FBT
Scorpio
Boatless
NorCal
Posts: 24
APPD 0.00
Post Rank: 237
99 SkiSanger DLX
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Posted: Oct. 29 2007,8:11 pm |
Post # 2 |
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Your opening a can of worms here, Bud. Stereo stuff is where lots of opinions exist.
I'll share mine with you.
I have always had excellent luck with Pioneer head units, the $300.00 and up units have a great built in Equalizer function in them and a ton of other audio features that are user friendly.
I have 'em in my truck, my Bug, and the boat. Both boys have them in their trucks.
I have an open bow SkiSanger. My favorite mid-high speakers are Boston Acoustics components, I have them in the truck. They are too pricey for a seasonal system like a boat, IMHO.
I like Kicker Amps, and Memphis makes a solid product for the money as well. Kicker Subs, both Solobaric and the Comp series, are a great bang for the buck.
If you just want to upgrade the system in stages, I'd go for a new Pioneer deck with the IPOD plug on the front, and 3 sets of 4 watt preamp outputs.
Then, I'd get a set of Memphis component speakers, mount the mids in the existing holes and the tweeters on your windshield post or some other place at chest level that points them directly at the front seats, protected as much as you can from moisture. The tweets have a metal-like cone in them, and are not as susceptable to moisture as paper. The high notes in music are very directional, and separating them from the mids (your 5-6.5 inch speakers) really adds to the "soundstage" effect.
In the rear, if you have a seating area across the back, I'd put the same speakers but attach the tweets to the center of the mids, which is an option on the fronts as well, but I like the soundstage effect, you will too.
No matter what the box says on any deck out there, you are not going to be happy with the power output of a non-amped system. These decks that are labled "25x4" high output" are okay in a closed enviroment basic system like a car, but won't cut the mustard in a boat.
You need an amplifier. It sounds to me like you would be very happy with a Kicker 4 Ch. 350 watt amp. This will drive the speakers effectively, but not blow away your wallet or your budget. it is also not huge, and is easy to mount.
Don't go cheap on the wire, and the connectors.
You can do lots of research on Crutchfield.com, and get a feel for what is going on.
My boat has the system listed above, plus. Â 
I have the ipod adapter in an older deck.
I have a wred remote to futz with the sound from the drivers seat.
I have a 650x4 Kicker for the speakers, and a 1000 watt Memphis mono amp driving 2 12-inch Kicker Comp VR subs @ 1 ohm, 500 watts each, in a downfiring sealed enclosure that doubles as the rear seat base in the ski boat. It was a custom, one-off build a friend did for me.
I have 3 Optima Blue tops, two driving the boat engine and stereo, and one "hidden" behind a Hellroaring Isloater/Combiner that can come online to start the boat if I drain the other two. The combiner is "smart", and once it senses the two main batterys are charged up, it sends a charge to the isolated battery as well.
Everything but the two main batterys is mounted in the stash hole in front of the observer seat. I don't have a tower, you wouldn't know the system is in the boat unless I crank it up.
I don't crank it when people other than my friends are around, and don't play non-family friendly music. Her454 has been in the boat, she can vouch for how it sounds.
The only thing I'd add is to keep in mind how much air can get to the amp to cool it when decide where to mount it.
I can sedn mine into protect mode, but I am mounting a regular bilge fan in the hole this winter to exchange air.
My system is very basic, but it works for me. There are many, many fancier systems that people alot smarter than me with more $ to spend have built.
The reason I suggest a deck with 3 sets of pre-amp out is in the event you decide to put some bass in the boat you'll want those dedicated subwoofer preamp outs.
Again, don't scrimp on wiring, fusing, and connections, take your time and do it right and you'll be happy. All of this is just one mans opinion, and opinons are like belly buttons; everybody has got one. Listen to other systems in boats like yours and find what you like, then build towards that.
Be very careful when shopping online for stereo stuff. Most of the online folks, other than Crutchfield, are not authorized retailers, and the manufacturers are getting real picky about honoring warranty work on stuff sold online.
There used to be a site called the 12volt.com that had some good basic info...
sorry for the long winded post.
FBT
"CERTIFIED EXPLOSIVES TECHNICIAN"
-If you see me running, try to keep up-
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11-23-2024 Not boat related (Rep.#41) from: GoFastRacer
 
I been out of the loop of stereo equipment for a few years now. Not sure who has good ,decent or crap for equipment (manufacture wise). I knew I was going to get a lot of opinions, I thought I would look at what everyone had to say and go from there. 
I can't get it through her head that an IPOD is a great thing and usefull piece of electronics. 
