Stereo component opinions [Archive]

Coach

11-06-2006, 12:19 AM

Originally posted by Razzman
OK so i realize everybody has a favorite brand so i need some advice. I found a Visonik sub setup, two 10" subs in a box with a Visonik 400 watt amp for $120. Is it a good deal, is Visonik any good? I haven't been in the audio scene for years so i have no clue about the gear out now.

I'm installing a new stereo this winter. I've narrowed it down to either a Clarion, Sony or Pioneer source unit, Polk DB650 speakers, two amps and the sub setup. Any recommendations?

I have never heard of Visonik but 2 subs and and amp for $120 I am guessing the quality is very poor. The old theory of you get what you paid for. I would also post this over at Wake World, they have many very good stereo guys over there.

As for HU I have owned 2 Pioneers and was very happy with them. I don't like the Sony's or Clarions. I felt I had more overall control of the sound with the Pioneer vs the Sony or Clarion (esp with the subs and HPF). The Polks are great speakers which are marine capable. I am getting ready to do the stereo in my boat. I have done a ton of research and I am going with Kicker speakers with Polk being a close second. The main reason is great sound and a bomb proof build. As for amps there are some very good ones out there and some that are just crap. I am looking at Zapco, Arc, Kicker, Crossfire for my Amps. As for subs I know many guys love the JL's and the JL amps for the sub.

Razzman

11-06-2006, 12:24 AM

Hey coach, so what are you using the Kicker marine or non-marine speakers?

Coach

11-06-2006, 12:42 AM

Originally posted by Razzman
Hey coach, so what are you using the Kicker marine or non-marine speakers?

All Kicker speakers are rated for marine use. I am going to go with the KS components 65.2. I really like the RS 65.2 but the cost starts to really climb with the RS vs the KS.

The KM (marine) are only in 6" speakers. The bigger the speaker the more sound you will get out of it. Alpine has a 7" marine speakers that is nice as well. I know the holes that are in the front of my boat are set for 6 1/2 speakers so I can't go any smaller than that. Plus with the Kickers you can mount the tweeter in the middle of the cone if you like vs a sperate hole for for the tweeter.

talltigeguy

11-06-2006, 02:16 AM

I have the Polk DB 650's and they sound pretty nice. I am pleased with them for the price. Given the usual environment of noise, wind and splashing as well as engine noise, brute volume is nice to have. There may be some with slightly better sound quality, but I am not sure you can tell the difference unless your primary listening is in the quiet garage at home. My Polk's sound good there too.

I have never heard of those subs, and the guys who seem to know a lot seem to mention the Kicker solobaric as one of the best for a lower price. If you are willing to spend a lot, then go with a JL W7 with a powerful amp to it.

I have the Clarion XMD3 and have had no problems with it. Very good unit. Remote controls are worth their weight in gold, depending on where your HU is located. With mine at the glove box (which is full of things), having a remote at the helm is a must!

Moki

11-06-2006, 05:12 AM

I had Polks in my last boat and was very pleased with them. They were non marine, but didn't seem to suffer any problems in the boat. I just replaced my JVC speakers with infinity and I am very pleased with them. I agree with Talltigeguy, an amp with 2 subs for $120 is very very inexpensive and will probably sound that way. I am putting in a Digital Audio DA3200 amplifier. On sale, it is $360 just for the sub. Search the internet for any reviews before you buy. I found some very good deals on www.ubid.com.

dogbert

11-06-2006, 02:29 PM

Originally posted by Razzman
OK so i realize everybody has a favorite brand so i need some advice. I found a Visonik sub setup, two 10" subs in a box with a Visonik 400 watt amp for $120. Is it a good deal, is Visonik any good? I haven't been in the audio scene for years so i have no clue about the gear out now.

I'm installing a new stereo this winter. I've narrowed it down to either a Clarion, Sony or Pioneer source unit, Polk DB650 speakers, two amps and the sub setup. Any recommendations?

I would agree with what everyone else said. You get what you pay for. I know NICKYPOO's been braggin' about his set-up (RE sub w/ Fosgate amp). I recently got a Kenwood 10" w/ 200 W amp for right around $200. I still have to build a box for it, but it already sounds really good just installed in my driver kick panel.

