Thoughts on stereo install

[loc82]

After spending some time reading up on different setups and listening to displays of different brands, I've narrowed it down to the following set up for what will work best for me. I would appreciate any input you all might have or anything I should be concerned about.

1 pair JL M880 LED towers (125W 4ohm) Recommended on JL site 125w-200w continuous power.

6- JL MX650 LED 6.5 coaxial (60w 4 Ohm) Recommended on JL site 75w-100w continuous power.

1- 12 in Wetsounds XXXv2 in a custom box 1000w RMS @2ohms

AMPS:
JL Audio M1000/1V2 1000wx1 @2 ohms For the subwoofer

JL Audio M800/8v2 200w x 2 bridged for the M880 towers and 100w x 4 for the tower speakers and 4 of the MX650's

the remaining two bow MX650's will run off the head unit.

[dusty2221]

why the WS sub with all of the other being JL?

[KG's Supra24]

Why a Wetsounds sub when all the other equip is JL?

On the JL M800 ... the towers will use 4 channels? Leaving 4 channels open for in boat? What about each bow speaker on a channel for 75w each and then the cockpit speakers wired to a 2 ohm load for 50w to each speaker, eliminating the head unit power?

[loc82]

why the WS sub with all of the other being JL?

I listened to this sub in a display and for my preference in music it sounded the best. I compared it to two 12 in JL W6 and a 10 in JLW7. I listen to mostly rap and trap music so I want a sub that slams

[loc82]

Why a Wetsounds sub when all the other equip is JL?

On the JL M800 ... the towers will use 4 channels? Leaving 4 channels open for in boat? What about each bow speaker on a channel for 75w each and then the cockpit speakers wired to a 2 ohm load for 50w to each speaker, eliminating the head unit power?

Wouldn't that leave the cockpit speakers underpowered? I'm new to understanding all of this so bear with me

[sandm]

jl 12w6 all day. one of the best all around subs out there. in a proper box, you will not be disappointed..

[KG's Supra24]

They could take more power but I don't think they would be hurt by only getting 50w.

I think a 3 amp setup is more ideal to power all the speakers to their full potential but it seems you can get away with those 2 at a quick glance.

Someone with more knowledge of newer head units will have to chime in. They used to be way over rated for the actual power they put out. My thinking was that 50w from the JL amp is better than whatever wattage comes from the head unit.

With the cockpit speakers together, you typically see those running the 2 ohm load, so the bow can take as much power as possible, since it's all alone.

JL w6 was my first thought on the sub. But if you compared ... that's your call. I'd assure yourself that the comparison was fair .... both boxed correctly, both receiving proper power, etc. If you want thump, I'd def look at ported boxes.

[KG's Supra24]

Looking up specs on the sub setup ....

The XXX is a dual 2 ohm sub. The JL is rated at 1000w x 1 at 2ohm and 600w at 4ohms. I'm not sure that jives? I THINK you are going to need 2 channels at 2 ohms or one large 4 ohm channel.

I'm running an SD2 to the XXX. Bridged 1250 watts at 4 ohm.

[loc82]

would you recommend staying away from an infinite baffle set up then? I suppose I could take another listen to the JL W6. the one 12 WS xxx sounded amazing compared to two 12 JLW6's.

[KG's Supra24]

None of the subs mentioned are infinite baffle. If you want thump, I'd def stay away from IB.

[loc82]

I was just asking because I considered the JL M12IB6 but was skeptical of the IB design.

[KG's Supra24]

Seems like it would be a big step down if you are considering 1000w subs.

[loc82]

Seems like it would be a big step down if you are considering 1000w subs.

That was my starting point

[KG's Supra24]

That was my starting point

Well you leaped up!! Double check me but I don't think your sub amp is ideal for the XXX. The JLw6 might line up better since it's dual 4 ohm?

[loc82]

does it seem like I'd be getting my money's worth with this set up at roughly 4k. Or should I go back to the drawing board?

[sivs1]

does it seem like I'd be getting my money's worth with this set up at roughly 4k. Or should I go back to the drawing board?

if you're questioning it, then you're probably not IMHO. 4k is good coin to drop on a stereo one would hope after the install you don't feel like you overpaid.

