Advice: Budget Tower Speaker replacement

DJew Jake

2002 Sante, want to upgrade my Tower speakers with a new amp and speaker combo.

Not looking for the worlds best quality sound, just good and powerful.

I see several speaker sets on ebay that can handle 1200-2400watts I think I can figure out that part myself.

What I want to know is AMPS, I think 1000- 1500 is enough, question is what is a good budget amp (sub 500) that will get the job done?

PimpinD2 · Posted: Jun 08, 2011 8:39 am Post subject:

Those speakers are prob POS...

I think you have the wrong approach here... nothing that puts out 1000 - 1500 will be "budget" and nothing that can handle 1200 - 2400 will be budget...

DJew Jake · Posted: Jun 08, 2011 9:30 am Post subject:

Well I don't have several thousand to put into this, so what do you suggest?

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

I've been pretty happy with the Kicker KMT6 and the Kicker ZX450.2. You can get that set up for around $500. You could go a little larger on the amp and bring your budget into the $1000 range and get you some Krypt 8" HLCD's.

Brit Rider · Posted: Jun 09, 2011 5:26 am Post subject:

Okie Boarder, Couldn't agree more!

I also run the ZXM350.4 to a pair of the KMT6 regularly and all customers have loved it so far.

For fair quality budget amps look at Clarion, Kicker and Fusion. All solid.

PimpinD2 · Posted: Jun 09, 2011 6:06 am Post subject:

If you are not worried about using marine grade amps check out the classified section are caraudioforums.com a lot of cheap good used amps.

What is your budget?

Chattwake · Posted: Jun 09, 2011 6:37 am Post subject:

How about this- What's your budget? Are you looking to hear the speakers while riding, or just inside the boat? It's probably out of your price range, but you could get a pair of wetsounds pro 60's on sale somewhere for around $700 for the pair, a wetsounds xs12 for probably $200, and a cheap 4 channel amp that you can run both the tower speakers and the sub off of for around $250. Yes, that's $1150, but it will sound 10x better than any garbage of of ebay.

If your budget is like $600 or something, we will need to get creative.

DJew Jake · Posted: Jun 17, 2011 7:19 am Post subject:

So I think I figured out the best way to go... Sub amps are way cheaper then multi channel right? The boat has the stock kicker 600 in it right now which is going 300 to the speakers and 300 to the sub. I already put a 500w rms sub in a few years ago to replace the shitty clarion one that came with the boat.

My thoughts are, buy a kicker sub amp that can push 500w rms (i actually like the zx750.1 for future growth). It is only 259. Then I cna free up the other kicker 600 for all the speakers, I looked at the 8 inch MRWT8B boss speakers that I found for 360 for a pair, they are 8 inch and can handle 350W rms each, (probably not really) but I can push one channel of the 600 kicker (300 w) to a set of them

This is way way better then the old wake designs I had up there which prolly were getting around 50watts.

Plus the sub will be getting around 375w at 4ohms so it will have around 75w more bump.

Also remember they ass Bubb Rubb me on shipping and customs to Canada, but luckily I will be in san fran for business next week so i am shipping it all to my hotel and bringing a big suitcase Smile

.

I know this is not in the class of some setups here, and the boss speakers are probably considered 'stuff' by you guys but going from shitty 6 inch wake designs pushing 50watts to these guys with a dedicated 300 watts and a new sub amp will make a huge difference.

Chattwake · Posted: Jun 17, 2011 9:56 am Post subject:

Well, if it were me, I'd just wait until everyone starts dumping their pro60's on ebay to move up to the wetsounds rev8's and rev10's.

DJew Jake · Posted: Jun 17, 2011 10:11 am Post subject:

PimpinD2 · Posted: Jun 17, 2011 11:38 am Post subject:

I have an amp that might work for you.