I've got a Kenwood head unit and a Kenwood KAC-7202 driving my tower speakers from Monster Tower. The Kenwood amp kicks butt!

I would highly recommend that whatever head unit you buy has an iPod adapter cable as an option. You'll never play CDs again!

Razzman

11-06-2006, 04:17 PM

So what is the size range for a sub i should be looking at? 8,10 or 12"? I have no place to put the sub but under the closed bow on the helm side behing the footrest so I'll have to have a box as well.

spharis

11-06-2006, 06:21 PM

Visonik is owned by the same company that owns swiss audio, audiobahn, and other entry level cheaply made stereo components. I would stay away. All of those brands are poor choices, and you will not be happy in the long run.

The only Polk speakers that are rated for Marine are the DB series. If you live where it is humid, you should get marine grade; otherwise you are looking at a max of about 4 years. Polk DB series are top notch and sound really good. In my 02 Ram with a comp setup, I ran DB for all mids and highs.....it had a "Polk" sound, but it was good. I eventually sold that truck, system included.
http://www.dodgetalk.com/gallery/files/5/3/1/4/front1.jpg

Everyone has a different opinion on stereo and how it sounds. Many people will tell you this brand sucks, or recommend some homebuilt brand, but in the end, you want it to sound good to you. It is very hard ot hear an audio component without having it installed, so sample them in the same environment you will have them in if possible. A sound room sucks for making a selection on audio, but sometimes it is the only place to hear them.

As far as brands go, I really like the power and marine level Rockford stuff, though many people do not like Rockford due to some issues it had in the late 90's and early 00's with quality and public trading. I avoid the "punch" line. I also like RF head units, especially the ones made by Denon, but they get $$$$. I avoid Sony (save a specific set of Head Units I can give model numbers if you want), Alpine, Memphis, Bazooka, and Pioneer; soon to also avoid Polk depending on what DEI decides to do with them. DEI purchased Polk this year. I prefer RF, JL, Kenwood (head units only), Orion, and Clarion in that order. I base my selection on sound, and the way it "feels". Here is a video of the last SPL woofer I had in my tahoe. This is just 1 12".
http://www.realmofexcursion.com/videos/Rockford%20Fosgate/powerstage12.2.wmv

In my boat I am currently specing out and pricing a mid level audio system that should last at least the life I own the boat. it will have 1 10", and 4 sets of 6" comps with seperates. I will have a sinlge 6 channel, or a specable 4 channel amp on all of it. It will all be Rockford Fosgate Marine, including the head unit. I was goign to get Polk DB series seperates, but found Rockford selling last year model marine comps on ebay, and picked up 4 of those instead. Hard to beat $45 on $250 comps. These were $210 at a local shop in town just this summer. I posted a thread on them earlier.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Rockford-Fosgate-M162S-Marine-6-5-Component-Speaker_W0QQitemZ320045920175QQihZ011QQcategoryZ32 819QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
If you buy one set it will automatically repopulate another set within a few minutes. HighDesertAudio is Rockford Fosgate. These are brand new.

spharis

11-06-2006, 06:41 PM

One more thing....since you are considering the Polk DB650's....I would recommend dropping the extra $50-$100 and getting the DB comps, MOMO's, or MOMO comps. Basically the same drivers with subtle changes. Also all of these come with a remote x-over. You will love it if you are driving them to RMS.
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-WfvxbkUCkVP/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?search=Polk+Audio+VENDORID107&searchdisplay=Polk%20Audio&i=107DB6500
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-WfvxbkUCkVP/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=410&I=107DB6500&search=Polk+Audio+VENDORID107&SearchDisplay=Polk+Audio
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-WfvxbkUCkVP/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=52000&I=107MMC650&search=Polk+Audio+VENDORID107&SearchDisplay=Polk+Audio

And buy on ebay.....you will save 30%-50%

Razzman

11-07-2006, 02:24 PM

OK so i decided after checking them out and reading like 60 freakin reviews to go with the Polk MOMO MMC650 speakers. So i start researching head units and come across this one. JVC KD-G720 (http://mobile.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL027694&pathId=54&page=1).

Now i don't know what the quality of JVC mobile audio is but what inpressed the hell out of me is that it has a front mount USB port. Take a couple of 1 GB thumb drives along with you for the day and you've got more music than you can play without the hassle or expense of an ipod or other mp3 player.

