Mojo Tower Speakers

I just got my Mojo a couple weeks ago and the tower speakers were just added last week. I had the opportunity to try them out for the first time this weekend and I must say I was very underwhelmed with their performance. The starboard speaker is already exhibiting a defect as it appears the foam around the center of the speaker is loose and is vibrating. Distortion can be heard.

I don't have my boat as it's in the shop getting some other things corrected. I'm assuming that the kicker amp is a KXM 400.2 and that the speakers are the Roswell R6's. When I was looking at the specs, I see the amp is capable of 100 watts RMS at 4 ohms and the speakers are only capable of 75 watts RMS (150W peak) at 4 ohms. It doesn't appear that this is the best match.

Has anyone experienced issues with the stock tower speaker/amp combo? I wouldn't think I should expect product failure on day one of use. Either way, as I stated, I'm not overly impressed with the audio performance on the tower... especailly after investing nearly $70k

It's much better to have extra power from the amp on tap. No issues with the match-up you've got in terms of power and power handling.

I'm sure the dealer will get your speaker fixed and resolve the rattle and distortion, but I am guessing you will still be underwhelmed. Plenty of people on here who have upgraded the factory tower setup in favor of some better aftermarket options. I hear you on the price you paid and expectations, but like with any boat I hope you kept some money in the boat fund for mods and upgrades. :)

Yup, you can get lots of help on here with your aftermarket choices. Rock on!

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Originally Posted by uniwarking

I'm not overly impressed with the audio performance on the tower... especailly after investing nearly $70k

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I get this, but only sort of. You didn't invest $70k in the tower speakers and they didn't come from Skier's Choice. It's like hollering at the Ford dealer b/c the tires suck. In the end, it's a Roswell issue, it's under warranty, so have the dealer fix it.

Better yet, tell the dealer those speakers suck and you want a credit towards some better stuff that you want them to install for FREE due to the hassle.

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Originally Posted by wolfeman131

Better yet, tell the dealer those speakers suck and you want a credit towards some better stuff that you want them to install for FREE due to the hassle.

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.... But keep in mind that the dealer is likely not the ideal location to have audio equipment installed. That's not always the case but seems to be most of the time.

As Dan mentioned, the power specs line up between the amp and speakers. The distortion is likely in the install.

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Originally Posted by KG's Supra24

.... But keep in mind that the dealer is likely not the ideal location to have audio equipment installed. That's not always the case but seems to be most of the time.

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true words above & good call out

Thanks for the input folks.

I know this is a Roswell quality issue, at least on the failed speaker. I also realize I'll probably end up upgrading to better speakers at some point... and probably a bigger amp. I may ask about a credit toward something better but I'm not sure that will be an option.

To the quote about this not being SC's issue I don't really agree. I work for a large (green) agricultural equipment company... our products utilize a large percentage of supplied components... in the end it is our responsibility to deliver a quality product to our customer (and correct issues when they arise).

I believe Roswell will make things right with the speaker; I'm just upset that I have to send in the speaker for evaluation and wait for it to be repaired or replaced. They’ve already been sent a video and have identified it to be defective. I'd be more understanding if I'd been using it for six months as opposed to one day.

The dealer should do the waiting on Roswell ... Can they not just throw another one on there?

That is the request I made when I told them about it last Friday. I've also made that request again today.

keep in mind these things are, for the most part, built by hand and issues are going to arise. I have had several things pop up on my boat(not a moomba) so it's across all the brands.

Wolfe is spot on with the upgrades as well. when you buy a new car, the stereos in most of them suck at best. manufacturers put in what will suite the 90% and the rest upgrade, just like a boat. ask on here how many still have factory stereos or factory ballast and it'll be a staggering number that have replaced part/all of them.
fwiw, I had roswell in my supra and some of my friends thought they sounded great. lasted 1 season and replaced. they were crap imo.

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Originally Posted by KG's Supra24

The dealer should do the waiting on Roswell ... Can they not just throw another one on there?

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I agree it should be the dealer making things right for the end user. But as stated in other threads there is a varied idea of what customer service should really look like among the SC dealers around the country. It's not just SC either as i'm sure all manufacturers have less than par dealers out there??

There is another manufacturer dealer in the same town as the SC dealer and I know that the "other guy" would strip things off a new boat on the lot to ensure that a customer is never NOT on the water. They do everything they can to ensure a customer is taken care of. They won't even do service work on another brand unless it doesn't impair their ability to service their customers. Gotta tell you that that is worth something!!

