Tower speaker wiring XM7 with STX65

[Bartdude]

Ok, Im about ready to finish my tower speaker install but 1 last question:

My speakers on the tower are, from left to right, XM7, STX65, STX65, XM7.

Using a Harpoon amp, should I wire the 2 left speakers on 1 channel, or keep the XM7's on one channel and the 65's on the other?

[Bobby Light]

Does not matter at all, they will all be subject the the same tuning perameters on the two channel amp.

[Bartdude]

Thats what I was thinking. I was just wondering if there's any need to run the surf speakers separately from the wake speakers.

I threw them on the boat wired left side / right side, which if I upgraded to 4 - XM9's like you big boys (or 4+ in some of your setups ) I won't have to wire anything different.

[Deephaven]

Is "stereo" important? Is balancing the volume between the XM's and STX's important?

I know which one of the two I'd pick...hopefully the quotes hinted enough.

[Bobby Light]

Is "stereo" important? Is balancing the volume between the XM's and STX's important?

I know which one of the two I'd pick...hopefully the quotes hinted enough.

You realize he's using a 2 channel amp with 1 gain knob right, he's not bridging it.

[Deephaven]

Yes. Realize it makes the balancing more fun, but that can't be commented on without further details.

[Bobby Light]

What more detail do you need. He's got a 2 channel exile harpoon amp, set of sxt65, and set of XM7. Mystery solved.

[Deephaven]

Does not matter at all, they will all be subject the the same tuning perameters on the two channel amp.

What more detail do you need. He's got a 2 channel exile harpoon amp, set of sxt65, and set of XM7. Mystery solved.

Your first statement is wrong. There are a variety of other things that could be used to change the "parameters". His cabin speaker amp could have crossovers allowing adjustment. He could have one of your favorite Exile ZLD's (or comparable) and use that between the two. He could seriously want stereo only and not be willing to switch to mono for this control. There are other options as well, but guessing on what equipment the OP has and his goals is a bit absurd. It'd make more sense for him to share that info.

There are a lot of things, so you may think the mystery is solved but then I guess you would have come up with a few of the above.

[shawndoggy]

deephaven, I'll bite. what are you trying to get at? why in the world does it matter what the crossover settings are on the cabin amp if the OP is asking about how to wire up his towers?

I think maybe you are suggesting that you'd put the XM7s on one channel (left for instance) and the SXT65s on the other channel? but given that the amp's gain settings apply to both channels at once, the only way to tune between the two would be balance on the rca inputs, right? I guess you could wire in a pac lc1 on one side of the amp to attenuate one side or the other?

Seems like a huge PITA, but like I said I'm just curious what you are suggesting.

[Deephaven]

Wasn't meant to be something to "bite". Obviously I am fairly new here, but somewhat shocked if this hasn't been proposed before.

I definitely see no purpose in stereo in the tower speakers. So yes, I would surely put the same loads together on each channel of the amp. I am making an assumption here that the Exile is well built and can take that, but considering the following here I'd surely hope so. Then it only becomes the discussion of how to have a balance somewhere. Obviously the boat has a front / rear fader. There are two balance points. On off points are easy to add with switches on remote turn on's for the amps. Since there is a fascination on here that line drivers are fundamentally "needed" in a system they regularly also have another way of compensating volume between channels. You could also build a very simple Lpad to balance between drivers. There are also countless processors that are capable of running multi-active or multi-channel systems that would also easily allow this. I could start a list, but again I'd rather know what else the OP has, his goals and then work a way out from there.

As for crossovers on the cabin amp. If the OP doesn't have any, it would require more processing up stream if all independence between the channels wants to be upheld. I would expect that tower speakers and cabin speakers handle power differently and would be tuned differently. Definitely necessary in my boat.

[Deephaven]

In general mixing drivers and putting them on the same amp isn't such a good idea and I would consider that the biggest compromise of all...unless there is really no other way around it and then it's the compromise that "has" to be made.

[Bawshogg]

Your first statement is wrong. There are a variety of other things that could be used to change the "parameters". His cabin speaker amp could have crossovers allowing adjustment. He could have one of your favorite Exile ZLD's (or comparable) and use that between the two. He could seriously want stereo only and not be willing to switch to mono for this control. There are other options as well, but guessing on what equipment the OP has and his goals is a bit absurd. It'd make more sense for him to share that info.

There are a lot of things, so you may think the mystery is solved but then I guess you would have come up with a few of the above.

:lame: .

[shawndoggy]

Wasn't meant to be something to "bite". Obviously I am fairly new here, but somewhat shocked if this hasn't been proposed before.

I definitely see no purpose in stereo in the tower speakers. So yes, I would surely put the same loads together on each channel of the amp. I am making an assumption here that the Exile is well built and can take that, but considering the following here I'd surely hope so. Then it only becomes the discussion of how to have a balance somewhere. Obviously the boat has a front / rear fader. There are two balance points. On off points are easy to add with switches on remote turn on's for the amps. Since there is a fascination on here that line drivers are fundamentally "needed" in a system they regularly also have another way of compensating volume between channels. You could also build a very simple Lpad to balance between drivers. There are also countless processors that are capable of running multi-active or multi-channel systems that would also easily allow this. I could start a list, but again I'd rather know what else the OP has, his goals and then work a way out from there.

As for crossovers on the cabin amp. If the OP doesn't have any, it would require more processing up stream if all independence between the channels wants to be upheld. I would expect that tower speakers and cabin speakers handle power differently and would be tuned differently. Definitely necessary in my boat.

I hope you don't take my post as offensive... I actually like to read your posts. Even when I disagree with them, they are generally well informed, and definitely start from a different place, which is refreshing.

I'd start from this position as what most people are looking for when upgrading from a factory boat system with tower speakers (in my own self proclaimed order of priority):

master volume control (central place to turn the whole thing up or down quickly).

independent controls for tower and cabin (again, easily accessible... the fader sucks for this because it's slow... you aren't going to navigate to the fader menu when you are turning around on a busy lake to pick somebody up)

sub level control

aux input?

line driver (may not be needed, but an added bonus)

I don't know if you use your boat for boardsports or whether you have tower speakers, and if you do whether they are powered with the intent to get sound to the rider. But if those things are true, having control at your fingertips, where you can adjust things (especially master volume) by reaching without looking becomes really important. The ZLD (and several other alternatives) work for that sort of scenario very well. Especially where the alternative is to reach under the armrest.

So assuming that the OP wants to use his system in the typical way, the ZLD makes a lot of sense.

And given that, I don't think fading between channels of the deck makes a lot of sense as a means to tune the tower speakers. an lc1 is an interesting question though.

[Deephaven]

I hope you don't take my post as offensive... I actually like to read your posts. Even when I disagree with them, they are generally well informed, and definitely start from a different place, which is refreshing.

Thank you, glad you find my comments refreshing. As for my reaction, no worries, it's the internet, I take offense at nothing although regularly I don't understand why others don't react that way. Hopefully you feel the same about my comments and take them that way. Your next statement exemplifies my issue with 12v audio sites.

I'd start from this position as what most people are looking for when upgrading from a factory boat system with tower speakers (in my own self proclaimed order of priority):

master volume control (central place to turn the whole thing up or down quickly).

independent controls for tower and cabin (again, easily accessible... the fader sucks for this because it's slow... you aren't going to navigate to the fader menu when you are turning around on a busy lake to pick somebody up)

sub level control

aux input?

line driver (may not be needed, but an added bonus)

I don't know if you use your boat for boardsports or whether you have tower speakers, and if you do whether they are powered with the intent to get sound to the rider. But if those things are true, having control at your fingertips, where you can adjust things (especially master volume) by reaching without looking becomes really important. The ZLD (and several other alternatives) work for that sort of scenario very well. Especially where the alternative is to reach under the armrest.

So assuming that the OP wants to use his system in the typical way, the ZLD makes a lot of sense.

And given that, I don't think fading between channels of the deck makes a lot of sense as a means to tune the tower speakers. an lc1 is an interesting question though.

I'd start from this position as what most people are looking for when upgrading from a factory boat system with tower speakers (in my own self proclaimed order of priority):

The OP may or may not have any of the items you listed, nor your priority. Exactly why I asked a question instead of generically answering. The new disease on the internet in my opinion are those that make decisions between a few things and then base all fact and experience on their install. This you see regularly in comments like, "I have one" claiming that makes them an expert. From my standpoint it makes them the opposite as it is a huge bias to always think what you have is what someone else wants. I realize this wasn't the point of your post, but it's a safer example for me to use. Instead it is always healthier to understand the application at hand and apply the pieces of the puzzle already there to create a solution. I can tell from your posts you are very open to that though.

master volume control (central place to turn the whole thing up or down quickly).

independent controls for tower and cabin (again, easily accessible... the fader sucks for this because it's slow... you aren't going to navigate to the fader menu when you are turning around on a busy lake to pick somebody up)

sub level control

aux input?

line driver (may not be needed, but an added bonus)

I don't know if you use your boat for boardsports or whether you have tower speakers, and if you do whether they are powered with the intent to get sound to the rider. But if those things are true, having control at your fingertips, where you can adjust things (especially master volume) by reaching without looking becomes really important. The ZLD (and several other alternatives) work for that sort of scenario very well. Especially where the alternative is to reach under the armrest.