So if one lives in a non humid locale how important is it to have a marine reciever? I know quite a few people around here that just use car audio units.

spharis

11-07-2006, 03:15 PM

Head unit should be fine. The internals never get exposed to the sunlight, or much moisture. The faceplate may fade a good bit, so make sure it has a shaded flip down on it. Also most marine radios have wired remote options that fit into instrument holes, or mount on the transom. Non-marine will usually have funny steering wheel wired ones, or just a wireless remote.

JVC makes decent headunits as of late. They just aren't a super popular brand.

dogbert

11-07-2006, 03:18 PM

Originally posted by Razzman
So if one lives in a non humid locale how important is it to have a marine reciever? I know quite a few people around here that just use car audio units.

As long as you keep it from getting wet, you're fine. Mine's mounted in the dash, so I have a flip cover for it. I know others have it mounted in the glove box.

Razzman

11-07-2006, 03:58 PM

Originally posted by spharis
Head unit should be fine. The internals never get exposed to the sunlight, or much moisture. The faceplate may fade a good bit, so make sure it has a shaded flip down on it. Also most marine radios have wired remote options that fit into instrument holes, or mount on the transom. Non-marine will usually have funny steering wheel wired ones, or just a wireless remote.

JVC makes decent headunits as of late. They just aren't a super popular brand.

I like the USB capability but JVC doesn't have a mounted wired remote and that's important to me as the head unit is in the glovebox and unreachable from the helm.

rushin

11-07-2006, 04:00 PM

I have the Polk DB650's and a set of DB6750 comp's and love them, the comp's are well worth the extra $$$. I saved about $100 by buying the comp's on ebay.

NICKYPOO

11-07-2006, 05:29 PM

A good 10" sub with the right power and correct size box will give you more bass than you need and will be simple. As Dogbert said, I've been bragging about my little 10" RE sub. With a 250w Fosgate Punch going to it, it P O U N D S! The thing is, it pounds all the way through it's freq. range. Some subs hit extremely hard in a certain range and then kind of fall off through the rest. My little RE sounds great with all types of music. Nice and tight and accurate. The JL marine stuff does sound great, but damn it's pricy. I've got just about $250 in my bass set up (sub, amp, box) and couldn't be happier with it. I'll put it up against any single sub set up on the lake.

So far as head units, I went all Pioneer. One big key factor to go along with the Ipod control was the wired marine remote with display. The only other wired marine remote with display at the time was a Sony. Like I said, I went Pioneer. The sound quality and sound control are stellar IMO.

Speakers. I need new ones. This was the only part of the system not upgraded. I put some marine JVCs in when I bought it and they are done. Tower has a set of Spektrum Audio 6x9s. Eh, they're OK, but I'm still looking at going all MB Quart throughtout the boat.

Razzman

11-07-2006, 05:33 PM

I keep going back and looking at the Pioneers, the price sure looks good. Which unit did you go with?

Coach

11-07-2006, 06:03 PM

I have used Pioneer like I have said, but am currently and staying with Alpine. They have the best I-pod controler out there at the time being. The Pioneer controler was not bad but slow. I am running the AlpineCDA-9857 on the new boat.

As for Subs Dog hit it on the head. I was running a Crossfire 10 with a crossfire 404 (400 x 4) ) running 4-5.25 and the sub and the sub was thumping. If I ran a single mono to the the same 10 it would have been insane. Crossfire makes some of the best stuff out there.

spharis

11-07-2006, 06:20 PM

I picked up an RFX9220M.....that plays mp3s on ebay for $120 or so. Also grabbed a wired remote for it. If you hold out and watch ebay, i see these on there occasionally. Mine was missing the trim ring, Rockford sent me another for free! Not many marine radios will play mp3s from a cdr....if I were going with a non-marine, I would look at the JVC EXADs as they can play mp3's from a DVD.....nice to have 4GB of music on a dvd in the drive. i have this feature on the Head Unit in my truck , RAVDVD2, and it is awesome.....i rarely use my player because its easier to just use the disc, and the cost of the adapters.

This unit also has the fancy clock, and a built in voltmeter alarm that warns 10V. Other marine specific features.

