Wednesday, Jan 11, 2012

AsiaOne

SINGAPORE - It's not how great you look, but how good you sound.

The 60 Singapore cars which gathered at Zouk last month to compete against one another mostly had 'plain jane'-looking exteriors, but inside they were decked out with top-of-the-range, expertly-tuned audio equipment.

The European Mobile Media Association (EMMA) Singapore championship on Dec 16, held for the second time, puts the passion of audio-loving automotive enthusiasts to the stringiest of tests.

Coming up tops in this contest is no mean feat; EMMA judges are specially trained and employ unique software developed in Germany to judge the car stereo's sound quality.

To satisfy the diverse group of participants - from amateur hobbyists to professional installers - EMMA Singapore hosted over 10 different categories, separated primarily by the number of amplifier channels which the cars are fitted with and how much participants are allowed to spend on their equipment.

A public favourite was the flashy ESQL (EMMA Sound Quality Loud) category, which saw cars 'transforming' into mobile entertainment systems replete with neon lights. Additional showmanship was provided by hired dancers grooving to the beats booming from the cars.

EMMA Singapore was followed by the regional EMMA Asia competition held on Dec 17 and 18, with a prize presentation ceremony at Zouk's Velvet Underground wrapping up the 3-day event.

adrianl@sph.com.sg