New 2007 20V questions!

[Kimmer322]

Recently I picked up my brand spanking new 20V. Been looking in here for a while and haven't had to ask questions cause they are all answered here somewhere. You guys are great. Also no pics yet, been mad at her. Had a couple of stereo and tower light problems right off that bat and kinda got ticked..... anyway. Maccallums did fix everything, but it was aggravating. So here are the questions I haven't found answered yet:

Is this boat too freakin' loud to hear the tower speakers while wakeboarding or do my speakers suck??? I have the 340hp engine. I did not get the tower of power as I was told I could get it done cheaper if I got the lights and speakers and amps my own. So they hooked up the dual battery and got it ready for tower lights and speakers. The speakers I got are Liquid Audio Kicker KS60 doubles. Dealer added another amp so I have a Kicker ZX700.5 and a Kicker ZX2002. Seems to crank while in the boat but not on the board. (Neighbor heard I was getting a new Tige' so he got a new Mastercraft. He has two tower speakers and I can hear his radio when he is out of eyesight. That just ain't right)

Also, and this may be another dumb one. Should the compartment under the steering wheel get soaked when it rains even while covered?? I know we got at lot of rain but it is way too wet in there to even put anything.

Any help would be helpful. I will post pics soooon. This is my first "real" boat - had a sea ray 180 previous and this thing rocks. Unless of course you are on the board then all you hear is the engine. Which does sound sweet!

[zad0030]

Although I cant really help you with the stereo I do know there is a device you can install on the exhaust to reduce engine noise, and exhuast fumes.

Most of the storage compartments are not built to drain water, kind of stupid design flaw, but there is a thread about installing a drain system. Really the only way to dry it out is air drying.

Get those pics up and Welcome to the site. I hope you enjoy your boat!

[chpthril]

Recently I picked up my brand spanking new 20V. Been looking in here for a while and haven't had to ask questions cause they are all answered here somewhere. You guys are great. Also no pics yet, been mad at her. Had a couple of stereo and tower light problems right off that bat and kinda got ticked..... anyway. Maccallums did fix everything, but it was aggravating. So here are the questions I haven't found answered yet:

Is this boat too freakin' loud to hear the tower speakers while wakeboarding or do my speakers suck??? I have the 340hp engine. I did not get the tower of power as I was told I could get it done cheaper if I got the lights and speakers and amps my own. So they hooked up the dual battery and got it ready for tower lights and speakers. The speakers I got are Liquid Audio Kicker KS60 doubles. Dealer added another amp so I have a Kicker ZX700.5 and a Kicker ZX2002. Seems to crank while in the boat but not on the board. (Neighbor heard I was getting a new Tige' so he got a new Mastercraft. He has two tower speakers and I can hear his radio when he is out of eyesight. That just ain't right)

Also, and this may be another dumb one. Should the compartment under the steering wheel get soaked when it rains even while covered?? I know we got at lot of rain but it is way too wet in there to even put anything.

Any help would be helpful. I will post pics soooon. This is my first "real" boat - had a sea ray 180 previous and this thing rocks. Unless of course you are on the board then all you hear is the engine. Which does sound sweet!

First off, congrats and welcom to the Tige family.

Alright, when you say " The speakers I got are Liquid Audio Kicker KS60 doubles" you are saying you have 2 tower speakers (2 mids 2 tweets) or 4? How is the system configured? What speakers are on what amp and how are they wired? 1 spkr per channel or bridged? I'd say you got a quality set up, just needs to be setup right

Next, check the direction of the tower speaker, are they pointing off to the sides, up, down?

After that, wait for or send a Private Message to philwsails (from Kicker Audio) and Spharis (our resident Audio Guru)

They will probably ask a bunch more ??? about what you got but will help you get it dialed in.

Do you have the factory cover? if mine is not tight around the tower uprights, water will run in.

[yllw20]

welcome and congrats.
what speakers does your nieghbor have? That can make a big difference and how is yours wired. I run mine at a 2ohm load.

