My new stereo upgrade

[06yfzduner]

What do you guys think about this.
Polk MM651UM Cabin Speakers with JL M600/6 amp.
Kicker KM6500.2 Tower Speakers and Kicker L7 10" sub with a JL M700/5 amp running all that.
Adding a perko switch and 2 new batteries too and ripping all the old stereo wiring out.
Does any one have any expeirence with a level control or think it is necessary?
I'm going to build my own box for the L7 any suggestions on water resistant material or coatings for wood.

Pictures to come.

[New Guy]

Sounds awesome. Pretty similar to what I am running.

MM651's powered by 750.5 with a 10" L5 and the "six pack" 6500.2 powered with a 650.4

I would definitely run some sort of level control. ( new exile) I have the Krypt but I haven't been out on the water to crank it up yet.

[ian ashton]

The Kicker dual zone control works nice too for independently controlling the level of tower and cabin speakers.


I would (and did) build the sub box out of a hardwood like birch, then coat it with fiberglass resign and then for added protection you can spray some truck bed liner on it. That is exactly how I built the enclosure for my L7s.

I would not use MDF or particle board - regardless of how much resin and/or coating you use, water will find its way in and destroy the box. My last box was MDF and swelled up and was just nasty after 2 seasons.

[MLA]

What do you guys think about this.
Polk MM651UM Cabin Speakers with JL M600/6 amp.
Kicker KM6500.2 Tower Speakers and Kicker L7 10" sub with a JL M700/5 amp running all that.
Adding a perko switch and 2 new batteries too and ripping all the old stereo wiring out.
Does any one have any expeirence with a level control or think it is necessary?
I'm going to build my own box for the L7 any suggestions on water resistant material or coatings for wood.

Pictures to come.

What gear do you already have on hand? The reason I ask is because a couple of things jump out at me.

1) The Kicker L7 series are real slammers, but they perform best in a vented enclosure and this can take quite a bit of valuable space. Do you have space to do a proper enclosure.
2) The L7's, well, lest just say baby got back! They are a big sub with lots of mass. It take a lot of power to control this sub effectively. This is one of the reasons why these series subs need a large enclosure. The basket and magnet takes up some of that gross internal volume.
3) I would like to see this sub powered in the 600-800 watts rms range. The sub chnl on the JL M700/5 only delivers 300W rms @ 2 ohm. If you are set on this amp, the L3-10 would be a closer match.

For the KM6500.2 running bridged on the M700/5, they would deliver 180W rms. That good power.

The Kicker ZXM-RLC is a very simple yet effective zone controller. Couple it with a sub controller and you have 3 zones.

Just an FYI, have you checked out the new IX line from Kicker? Full-range Class-D efficiency, small footprint. Mono, 2 chnl, 4 chnl and 5-chnl models available.

[06yfzduner]

I have read about the birch wood just wasnt sure about the resin/coating. I have 3 ballast bags in the factory positions but i plan on building a box to go under the drivers helm. I think there is plenty of room for it to go there. I may add another amp just for the sub later on. I went with the JL amp over the kicker 5 channel amp for more power to the tower speakers. I am going to check out the Kicker zone controller for sure. I have a buddy that is a Kicker dealer that hooked it up on the speakers im sure i could get the zone controller from him too.

[MLA]

Which Kicker 5 chnl, the zxm700.5 or the IX1000.5? The JL M700/5 will deliver 200W x 2 @ 14.4V and 300W x 1 @ 14.4V w/a 2 ohm load. The Kicker ZXM700.5 will deliver 165W x 2 @ 14.4V and 420W x 1 @ 14.4 w/a 2 ohm load.

A little more head-room to the tower speakers, but nothing seat-of-the-pants volume wise. The JL is about 30% less on the sub chnl then the Kicker. This could be a noticeable difference depending on sub, enclosure and location/orientation
The real benefit is the full-range Class-D of the JL, where the ZXM-700.5 is Class-A/B.

The Kicker IX1000.5 5 chnl amp would deliver 250W x 2 and 500W x 1 to a 2 ohm sub. Price wise, its in line with the JL I believe, and is also full-range Class-D.

[ian ashton]

Did I read this right - You are going to put your sub in the ski locker? I wouldn't expect that to sound very well without some sort of vent into the cabin.


I ran a single and then pair of Kicker 10" L7s on the subwoofer channel of a Kicker ZX700.5 and it sounded great, that was in a sealed box. I switched to a Kicker ZX1000.1 and vented enclosure (fairly small, see my build thread) and it sounds phenomenal - much louder than I need, I had to dial the gain waaay down.

[Clamcakes]

I'm swapped out my factory kickers for the Polk UM651s and they sound great. I'm running them with a Kicker IX500.4. I'm running a IX1000.1 to a Kicker CVX 12" sub. This combo slams.

[06yfzduner]

The zxm 700.5 . I have not looked at the IX1000.5 but I will since I have not ordered the the second amp yet. The sub will go under the drivers helm in front of my feet.

[Clamcakes]

Bought most of my gear from sonicelectronix.com. check them out, they have great prices

[06yfzduner]

That is where I plan on buying my amp, since my buddy in McKinney isnt a JL dealer

[EarmarkMarine]

Just keep in mind that when you purchase product from an unauthorized dealer you have no warranty at all. The serial numbers have usually been altered to hide their sources. You may want to call JL Audio directly to confirm this. If you want to shoulder the risk in exchange for the savings and you are properly informed then no one can argue with it. It's solely your decision. The other thing is that authorized dealers are often bound by adhering to the manufacturers' Minimum Advertised Price guidelines. That doesn't mean that JL Audio dealers across the nation only sell at the M.A.P. pricing. They just list at M.A.P. So the price differential may not be as large as you think. I can't speak for all retailers but I would recommend that you check in with your local dealer. I think 99 percent of them will be above an unauthorized dealer but well below M.A.P. Just something to consider.

David
Earmark Marine

[dusty2221]

Duner, where are you located?

[06yfzduner]

Earmark thanks for the heads up. I live in andrews, tx

[EarmarkMarine]

No prob. Just hate to see anyone forfeit a 3-Year warranty.

David
Earmark Marine

[06yfzduner]

14006

Here is my wiring set up so far, let me know if i need to change anything

[matt75]

I would wire the stereo power to the common on your perko

[Clamcakes]

Duner Earmark in Lewisville sells JL Audio. Run in there sometime and check out their tower speaker setup

[wolfeman131]

Bring some cash or your credit card! They have an awesome shop and you're bound to buy something.

[06yfzduner]

I will have to do that next time im in the dfw area. After i posted the diagram i realized i should have hooked the amps to the common post