MECA's Sound Quality Worlds released detailed scoring sheets for top finishers this year, and the categories map closely to terms covered in our glossary: tonal balance (frequency response flatness), imaging (phase and time alignment between channels), and clarity (distortion at the listener's preferred volume).
The top-scoring vehicle this year posted the smallest measured deviation from a flat in-cabin response curve among all finalists, paired with low THD readings at competition playback levels — evidence that careful crossover and gain-structure tuning beats raw power in SQ judging.
If you're new to SQ competition, the scoring categories are a good roadmap for which glossary terms to learn first: start with frequency response and THD before moving on to more advanced concepts like group delay.
