Amp Settings

[zachzinda]

I finally have all of my stereo components installed. Now I need to tune the amps. I have a Alpine head unit a Ht-4 powering two Rev-10's and a Ht-6 powering four xs-65 in boats and a 10-fa subwoofer. Should I use the installation setup for the Ws-420 as a good place to start. I don't know anything about stereo's so the settings on the amp are greek to me.

[chpthril]

For the gain settings, you are best off using the Wet Sounds tutorial. If you have the new 420SQ, FYI, they have adjustable gain settings internally.

For chnls 6/5 driving the XS-10fa, set it to "low-pass" and tune the frequency to 100Hz. Start with 0 bass-boost. For fine tuning, you can add a little boost, but dial back the gain as you do. BB does just that, it boost the db level of a pre-set (or sometimes adjustable) bass frequency.

For the 4 chnls driving the xs-65: "hi-Pass" and tuned to the 80-100Hz range.

For the HT-4 driving the Rev-10 in bridge mode. I prefer to run that setup in summed mono so you get all the program material from both speakers. "hi-pass" and 80Hz.

[zachzinda]

I have the four in boats on 1/2 and 3/4 left open for future. Is that correct? For the Rev-10's I have them in the bridge spot in 1/2 and 3/4.

[ChrisBarnes05-12-84]

Put each speaker on its own channel for now but if you add another pair in the future you can run them like that.

[ChrisBarnes05-12-84]

If you put each speaker on its own channel it will run at 4 ohms. Running a pair per channel will run them at 2 ohm. 4 ohm is ideal for WS speakers.

[chpthril]

Actually, the impedance of each speaker doesnt change when a pair is wired in parallel or series. if the speaker starts as a 4 ohm, its still a 4 ohm, its just that the amp "sees" a different load. When two 4 ohm speakers are wired in parallel, the net is 2 ohm. When a pair of 4 ohm speakers are wired in series, the net is 8 ohm. The speakers dont perform any differently per say, but the final impedance load at the amp will effect its performance and output. Although the HT series amps are 2 ohm per chnl stable, there is no advantage to running 2 chnls @ 2 ohm with 2 pair of speakers, leaving the remaining 2 chnls open. The disadvantage is a 35 watt drop per speaker. At 4 ohm (one speaker p/chnl) each nets 110W rms. With a pair wired in parallel, the HT-6 will deliver 150W @ 2 ohm, so 75W net per speaker. Take the 110W.

[zachzinda]

It appears that the stock wiring on my boat was the speakers paralleled somewhere in the boat. I have two pairs of wires that run all four speakers. Is there a good way to use this or do I need to find where they are tapped and run new wiring?
My multi-meter shows about 3.4 ohms on the wiring to the speaker pairs.

[chpthril]

If your boat came with the base level stereo of 4 in-boats and head-unit, then each of the 4 in-boats would have been wired to their own chnl output of the head-unit. None would have been wired in parallel unless the boat had the premium level with a Syn-6, 3 pair of in-boats and XS-10fs. In this case, the bow pair would have been wired 4 ohm to chnls 1 and 2 of the amp, port mid and aft wired in parallel on chnl 3 and STBD mid and aft wired parallel on chnl 4.

3.4 ohm would be about right for a single Wet Sounds in-boat. Tickle the wires with a 9V battery and see which and how many speakers "pop" when you touch the wires to the 9V. Dont hold the wire to the battery, just momentarily touch it.

[zachzinda]

My four in boat speakers are definitely wired parallel. I found the bow speaker wiring but I can't add speakers up there without having some upholstery work done. Any suggestion if I were to add two more speakers (where and type)?

[lems52]

My four in boat speakers are definitely wired parallel. I found the bow speaker wiring but I can't add speakers up there without having some upholstery work done. Any suggestion if I were to add two more speakers (where and type)?

I can confirm this as well. Mine's a 2012 R20 with the base package. When I went to hook them up to an amp I found that they were wired in parellel. There IS four set of speakers wires that run out of the head unit, but only two pairs we're actually running spreakers. I'm guessing the other two sets are in the bow. I was pretty disappointed to see this coming from the factory.....

[chpthril]

well, shame on Tige if they are now running a pair of speakers in parallel on a single head-unit chnl. Head-unit wont last long this way. Dont know when that started doing this, but I guess its when they switched from the 4 speaker base system being a pair in the bow and a pair in the main cabin to 2 pair in the main cabin and the upgrade 3rd pair going in the bow.

[ChrisBarnes05-12-84]

That is odd my recently purchased z1 had wiring ran for 3 pairs even though I ordered w out speakers

[chpthril]

Tige has been pre-wiring their boats since about 05. So having the the wiring there is not a surprise, but running a pair per chnl in parallel on the head-unit is a no no.

[ChrisBarnes05-12-84]

Ya it was definitely a nice surprise. Another surprise was tower was pre wired w 16 gauge. While in boats were I believe 14. I was told tower would be 12. Kind of irritating. O well