Exile

The time is approaching for the sound system, head unit will be Ken 700 hu
Now what I don't know is if I'm better off with 4 s7hd's or the hybrid which is 4 x Smt 65 and 2 x s7 hd's with a harpoon 1k. The sub will be kicker 12" for this year since I already have it and jl amps. I would also like to install a second sub if it's possible. I might also swap the kenwood cabins for exile.

Your looking at a very simular setup to what i ran last year and what im running this year.

Kenwood 700 is an awesome unit i love mine very much.

As for the XM7s or the Hybrid 4 SXT and 2 XM7s you need to ask yourself how much Surfing time vs boarding time are you going to do?

Last year i ran 4 XM7s and they were awesome wake boarding but once you tried to Surf you had to turn the Throttle Box to Surf and still had to watch the tower volume or you would make the Surfers ear bleed in pain from the horn tweeter.

As for the Hybrid its going to really help eliminate that issue for the surfer and the people in the back of the boat. i have been in an XLV and the tower is more near the center and the people in the back seat will suffer more of the HLCD tweeter screem.

The hybrid gives it a much warmer and cleaner mid bass sound then the XM7s can do. Yet the power of the XM7 can still throw that tweet sound tot he wake boarder to make the experience that much better.

I should have some new video up soon of my new setup. Waiting on a little decent weather and Brian at Exile to free some time up.

davinci,
As mentioned above its a matter of surf versus wake. However, you should also consider the amount of time spent listening at rest.
The SXT65 has superior midbass output and midbass extension over the XM7 and has a warmer texture for near field listening whether at rest or surfing. When used in two pairs the SXT65 also has all the output that is normally required for listening at rest or up to surf range with the additional noise competition. Although two pair of SXT65s certainly can be heard at wake range when correctly powered, a conventional direct-radiating tweeter contained in the SXT65 cannot produce the output to reach wake range projection with any degree of authority and intelligibility. And, that is precisely where the 'hybrid' set-up comes into play. With the XM7 HLCD you get a higher SPL compression horn tweeter that will cut through the distance and noise challenges to reach wake range with a bit more articulation. The two pair of SXT65s to one pair of XM7s ratio (the 'hybrid') serves to moderate the near field effects of the dominant horn tweeter and yet gives you the extra kick in the highs from the XM7 for distance.
For surf and at rest: two pair of SXT65s.
For maximum peak volume at wake range: two pair of XM7s.
For a mix of all types of usage: the 'hybrid' consisting of the two pair of SXT65s and one pair of XM7s.
When the larger XM9s deliver this summer and by graduating up from a 6.5" speaker, there is a possibility that the larger XM9 HLCD speaker will have enough midbass output and midbass extension to compliment the horn for a more balanced and smoother response. If this turns out to be a warmer speaker then two pair of XM9s may not require a mixture with conventional speakers to get the prescribed results in both near field and long range projection areas.

David
Earmark Marine

Thanks David/Malo I think I will opt for the hybrid package , I also would like to know if the xt65 are controlled separately from the XM7s and if anyone has found room for a second 12" sub ...Thanks in advance.
mall what are you powering with the 2500 ?

Dainci, the 2500.1 is powering my Big 12 sub. The sub in my boat is a absolute beast. I cant recall for certain but i want to say Brian had it made just for my boat but its pretty simular to the Big 12 he sells off the shelf. You should talk with him before you stick the 2500 amp behind it as this amp is desigened for his 15 and 18 subs.

What he told me when we decided to put this amp in the boat is i wont get any more voluume out of the sub but what i will get is a lot better responce from it. Sort of like putting a race car suspension on the grocery getter. It wont go any faster but it will sure make them curves fun.

My 12 if i recall has more windings and something else in it to make it more powerfull, i know it has the same duel voice coils and magnet as the 15 they sell.

As for the Hybrid set up you will not be able to control the SXT seperate of the XM7s. They will be wired in parrallel 3 speakers on the left chennel and 3 on the right chennel.

davinci,
As the 'hybrid' tower package has been discussed a Harpoon amplifier will not give you independent control over the XM7s. However, that control on the fly can be accomplished with a separate level control using a combination of a Harpoon and 800.4 bridged or some other single chassis multi-channel amplifiers.
If your single subwoofer is done correctly then there is no reason for two subwoofers. A boat is not like an SUV where you can have two side by side subs facing in the same direction and with plenty of room for an optimum enclosure. Dual subs almost guarantee that you will have to select an inferior secondary location and will have efficiency-robbing phasing issues. Its nearly impossible to have two separate sub locations with different orientation and boundaries and still maintain a uniform phase response. Will it sound louder? It might get you a bit extra indiscriminant boom and rumble but at the cost of quality and efficiency. We just pulled two existing 12s out of a towboat, one in the port locker and one under the driver's helm console. We replaced them with a single subwoofer of better quality with better power and a properly aligned bass-reflex enclosure. NO contest! The single sub done right blew the two away. In this case the boat owner had not previously heard what a single subwoofer was really capable of. Quantity is seldomly a substitute for better product and better execution.

David
Earmark Marine