So who can poke holes in my system design?

[STV_Keith]

Well, I'm still a few months out from buying all this stuff, but I have a plan in my mind now. Just like to bounce it off you guys and see what you think - positive or negative - of the proposed setup.
Alpine CDA-9857 head unit w/iPod connector
Ipod (not sure which one, haven't even looked yet)
Audio Control Matrix - Thanks Shockwave Bob!
HiFonics Brutus Zxi-6406 4x170w@2ohm - mids/highs
2 - HiFonics Brutus Bxi-1606D 1x1600w@1ohm - sub amps
2 pair Memphis Audio MA8 Marine Series 8" coaxials (front compartment, wired in parallel for 2 ohm load)
2 pair Memphis Audio MA92 Marine Series 6x9" coaxials (rear compartment, also wired in parallel for 2 ohm load)
4 - Resonant Engineering RE12 12" subs, sealed
4 - Power Sonic batteries, 166Ahr w/330+min reserve
I think I have it all fairly well covered. Certainly open to suggestions/opinions. Thanks!

[Havasu Hangin']

Very bass heavy....
...you got hydraulics and 13" rims on the trailer?

[STV_Keith]

14's yo!
Well, it's bass heavy because that's the hardest to get to be loud. Hi's are easier. Also, I will run the remotes from switches on the dash, so I can choose not to run the subs at all, or run one pair, or both...so when I want it not so loud, I can turn the bass off.

[rivercrazy]

Hifonics at what they used to be...but the power to watt ratio is decent

[rivercrazy]

Hifonics aint what they used to be...but the power to watt ratio is decent

[h2oski2fast]

Well, I'm still a few months out from buying all this stuff, but I have a plan in my mind now. Just like to bounce it off you guys and see what you think - positive or negative - of the proposed setup.
Alpine CDA-9857 head unit w/iPod connector
Ipod (not sure which one, haven't even looked yet)
Audio Control Matrix - Thanks Shockwave Bob!
HiFonics Brutus Zxi-6406 4x170w@2ohm - mids/highs
2 - HiFonics Brutus Bxi-1606D 1x1600w@1ohm - sub amps
2 pair Memphis Audio MA8 Marine Series 8" coaxials (front compartment, wired in series for 2 ohm load)
2 pair Memphis Audio MA92 Marine Series 6x9" coaxials (rear compartment, also wired in series for 2 ohm load)
4 - Resonant Engineering RE12 12" subs, sealed
4 - Power Sonic batteries, 166Ahr w/330+min reserve
I think I have it all fairly well covered. Certainly open to suggestions/opinions. Thanks!
1st hole spotted. :) :) :)

[STV_Keith]

So what, they have to be wired in parallel to make the 2 ohm load? :D

[Havasu Hangin']

I had over 600 watts (components) and 1,200 (bass) on my last system, and I still had to turn the bass down. Maybe I'm getting older ( :notam: ), but I like overkilling the mids & highs these days so they won't distort.
You got the chain steering wheel?
:D

[h2oski2fast]

So what, they have to be wired in parallel to make the 2 ohm load? :D
Something like that.

[sintax]

I agree on the HiFonics gear, I'm not a big fan of their stuff. You may want to look for something else.
I'd look into Elemental Designs amps, their NINE.1 amp is pretty killer. Arc Audio also makes quality gear, as does Zapco. Amps from either would be where i'd put my money. Elemental Designs has the best bang for the buck ratio though.

[STV_Keith]

HH, in your old age, you must be losing sense of the idea of the music - to get the girls to move their butts! ;) No chain wheel, but I have the suicide knob on mine! I'd rather have too much and just turn it down, than not have enough. I don't want the hi's to drown out the bass, and this is all the room I have for subs, so I can always add more hi's until it matches. :)
Dennis, thanks for pointing that out. I'll go edit it up there. ;)
Sintax, I will take a look at those other options. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Havasu Hangin']

HH, in your old age, you must be losing sense of the idea of the music - to get the girls to move their butts!
At my age...I just don't want to upset my pacemaker. I bet I'm the only guy whose hair moves with the bass hits on the polka music!
Give those components 90+ watts...are you a man or a mouse?
:D

[STV_Keith]

Give those components 90+ watts...are you a man or a mouse?
:D
The coaxials are only rated for 60w each, and with that amp, wired in PARALLEL to 2 ohms, each coax gets 85w in this setup. Those are pretty efficient speakers too. 93db/w/m. :)

[Havasu Hangin']

The coaxials are only rated for 60w each, and with that amp, wired in PARALLEL to 2 ohms, each coax gets 85w in this setup. Those are pretty efficient speakers too. 93db/w/m. :)
Mouse.
:D
60W coaxials are the "convertable bug" of speakers.