If I ever get time to do the install, I'll post some pics. I am still amp shopping. Hard to find exactly what I want.

http://www.lightav.com/car/rf/RFX9220M.jpg
http://www.marineworksaudio.com/webpics/rockford/rfrfxmr1.jpg

spharis

11-07-2006, 06:39 PM

Any pioneer HU with a wired remote input can use these marine remote.....

http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2005/130/h130CDMR70-f.jpeghttp://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2005/130/h130CDMR80-f.jpeg

I like this one....
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-K26R5l7ua2s/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&i=130DEHP680
notice the front panel mini aux input for players......

Moki

11-08-2006, 04:05 AM

Spharis,
I always enjoy reading your posts. You are a fountain of knowledge. That is a pretty sweet system you have put together. In addition to Ebay, I have found some pretty good deals on Ubid.com. Although it is hit and miss. I got a Sony head (I know you're not too fond of Sony) and a Digital Audio Amp from there for a good price. I still need to get a sub and an amp for the sub yet and another amp for my boat speakers. I will probably use the Digital Audio amp for my tower speakers.

DA3200 Specifications:

PWM MOSFET Power Supply
1/2/3 Channel Operation
THD: <0.02%
S/N Ratio: >100dB
Chrome Plated Finish
Red High Gloss Red Anodized Heat Sink
Fuse: 40A X 2
3-way Protection Circuitry
Thermal, Short & Overload
Low Pass Crossover: 50-120 Hz, 18 dB/octave
0dB-18dB Bass Boost
Cooling Fan
Double Sided Circuit Board
Red Circuit Board Illumination
Dim: 10.4" W X 2.4" H X 16.9" D
DA3200 RMS POWER RATING:

300 Watts x 2 @ 4 ohms
420 Watts x 2 @ 2 ohms
840 Watts x 1 @ 4 Ohms

PS I just bought some infinity speaker for my boat, but couldn't pass up that deal on the Rockford Fosgate and bought 4 of those.

Moki

11-08-2006, 04:41 AM

Spharis,
One more question. Where are you mounting your tweeter on the rockford fosgate component speakers?

spharis

11-08-2006, 02:56 PM

Originally posted by Moki
300 Watts x 2 @ 4 ohms
420 Watts x 2 @ 2 ohms
840 Watts x 1 @ 4 Ohms

PS I just bought some infinity speaker for my boat, but couldn't pass up that deal on the Rockford Fosgate and bought 4 of those.
Thanks!

Nice buy on those Rockfords.....I really think they are a nice set at a super sweet price. Rockford sells all the old season stuff on ebay un der that username. You can get some good deals on install kits too, but those are a dime a dozen on ebay.

That amp has crazy power. You could definiately run a good 2 channel setup off that thing, or a 2 channel with a mild sub.

I have been rethinking and may end up going with a 4 channel Clarion APX-480M for my power. It should drive 2 sets of comps per channel, and bridge the rear for the sub.
It does 115W @ 2ohm for the front channels, and the back will do 230W @ 4ohm.....so I can put both sets of comps on a channel wired to 2 ohm and have 57.5 watts on each set.....It will not quite be RMS, but I am hoping the amp will be a little underrated. Then the sub gets bridged to 4 ohm for 230 watts.

As far as the comps go, the Tige' will be going under the knife to put the tweeters in. I am going to cut mouning holes for the tweeters an a typical satellite setup. The tweeters are flush mount with an inverted grill, so they do not poke out.

spharis

11-08-2006, 03:03 PM

Look what just got listed....
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rockford-Fosgate-RFX9220M-Car-Stereo-CD-Player_W0QQitemZ320046600718QQihZ011QQcategoryZ329 3QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If you buy it, just send it back in to Rockford for repair. They will refirb it back to new condition. I am going to watch this bid, so let me know if you are bidding that way I won't counter bid you!

I wouldn't go over $75-$80 because of the non functional condition.

dogbert

11-08-2006, 03:13 PM

Ok, so I considered myself an audiophile, but you guys clearly take the definition to a whole new level.

So, currently my tower speakers are from Monster (single barrel w/ Tantrum drivers...ok, so they're really an MB Quart private label). They're rated at 60W RMS (180W Peak) at 4Ohms. The amp driving them is a Kenwood KAC-7202 2 channel amp rated at 150W RMS per channel @ 4Ohm and 230W per channel @ 2 Ohm.

