RX-7 R1 SoundCheck & VideoCheck
By Steven Benton With John Sketoe
Photography by Carl Edwards
 

Matt Smith's 1993 Mazda "Banzai" RX-7 R1 was built to drive fast and rock hard. We can attest to that.
 

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My day started off early as I made the 3-hour drive downstate from my home in Harrison, Arkansas to Audio Express in Searcy to listen to Matt Smith's '93 Mazda "Banzai" RX-7 R1. I had a 1 p.m. appointment for the SoundCheck & VideoCheck, and I had invited John Sketoe, a USACi sound-off champion, along to assist. When we entered the install bay at Audio Express, the tricked-out RX-7 was there waiting for us, looking like it belonged more on a drag strip than in an install bay. We got right to it, sliding under the gull-wing doors to begin our session.

The first thing we noticed were the high-end electronics in the cockpit, as the system was chockfull of Alpine F#1 Status gear. We could tell by what was on the inside of the vehicle — not to mention what was done to the outside — that owner Matt Smith only wanted the best for his ride. We started out using the 2003 version of the Official USACi Sound Quality Test CD, which is used to judge cars in sound-off competitions. We initially made sure the channels and the levels were correct and then went directly to track 5, "Jammin'," by Monty Alexander. The first thing we noticed was that the system was a little bass heavy. The tonal balance was really good, but as we listened some more, we discovered the driver's side wasn't as loud as the passenger's side. To confirm this, we switched seating positions and listened again — and we were right. So we simply changed the balance with one "click" to the left on the Alpine head unit and resumed listening.

The depth of the soundstage was decent — right about where the windshield meets the dash — but it seemed a little off. The system incorporates a 2-3/4-inch center-channel speaker in the top of the dash (which wasn't playing during our test). But we could still hear sound coming from that area; due to an opening in the bottom of the passenger's-side dash, the kickpanel drivers were resonating up through the center channel. Having an issue of ME — Mobile Entertainment [our previous incarnation, before we became R&T Road Gear — EIC MM] on hand, we simply covered the center channel with the magazine. [I knew we were good for something! — EIC MM again] Afterward, we could've sworn we were listening to a different vehicle: The sound spread out much more evenly.

As we continued listening, we sensed a lack of midbass, especially noticeable throughout the tracks on the USACi CD. For example, on track 16, "Grandma's Hands," by Livingston Taylor, foot tapping can be heard through the midbass drivers in a well-tuned vehicle, but it was almost nonexistent in the RX-7. However, the subwoofers in the hatch were obviously trying to reproduce the foot tapping, which pulled the soundstage rearward. The staging was also a little narrow on this track, but, tonally, the male vocals sounded clear and distinct.

Finally, we got to view the video system. The vehicle has an AcceleVision 5-inch monitor in each sun visor and a 7-incher in the dash that's part of an Alpine IVA-D900 head unit. The visor monitors seemed a little fuzzy, but this may have had more to do with the battery charger connected to the vehicle. Also, when viewing the visor screens dead-on, they seemed ok, but off-axis was a different story — from the driver's side, the image on the passenger's-side visor monitor was distorted. The Alpine in-dash monitor had a fantastic view, though. We wanted to check out how well the vehicle performed in surround mode, but, except for the subs, it lacked rear speakers. What we were able to listen to, however, was very enjoyable.

Overall, the RX-7 R1's system sounded above average to our sound-off competition-tuned ears, but it's a great system for any daily driver. That's obviously what Matt Smith cares about most, and that's just what this vehicle was built for: to drive fast and rock hard.

Authors' bios: Steven Benton is a dB Drag Racing and USACi sound-off promoter with Get Loud Productions. John Sketoe, a resident of Conway, Arkansas, is a four-time USACi world finalist and last year's USACi world champion in the Consumer Advanced class.