[h2oski2fast]

HH, in your old age, you must be losing sense of the idea of the music - to get the girls to move their butts! ;) No chain wheel, but I have the suicide knob on mine! I'd rather have too much and just turn it down, than not have enough. I don't want the hi's to drown out the bass, and this is all the room I have for subs, so I can always add more hi's until it matches. :)
Dennis, thanks for pointing that out. I'll go edit it up there. ;)
Sintax, I will take a look at those other options. Thanks for the suggestions.
See my sig. :D :D :D

[Cat & Mice]

I would look into the JL Audio marine stuff. No matter where you mount it they WILL get wet. JL marine audio amps have a great power saving circut that won't kill your batteries as fast. PLus you can't beat the customer service. I had a amp 2 years old in my boat (non marine) and they replaced it free with no questions.
I am an Audiophile and have been in the audio business for 12 years and I know what sounds good, The JL Rocks.
Let me know if you need a source to buy.
MP

[rivercrazy]

Bottom line for amplifiers is to put out a certain amount of watts - a certain amount of amp draw will occur. Those are the laws of electricity. Some amps are slightly more efficient than others but are all relatively similar.

[Cat & Mice]

I was referring to the circuit that limits the amplifiers output when then input voltage is below normal. It will eventually shut off to keep the battery form shorting. Unlike all other 12v audio amps that will keep pulling whatever they can.
IN fact the Slash series from JL actually keeps pulling more from the batteries to compensate for low battery voltage. This is done to keep the amp at a consistent output voltage, it also kills batteries in a hurry. I went thru about 2 or 3 Optima blue tops a year because of this.
What makes a amp work good cars does not mean it will work good in boats. Generally when you use the boat stereo the motor is off.
The JL Marine amps are purpose built for marine. They are D-class amps which are more efficient. In Fact the D-Class amplifiers put out about 1/2 the heat as A/B Class amps. They are converting more of the energy into sound then into heat. Also the low heat dissipation also helps the amp run better in very hot ambient air conditions.
I don’t believe there is a better amp for marine use on the market period. IMHO
:cool:

[rivercrazy]

I was referring to the circuit that limits the amplifiers output when then input voltage is below normal. It will eventually shut off to keep the battery form shorting. Unlike all other 12v audio amps that will keep pulling whatever they can.
IMHO
:cool:
Interesting feature I was unaware of. Since JL's have regulated designs, I thought all of them were pretty much the same. Most of the people I know with JL's in boats have battery issues. Guess this new design greatly helps that problem

[Cat & Mice]

Ya regulated on the output! so if the battery is 11v then it will pull more from it so the amp always outputs the same.
I found this out the hard way after a bunch of batts, I had to pay for most of them. I was talking to a buddy that works at JL he told me that they have had a bunch of problems with the Slash series in boats, that is why they came out with the marine versions.
What is wierd is that they don't even talk about that feature in the brochure. He said they didn't want to bring up a problem with the other amps :rolleyes:
I also have heard the marine speakers and they kick ass.
I personally wouldn't buy anything else!!!
MP

[Mr. Naudio]

the memphis marine 6.5s sound far better than the 8s or the 6x9s
(night and day)
imho

[ROZ]

been in the audio business for 12 years and I know what sounds good, The JL Rocks.
Rookie :D
I personally wouldn't buy anything else!!!
You sure about that? ...lol.. I'm a huge JL fan, but there is a time when you need just a little more in a speaker (thinking seperates)..