So if I add a second set of speakers on the tower, will that essentially double the decibels that what I currently have (assuming I wire them in parallel)?

Moki

11-08-2006, 04:47 PM

Originally posted by spharis
Look what just got listed....
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rockford-Fosgate-RFX9220M-Car-Stereo-CD-Player_W0QQitemZ320046600718QQihZ011QQcategoryZ329 3QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If you buy it, just send it back in to Rockford for repair. They will refirb it back to new condition. I am going to watch this bid, so let me know if you are bidding that way I won't counter bid you!

I wouldn't go over $75-$80 because of the non functional condition.

I saw this last night, but was scared away due to the non functioning condition. So, are you saying that Rockford Fosgate will refurbish it for free or for a low price? Did you see the Marine Radio with 6 disc changer for $155? What do you think of that unit?

I am interested in seeing some pics where you cut your holes for your tweeter when you do it.

Here is a link to a sub and an amp that I am bidding on at Ubid:

http://www.ubid.com/Actn/Opn/getpage.asp?AuctionId=10827925

The 15 inch may be overkill and I don't think that I will win it at the price I am willing to pay

Here is the amp:

http://www.ubid.com/Actn/Opn/getpage.asp?AuctionId=10829618

(Don't outbid me:D ) Once again, I don't know if I will be willing to pay what this may go for.

Razzman

11-08-2006, 05:07 PM

Moki

11-08-2006, 05:23 PM

Originally posted by dogbert
Ok, so I considered myself an audiophile, but you guys clearly take the definition to a whole new level.

So, currently my tower speakers are from Monster (single barrel w/ Tantrum drivers...ok, so they're really an MB Quart private label). They're rated at 60W RMS (180W Peak) at 4Ohms. The amp driving them is a Kenwood KAC-7202 2 channel amp rated at 150W RMS per channel @ 4Ohm and 230W per channel @ 2 Ohm.

So if I add a second set of speakers on the tower, will that essentially double the decibels that what I currently have (assuming I wire them in parallel)?

Dogbert,
It sounds like you have a nice system as well. Why are you adding additional speakers? Are the two monsters not loud enough. My understanding is that if you add additional speakers and wire them in parrallel that you are going to cut your ohms in half to each speaker which will create more watts from your amplifier, but it appears that your amplifier will handle the lower Ohms and additional watts required, so you should double your decibles. The question is will your speakers be able to handle the lower Ohms and higher watts.

However, I am going to let Spharis have the last word, because he appears to be a Zen Master of audio.

Speakers - Parallel Wiring; In Phase

4 ohm loads - total load = 2 ohms

formula stolen from a website:

The impedance decreases. The equation is
Total Load = (S1 x S2) / (S1 + S2)
Where:
S1 = the impedance of Speaker load # 1
S2 = the impedance of Speaker load # 2

Another was to define this is:
1/Total Load = 1/S1 + 1/S2

dogbert

11-08-2006, 05:37 PM

Originally posted by Moki
Why are you adding additional speakers? Are the two monsters not loud enough.

Because I can :D Yes, the speakers are pretty darn loud, but I have to crank down the bass to get them that way. My hope is that I'd be taxing the speakers less because I don't have to push them as far and get better sound.

Moki

11-08-2006, 06:00 PM

If the bass is causing your speakers to distort at loud volumes. You may want to consider adding a high pass filter to your tower speakers and let the sub provide the bass. Also, add a low pass filter to your bass, so the sub is not trying to reproduce the high frequencies. This will take a strain off both your tower speakers and sub.

Make sense?

Here's a good article that explains more:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Car-Audio-Crossovers:-Why-You-Cant-Do-Without-Them&id=74801

dogbert

11-08-2006, 06:33 PM

Originally posted by Moki
If the bass is causing your speakers to distort at loud volumes. You may want to consider adding a high pass filter to your tower speakers and let the sub provide the bass. Also, add a low pass filter to your bass, so the sub is not trying to reproduce the high frequencies. This will take a strain off both your tower speakers and sub.

Make sense?