I hope you have a dealer that is willing to do that for you to ensure your happiness with them, and the New Mojo!
It'll keep you coming back for sure :)

I'm very happy with Moomba and SC as a whole. The Mojo meets our needs, it's awesome. I'm just a little unhappy with a few minor details... Like the tower speaker "upgrade." Defective on day one and you can't hear them while on the rope which I believe is the purpose of having them in the first place...

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Originally Posted by uniwarking

I just got my Mojo a couple weeks ago and the tower speakers were just added last week. I had the opportunity to try them out for the first time this weekend and I must say I was very underwhelmed with their performance. The starboard speaker is already exhibiting a defect as it appears the foam around the center of the speaker is loose and is vibrating. Distortion can be heard.

I don't have my boat as it's in the shop getting some other things corrected. I'm assuming that the kicker amp is a KXM 400.2 and that the speakers are the Roswell R6's. When I was looking at the specs, I see the amp is capable of 100 watts RMS at 4 ohms and the speakers are only capable of 75 watts RMS (150W peak) at 4 ohms. It doesn't appear that this is the best match.

Has anyone experienced issues with the stock tower speaker/amp combo? I wouldn't think I should expect product failure on day one of use. Either way, as I stated, I'm not overly impressed with the audio performance on the tower... especailly after investing nearly $70k

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I would like to address your stereo concerns, if i may. There are a number of things that can result in audio distortion, not a one being due to the equipment's quality, but rather installer or customer induced.

Lets start with the speaker thats coming apart. If a speaker is electrically blown, or the surround or cone is separating, it will sound like dog poo. This will no doubt disrupt the sound quality of the rest of the system. So this needs to be addressed first and foremost.

Next is what is a result of installer/poor tuning. If the amplifier, EQ and head-unit settings are not properly set, the most expensive speaker will sound like @$$, every time. Properly tuned, a $25 pair of speakers can sound golden. So, it may be worth having someone with marine audio experience to inspect and re-tune the entire system once the separating speaker is replaced. This may cost you a little money, but it can be worth it in the long run.

Your music. What is the quality of the music source? Are the downloads clean or are the highly compressed and "dirty"? Speakers do a great job at reproducing what is delivered to them. What is your music storage device? Are you using the 3.5mm head-phone jack or the data port? The 3.5mm is such a low quality and low voltage output. This results in a need to turn the volume up to a point that the signal clips, which in the end, is the distortion you are hearing.

Head-unit volume level. In most typical head-units, its output signal can and will begin to clip/distort past the 85% of wide open mark. It is very important to not turn the head-unit's volume, and in most cases the MP3 player's volume, past that 85% mark. This insures peak volume with a clean signal.

In RE to the speaker's RMS/Peak and the amp. That is an absolute perfect pairing. In fact, I suggested that very Kicker KXM 400.2 Class-D marine amp to another Moomba owner just last week, to power 2 pair of 6'5" coaxial towers speakers with similar power handling.

In closing, if you are looking to project music to a wake-boarder effectively, those 6.5" coaxials will not get the job done. Its not about the quality of brand A or brand B, its about the right speaker technology for the job. Coaxials make for a great surf/party-cove setup, but an HLCD is needed to reach a rider in tow, 80ft behind the boat. So if you decide to make a change, for what ever reason, you need to lay out your tower speaker goals and fallow that path.

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Originally Posted by MLA

In closing, if you are looking to project music to a wake-boarder effectively, those 6.5" coaxials will not get the job done. Its not about the quality of brand A or brand B, its about the right speaker technology for the job. Coaxials make for a great surf/party-cove setup, but an HLCD is needed to reach a rider in tow, 80ft behind the boat. So if you decide to make a change, for what ever reason, you need to lay out your tower speaker goals and fallow that path.

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This ...

If you bought the "upgrade" speakers to hear the music at the end of 75' rope, tell them to hold onto the speakers or give you a credit like Drew mentioned. Even when it is properly tuned the 6.5" coaxials aren't going to do the trick and you won't be satisfied. ...... if 75' is the goal.

If they were able to credit me for the speakers, what would be a good set of speakers to replace these with using the stock amp?

To the point about proper tuning... since this is a factory installed system shouldn't it have been optimized from the factory? Not that I believe it was... but shoudn't it be?

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Originally Posted by uniwarking

If they were able to credit me for the speakers, what would be a good set of speakers to replace these with using the stock amp?