[jmvotto]

don't use the Hu amp for anything in that setup.

[KG's Supra24]

My initial instinct ....

1. Not sure you will realize much benefit with the JL's in boat over the factory Kicker if you are not driving them with full power.
2. I'm always gonna say you should strongly consider the Rev10 on the tower. It's such a dang good speaker.
3. If you listen to rap and want thump, I'd zero in on the larger subwoofers and a ported box. JLw6, XXX, etc.

On the sub, a JLw6 could probably work off the 5-6 channels of a 6 channel amp. The XXX is going to want more power.

[loc82]

if you're questioning it, then you're probably not IMHO. 4k is good coin to drop on a stereo one would hope after the install you don't feel like you overpaid.

luckily that's not the case. I haven't pulled the trigger yet or listened to the set up to be disappointed.

[loc82]

don't use the Hu amp for anything in that setup.

I will keep that in mind. The tech was throwing out different options on how to power the 6 speakers

[loc82]

could i use the kicker kx200.2 that's in there now for the two bow speakers.

[MLA]

Loc82,

DO you have a trusted, credible marine audio shop local to you that you are intending to purchase the quality wet sounds and JL from? I dont mean to be critical, but I do mean to be direct and to the point. You have some glaring holes/gaps and over sights in the amp wattage and speaker and amp pairings.

I highly suggest you seek the advice of the shop thats going to score this killer system. otherwise, I think you are going to be less than impressed. This typically leads to blaming the gear.

[loc82]

Loc82,

DO you have a trusted, credible marine audio shop local to you that you are intending to purchase the quality wet sounds and JL from? I dont mean to be critical, but I do mean to be direct and to the point. You have some glaring holes/gaps and over sights in the amp wattage and speaker and amp pairings.

I highly suggest you seek the advice of the shop thats going to score this killer system. otherwise, I think you are going to be less than impressed. This typically leads to blaming the gear.
I appreciate the fact that everyone is direct and to the point. This is all new to me and I know from reading on the forum you guys know a hell of a lot more about this stuff than I do. Knowing that you guys wouldn't do something on your own boats helps me make decisions. TBH the shop I went to is a JL dealer and they have done many boats with satisfied customers. I have never done business there and I'm not opposed to going somewhere else that will help me get to where I want to be. I don't want to say cost isn't an issue but my main concern is getting it right the first time and I'm willing to pay for that quality.

[KG's Supra24]

Is there a zone you want extra emphasis in? Sounds like possibly the sub?

Are you against a 3 amp setup?

Have you decided you for sure want a coaxial speaker on the tower?

Is the ballpark budget for gear around 4k? Is a local shop going to build a box and do the install?

[loc82]

Is there a zone you want extra emphasis in? Sounds like possibly the sub?

Are you against a 3 amp setup?

Have you decided you for sure want a coaxial speaker on the tower?

Is the ballpark budget for gear around 4k? Is a local shop going to build a box and do the install?

I just want an overall great sounding system. I'm not a bass head by any means. I think if I had to chose I would say emphasis on sound quality over anything else.

I am not against a 3 amp set up. If that is what's necessary to get the most out of this set up I'm all for it

I listened to the Rev 8's vs the JL 7.7's and I felt like the JL's were more musical. I chose the 8.8's because they were bigger and had good reviews. We will mostly be surfing so getting music back 75ft isn't a priority nor is being the loudest on the lake.

The budget is right around 4k give or take. I was thinking way less initially but the more i looked the more I wanted. This particular shop will build the box and do the install.

[loc82]

JL Audio M800/8v2 200w x 2 bridged for the M880 towers and 100w x 4 for the tower speakers and 4 of the MX650's

the remaining two bow MX650's will run off the head unit.

i thinks the confusion is because i screwed up my original post. it should read

JL Audio M800/8v2 200w x 2 bridged for the M880 tower speakers and 100w x 4 for the (4) MX650 cabin speakers

Does that make more sense?? I've been at work 9 hours and I have 7 more to go:confused:

[russellsmojo]

i thinks the confusion is because i screwed up my original post. it should read

JL Audio M800/8v2 200w x 2 bridged for the M880 tower speakers and 100w x 4 for the (4) MX650 cabin speakers

Does that make more sense?? I've been at work 9 hours and I have 7 more to go:confused:

This does help but You need 3 amps for what you are doing. Outside of sub this is my exact factory setup. You need one 800 bridged on the towers ( these sound great). One amp could be smaller on the cabins but they would love 100w each and sound great. Look at m600v6. third amp on sub.

