Results 1 to 10 of 16
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11-22-2010, 10:03 PM #1Junior Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2010
- Location
- Bozeman, Montana
- Posts
- 10
Looking for Advice for a lot of things!!
Hello from snowy Montana!! Already dreaming of the lake. My wife and I scored a sweet deal on our 07 Outback V this last summer. It only had 23hrs on it, and is pretty much brand new! We are looking to upgrade some stuff such as add speakers to the tower. I am hoping a few folks out there might have some advice for us?! Also we love surfing but can't quite drop the rope. The boat is pretty much stock with not many upgrades other than one ballast bag in the ski locker. Anything we can do to add weight but not take up all our storage in back!? Thanks everyone!
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11-22-2010, 10:31 PM #2
Stock speakers suck except for floating. At minimum replace the cabin speakers with Polk db651 for the economical route or if you have deeper pockets then look at the Bullet HP 650, Wetsounds 6.5, or the Exile 6.5. Tower speakers are pretty much the same brands. If you surf more than wakeboard you can just get the non-HLCD speakers. If you board more than surf, get the HLCD speakers of the three brands mentioned. Then you need to worry about amps and batteries. As for the ballast for surfing AND not filling up the rear...sorry, ain't gonna happen without going with solid ballast. You can surf with 400's or 565's in the rear lockers but you'll want the 750's before long.
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11-22-2010, 10:49 PM #3
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11-23-2010, 11:47 AM #4
Congrats on the new Moomba. Welcome aboard. This forum is a treasure trove of information and you'll find lots of helpful folks and maybe even make some great friends. Enjoy!
My Mom said I'm not allowed to get wet!
2008 LSV (sold)
2000 Outback LS (sold)
LLTR!!!!!!!!
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11-27-2010, 10:54 PM #5Junior Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2010
- Location
- Bozeman, Montana
- Posts
- 10
Hey Thanks guys for the info...Christmas is coming so I'm trying to get my wish list put together! I had a feeling the surfing wasn't going to happen without some more weight in rear end. I think we are 50/50 as far as surfing and boarding go! I'm looking forward to shopping around for some audio stuff. Not sure if I should talk to our local audio stores or go online?!
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11-29-2010, 12:33 PM #6
I would start with the audio forum on here. There is some great experience and lots of help available.
My Mom said I'm not allowed to get wet!
2008 LSV (sold)
2000 Outback LS (sold)
LLTR!!!!!!!!
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11-29-2010, 12:42 PM #7Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
- Posts
- 164
Does it have a subwoofer? If not, priority 1 sound-wise.
'07 Outback V
Ski|Board|Surf|Skate
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11-30-2010, 12:52 PM #8
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12-01-2010, 11:19 AM #9
If you have the six factory speakers driven only by the source unit then your first audio upgrade is clear. Add a 4-channel amplifier to run those six coaxials. If you plan on adding a subwoofer then make it a 5 or 6-channel amplifier in advance to encompass the subwoofer also. I always recommend that you first add what you don't have and upgrade later on what you already have.
I know that radios boast big power but in reality a radio is around four times 15 watts at best...maybe more when lightning strikes (per WLS ratings). As you crank it up the available bandwidth narrows and the power distorts long before the speaker begins to show limitations thus it gets brighter and harsh, not to mention that there is no way for a four channel radio to drive six speakers effectively even though factory has done this for years. A radio is comfortable with no less than a 4-ohm load.
I'm not a basshead but a subwoofer in my opinion is essential. Otherwise, you lose out on the bottom two octaves of music, it never sounds completely natural and you don't have the perception of volume without pushing it to an uncomfortable level. Once you highpass the existing coaxials limiting their responsibility and excursion plus properly power them the sound will be infinitely louder and cleaner. Whether Kenwood or Kicker, the stock speakers are the entry level series so an upgrade may be in order down the road, however, you stand to make a huge initial improvement with the power. If you select a great but moderate mass subwoofer you can run the entire in-boat system off a single multi-channel amplifier. Obviuosly if you select a 1000 watt woofer it will necessitate an inordinate amount of power to drive it...since the moving parts weigh as much as a small telephone directory...and this would require a separate amplifier. Again, its not necessary if you design your system for efficiency and match components accordingly.
When you get around to tower speakers you should have a dedicated tower speaker amplifier given the inequity of power needed to project a great distance in competition with engine noise versus the immediate proximity of the in-boat speakers. Your tower speaker selection and amplification will be predicated on your typical listening situations and priorities such as close range surfing versus distant wakeboarding.
Those are a few of the surface considerations in building your audio system.
David
Earmark Marine
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12-02-2010, 07:52 PM #10Junior Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2010
- Location
- Bozeman, Montana
- Posts
- 10
Thanks Everyone, that is a ton of info!!! I'm not an electrical guy by any means so this information is helping a great deal to help me understand. It all makes good sense. I did want to ask though..is a 5-6 channel amplifier enough to run the 6 regular "in-cockpit" speakers, tower speakers and sub-woofer or should i still plan on two amplifiers?! Just wanted to clarify, thanks again everyone!!