Ear-splitting! Taupō team break car stereo volume record at Soundoff

Car audio enthusiast Jody Green with the little yellow car that shook a nation, the car stereo belted out an Australasian record breaking 160.6 decibels. Photo / Rachel Canning

Cover your ears! A team of Taupo car audio enthusiasts have managed to produce 160.6 decibels - loud enough to split a human ear drum - from their car stereo, breaking an Australasian record.

Car enthusiast and Insane Car Audio & Security team member Jody Green said he was ecstatic to break the record at the Pukekohe Powercruise 2018 Soundoff at the Pukekohe Park Raceway in November. He said the Australian judge was sceptical about the Taupo crew's bid.

"An official DbDrag Soundoff judge flew in from Australia for the event, saying 'I don't think you are going to beat that score', referring to the sitting record of 156.4 decibels."

Green and Insane team members Bernie Guthrie, Angie Guthrie and Jayden Green are a group of friends that love the car audio scene. In their spare time they like to run soundoff competitions, build car stereo systems and help other car audio enthusiasts. By trade Green is an auto electrician, and together with Sam Gentile owns Taupo Auto Electrical.

Green said there were 33 competitors.

"Quite a big event for a soundoff, although disappointing it wasn't held at Taupo Motorsport Park as more people from Wellington would have attended."

Don't expect loud music playing out of a car stereo. At a soundoff a test-tone is played and it sounds like a very long and stubborn screw being drilled in with an electric drill. Green said a small receptor on the windscreen measured sound pressure levels that last for just four seconds.

"Seven car batteries supplied 7600 watts of power to produce the sound, double or triple the power is required for 150 decibels and upwards. There are only three cars in New Zealand that can get to 160 decibels."

The world record for sound pressure levels in the Super Street 1-2 ratings is 183-plus. Green said breaking the record put the Insane team on the world stage.

"We are looking forward to more soundoff competitions in 2019."

Last year Green was reported as saying: "My boy said we have to reach that 160 decibels. Only one person has done it so far."