Cape Town’s car audio crews get together for a thunderous showdown of note every year in November. The DeafRow Audio Bragging Rights Sound-Off is now in its 18th year, and the event has grown from a small gathering of enthusiasts into a fixture on the local motoring calendar.
Jackie Cruze had a chat with Zaid Watson, the founder of DeafRow Audio, ahead of this year’s competition on 29 November at the Portlands Sports Grounds. Word on the street is that Zaid has gone and done another rad build, as he is wont to do from time to time. Jackie wanted to get the scoop on the cabbie before the public launch.
Zaid has promoted sound-off culture for decades and he and his team have built the event into a platform that showcases technical know-how and gives the Cape’s diverse car audio community something big on which to plan sonic builds for every year. The brag in Bragging Rights says it all.
Zaid’s latest creation, known on the circuit as the Bass Benz (get it?), is already turning heads. “The inspiration came from my sons Abdu Daiyaan, Ubaid and Mahier,” he says. “When I pitched the idea to them, they were so excited. That’s how the journey started.”
Zaid says choosing a Benz for the build threw down a personal challenge. The Mercedes-Benz C180 sedan has a sealed boot and tight cabin, and transforming this limited space into a serious sound banger took some careful planning. “It was a passion project,” Zaid explains, “to showcase what’s possible in a compact space, and to represent the Mercedes-Benz brand in a wild way.”
And wild it is. The Bass Benz is the only Mercedes-Benz in Cape Town, according to Zaid – who would know – fitted with four 15-inch Targa Riot subwoofers walled in with a fourth order enclosure, all powered by two Targa 25kD amplifiers and two banks of LTO lithium batteries. The setup has already registered an impressive 161.03 dB under the international Bass Wars competition format.
Building such a system in a sedan was no small feat. Zaid says: “Working long days and nights in that small space was the biggest challenge but I made it work despite the frustrations.”
All the gear in the car is commercially available, which is right in line with Zaid’s philosophy that an elite sound doesn’t require exotic parts, just skill and vision.
He adds that Lithium-Titanate Oxide (LTO) batteries were chosen for their stability and safety. “They’re one of the safest lithium types available, which matters when you’re running massive power inside a car.”
DeafRow Audio’s annual Bragging Rights event has over its almost two decades become a celebration of creativity and camaraderie. “It’s our way of giving back to the industry,” says Zaid. “We understand how important this event is for fostering community spirit and recognising personal bests.”
A fan favourite each year is the DeafRow Basschase, a head-to-head knockout where two competitors play their loudest tracks while the TermLab Magnum system measures the SPL (Sound Pressure Level) to crown the louder car. There are more than 19 competition categories, and besides trophies, DeafRow is the only host in South Africa that gives away sound equipment to participants at prize-giving.
Each category winner earns the title “Loudest in Cape Town 2025”, adding serious bragging rights to the mix.
Of the 2025 edition, Zaid says: “Competitors are always trying to beat their personal best so yes, it’s going to be exciting.”
Zaid also expresses gratitude to sponsors and participants: “They’re the main stars keeping this sound sport alive.”
The Bass Wars format is an international car audio competition that ranks participants globally. Competitors can set world records and earn international listings at every official event, making Cape Town part of a worldwide network of serious sound-offs.