Yes it does, but that's not the issue. It's not really distortion that's the problem. I have high-low pass filters already. It's more a matter of not taxing the speakers as much when we have it cranked up. Don't get me wrong, I can crank them and turn up the bass if I want to and it all sounds great, but I know it's hard on the speakers. When I'm out boarding with my kids, I'll be driving around for several hours. With an additional pair, I can get equal or more volume without taxing each speaker as much. Hopefully it will last longer and it gives the rider a better listening experience.

Moki

11-08-2006, 06:57 PM

I understand. I think you are heading down the right direction with your original plan. The additional speakers should do a better job of projecting your music. I would imagine that your speakers will handle being ran in parallel with your current amp, but if you want to be safe you may want to check with either Monster or MB Quart to be sure.

E-mail: info@mbquart.de

Graham Morris

11-08-2006, 07:00 PM

Remember decibels is log scale
You need to double your output to move up one log scale notice a differance. Ie the ear can hear the differance between 400w and 800w not 400 and 600 at max out put. The normal reason for a lot more grunt is you can use the grunt with out 5% distortion. Remember when you parallel speakers you double the current from the amp and not all can handle it. Feel a real hi fi amp and feel the weight of an amp to handle the current developed, to not only handle the initial push which gives you the watts but the return current which gives you the crisp clear note ( holds the cone firm on its return journey). My 700 watt per channel boat amp iss 10kg but my 500 watt per channel home stereo amp weighs 45kg.

spharis

11-09-2006, 01:50 AM

Originally posted by Moki I saw this last night, but was scared away due to the non functioning condition. So, are you saying that Rockford Fosgate will refurbish it for free or for a low price? Did you see the Marine Radio with 6 disc changer for $155? What do you think of that unit?

I am interested in seeing some pics where you cut your holes for your tweeter when you do it. If it is a common problem sometimes they repair for free. They will usually charge though, but they will quote you a price over the phone. Call them to get an estimate before you bid. I sent a T212 driver in with a broken spider, and they fixed free and paid the return shipping 65lbs.
Originally posted by dogbert Ok, so I considered myself an audiophile, but you guys clearly take the definition to a whole new level.

So, currently my tower speakers are from Monster (single barrel w/ Tantrum drivers...ok, so they're really an MB Quart private label). They're rated at 60W RMS (180W Peak) at 4Ohms. The amp driving them is a Kenwood KAC-7202 2 channel amp rated at 150W RMS per channel @ 4Ohm and 230W per channel @ 2 Ohm.

So if I add a second set of speakers on the tower, will that essentially double the decibels that what I currently have (assuming I wire them in parallel)? If you short positive to positive and negative to negative, you are providing 2 paths for the signal to travel across. Both paths are 4 ohm, the source only sees 2 paths, and splits the impedence, or makig the amp more efficient. An amp can be made as efficient as you want however the internals are only stable at certain impedance.....indicated by the manufacturer.

Since that amp is stable at 2 ohm, you would be fine doing this as far as the amp, however the total power is splt between the available drivers. So each channel has 230W....each driver gets half. This would be over the recommended RMS for your drivers. Turning down the gain does not solve this either. An amp always put out the rated power.....it the amount of signal that makes the music louder.

You are currently overdriving those. Is that rating on the amp RMS or peak? If it is RMS then you are way overpowering them. You want to try to match the RMS as close as possible. Peak only happens when you get hits like snare drums or poppy bass. Most drivers can handle brief exposure to peaks, but constantly peaking them will wear them out.....

Originally posted by Moki If the bass is causing your speakers to distort at loud volumes. You may want to consider adding a high pass filter to your tower speakers and let the sub provide the bass. Also, add a low pass filter to your bass, so the sub is not trying to reproduce the high frequencies. This will take a strain off both your tower speakers and sub.
I can post a tutorial on how to properly set gains if anyone is interested. This will prevent any problems of clipping, which is what you are describing. This is unrelated to overdriving a driver.

Jeff T

11-09-2006, 02:06 AM

[i]
I can post a tutorial on how to properly set gains if anyone is interested. This will prevent any problems of clipping, which is what you are describing. This is unrelated to overdriving a driver. [/B]

I would be interested.

spharis

11-09-2006, 02:38 AM

Gain setting tutorial:
First a brief explanation of gain adjustment. One problem many people make with a gain is that it is a "volume" knob. It of course is not. It is a way to match the head unit output RCA output power to an acceptable level for the amplifier, so that signal is at an opimum level when passing through the driver. Many radios have 3+, 5+, 1.5+ etc voltage. The gain sets this for the amp.

