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Add to FavoritesYes, having a lot of bass in a car stereo (or home stereo for that matter) is a good thing. If you would like to enjoy music that incorporates bass then you are missing part of the song if you do not have a lot of bass in your system. There are plenty of people who think that only rap music has bass but when you actually have a system that reproduces the low frequencies properly you will find that it adds a richness to a wide variety of music styles.
Now the question is about whether it is good or bad to have a lot of bass in a car stereo but inevitably people will like to twist the question to suit their own opinion about car stereos being played loud. While I would be happy to discuss that opinion this question does not pertain to volume. First let me be honest and say my car stereo has a whole lot of bass and is very loud. In the warm weather it is perceived to be even louder by the outside world because I own a Jeep and the top and doors are off in the warm season. My system is in a nice newer vehicle that I take good care of and most of the system has been custom built by me.
For me, I enjoy hearing the full spectrum of a song and most of the music I listen to includes a good amount of bass. There are occasions where I will adjust the bass down because a song doesn't sound quite right and then there are also times where I might kick the bass up a bit. I find it pleasing to feel the music as well. A system with a lot of bass will afford you the chance to feel the music or in the case of my home stereo (I have a 15" Cerwin Vega powered subwoofer), watching Lord of the Rings becomes much more engrossing with the bass turned up a bit. So, if you don't want to miss out on the lower portion of the audio spectrum then I feel you can't go wrong by adding a lot off bass to explore that range of low frequency.
Now if you want to show off a bit then my guess is you don't need to read this debate to begin with. A lot of bass is a no-brainer when it comes to showing off a stereo system. As for those who have their peace disturbed, there is a time and a place for everything and sometimes people don't know when to turn their systems down then yet sometimes people don't know when to ignore the 5 seconds of thumping as a car rides by. Regardless off which side of that issue you fall on I would bet that most of those who answer "no" to this issue are biased against loud stereos and not really being fair to the actual question. Also, I would further suggest that most on the "no" side have not taken a few minutes to listen to a song they really like on a properly balanced system.
So if you are not sure which side of this issue you are on I submit to you that having the option to turn the bass up or down is much more pleasing then the sound of a song that is supposed to have more bass but comes up short because your system is not sufficient to reproduce everything a song may have to offer. If you really love your music then invest in a good stereo system, it doesn't have to cost more than your car even if your car is a bit run down.
Learn more about this author, William Bartholomew.
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Bad
The car is no place for loud music! Period! End of story! The automobile is not a concert hall or a place to hold a party. Yes, I may be considered as an old fuddy-duddy but the automobile is a tool that if not taken seriously and operated properly can take the lives of others and of its occupants.
When one is behind the wheel of the car their primary focus should be on the task at hand driving. While music can help pass time as one proceeds from one point to another, it is just another distraction as serious as cell phones, screaming children, and chatty passengers. Should it be outlawed? No, but there should be limitations and booming bass is one of those limitations.
When driving one should be aware of their surroundings at all times. If one is jamming away to the music on the radio he or she could easily not hear the sirens of emergency vehicles or the roar of the motorcycle. Emergency vehicles with sirens always have the right-of-way and someone's life may depend on someone else getting out of the way. Not to mention that if you do not hear the emergency vehicle coming the chances of colliding with that vehicle become greater. Motorcycles are hard to see at first glance as it is but most have very loud pipes that aid in their ability to be noticed.
Studies show that loud bass is harmful to the ear. Even if this were not true the fact is the automobile is no place for loud music with or without the bass.
Last but definitely not least is the fact that loud music from surrounding automobiles can be very annoying to others especially the booming bass. It also makes a very dangerous statement to young passengers that this careless attitude towards driving and towards others is acceptable. Many areas have noise laws in place that many are violating by having their music, with loud bass or not, up as loud as they do.
Just as a side note, (as this is a debate) another writer mentioned that it is easy to just ignore the thumping bass for the 5 seconds it takes for a car with a loud system to pass. It takes less than 5 seconds for an accident to happen because of a distraction. Lets take a look at this from different perspectives. Just as an annoyance what if Car A has a baby quietly sleeping as mom is running errands when Car B pulls up with the stereo thumping waking the baby in car A. Now lets look at this from a safety perspective Car A is driving on the highway at 65 mph and Car B begins to pass Car A while his stereo is thumping out the beat of place your favorite song here. Then the ambulance comes along trying to get past both cars to save the life of someone having place any emergency here. Because Car B has stereo thumping neither car hears the ambulance, which is trying to get to an emergency situation. This scenario could end well or not depending on the driving ability of each driver. The point is that loud stereo systems are not only a nuisance but also a safety hazard when installed and used in automobiles.
Learn more about this author, C.K. Matthews.
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