I really like my system outside of my sub. Go three amps and jl w6 ported sub. You will jam.


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[loc82]

My main reason for not considering the JL W6 is that it isn't marine rated. Any thoughts on that? I guess a JL W6 would make my life easier and may save me some money

[MLA]

I listened to the Rev 8's vs the JL 7.7's and I felt like the JL's were more musical

As expected as this is an apples to oranges comparison. Compare the rev-8 and icon-8 for a similar outcome. Like a 1/2 ton truck ride compared to a Caddy sedan ride. What are your tower speaker goals, wake range projection or near field sound quality?


My main reason for not considering the JL W6 is that it isn't marine rated

The 12W6 and Wet Sounds XXX are again, an apples to oranges comparison. The XS-XXX12 V2 is in an entirely different power handling and output class then the 12W6. Both great woofers, just not on the same level.

The lack of a "marine" rating on the W6 is the last reason I would discount it. Its well suited for a freshwater trailer boat.

[loc82]

As expected as this is an apples to oranges comparison. Compare the rev-8 and icon-8 for a similar outcome. Like a 1/2 ton truck ride compared to a Caddy sedan ride. What are your tower speaker goals, wake range projection or near field sound quality?



The 12W6 and Wet Sounds XXX are again, an apples to oranges comparison. The XS-XXX12 V2 is in an entirely different power handling and output class then the 12W6. Both great woofers, just not on the same level.

The lack of a "marine" rating on the W6 is the last reason I would discount it. Its well suited for a freshwater trailer boat.

i feel like a young Jedi being schooled by Yoda when you respond lmao. thank you though for clearing that up

[loc82]

What are your tower speaker goals, wake range projection or near field sound quality?.
near field quality. I won't be doing much wakeboarding initially. My kids will but they don't care about the music just yet

[russellsmojo]

Did you consider exile?[emoji15]


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[loc82]

Did you consider exile?[emoji15]


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I haven't. I don't know much about Exile and narrowed it down to WS and JL based on the amount of discussion I've come across online on different forums

[MLA]

i feel like a young Jedi being schooled by Yoda when you respond lmao. thank you though for clearing that up

Schooling, ive not yet begun :cool:

[MLA]

1 pair JL M880 LED towers (125W 4ohm) Recommended on JL site 125w-200w continuous power.

6- JL MX650 LED 6.5 coaxial (60w 4 Ohm) Recommended on JL site 75w-100w continuous power.

1- 12 in Wetsounds XXXv2 in a custom box 1000w RMS @2ohms

By themselves, top notch products here.


JL Audio M1000/1V2 1000wx1 @2 ohms For the subwoofer

JL Audio M800/8v2 200w x 2 bridged for the M880 towers and 100w x 4 for the tower speakers and 4 of the MX650's

the remaining two bow MX650's will run off the head unit.

Paired with these amps is where the red flags start to pop up.

As note, the Wet Sounds XXX is a 2 ohm DVC, so its only going to be a 1 ohm or a 4 ohm woofer. So the only safe config for the 1000/1 would be @ 4 ohm, netting 600W rms to the XXX. about 1/2 of what it deserves. I would suggest the JL MHD1200/1 or the new Kicker KXMA1200.1.

with a pair of speaker bridged on 4 chnls of an 800/8, this leaves 4 chls remaining. Four 4 ohms speakers would be 75W rms, not 100W. Not a real audible difference, but a difference none the less.


the remaining two bow MX650's will run off the head unit.

I would not put any in-boats on the head unit. With a woofer like the XXX power to its potential, you are going to need all the mid-range you can muster.

