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HotHead Sound Assassin Strips...What do they do?

rockadile

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So I am looking to place an order for the HotHead Headliner and I was wondering of the sound assassin strips are really worth the extra coin. I am by no means an expert in sound deadening or temperature reflection (is that even a thing?). It would make sense to me if the entire roof was covered with the material but I just can't understand what type of impact these strips would have. I was hoping to get input from those of you that have them. Thanks!
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word302

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So I am looking to place an order for the HotHead Headliner and I was wondering of the sound assassin strips are really worth the extra coin. I am by no means an expert in sound deadening or temperature reflection (is that even a thing?). It would make sense to me if the entire roof was covered with the material but I just can't understand what type of impact these strips would have. I was hoping to get input from those of you that have them. Thanks!
I was cracking up at their video with the cymbal. Duct tape does the same thing.
 

Bilymac

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Also interested in the answer.
 

JlURT

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I've had 3 hardtops and out of the 3, the JL is the first one with the headliner. I'm not sure if the material in the new hardtop is new but I can tell a difference in noise and in weather protection. If you want more refinement I think you will be happy.
 

Chocolate Thunder

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The purpose is to deaden sound by dampening vibrations. Yes, if the entire surface was covered it would be even quieter, but that adds weight and cost and may not be necessary in every application. Think of it this way: Strike a drum. Now put a wet washcloth on the drum head and strike it again. That’s what the material does. Yes, covering the entire drum head with a large wet bath towel would deaden more sound, but the wet washcloth is far more effective than nothing at all at dampening the sound.
 

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Scollier

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I put hotheads with the Assassin tape on my freedom tops and I can tell you the sound and audio quality is fantastic. This weekend I do the full back. Big fan. No idea how much of that is the tape. Installing it just seemed right and felt like everything was a bit more snug. It’s like we have these big areas that are thin, we add panels, the panels have gaps and we fill those with that metal/tape. Just feels solid.
 

chacomaya

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I put hotheads with the Assassin tape on my freedom tops and I can tell you the sound and audio quality is fantastic. This weekend I do the full back. Big fan. No idea how much of that is the tape. Installing it just seemed right and felt like everything was a bit more snug. It’s like we have these big areas that are thin, we add panels, the panels have gaps and we fill those with that metal/tape. Just feels solid.
What Scollier said.
 
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rockadile

rockadile

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No doubt, I am in for the headliner, I am just trying to decide whether it is worth it to spring for the sound assassin strips. Trying to get a feel for how much of the deadening comes from the headliner panels vs the strips?
 

Dan S

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I would buy the Sound Assasin strips again in a heartbeat. They took all of the boominess out of the sound system and there's less racket on the road as well...
 

SeanD

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I have the Hotheads with the sound assassin strips, and I’m a fan. Easy recommendation for both.
 

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MtCamper

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I have both and put them in when new. I can't say if either work cause the damn thing is still noisy. It would probably be noisier without but I don't have and data to prove it. I put the Sound Assassin strips in cause you can't put them in later. HH do come in great color selection and the company is top notch for customer service. Install is easy, just follow their advise and videos.
 

RussJeep1

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I was cracking up at their video with the cymbal. Duct tape does the same thing.
I agree, and primarily because like the Duct tape example you cite, either material applied in the example deadens sound more by preventing the cymbal from vibrating in the first place, than absorbing the sound of the cymbal allowed to freely vibrate.

@rockadile : as mentioned in other ways above, the product is an energy sink, in this case sound wave energy sink. When sound hits it, unlike some rigid object bound to transmit that sound back, it disperses it more within its material than reverberates it. Envision hitting a tennis ball off a handball court wall versus that all coated with thick carpeting under which thick padding exists.

It's precisely for this reason that technically, if not rigidly enforced, a certain percentage of the square footage of NYC rental apartments are suppose to be covered with carpeting.

IMHO does this product work at deadening sound? Yes.

IMHO does this product work great at deadening sound? No.

IMHO do you get headliners for sound reduction? No, you get them for heat reduction in summer.

IMHO does this tape "work?" I think its contingent in large part on the expectations of the owner and their biases. Those with conformational bias, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bias#Confirmation_bias who pay enough, might think them highly effective.;)

I'm certainly not saying that they absolutely don't work like cigarettes were thought of in the 1950s as healthy in the sense that they helped people keep weight off.

 

American Adventurist

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Yes it works.

I've used Dynamat and Fatmat on previous builds, it's all pretty similar and it does make a difference but that's tied to how much and how well you apply it. At a point any sound deadener application will hit a point of diminishing returns as it is heavy (how much weight do you want to add because the cabin will NEVER be 100% noise free).

The way Hothead does the strategically placed Sound Assassin strips on the JL hard top is a pretty good compromise and in my case I think it DID make a difference. There's still road noise, but it's better than OEM now.
 

James_a

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Quick question for those using the sound assassin strips. I have the factory headliners installed and was wondering if adding the sound assassin strips under the factory headliner would be a worthwhile addition. Has anyone combined the factory headliners with the sound assassin strips?
 

Dan S

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Quick question for those using the sound assassin strips. I have the factory headliners installed and was wondering if adding the sound assassin strips under the factory headliner would be a worthwhile addition. Has anyone combined the factory headliners with the sound assassin strips?
I can't imagine it not helping. After checking out the MOPAR headliner, I'm certain the HH liner does more, but the SA strips definitely do their job as well.
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