on then go to the next comp and you keep doing this untill you win. Or maybe im just a bad loser.

That is true...no one spends money and competes in a sport to come second....i am very competitive and even after a game of football i am dirty at myself if i havnt played 100%...or if i did something stupid.

There has to be a happy medium though

i think both of you are touching on the main subject that of course ur not in it to lose but the best thing u can take away is knowledge but a trophy with no input is worth then no trophy and getting a heap of info on how to improve your current system and handy pointers that you need and can use to improve your system to have it running at it's maximum potential.
just my 2 cents
shieldsy

Well now would be a good time to mention my plans for my car.

Long had i waited for my own wheels gaining knowlage on car audio, tempted towards SPL when i was first into car audio.

Then FINAL BATTLE happened, i spent the weekend with Marc R and all the melb guys had the time of ma life meet new people, and got into SQ!

So now i have a car and a full time job, and can kinda afford all the stuff.

Im building an SQ based system within the smallest budget i possibally can have. so far my component list is growing well and i have spent under $2000 and MAE will give me a good pointer to where i stand in competition.

my first comp was in april 1992. back then, they where called megacranks, run by alberts, a big car audio chain here in perth.

i came 6th out of nine cars. not too bad for a first timer. like everybody else, i dreamed about that first place trophy. disapointed yes, but still determined. i took my score sheet away and began work.
it took me four shows to achieve my goal. every show, id go away quitely and tinker in my shed.
in bunbury november 1993 it paid off big time.
i nailed first place by a decent margin, and to top it off, i beat the mega camry, 18 grands worth of car audio gear to take best of show. the guy even started walking to the podium when they called best of show, while i nearly fell of my bonnet.

after that, well, i had to keep ahead of the jones. i was suddenly the guy to beat. and i loved every minute of it. sometimes, i bought home first, sometimes second, even third.

then early 1996, i had had enough. the nationals **** storm had pissed me off and i planned to retire. in my last show, i got second in a no divisons show. 7 points. yet, i still reckon i won that day. the car that won's system was worth more than my car, system, home system computer and i still nailed him in install, sq and rta. he simply destroyed me in spl.

i put my trophies on the mantle piece and they are all still there. some of them are ten years old. i dont care. im still proud of each and every one of them and i can tell you the story behind each one. i got all the judging sheets, magazine shoots of my car and oh yeah, i still got the car! i reckon i have the oldest car stereo system in the country.

Just please dont start competing again, we dont want to get owned by a stereo older than us

j/k, I reckon the Sigma has many good years left.

I don't think I've kept a car long enough to get a serious system going, but I swear one day I'll do it. Might even have a FS

I still remember my first sound off that I went to.
I was about 12 and me and my best mate were looking around at all these huge loud stereos and we seen a guy standing beside his car, all by himself. We went over and asked him if we could hear his car. It was a light blue VN with a body kit so it looked nice.
He smiled at us, and showed us all through his system, before sitting us in his car, he was just just about to put a cd in, when he turned to us both and said..

" I don't have alot of money, and I know my car isn't as good as there's (pointing to the other competitors) but the one thing I do have is pride.And that is what comps like this are about"

At the time it didn't mean alot to me, but as I look back at it now, I can see what he meant. To have the best car at the show is one thing, but to be able to show people what YOU have done, and to take pride in what you do are the key's to winning at comps.

Now when ever I am at a comp, and some kids ask me to hear my stereo, I always show them the install first.......and mutter some words about pride......

Cheers Kevlar