I would consider more speakers, larger speakers and more wattage for sure. I would suggest the Revo-6 and at least 100W rms to each or the JL M series. Amp wise, the Wet Sounds HTX-6 or Syn-DX4.

This leaves a proper amp for the tower pods. The HTX-4 in 2 chnl mode = 300W rms potential.

Moomba boats wont support an IB woofer. Doesnt have anything to do with thump.

[KG's Supra24]

Tons of options. It may help breaking it down into zones. Rough outline ....

Subwoofer:
Level 1: JLw6 or WS xs12 (600 watt range)
Level 2: WS XXX or JLw7 (1200 watt range)

Interiors:
Level 1: Maintain Kicker; give them power (50-75 watt range)
Level 2: JL M650s or WS XS650 (125 watt range)

Towers:
Level 1: JL M880s or WS Icon8's (200-300 watt range)
Level 2: WS Rev10 (300-400 watt range)

There are, of course, many other options at each level. But using the equip that has been mentioned, that's a generic breakdown. The amp selection will be driven by what you are looking for from each zone. You want to push the equip you buy to it's potential or it's a waste. In your original setup, you essentially have Level 1 power for Level 2 speakers.

[loc82]

Tons of options. It may help breaking it down into zones. Rough outline ....

Subwoofer:
Level 1: JLw6 or WS xs12 (600 watt range)
Level 2: WS XXX or JLw7 (1200 watt range)

Interiors:
Level 1: Maintain Kicker; give them power (50-75 watt range)
Level 2: JL M650s or WS XS650 (125 watt range)

Towers:
Level 1: JL M880s or WS Icon8's (200-300 watt range)
Level 2: WS Rev10 (300-400 watt range)

There are, of course, many other options at each level. But using the equip that has been mentioned, that's a generic breakdown. The amp selection will be driven by what you are looking for from each zone. You want to push the equip you buy to it's potential or it's a waste. In your original setup, you essentially have Level 1 power for Level 2 speakers.

KG and MLA you guys are the shit!!! That's what I was hoping to get out of this post. Back to the drawing board.

[jmvotto]

Kyle and Mike.

Great work should someone be checking returns instead of the forum , btw you the brains and dusty the brawn in the bromance of stereos too?:o

[russellsmojo]

Don't forget a wet sounds eq to make it all work!


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[KG's Supra24]

Kyle and Mike.

Great work should someone be checking returns instead of the forum , btw you the brains and dusty the brawn in the bromance of stereos too?:o

hahaha, going back to work

[dusty2221]

I just now crawled out of prospersigmans...all that's left is to clean it out...kg barely let's me come inside for dinner

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[padge]

Don't let them tell you that the jl is superior to the rev 10. It doesn't compare. But jl in boats, will sound amazing with a lot of power. I run a set of rev 10's with a jl 750/1 and it rocks.


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[sandm]

I'll toss in my .02 :)

surfer here and didn't give a rip about wakeboard range nor about being the loudest on the lake...
I chose icon-8's for tower as they were much more musical than the rev series to my ears. JL didn't have a good product in '12/13 as I built the system but if I was replacing the setup today, I would use icon-8's again. I really like them.
in boats are all wetsounds. boat came with 4 and I added 2 more so swapping out the 4 that were there didn't make sense. after having them, I would use ws again in a heartbeat. clean sound.
second boat with a jl 12w6 and I love it. first boat had one in for 5 years with no ill effects. if you install up under the helm, I don't see the value in a marine rated sub but MLA can speak volumes to this. all I know is that there are lots of guys running the 12w6 and 12w7 so it's pretty common.
I did a lot of research on amps for this boat. I had rockford power series in my last boat and 5 years no issues. some guys will push the marine rated boards but IN MY EXPERIENCE I had no issues so I chose Arc audio this go-around. from what I researched, they are the same architecture as ws but without the coated boards. 4 years and no issues.

I did research exile before installing(and am using a zld zone controller as I didn't have a need for the mic on the ws unit) and lots of guys on the moomba forums use their product with good results. their customer service in the past has been equal to ws. I chose to stick with ws on this boat for speakers due to the base stereo already having 4 in-boats and if building another system, I'd probably stick with ws again as they have performed flawlessly.

good luck and MLA(Yoda :) ) will teach you well but you will hear him preach about knowing the shop doing the work. if you are not sure of what you are doing, a reputable shop will make or break the install so shop around..

