Upgrading Stereo System Help

[parrothd]

Leave the stereo as is and buy a fresh air exhaust, makes the boat supper quiet, no fumes, plus you can actually talk to the surfer or guests in your boat. No need to make the radio louder...

Having said that I recently replaced my speakers with Polk Audio DB651 6.5-Inch Coaxial Speakers and Kenwood KAC-8406 4-Channel Car Amplifier and a new head unit for around $500. You can buy the fresh air exhaust and the stereo for $1000..

[brain_rinse]

Polk db651 is great budget option and you can probably find them online for <$60 bucks a pair. I guess you'll need to decide how much stereo you are ultimately want. My recommendation would be to enlarge the speaker holes and go with one of the 8" cabin speaker options.

[MLA]

1. New deck w/cabin control
2. 5 channel amp
3. 6 new in-cabin speakers
4. Possibly add a sub with enclosure

I like the idea of the 5 chnl hybrid amp for the in-boats and sub. I would go ahead and do the sub now. This way, theres no retuning the in-boat side of the amp after the sub is put in later. They are woven together and need to be tuned as a system and not as two individual components.

For a $100 bucks, you can get a new Kicker 12" woofer that sports a rubber surround, composite cone and aluminum basket. So not much more to step up and have a well rounded balanced system.

Ive had great success with the Kicker KZM800.5 marine 5 chnl. 400W rms on the sub chnl would be perfect for the Comp-S 12 2 ohm.

I like the Kicker KM654 in-boats. They come with a white and charcoal grill for your choice. Add an "L" to the part number and get the RGB LED version. Smooth sound and good mid-bass. Its .75" tweeter is not as aggressive as some 1" tweeters.

Or take BR's suggestion and go with a larger in-boat, like the Kicker KM8. Way more output and midbass, but I would really want to drive these with more wattage though. They really shine with 200W rms each

[Deekmann]

How about a 10" sub? Also, any good alternatives to the Kicker KZM800.5 amp? Looks pricey. I'm also leaning towards the Polk Audio DB651's. I can grab 6 of those pretty reasonably and the reviews I have read have been good.

1. Leave Kenwood deck in the boat for now.
2. Purchase 6, Polk Audio DB651 2-way 360W cabin speakers.
3. Still need some advice on 5-channel amp.
4. Sub - Can't you get pretty good bass from a 10" sub? If I get a 10" or a 12" do most build an enclosure or buy one?

[MLA]

A 10" woofer in the same class, is only $10 cheaper. A larger woofer is a more efficient way to get more output and also yields deeper bass.

You need an enclosure that is suitable for the marine environment. An off the shelf mobile audio box thats 5/8" MDF covered in trunk liner material will last a season. You may not notice unless you are really tuned in to the woofer's performance and hear it getting "muddy".

There are plenty of 5 chnl amps out there for sure, and less expensive ones. The reason I suggest the Kicker, is because its one that I trust without doubt, to recommend.

[Deekmann]

Thanks for the input. I'll check out the 12's.

[kaneboats]

I have a 12" sub in my LSV. Wouldn't consider anything smaller with the room you have. Save some coin and build your own box out of some hard wood like maple and coat it with resin.

[Deekmann]

Fresh air exhaust...interesting. I'll check it out and thanks.

[mikenehrkorn]

+1 on the FAE.....I love mine!!! And it does make a huge difference.

[Deekmann]

Just ordered 6 Polk Audio DB651's. Going to put those in to start...I'm really curious to see the difference just in making that one change. In the meantime, I'll take my time and continue to research some 5 channel amps, a 12" sub, and a new head unit.

I want to thank everyone for all of their input. Taking it step-by-step and breaking the sound system down into 3 sections was 'sound' advice. Not sure if people are interested or not, but I'll continue to post as my upgrades present themselves. I'm sure I'll have additional questions.

Great site...very helpful!