To the point about proper tuning... since this is a factory installed system shouldn't it have been optimized from the factory? Not that I believe it was... but shoudn't it be?

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You indicated that you picked up the boat a couple of weeks ago and then the tower speaker system was added last week. That would be a dealer installed accessory, even its its what is offered by the factory. Totally different scenario then having the system installed as the boat is built. Keep in mind, the dealer is not the factory. Your dealer is a franchisee that sells the product. They may or may not have any one on staff that has a clue about marine audio, even though they are capable of correctly wire and bolt up the added equipment.

Most boat builders also know little about marine audio tuning. Most of the OEM Marine audio reps outline the setup and tuning for the builder, but that doesnt mean they are fallowed. Also a case in point. One builder puts a sticker over their OEM installed amps for warranty/tamper reasons. Ive peeled them off at the request of the customer to re-tune them. They should be ashamed at the settings they leave the plant with :rolleyes:

To answer your question, you will be better served with another amp option to make the most of any HLCD tower speaker.

And just to be clear. I am not saying your system is tuned wrong, but a poor tune can cause what you are experiencing. Without seeing the setting and hearing it, I have no way of actually determining the tune, just offering some insight of what can cause distortion. Its rarely the equipment itself.

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Originally Posted by uniwarking

If they were able to credit me for the speakers, what would be a good set of speakers to replace these with using the stock amp?

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That's a loaded question that is strong enough to almost breakup marriages around here... :rolleyes: but in my OPINION you CANNOT go wrong with the Wetsounds REV10.

I have a pair of these on my boat and I can hear them just fine at the end of the line. Plus they have a great sound quality range. If you're willing to spend the coin go with those. However you will need to ditch that amp because it won't have enough power for them. I have a Wetsounds Syn 4 pushing them. I bought them from David, Earmark Marine here on the board. He's an authorized dealer for Wetsounds and will take good care of you.

let me correct that and stir up the hornets


That's a loaded question that is strong enough to almost breakup marriages around here... :rolleyes: but in my OPINION you CANNOT go wrong with the Exile XM9's with the Harpoon amp



let the fun begin-lol


anyone else ?

Fwiw, I ordered my 2012 xlv with the upgraded audio package, was hoping sc made the move to polks in 2012 for Moomba but no, got the Roswell r6 Phoenix gold pods. Factory installs the hu, amp and cabins, dealer does the towers,
Once I knew what towers showed up at the dealer, I tried the credit issue, but a no go, so off they went on the classifieds and ebay, never even heard them on the tower cuz I just knew.

Exile , wetsounds, bullet and kicker all make great hlcd for riding distance ,

Check out my signature and you will see which way I went

I have to correct my first post... Sadly... Which might be part of why the sound system is less than impressive. The tower amp is not a KXM 400.2 but rather a DX 300.2. RMS is 75w at 4 ohms so they match the speaker ratings. Pretty sad it's not even a marine amp :( The cabin amp is a DX 200.4... Not sure what the 6 cabin speakers are rated at but I'm assuming they're likely underpowered as well.

Guess ill be looking at new stuff during the off season...

Thanks for all of the tips by the way. I've done some toying with the HU EQ and other settings. I'd still like to adjust the gain on the amps a bit to see if they're set properly... We've just been spending all of our time enjoying the boat... Can't exactly toy with settings with a bunch of people on the boat.

I know what you are dealing with. I got my first wakeboat with the four tower speaker "upgrade". I assumed that the tower speakers were good for wakeboarding.

I would nearly deafen the enitre boat trying to hear the speakers on the line.

It has only been recently that HLCD speakers became the "norm" on wakeboats. They project the music much farther.

They will also deafen people on the boat, so I am trying to figure out how to mount a set in my v-drive lockers. This winter I will attempt to modify my rear sun pads so the back foot or so hinges up with an actuator. The speakers will mount to the bottom of this section of sun pad.

I will have the speakers out and on only when wakeboarding. I will mount two coaxial tower speakers for surfing or chillin in the cove.

I plan to have the remote wire for the amp on a dash switch that will also energize the actuators so when the rider is on the line, one switch will raise the speakers and turn on the amp, and when they fall, turning the switch off wil lower the speakers and kill the amps power.

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Originally Posted by NateHaskovec

I know what you are dealing with. I got my first wakeboat with the four tower speaker "upgrade". I assumed that the tower speakers were good for wakeboarding.

I would nearly deafen the enitre boat trying to hear the speakers on the line.

It has only been recently that HLCD speakers became the "norm" on wakeboats. They project the music much farther.

