c/crank-up-the-volume

My Bluetooth stereo cut out halfway through 'Bohemian Rhapsody' on the highway last Thursday

I pulled over at a rest stop outside of Nashville and just sat there fuming for a solid two minutes before my phone rebooted and the song started over - has anyone else had a car stereo just decide to die mid-blast like that?

2 comments

terrybennett•3d ago

My buddy in Nashville told me I was cranking the intro too long on songs for no reason

He said I was that guy who lets the buildup drag for 45 seconds before the drop hits, so now I skip straight to the main riff of classic rock tracks like that one part in Kashmir where the drums kick in, has anyone else had a passenger call them out on their song choices?

3 comments

daniel857•3d ago

The Uber driver who made me ditch my road trip playlist

Last Friday I'm driving through Nashville with my buddy and a Lyft driver pulls up next to us at a red light. He rolls down his window and yells 'turn it up!' so I crank the volume on 'Cherub Rock' by Smashing Pumpkins. He just nods and gives me a thumbs up, then we both blasted it through the intersection. That moment made me realize some songs are meant to be shared with strangers. What's the best random car-to-car music moment you've had?

3 comments

wyattrobinson•3d ago

Hit 10,000 miles on my car last week and found my perfect road jam

I was driving to my sister's place in Spokane when my odometer rolled over to 10,000 miles on a 2019 Civic I got used. Right when the numbers flipped I had 'Kickstart My Heart' by Motley Crue blasting at max volume. Windows down, 75 mph on the highway, I felt like a total goofball but couldn't stop grinning. Has anyone else hit a random milestone that just lined up perfectly with a song?

2 comments

milaprice•6d ago

Blasting 'Bohemian Rhapsody' at a stoplight and getting weird looks finally clued me in

I was sitting at a red light on Main Street last Tuesday, windows down, singing along to Queen at full blast like I was at a concert. I looked around and saw this older couple in the car next to me just staring, not in a good way. That's when it hit me: I've been cranking songs with long quiet parts or weird tempo changes for years, and nobody else gets it. They probably think I'm just sitting there silently waiting for the good part, but I'm belting out the opera section in my head. The light turned green and they sped off, and I realized my song choice might be the problem. Does anyone else have a song that works great solo but falls flat when other people can hear it? Curious what songs you guys save for alone drives only.

2 comments

nina_johnson86•6d ago

Is there a right volume for different songs or is max always the answer

I was driving home last night and had this argument with my friend in the passenger seat. He says you gotta crank every song to max no matter what, but I think some tracks hit harder at like 75 percent especially if they have a lot of bass that gets distorted. My go to test is that one part in Bohemian Rhapsody where the opera section kicks in, it sounds terrible blown out but amazing at a lower volume. Am I overthinking this or do you guys adjust your volume based on the song too? Like do you have a song you always keep at a specific level?

2 comments

stella_baker•7d ago

Finally caved and tried that screeching metal song everyone hypes up

I spent years rolling my eyes at my buddy's obsession with Mastodon's 'Blood and Thunder' as a car banger. Like come on, it's just loud noise with a weird time signature, right? Last month I had a 14 hour haul from Oklahoma City to Phoenix and threw it on at mile 8 just to shut him up. By the time the chorus hit I was gripping the steering wheel at 75 mph with goosebumps. That drum intro absolutely hits different when you're alone on a dark interstate at 2 AM. Has anyone else been dead wrong about a song they dismissed for years?

3 comments

mila_perry13•12d ago

Found out my car speakers actually sound better when I turn down the bass a notch

I always cranked the bass to max on that one track I blast, thinking louder low end meant more thump. Last week I tried dropping it two notches on the equalizer and the whole song came through clearer, especially the vocals and snare hits. Anyone else ever mess with EQ settings and get a surprise like that?

3 comments

ben206•14d ago

I finally found the perfect car song and blew my speakers doing it

So I've been blasting "Bohemian Rhapsody" in my 2005 Honda Civic for years, right? Last week I cranked it to max like always, and the left door speaker just gave out with a nasty crackle. Guess I finally found the limit of those stock speakers after pushing them for 6 months straight. Anyone else ever sacrifice car audio gear for that one perfect track?

2 comments

danielmason•15d ago

Had a weird moment at a red light yesterday that changed how I listen to music

I was sitting at a long light on Broadway near the old theater district, stuck behind some guy in a Prius who had his windows down. My windows were up but I could still hear his music clear as day, some old classic rock track I hadn't heard in years. It hit me that I've been blasting songs in my car for years with no real thought about why I pick certain ones. Usually I just throw on whatever's on my phone or the radio, but hearing that song through his speakers made me realize I never crank up anything that actually means something to me. The light turned green and he peeled out and I just sat there for a second thinking about it. Now I'm trying to figure out what my actual "always max volume" song is and it's harder than I thought. Anyone else ever have a random moment like this that made you rethink your playlist choices?

3 comments

grace_knight70•16d ago

Cranked up an old 80s hair band song yesterday and my teenage daughter actually asked me to turn it louder

I was expecting a eye roll or a groan but instead she rolled down the window and started singing along, guess that 40 year old cassette still has some life left in it after all, has anyone else's kids surprised them with their music taste?

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jessicac28•18d ago

Just learned that 'Bohemian Rhapsody' wasn't actually recorded in one take like I always thought

I was reading an article about Queen's recording process last night and apparently they spliced together something like 180 separate takes for that song. All those harmonies and guitar layers were done in pieces. I've been blasting that track in my car for 15 years straight and never knew it wasn't just five guys in a room going for it. Has anyone else found out something dumb about a song they thought they knew inside out?