[loc82]

So I revised the system to a 3 amp set up and opted for the 12JLW6v3.

1 pair M880 towers w/blue LED's powered by JL400/4 bridged 200W rms x 2 channels at 4 ohms JL suggests 125W-250W 200W OK????

6 MX650 w/ blue LED powered by JL600/6 75w rms x 6 channels at 4 ohms JL suggests 15W-100W 75W RMS OK????

1 JL12W6v3 powered by M600/1 600W RMS x 1 channel at 2 ohms The JLW6 is a dual 4 ohm (not sure what that means) JL recommends 200w-600w

This is the recommended set up by the tech at the shop I visited yesterday. Would there be any decline in performance by not being at the top suggested watt range?

I'm getting these numbers straight from the JL brochures. Thanks again for helping a brother out

[loc82]

I also have the option of using a JL12W3 that a friend has in storage from many years ago. He actually has 3 and wants to donate them to the cause for weekly boat rights lol. Keeping that in consideration and factoring in the cost of the new W6 and the amp. Would it work powering the M880 towers and the JL12W3 with the factory Kicker KXM800.5 amp. I think that would give the towers 200W each at 4 ohms and the subwoofer 400W at 2 ohm ( assuming it's the 2 ohm sub)

I would avoid purchasing a JLW6, the JL400/4, and the M600/1. My ultimate goal is a quality sounding system and I'm not entirely sure this would work or qualify as that.

[MLA]

Now you've got some good advice, hopefully they've earned your business.

If I was going to tweak it just a little, Id suggest the M1000/1 for the 12W6 or stick with the M600/1 and go with the 12W3. This gives you just a little more head room.

As much as the KXM800.5 is a capable amp, I would like to see more wattage to either of those woofers than the 800.5 will deliver.

[loc82]

Now you've got some good advice, hopefully they've earned your business.

If I was going to tweak it just a little, Id suggest the M1000/1 for the 12W6 or stick with the M600/1 and go with the 12W3. This gives you just a little more head room.

As much as the KXM800.5 is a capable amp, I would like to see more wattage to either of those woofers than the 800.5 will deliver.

What are the cons of running the W6 at 600w? On the JL site it says anything above 600W would be pushing it and going into voiding the warranty. Are those conservative numbers?

[MLA]

No real cons at all. its just that the W6 series woofers have a bit more to offer in terms of excursion, as compared to the W3. The add wattage aids in woofer control and head room. head room means we get the desired output, with the amp working at a more conservative pace. Like using a 3/4 ton truck to tow a boat thats within the range of a 1/2 truck v's using a 1/2 truck to tow a boat thats at the upper ends of its rating. It will handle it, just works hard to get it down.

[loc82]

No real cons at all. its just that the W6 series woofers have a bit more to offer in terms of excursion, as compared to the W3. The add wattage aids in woofer control and head room. head room means we get the desired output, with the amp working at a more conservative pace. Like using a 3/4 ton truck to tow a boat thats within the range of a 1/2 truck v's using a 1/2 truck to tow a boat thats at the upper ends of its rating. It will handle it, just works hard to get it down.
ok..that makes sense. thanks for your help bud

[loc82]

Does anyone know how they did this with the JL speakers? I've also seen the JL speakers with purple LED's but it can only be purchased with blue LED

https://youtu.be/ukRnP1XdA5c

https://youtu.be/Lhv8H1uuFyo

[KG's Supra24]

Those are RGB lights, opposed to a single color LED. Without investigating, I'd assume people are swapping out the factory LED with their own color or RGB.

RGB will most likely require new wire runs to each location. It will also need some form of controller.

The system above sounds solid. If you are looking for counter arguments .... The factory Kickers, at 75w, would likely deliver similar to the JL. It wouldn't match the look of the rest of the speakers, though. You could "get away with" doing a JL400/4 on the interior speakers if price or amp rack space is an issue. I concur with MLA on the sub wattage. Overall, it looks good, though.