[THE g]

Recently I picked up my brand spanking new 20V. Been looking in here for a while and haven't had to ask questions cause they are all answered here somewhere. You guys are great. Also no pics yet, been mad at her. Had a couple of stereo and tower light problems right off that bat and kinda got ticked..... anyway. Maccallums did fix everything, but it was aggravating. So here are the questions I haven't found answered yet:

Is this boat too freakin' loud to hear the tower speakers while wakeboarding or do my speakers suck??? I have the 340hp engine. I did not get the tower of power as I was told I could get it done cheaper if I got the lights and speakers and amps my own. So they hooked up the dual battery and got it ready for tower lights and speakers. The speakers I got are Liquid Audio Kicker KS60 doubles. Dealer added another amp so I have a Kicker ZX700.5 and a Kicker ZX2002. Seems to crank while in the boat but not on the board. (Neighbor heard I was getting a new Tige' so he got a new Mastercraft. He has two tower speakers and I can hear his radio when he is out of eyesight. That just ain't right)

Also, and this may be another dumb one. Should the compartment under the steering wheel get soaked when it rains even while covered?? I know we got at lot of rain but it is way too wet in there to even put anything.

Any help would be helpful. I will post pics soooon. This is my first "real" boat - had a sea ray 180 previous and this thing rocks. Unless of course you are on the board then all you hear is the engine. Which does sound sweet!

When I had my 20v we could not here the towerspeaker over the motor 04 335hp that motor was very loud. The speakers where decon 4's.the new boat with 400HP is much quitier.

[whitlock87]

Ok I have the SwitchV which is the same platform as your boat.
My boat has the marine power 5.7 340hp engine. You have a new muffler system then I do, but it will still hit 90db in the boat. I installed an FAE on my boat and the DB went down to 61- 76. ( my truck is louder now) this really helps with a few things.
1) talking while riding
2) My wife would get a sick from the noise, so the days would end early some time.( Not now we stay out all day J)
3) Smell You will not believe how much you can smell the exhaust, until you have an FAE installed.
4) No need to blast the boat the hear the tunes while on the board.


As far as the water, make sure that when you boat is sitting on the trailer, that the tongue is high. I raise my about 10 inches to help the water drain.

[Kimmer322]

UGH!! you guys are making me look dumb! I can answer some of these questions. But I'm not a stero guru by any stretch. I had the dealer do the install I just turn it on.

The tower has 4 speakers. I tried to send the link but can't copy it. WWW.liquidaudiosounds.com check out the doubles. Mine are the kickers. I can try to figure out how it is hooked up but I would be guessing. Actually I haven't a clue. If it would help you help me I will call the dealer and ask them. The mastercraft next door has two JL Audio tower speakers. Another thing I forgot to mention is the when on tuner the radio has a lot of static - not constant but a lot. On all channels. Dealer told me to clean the antenna input. Tried that - doesn't help - got Sirius but would still like the radio to work.

I know the dealer said the one amp was too strong for what we had but when we added the tower speakers they added an amp. I will try to figure what is connected to which amp. Any other direction from you guys would be great. (am I asking toooo much)

About the water - the boat is kept on a boat lift. seems to leak in through the engine vent behind the steering wheel on the dash into that compartment located in the pass through to the bow. Hope nothing in there shorts out.

Now what is the FAE thing?? Don't get me wrong the boat sounds sweet and strong - loudest on this pond. But I can't hear the stereo. Guess I can't have it all!!

Thanks sooo much!!

[whitlock87]

Now what is the FAE thing?? Don't get me wrong the boat sounds sweet and strong - loudest on this pond. But I can't hear the stereo. Guess I can't have it all!!

Thanks sooo much!!

http://www.boatpipes.com/
It basically changes the exhaust direction on the boat.
Instead of coming straight out the back, it places it in the water and in line with your prop.
We love ours,
It basically changes the exhaust direction on the boat.
Instead of coming straight out the back, it places it in the water and in line with your prop.
Quietest boat on the lake now.
OK I stole your phrase.

[chpthril]

UGH!! you guys are making me look dumb! I can answer some of these questions. But I'm not a stero guru by any stretch. I had the dealer do the install I just turn it on.

The tower has 4 speakers. I tried to send the link but can't copy it. WWW.liquidaudiosounds.com check out the doubles. Mine are the kickers. I can try to figure out how it is hooked up but I would be guessing. Actually I haven't a clue. If it would help you help me I will call the dealer and ask them. The mastercraft next door has two JL Audio tower speakers. Another thing I forgot to mention is the when on tuner the radio has a lot of static - not constant but a lot. On all channels. Dealer told me to clean the antenna input. Tried that - doesn't help - got Sirius but would still like the radio to work.

