It has been a solid month for JBL Car Audio Philippines as the brand successfully staged its flagship event for the year — the first-ever JBL CAR AUDIO TUNEFEST. Held last November 11, 2023, JBL Tunefest was created as an avenue for car audio enthusiasts and installers to engage and showcase the best in-car JBL set-ups, as well as bring together the dynamism of the Filipino car community.
For one incredible day, JBL Car Audio hosted different facets of industry and community in an exciting car meet at the rooftop parking of O-Square 2 in Greenhills Mall, San Juan City. Co-presented by Stance Pilipinas / Manila Fitted (SPMF), Manila Street Chronicles (MSC), and Bumper2Bumper Car Show (B2B), it was inspired by the glory days of weekend and late nights meets, culminating in a nostalgic affair that highlighted the best of cars, music, and wholesome fun.
The key agenda for the day was the JBL Car Audio Competition. It was nearly a 2-month journey for the participating JBL installers and car owners as they prepared their vehicles for the official judging on the morning of Tunefest. There were a total of 15 competition entries across 3 categories: STADIUM that featured the premium JBL line, OPEN STAGE that cut across all JBL product lines, and SOUND & STYLE, a special category that spotlight the Club and ClubSQ range and split points between audio performance and the car’s aesthetic styling.
In addition to the official categories, there were 3 special awards that were included. These were the People’s Choice Award that encouraged the involvement of the event attendees, as they listened to the audio set-ups and submitted their preferences via QR code, the Mayor’s Choice Award, chosen and presented by Rocco Zamora, on behalf of San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, and a Special Style Award chosen from among the car clubs and attendees that joined the event.
The car audio entries were judged on-site by an esteemed roster of judges that were trained under the European Mobile Music Association (EMMA), namely Adison De Ocampo, Bong Matias, Dong Matias, Arvin Ramos, Martin De Costa, and Peter Gaw. Style awards were selected and judged by Bryan Revilla of MSC, Jonathan Chio of B2B, and Kevin Carlos of SPMF.
More than a stage for the car audio competition, JBL Car Audio Tunefest was a gathering of enthusiasts. Designed to be the venue for an exciting multi-brand car meet, the event was well-attended by owner clubs, communities, and personalities, like B2B, MSC, SPMF, Grupo Toyota, Miata Club Of The Philippines, Nissan Kicks E-Power Club, FJ Cruiser Club Of The Philippines, Porsche owners, Buzzhype Motorsport, BanaweBoy, EverSince Street Club, and more.
Apart from the competition cars and clubs, JBL Car Audio Tunefest was supported by some of the biggest names in the industry. These brands included BMW, BYD, Changan, Chery, Ford, GAC, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, and Subaru. Each manufacturer highlighted its hero model of the season, from conventional to hybrid to electric, and opened up the opportunity for attendees to check out the latest features.
As an exclusive treat, attendees were given the chance to listen to the first JBL ARENA set-up that was installed by JC Car Audio into Franz Gaw’s Toyota GR Yaris. MSC also introduced its Porsche Cayenne off-road build, fitted with a full JBL ClubSQ system and the JBL Basspro Go portable subwoofer. On-site professional-grade car cleaning was provided by SONAX Philippines, with an exclusive event trial promotion of its new Ceramic Series product line. In addition, one set of a special full SUV wrap was sponsored by Vinyl Frog Philippines.
For refreshments, attendees were treated to crowd favorites, like Bahn Mi Kitchen for filling Vietnamese-style sandwiches, Coffee Nook for specialty coffee and custom coolers, Crepe Talk for savory and sweet treats, EDSA BDG for cocktails / mocktails, and Slap Stacks Burgers for all-around grill fare.
It was a Saturday to remember. JBL Car Audio Tunefest was not just about showcasing the best of car audio. More importantly, it aims to be a reminder of how an industry can be uplifted by an entire community that comes together, in celebration of common passions and interests.
JBL Car Audio Tunefest 2023 would like to acknowledge the official list of winners from the following car audio competition categories:
