Installing Tower Speakers

[02-Scape]

Hello,

It's time to add some tower speakers to my boat, I decided to go with the Exile SMT65Q speakers as a local car shop carries them. Does anyone know if there are more than one set of outputs from the stock JBL head unit? Boat is a 2010 VTX (sound pack 1), the boat is 3 hours away so I will not be able to look at it for a few months. Assuming it only has one set of outputs is it OK to just use a Y connectioner to spilt the input going into the existing amp? (planning on getting the Exile 400.4 amp to drive the speakers). I'm new to the stereo game so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Bobby Light]

There are 3 sets of outputs. It has Front/Rear/Sub pre-outs coming out of the black box. If you have the sound pack 1 you probably have the speakers running off the black box. If I were you I'd step up to the 800.4 and run your interior speakers off half the amp and your tower speakers off the other half. Will really improve the sound of what you have. If you have a malibu supplied rockford fosgate amp disregard and go with the 400.4 bridged to 2 channels for those tower speakers.

Hook up the cabin speakers to the Front RCA output, then the tower speakers to the REAR RCA output.

[02-Scape]

There are 3 sets of outputs. It has Front/Rear/Sub pre-outs coming out of the black box. If you have the sound pack 1 you probably have the speakers running off the black box. If I were you I'd step up to the 800.4 and run your interior speakers off half the amp and your tower speakers off the other half. Will really improve the sound of what you have. If you have a malibu supplied rockford fosgate amp disregard and go with the 400.4 bridged to 2 channels for those tower speakers.

Hook up the cabin speakers to the Front RCA output, then the tower speakers to the REAR RCA output.

I have a 5 channel amp currently driving the sub and the 4 cabin speakers, would you still run the front inputs to the old amp and the back outputs to the tower?

Thanks,

Rob

[Bobby Light]

I have a 5 channel amp currently driving the sub and the 4 cabin speakers, would you still run the front inputs to the old amp and the back outputs to the tower?

Thanks,

Rob

It's up to your user preferences. I would put the tower speakers on the REAR output if it was my boat, I'd also have the sub on the SUB output as well. This gives you total control of all three zones in your boat from your head unit.

[02-Scape]

It's up to your user preferences. I would put the tower speakers on the REAR output if it was my boat, I'd also have the sub on the SUB output as well. This gives you total control of all three zones in your boat from your head unit.

Found the existing amp manual on-line, for input the instructions are:

FRONT, REAR AND SUB INPUTS

Connect preamp signal cables from headunit to these inputs. The front AND rear inputs must be used, if only the front input is used then the rear speaker outputs will have no output signal. The Sub Input may or may not be used see SUB INPUT SWITCH for more information.

So, should I spilit the front input from the head unit and run the front input to both inputs on the existing amp, then use the rear inputs to drive the new amp and speakers? As per above, it states that the front and read inputs must be used. I was reading about impedance and how it needs to match up with the head unit. Is it OK to split the front signal ?

Thanks

[Bobby Light]

Found the existing amp manual on-line, for input the instructions are:

FRONT, REAR AND SUB INPUTS

Connect preamp signal cables from headunit to these inputs. The front AND rear inputs must be used, if only the front input is used then the rear speaker outputs will have no output signal. The Sub Input may or may not be used see SUB INPUT SWITCH for more information.

So, should I spilit the front input from the head unit and run the front input to both inputs on the existing amp, then use the rear inputs to drive the new amp and speakers? As per above, it states that the front and read inputs must be used. I was reading about impedance and how it needs to match up with the head unit. Is it OK to split the front signal ?

Thanks

Yes split your FRONT input signal at the amp with a Y RCA connector (this is common on 5 channel amps), then run your SUB ouput to the sub input on the amp if it isn't already. This will let you fine tune the settings on your dash remote.

Run the new amp on the REAR output on your headunit. Then you'll be set. The impedance issue is for amps and speakers.

[02-Scape]

Yes split your FRONT input signal at the amp with a Y RCA connector (this is common on 5 channel amps), then run your SUB ouput to the sub input on the amp if it isn't already. This will let you fine tune the settings on your dash remote.

Run the new amp on the REAR output on your headunit. Then you'll be set. The impedance issue is for amps and speakers.

Thanks for your patience with this, just wanted to get it right. (sub output is already hooked up).