I know the dealer said the one amp was too strong for what we had but when we added the tower speakers they added an amp. I will try to figure what is connected to which amp. Any other direction from you guys would be great. (am I asking toooo much)

About the water - the boat is kept on a boat lift. seems to leak in through the engine vent behind the steering wheel on the dash into that compartment located in the pass through to the bow. Hope nothing in there shorts out.

Now what is the FAE thing?? Don't get me wrong the boat sounds sweet and strong - loudest on this pond. But I can't hear the stereo. Guess I can't have it all!!

Thanks sooo much!!

I'd say that the cabin speakers and sub are probably on the kz 700.5 (5 channel) and your 4 tower speakers are on the kz200.2 (2 channel)

Your H/U (assuming you cave the Clarion CMD4) has 3 sets of pre-outs, one non-fadded, and the other 2 fade fron to back. If the 2 front/back fade signals are being used, then this could be a reason your tower speakers are "weak" so check and adjust the "fade".

This is how I would prefer to set it up. This way you can fade between the tower amp and the cabin amp so you are not blasting those in the boat with 2000db's just so the boarder can hear the tunes.

From my Clarion XMD4: Pre-out signal

Gray (red) front right
Gray (white) front left

black (red) rear right
black (white) rear left

red (red) aux input right
red (white) aux input left

purple (red) non fader right
purple (white) non fader left

[Kimmer322]

OK while I'm out there checking the wiring - and taking pictures - can you tell me if the crossover switches on the side panel of the amps be set to off or hi?

I recall installer from the dealer saying the fader wasn't going to work - I had him put the tower speakers on a toggle switch so they can be turned off. It seems that the fade knob on the radio CMD4 fades the tower speakers higher and lower in volume - should this be the case?

Sorry this isn't in the stereo thread! As it seems to be all stereo talk now!

[spharis]

Check the amp gains:
Do you know if the gains were set properly on the amplifier? Quick way to set them (from Kicker's manual): Turn the source unit up to about 3/4 volume (if the source unit goes to 30, turn it to 25). Next, slowly turn (clockwise) the gain on the amplifier up until you can hear audible distortion, then turn it down a little.

Check the speaker wiring:
Do you know if the tower was wired properly (IE 2ohm to each set vs. 8 ohm to each set, or bridged to a mono load)? The wiring configuration has a fairly large factor on the amps output. If they bridged each set to a mono 4-ohm load, then each driver will only be getting 50W from the amp. According to Kicker, they can handle 65W RMS, which is in an acceptable range to be loud, but that is a fiarly low amount of power overall for a tower speaker. You might look into an alternate speaker. The MB Quart from the same company, liquid sounds, would be a better match to that amp. The KZ200.2 can put out 200W x 2 channels @ 2 ohms. So if you wired each can set at 2 ohms, and had them on the amp, each driver would get 100W, which you would immediately realize to be louder.

My guess is that each can is wired to 2 ohms. Then both cans are bridged on a single lead to bring the load to 4 ohms (2 series 2ohm loads). I would wire each can set to a single channel. That would bring the 2 ohm load to each channel on the amp where it is very efficient by the manual numbers. You will need to adjust the gain to accomodate the speakers low power handling. If it isn't loud enough at that point, and you want to keep the same cans, look into a different speaker.

If you have a multimeter you can touch the terminals to get readings and figure out how the speakers are wired. Hope some of this helps.



For those speakers....everyone has a way they like to hear music. I would set the gains to high pass and set the cutoff to 80-90Hz. Some would go lower, some would set it to all pass (off). Preference comes to play here. You do not want it set to low pass. Turn the bass boost off. It boost @ 40Hz, which you will have eq'd out, and is below the driver's frequency range (43-21k) anyway.


The toggle switch is a good way to conserve power and have the amp off when not being used. If the dealer did it the proper way, he would have tied the toggle switch to the amp turn on lead. This controls the amp on/off switch. Some of us use faders, some of us use switches, some of us have external line level faders. All have cons/pros. I use my head unit to fade the tower on or off which essentially lowers volume on that output set when it is faded away. The amp is still on. If what I read correctly, you can do the same, but also have a toggle switch. That is a best of both worlds setup, and you will have two signal cables to the amps.