[ROZ]

Hifonics aint what they used to be...but the power to watt ratio is decent
and Keith will probably install and tune better than most hacks out there

[Cat & Mice]

Roz,
I am just tired of stuff breaking because it was not designed to be in a boat. I have had non marine Diamonds, JL's, Sony, & Alpine and all have had problems. For performance you are right but you really need to replace those speakers every 2 years or so.
Everything in a boat will get wet at some point!
MP

[Transonic---Mike]

Good choice in CD player, most any name brand speaker is going to work fine, but choose your amplifiers very carefully. I have been installing marine stereo systems for 15 years and I assure you that the new Alpine PDX amps are better then anything else I have seen (especially in a boat) and I have seen just about everything.
They have plenty of power, they run very cool and they draw much less current than its competitors. Also, try to run them at 4 ohms as the rated output is the same at 2 or 4 ohms. Especially the bass amp (PDX1.1000). It does not like to run at 2 ohms even though Alpine claims that it can. The PDX4.150 4 channel will run fine at 2 ohms but once again run it at 4 if possible.
Since they became available, I have built 6 different boats using only these amps and every customer of mine absolutely loves them. I know for a fact that two of these customers have been on this chat room raving about them. (uscfan and ???).
One PDX1.1000 can run four woofers very well but two of them will be unbelievable. Also, its hard to beat the JL W6 woofers.
If you want a killer system use 2 PDX1.1000 for your bass and 2 PDX4.150 for your vocal speakers.

[Cheap Thrills]

I've been a big Soundstream fan for many years.
Unfortunately these are export only.
"strap a pair of these bad boys for a measly 18,000+ watts. What is this world coming to?? " (http://www.soundstream.com/10000D.htm)
I have a HiFonics Brutus BX-1500D that belongs to another board member that is beyond fried , every transistor in it has blown literaly in pieces and the circut board is burnt in half. After doing some research on them I discovered that this is a common problem with the Brutus line of amps. I personally would look at other brands. For amps and head units. JBL ,Crown, Cerwin Vega Nakamichi and of course SOUNDSTREAM For speakers Peavey & Cerwin Vega. For processors you can't beat Audio Controll I have an old Epicenter I've been using for years and I think it's the tits. :rollside:
C.T. :wink:

[Tom Brown]

For amps and head units. JBL ,Crown, Cerwin Vega Nakamichi and of course SOUNDSTREAM For speakers Peavey & Cerwin Vega. For processors you can't beat Audio Controll I have an old Epicenter I've been using for years and I think it's the tits. :rollside:
I had an Epicenter back in the late 80s. It was cool. While it completely ruined the sound based on any RTA analysis, it provided a great effect and everyone who heard it loved it. Also, having another knob on the dash to sweeten the base on any given track was a treat. :D
Cerwin Vega made the Sensurround systems of the 70s that shipped around with the Earthquake movie. In so many ways, Vega started the big bass movement.
Gotta love Audio Control too... :cool:
Cool post, CT. You must be about my age. That stuff was the cream of it's day and some of it is still outstanding gear. :cool:

[Cheap Thrills]

I had an Epicenter back in the late 80s. It was cool. While it completely ruined the sound based on any RTA analysis, it provided a great effect and everyone who heard it loved it. Also, having another knob on the dash to sweeten the base on any given track was a treat. :D
Cerwin Vega made the Sensurround systems of the 70s that shipped around with the Earthquake movie. In so many ways, Vega started the big bass movement.
Gotta love Audio Control too... :cool:
Cool post, CT. You must be about my age. That stuff was the cream of it's day and some of it is still outstanding gear. :cool:
I agree the Epicenter looks like crap on a RTA and sounds a little metallic if you over do it, :p I first demo'd one while I was doing installs in Tampa FL back in the early 80s when Alphasonic,Fosgate, and Proton were the amps to have. That's the same time I discovered Soundstream. I don't think they make Proton anymore. sad that dynamic power on demand was awesome.
I remember when the movie Earthquake came through town they wouldn't use the Cerwin Vega system in our theater due to structure limitations :rolleyes: ( guess thats what I get for living in the sticks) really took alot out of the movie. But I did catch it in Asheville where they did use it and it was great !
We may be close to the same age I hit 41 in June.
C.T. :wink:

[Tom Brown]

I'm 56 now but our ages were similar back in the 80s.

[ROZ]

I'm 56 now but our ages were similar back in the 80s.
I may look 56, but I'm actually only 36... in dog years... :D

[STV_Keith]

So far the concensus seems to be good other than the amps.
Might also want to hear the 8" and 6.5" Memphis' before choosing.
Thanks guys!

[STV_Keith]

So if I was looking for amps that will make 1500-1600w RMS into 2 ohms, what should I be looking at? Seems like most companies jump from around 1200w up to 2400+, or don't offer anything over 1200w or so.
I could also consider a single 2400-3000w RMS into 1/2 or 2 ohms (to run all 4 subs off of). Any options there?