RRS SQ Rules

Basic Installation (18 Points)

Proper fusing will be demonstrated in all locations

  • 0 Points - Fuse values are incorrect for application
  • 1 Point - Fusing is correct

Equipment secured (not loose) and will be reasonably tested by the judge(s)

  • 1 Point
    • Amps laying unbolted
    • Speaker enclosures not secured
    • Basically a good case for a safety hazard
    • Use of non mechanical means of securing (velcro, tape, adhesive) if the product provides a screw hole, use it
  • 2 Points - Most but not all equipment is secured. Does not move with light pressure
  • 3 Points - Every piece of equipment is secured in its location. Nothing moves without requiring enough force to move/shake the vehicle

System operation shown to judge(s)

  • What controls and source to use
  • Where source music should be played
  • How to properly turn on/off the car

  • 1 Point - Barely knows where to put the cd or media and where the volume is
  • 2 Points - Understand basic functionality of source, but not much else
  • 3 Points - Can tell you all the equipment in the car and where it is located. Very explicit in the functionality and controls they want the judge to use

Wiring
Power and ground wire of sufficient size for amp power. No bare wires visible at wire termination points. Secured enough so it shouldn’t move during vehicle operation

  • 1 Point - Rats nest. Probably incorrect wire gauges used. No attempt at being tidy or secure
  • 2 Points - Appears tidy. Close inspection might reveal a couple fray wires here or there at termination points, but nothing outwardly dangerous
  • 3 Points - Wiring is neat and orderly. Removing beauty panels reveals wiring to be secure enough to not move around during vehicle operation

System Finishing
When presented (doors/trunk open, etc.) does it look ‘finished’? I.e. are panels covered, is the equipment mounted to bare surfaces, etc. Does not have to be fancy in any way. Aesthetics are not being judged here, only that it appears to not still be in the fabrication stage.

  • 1 Point - Let’s face it, you just got it powered up and still have sawdust and fiberglass on your clothes
  • 2 Points - Attempts have been made for areas of the vehicle to be complete, but some areas are not.
  • 3 Points - The vehicle is visually complete.

System Knowledge
Is the competitor aware of how the system was put together? Does the competitor know the ins and outs of the system?

  • 1 Point - They know how to turn it on and turn it up, that’s about it
  • 2 Points - They know where all the equipment is and what it does. May even helped with the install.
  • 3 Points - Can describe every aspect of the install. Not to be confused with a “presentation”, but can tell you how the wiring was run in the vehicle, the signal path, where all the equipment is, how and why any “special” equipment was used and why (e.g. PAC units, LOCs, non-standard processing such as APL-1, ESP3 or other similar equipment)

Imaging (55 points)

Placement
5 Points each

  • Left
  • Left of Center
  • Center
  • Right of Center
  • Right

Focus
5 Points each

  • Left
  • Left of Center
  • Center
  • Right of Center
  • Right

Image Sizing (In proportion to the stage)

  • 1 - Imaging is so bad you can't really tell what size they are. No focus at all
  • 2 - You have GI Joe singing across your dash, or Godzilla, take your pick
  • 3 - Images appear to change size or fluctuate in a given track. It's cool, but wrong
  • 4 - Slightly larger or smaller or not all images are proportional
  • 5 - Images are proportional to the stage. If the stage is big, so should the images

Staging (42 Points)

Stage Width

  • More than 6" smaller than cabin width
  • Cabin width to 6" less than
  • Width of cabin
  • Outside the cabin, but not exceeding ~8”
  • More than 8” outside the vehicle on each side

Stage Height

  • 1 - Not stable, dips anywhere across the stage (usually the corners) lower than the dash top
  • 2 - Not stable, dips but not beyond the top of dash
  • 3 - Stable across, but above or below the horizon
  • 4 - At horizon and stable

Depth of Soundstage

  • 1 - No layers
  • 2 - Very shallow. 3-4" of depth
  • 3 - not beyond 1/4 of the hood
  • 4 - 1/4 to 1/2 of the hood
  • 5 - out to half mark of the hood
  • 6 - beyond midway of the hood but not out to the bumper
  • 7 - out to the bumper
  • 8 - beyond the bumper

Spatial Realism

  • 1 -
  • 2 -
  • 3 -
  • 4 -
  • 5 -

Stage Shape

  • 1 - Stage shape is not consistent in any dimension
  • 2 - Stage front and back is not square, but sides are consistent
  • 3 - Front of stage is not square (example it horseshoes) but the back of the stage is square. stage is square to the car
  • 4 - The shape of the stage is square but is not square to the car
  • 5- The shape of the stage from front to back is square and square to the car. It doesn't horseshoe, or collapse on one side, etc.

Stage Front

  • 1 - more than 6" inboard of windshield
  • 2 - up to 6" inboard of windshield
  • 3 - at windshield (as defined at the base of the windshield)
  • 4 - up to 6" beyond windshield
  • 5 - beyond 12" from windshield

Tonality (91 Points)

10 Points in each frequency range

  • High 2500-20k
  • Mid 205-2500
  • Low 80-250
  • Sub <20-80
10 Points in each below
  • Spectral Balance
  • Attach and Decay
  • Resolution and Detail
  • Realism and Purity

Linearity

  • 1 Barely peaks 93 or can sustain 93 but has distortion
  • 2 Can sustain 93 - 99db, no distortion
  • 3 May hit 100db, but has distortion
  • 4 Peaks 100db or less, no distortion
  • 5 Can sustain 100db. Peaks over that with no distorting

SPL
Judged using a single track, with no changes to the SQ tune (no preset changes, etc.)

  • 1 Point - 100-105db
  • 2 Point - 106-110db
  • 3 Point - 111-115db
  • 4 Point - 116-120db
  • 5 Point - 121-125db
  • 6 Point - 126+