If he did wire it to a toggle, check to see if 2 sets of RCAs were run to the amps. He may have run a single set and used a passthrough from one amp to the other. You will have better fade/level control by using 2 sets.

[dogbert]

Now what is the FAE thing?? Don't get me wrong the boat sounds sweet and strong - loudest on this pond. But I can't hear the stereo. Guess I can't have it all!!

Think of it as stealth for your boat, and it is good for you too (lower CO behind the boat).

So, yes, you can have it all! It'll be the best $400 you'll ever spend.

[NICKYPOO]

There should be a 3" vent hose connected to the vent under the windshield. that hose should run down to a 3" hole in the floor. This provides the motor with fresh air. If there is not a hose in there, there needs to be one. The other spot it could be leaking from would be the tower. Have someone run water over it while you've got your head in there and see if it's leaking around the backing plate.

I've also got an FAE on my boat. I love it. We were towing a skier last weekend and I had the stereo playing at regular listening level. I was talking to my observer without raising my vioce at all. As much as I love the sound of a finely tuned V-8, I'll never own a boat without some sort of FAE. That's just all bonus though as the fumes in a tow boat are way worse than you think. You don't realize how bad it is untill you put the FAE on. It's the only way to fly.

[Kimmer322]

Check the amp gains:
Do you know if the gains were set properly on the amplifier? Quick way to set them (from Kicker's manual): Turn the source unit up to about 3/4 volume (if the source unit goes to 30, turn it to 25). Next, slowly turn (clockwise) the gain on the amplifier up until you can hear audible distortion, then turn it down a little.

Check the speaker wiring:
Do you know if the tower was wired properly (IE 2ohm to each set vs. 8 ohm to each set, or bridged to a mono load)? The wiring configuration has a fairly large factor on the amps output. If they bridged each set to a mono 4-ohm load, then each driver will only be getting 50W from the amp. According to Kicker, they can handle 65W RMS, which is in an acceptable range to be loud, but that is a fiarly low amount of power overall for a tower speaker. You might look into an alternate speaker. The MB Quart from the same company, liquid sounds, would be a better match to that amp. The KZ200.2 can put out 200W x 2 channels @ 2 ohms. So if you wired each can set at 2 ohms, and had them on the amp, each driver would get 100W, which you would immediately realize to be louder.

My guess is that each can is wired to 2 ohms. Then both cans are bridged on a single lead to bring the load to 4 ohms (2 series 2ohm loads). I would wire each can set to a single channel. That would bring the 2 ohm load to each channel on the amp where it is very efficient by the manual numbers. You will need to adjust the gain to accomodate the speakers low power handling. If it isn't loud enough at that point, and you want to keep the same cans, look into a different speaker.

If you have a multimeter you can touch the terminals to get readings and figure out how the speakers are wired. Hope some of this helps.



For those speakers....everyone has a way they like to hear music. I would set the gains to high pass and set the cutoff to 80-90Hz. Some would go lower, some would set it to all pass (off). Preference comes to play here. You do not want it set to low pass. Turn the bass boost off. It boost @ 40Hz, which you will have eq'd out, and is below the driver's frequency range (43-21k) anyway.


The toggle switch is a good way to conserve power and have the amp off when not being used. If the dealer did it the proper way, he would have tied the toggle switch to the amp turn on lead. This controls the amp on/off switch. Some of us use faders, some of us use switches, some of us have external line level faders. All have cons/pros. I use my head unit to fade the tower on or off which essentially lowers volume on that output set when it is faded away. The amp is still on. If what I read correctly, you can do the same, but also have a toggle switch. That is a best of both worlds setup, and you will have two signal cables to the amps.

If he did wire it to a toggle, check to see if 2 sets of RCAs were run to the amps. He may have run a single set and used a passthrough from one amp to the other. You will have better fade/level control by using 2 sets.

You are the bomb....but I don't know what the hell you are talking about .

[chpthril]

You are the bomb....but I don't know what the hell you are talking about .

ha! ha! ha! ha! LMAO Told ya he was our audio guru