Tools you need......
1. A multimeter that can display AC voltage

2. A tone cd with tones in the ranges you play....
I usually use 40Hz for sub channels and 800Hz - 1400Hz or so for my mids and highs. If you have your highs on a channel, you can use 18000Hz+ for them. I can make tones for anyone who needs them. Just ask :)

Figure out what voltage you need to have on each channel using the manf. specs:
Ohms law regarding voltage
volts = sq.root of watts x ohms

So if your amp is rated to 200 watts @ 2 ohms, then you want to have 20 volts leaving the speaker terminals.
200x2=400.....sq root of 400 = 20 volts......

To setup......
1a. Turn the amp gain all the way down.

1. Put the tone cd in and set it to loop on the track, unless you have a length track.

2. Unplug at least one side of your speaker output.

3. Turn the headunit up to about 3/4 volume, this is a safe zone for most head units.....higher will result in the HU clipping the signal before it even gets to the amp.

4. Take a reading on the amp terminals in volts.....

5. Adjust the gain until it falls into the previously configured formula.

Repeat for the other inputs.

Once it is all done, hook all the speakers back up , and then adjust the levels for the speakers playing to loudly by turning them down....you do not want to turn up any gains as they are already at max.

spharis

11-09-2006, 02:49 AM

A poor mans way of setting the gains is to turn the head unit 3/4.......then start turning up the gain from 0......when the music starts to distort, turn the gain down a little until it stops. The 3/4 is the mac volume you want to go to here as well.

Moki

11-18-2006, 05:42 AM

Spharis,
I have decided to go with all Eclipse amps on my boat due them being based on the icepower technology that gives great audio quality at less energy--meaning less heat in the amp and longer battery life on the boat. I believe the Alpine amps are using this as well. Bought my wired remote, still bidding on a rockford fosgate head unit.

http://www.icepower.bang-olufsen.com/sw1773.asp

Dogbert,
The answer to getting loud music out to the rider while only running at 1/2 volume is to put your MB quarts in your boat:eek: and get a tower speaker that is based on HCLD. Currently, only NVS, Wetsounds, and Rubicon use this setup. There is an exhaustive and I do mean exhaustive discusson on wakeworld about it.

dogbert

06-12-2007, 03:45 PM

BTW, I was talking to the guys at Monster Tower and they hooked me up with an extra set of speakers with the Tantrum drivers. I'm cranking it up way less and there's a ton more sound. My kids are actually telling me it's too loud (not sure that's possible, but there's no whining about volume levels any more)!

Thanks for all the advice guys!

BTW, I added a Monster Surfboard rack as well. It holds some of the bigger boards really well and seems to work for our kneeboard as well. :ro:

Moki

06-12-2007, 04:31 PM

Sounds like your Tige is pretty much "pimped out"! Just need a Monster calendar girl to complete her. Of course, this means that you are going to have to bring your boat the Lake Mead Reunion to join in the stereo sound off with Dom and I.

dogbert

06-12-2007, 04:48 PM

No luck getting one of the Monster girls in my boat, but my boys were pretty excited about the calendars they sent with my speakers :D

Ruune

06-12-2007, 05:14 PM

The only Polk speakers that are rated for Marine are the DB series.

I beg to differ- the MOMO series are marine rated. The will require more power than the DB series, and they'll cost a bit more.

Stay away from visonik... like spharis said, you get what you pay for.
I'd also stay away from Sony's Xplod series. I wish they never had cut out there "Mobile ES" series. IMHO Xplod is all "show" and no "go."

As far as subs and components, I only use Alpine, JL audio, or Polk. The polk Momo Subs are good for SQL, but you want a lot of SPL in a boat. A single 12w3 from JL will do nicely. Kicker Solobaric also push a lot of air and will give you a good thump.

Amps- Again Alpine or JL. I use some older fosgate amps, but I've found that Alpine and JL are the most efficient. There are others, and as stated before, you get what you pay for.

Just ask Bam-Bam!
http://www.widemag.com/images/MODELS/Model_BreanneAshley/IMG_8388.jpg