They will also deafen people on the boat, so I am trying to figure out how to mount a set in my v-drive lockers. This winter I will attempt to modify my rear sun pads so the back foot or so hinges up with an actuator. The speakers will mount to the bottom of this section of sun pad.

I will have the speakers out and on only when wakeboarding. I will mount two coaxial tower speakers for surfing or chillin in the cove.

I plan to have the remote wire for the amp on a dash switch that will also energize the actuators so when the rider is on the line, one switch will raise the speakers and turn on the amp, and when they fall, turning the switch off wil lower the speakers and kill the amps power.

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might as well just trade in your boat for one of these, very very nice boats for wakeboarding!!

http://epicboats.com/p-8289-23v-anniversary.html

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Originally Posted by uniwarking

I have to correct my first post... Sadly... Which might be part of why the sound system is less than impressive. The tower amp is not a KXM 400.2 but rather a DX 300.2. RMS is 75w at 4 ohms so they match the speaker ratings. Pretty sad it's not even a marine amp :( The cabin amp is a DX 200.4... Not sure what the 6 cabin speakers are rated at but I'm assuming they're likely underpowered as well.

Guess ill be looking at new stuff during the off season...

Thanks for all of the tips by the way. I've done some toying with the HU EQ and other settings. I'd still like to adjust the gain on the amps a bit to see if they're set properly... We've just been spending all of our time enjoying the boat... Can't exactly toy with settings with a bunch of people on the boat.

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The only adjustment to make in the head-unit is to turn the "Loud" off and set the EQ to flat and 0 bass and 0 treble. The other important settings are on the amp. The X-over filter needs to be on "hi-pass" and the x-over freq set to 100 Hz, with is the 3rd hash mark. To ball-park the gain, set it to about the 11 oclock position.

Other then that, you've got the wrong type of speakers for projecting to wake-board range.

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Originally Posted by powerstroke99

might as well just trade in your boat for one of these, very very nice boats for wakeboarding!!

http://epicboats.com/p-8289-23v-anniversary.html

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No thanks. Those are coax speakers that point at the water when you are wakeboarding.

At max volume, you can barely hear them on the line.

You can't put HLCDs in their place since water would run down the horn when you stop.

Plus, it's not a Moomba...

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Originally Posted by NateHaskovec

No thanks. Those are coax speakers that point at the water when you are wakeboarding.

At max volume, you can barely hear them on the line.

You can't put HLCDs in their place since water would run down the horn when you stop.

Plus, it's not a Moomba...

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Atta boy!!!!

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Originally Posted by MLA

The only adjustment to make in the head-unit is to turn the "Loud" off and set the EQ to flat and 0 bass and 0 treble. The other important settings are on the amp. The X-over filter needs to be on "hi-pass" and the x-over freq set to 100 Hz, with is the 3rd hash mark. To ball-park the gain, set it to about the 11 oclock position.

Other then that, you've got the wrong type of speakers for projecting to wake-board range.

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Everything I know is a lie!!! Is this a starting point for everyone??? Pardon the hi-jack.

Chawk,

The 1st steps to tuning a system is to start with the head-unit's internal EQ settings all flat or off or 0. Once the amp is tuned and set correctly, then some treble and bass can be added/subtracted at the head-unit, but only minor tweaking as your music genres changes. if one finds themselves adding a lot of treble or a lot of bass, then the amp settings need to be revisited. Same holds true with an external EQ. small adjustments are ok, but wholesale adjustments means the tuning is off and can actually damage speakers.

The amps gain setting is really the only amp setting that has a "correct" setting. You need to be spot on the pre-clip point or below. below is ok, but past the point of clipping means poor sound went volume is cranked.

The cross-over filter needs to be set according to the speaker type: Subs = low-pass and full-range and HLCDs = hi-pass.

For a 6.5" coax on a tower, 100-120 Hz is a good place to start. The x-over frequency is somewhat flexible and can be adjusted to ones liking, with in a reasonable range. The size, type and application of the speaker is going to dictate the neighborhood of that setting.

The 11 oclock gain setting I gave above is just for a reference, and is no way 100% accurate. But based on the amp, speakers and head-unit, I think its a safe point. if the OP's amp dial is well beyond that point, I would expect him to get the distortion he is experiencing. If the gain is well below that 11 oclock position, then output is being left on the table.

I've done EVERYTHING wrong. Thanks for the info. I know what I will be doing tonight!!! Thank you!