2 comments

margaret_jackson73•18d ago

My buddy told me I was blasting the wrong mix of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and it actually made sense

I always cranked the 2011 remaster version because it was louder and punchier. A friend who used to work at a recording studio in Nashville sat me down and played the original 1975 mix back to back with it. Said the remaster crushed the dynamics and flattened out the stereo spread. I argued for like 20 minutes but then he put headphones on me and I had to admit he was right. The original has way more air and the drums actually breathe. Still blast it at stoplights but now I seek out the old pressings. Anyone else ever get schooled on a song you thought you knew perfectly?

2 comments

tyler_bell•18d ago

Cranked up that one track from the 90s at a red light in Portland and my right speaker just went totally dead mid-bass drop

It was last Saturday afternoon, I was sitting at a long light on Burnside with the windows down, and the second the beat kicked in, the passenger side speaker just popped and went silent has anyone else had a factory system fail on a specific song like that?

3 comments

vera_campbell•20d ago

Dropped $120 on a premium car audio subwoofer, installed it wrong, blew it in 20 minutes

I figured I'd treat myself to a high end sub for my sedan last month. Spent $120 on one that promised crisp lows without distortion. Got home, watched a quick video, and wired it up myself. Forgot to check the impedance match with my amp and the voice coil fried on the first real bass drop. Now I'm back to the stock speaker and $120 poorer. Anyone else make a rookie mistake like this or am I the only one who skips the manual?

3 comments

price.tara•21d ago

That day at a red light in Phoenix changed my whole playlist

I was stopped at a long light near the 101 interchange. Some guy pulled up next to me in a beat-up Civic. He just nodded and turned up his system. It was playing a song I hadn't heard in maybe 7 years. Forgot how much that track hit. Now I rotate that one into my car mix every week. Anyone have a random song that came back to you like that?

2 comments

jordan_young•22d ago

Heard some guy at a red light say nobody should crank up 'Bohemian Rhapsody' because it's too long for a good car jam

I think the long build just makes the scream-along part hit harder, but then again maybe shorter songs like 'Born To Run' get you more bang for your buck before the light turns green, so what do you do when the chorus peaks right as traffic starts moving?

3 comments

carr.gavin•22d ago

Almost blew my eardrums out testing a new subwoofer install

I wired up a cheap 12-inch sub in my driveway last Saturday, turned the gain dial to what I thought was halfway, and hit play on 'Bass I Love You' by Bassnectar. The rearview mirror flew off the windshield and my ears rang for two hours. Anybody else have a DIY audio project go sideways in the first 10 seconds?

3 comments

davis.noah•22d ago

Tried blasting pop through stock speakers vs. spent $150 on used components and the difference was insane.

Swapped the factory door speakers in my 2010 Civic for a set of used Rockford Fosgates I found on Craigslist and now that one synth hook in my go-to track actually hits my chest instead of just buzzing the door panel.

3 comments

piperwhite•22d ago

That rainy Thursday when my car stereo saved my sanity

Last month I had the worst day at work in ages. Boss chewed me out over a report I didn't even write, then I spilled coffee all over my shirt before a client meeting. On the drive home through downtown Portland, I cranked "Bohemian Rhapsody" to max volume and just let Freddie Mercury drown out everything. Has anyone else had a song pull you out of a total garbage day?

3 comments

the_wren•23d ago

Tried blasting 'Bohemian Rhapsody' at a red light and got a very different reaction than I expected

I was stopped at a light on Route 1 in Providence with the windows down and the stereo cranked, belting out the opera section when the guy in the pickup next to me starts yelling. Turns out he thought I was mocking him for singing along to his own music, and we almost got into it before we both realized we were on the same team. Does anyone else have a song that's caused a weird standoff like that?

3 comments

elliotadams•25d ago

Appreciation post: that red light on the highway taught me a lesson about timing

Was stuck at a long light on I-35 near Austin last month, turned up 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to drown out my road rage. Realized the song's peak hit right as the light turned green, made the whole drive feel like a movie. Now I time my car-blasting songs to match traffic patterns, no joke. Anyone else got a go-to traffic jam anthem that makes the wait bearable?

2 comments

lilyg83•26d ago

That time in the Costco parking lot taught me to check my volume knob first

I was blasting Tom Petty in the minivan last month and my 7th graders in the back seat were giving me weird looks. Turns out I had the bass cranked up from the previous owner's setting and the rear speakers were rattling like crazy. Has anyone else had to adjust EQ settings after buying a used car?

4 comments

the_max•26d ago

Just had a near miss blasting Parkway Drive on my commute last Tuesday

I was rolling down I-94 near Detroit with 'Carrion' at full volume, windows down, totally in my own world. Didn't notice the state trooper pacing me until he pulled alongside and gave me this look that said turn it down or get a ticket. Scared me straight, now I keep it under 75 and the volume at 8 instead of 11. Anyone else had a cop call them out for loud music?

3 comments

danielhenderson•27d ago

Unpopular opinion: Pumping bass is pointless if you haven't tuned your system right

I drove around for like 6 months thinking my subs were hitting hard, but then I borrowed my buddy's RTA mic and ran some sweeps on a Sunday afternoon. Turns out I had a nasty null at 45 Hz from how the box was sitting in my trunk, and I was just rattling my plates for nothing. Spent about 2 hours moving the box 3 inches forward and adding some polyfill, suddenly the same track sounded like a different song. So many people just max out the bass knob and call it done, but you're missing half the low end if your setup isn't dialed in for your car's acoustics. My '02 Camry needed the sub facing back, not up, to hit flat down to 30 Hz. Has anyone else chased a perfect curve on their head unit or am I just the weirdo who spends Saturday night with test tones?

2 comments