JL Audio J2 360.2

Depending on the OHM rating of your speakers it could through some power to them...

loudsubz · Criminal Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 77 City: Mississauga

sent you a PM

Hogger · Criminal Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 55 City: Kennewick

I've actually heard good things about Bazookas HLCD's. Amazon had some for about $400 a pair.

PimpinD2 · Posted: Jun 19, 2011 7:45 am Post subject:

DJew Jake · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 5:30 am Post subject:

Hey pimpin or chatwake...

Another question, how do I split the signal into the amp since I now have 2? I noticed the kicker has a line out, is that for daisy chaning the head unit signal? Or should I use RCA splitters? what is the correct way to doer.

PimpinD2 · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 5:59 am Post subject:

you headunit might have pre outs for front and rear and maybe sub... so u should hook up 2 or 3 amps like that. If not you can daisy chain the amps if they have the pre outs on them.

DJew Jake · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 6:06 am Post subject:

PimpinD2 · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 6:22 am Post subject:

why dont you hook the amp up to the headunit?

what are you running off the amp?

jjaszkow · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 6:39 am Post subject:

You should have another set of outputs on that head unit. I would recommend running a second set of RCA's, but the "line out" on the 600.2 would certainly work as would using RCA splitters.

I like to run back to the EQ or headunit whenever possible.

DJew Jake · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 6:42 am Post subject:

jjaszkow · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 6:47 am Post subject:

Are those speakers hooked up to amps, or direct to the amplified channel outputs on the headunit? I would recommend daisy chaining the amps rather than using the splitter.

DJew Jake · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 6:53 am Post subject:

PimpinD2 · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 7:58 am Post subject:

Check for a sub out. if not daisy chain, and if you dont have the ability you can split the signal with a Y splitter.

DJew Jake · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 8:02 am Post subject:

PimpinD2 · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 8:08 am Post subject:

its not that big of deal. my cmd4 died, so i replaced it with the cheap sony headunit with only f/r outputs.

I have my sub amp hooked up to my rear and my wetsound syn 6 amp hooked up to the front. The syn6 has buttons to take the input from chan 1 and 2 and share them with 3 / 4 and 5 /6 which is basically just a built in splitter.

DJew Jake · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 8:21 am Post subject:

PimpinD2 · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 8:25 am Post subject:

no i went to sony so i picked up new sony remote and re ran it all.

jjaszkow · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 9:31 am Post subject:

If it's a pain to run the cables, there really is no problem with daisy chaining. The reason I prefer to run back to the EQ or head unit is because that allows for maximum control over where the sound is going (ability to fade between areas of the boat, turn up tower speakers while keeping volume inside the boat at a reasonable level etc).

DJew Jake · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 9:46 am Post subject:

I am looking at a really good deal on a cmd6 to replace my xmd2. I see the front plate is slightly smaller (thanks clarion) but have heard you can get a black trim peace to make it look ok. I have no idea where to find this piece, any suggestions?

DJew Jake · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 12:30 pm Post subject:

So in terms of power cable for the new amp.. 750W, running 10 feet... 2 guage? Also anywhere cheap online to pick em up?

PimpinD2 · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 12:44 pm Post subject:

4 gauge would be plenty.

PimpinD2 · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 12:44 pm Post subject:

partsexpress.com or monoprice.com

DJew Jake · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 1:04 pm Post subject:

Pimpin, 60 amp fuse good?

I don't get it though, from my days in school watts = Amps x volts,750/12 = 62.5 amps, so why do people tell me that 60 amps is more then enough?

jjaszkow · Posted: Jun 20, 2011 2:18 pm Post subject:

The 2011 ZX750.1 requires 4 gauge wiring and a 100amp fuse according to the installation manual. The 2010 ZX750.1 required an 80amp fuse. I am not sure why people are telling you 60amp.

PimpinD2 · Posted: Jun 21, 2011 4:07 am Post subject:

yea it should be all in the manual. the amp has fuses on it, go a bit bigger.