Meaning
A mobile setup of powerful speakers, amplifiers, selectors and deejays that brings recorded music to the streets and dancehalls. More than equipment, a sound system is a crew and a name — a Jamaican institution that gave birth to modern dancehall, dub and much of DJ culture worldwide.
Examples
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Which sound a play tonight?
Which sound system is playing tonight?
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Dem string up di sound inna di lawn.
They set up the sound system in the yard.
'String up' means to assemble the rig.
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Di baddest sound inna di area.
The best sound system in the area.
Origin
English 'sound system', but in Jamaica it names a whole cultural form dating from the 1950s, when operators built rigs to play American R&B and then home-grown music for dancing crowds.
How it’s used
Often shortened to just 'sound' ('which sound a play?'). The rivalry between sounds gave rise to the clash.