So assuming that the OP wants to use his system in the typical way, the ZLD makes a lot of sense.

And given that, I don't think fading between channels of the deck makes a lot of sense as a means to tune the tower speakers. an lc1 is an interesting question though.

master volume control (central place to turn the whole thing up or down quickly).

independent controls for tower and cabin (again, easily accessible... the fader sucks for this because it's slow... you aren't going to navigate to the fader menu when you are turning around on a busy lake to pick somebody up)

sub level control

aux input?

line driver (may not be needed, but an added bonus)

Quick volume - A few options for the Volume control. The ones that come to mind of course are the mute button, main volume control on the radio, and remote "de" gain knob. (I added de since the ones those are the only ones I'd be interested in an amplifier having).

Independent controls - While the fader and such isn't fast, a remote knob is. At the same time, most people use the boat three ways. Watersport, cruising & anchoring. Between modes a few seconds to dial something in might be acceptable to the OP.

Sub level - again, nearly all sub amps include a remote gain knob. Use the headunit for a baseline and this to dial things in. Sure you can do it in an off board processor, but for added cost and no extra functionality in adjusting the actual level.

Aux input - if the OP didn't have one of these and wanted it again there are many ways to add it. I offered one above

Line Driver - if it's not needed, which is normally the case, then it isn't a bonus but a detractor. If the output of your source meets the input requirements of your amplifier then it is of absolutely no benefit and is just an extra added gain block along the way. Whether you go Souce->Gain Block or Source->Gain Block->Gain Block to achieve exactly the same results I'd always pick the simpler path. In the analogy of course I used the word Gain Block as an amplifier without process is only adding gain and a line driver without processing also only adds gain.

You left out one benefit that is a no brainer though. If added processing is needed to address an anomaly that neither the headunit nor controls on the amplifier can address. That would be a good reason.

I don't know if you use your boat for boardsports or whether you have tower speakers, and if you do whether they are powered with the intent to get sound to the rider. But if those things are true, having control at your fingertips, where you can adjust things (especially master volume) by reaching without looking becomes really important. The ZLD (and several other alternatives) work for that sort of scenario very well. Especially where the alternative is to reach under the armrest.

So assuming that the OP wants to use his system in the typical way, the ZLD makes a lot of sense.

And given that, I don't think fading between channels of the deck makes a lot of sense as a means to tune the tower speakers. an lc1 is an interesting question though.

Definitely use my boat for board sports. In my application regularly the mute (-20dB) button is enough and if not, my volume knob is right at my hands and isn't an uber slow press a stupid button type. If this isn't the case and this is the OP's goal though then that reason is a logical one to purchase the ZLD or a similar device, but this would also be critical information to help determine the mounting location. If he were using something else for volume then it wouldn't matter how he drives when the boat is coming off plane and the timing for when he wants to turn the music down. Might also make a difference if he usually is towing people without a spotter and only a mirror. Your angle of sight, where your hands are and when you remove them off throttle and steering and change from left to right hand on the big round knob would determine where I'd want that quick volume adjustment. Personally I have it on my throttle hand side. First priority is getting off throttle, until that is done I do nothing. Second priority is maintaining steering control and vision of both my path & the rider. The stereo usually goes down before I turn my body and switch hands to the steering wheel....but everyone drives differently. I personally am very used to not having a spotter, but that doesn't mean this is a good situation or reality for the OP.

IMO, the internet and forums would be better when two things happen. First the OP includes enough information to answer the question. Regularly they don't think of it though and it's the job of the members to ask the questions to make sure that what they want to accomplish is understood. Second, is for people who have made a decision to stay happy with their decision but not expect it to be the same for everyone else. I can guarantee you one thing. There are people who will get absolutely no gain from a ZLD and no added benefits including all of the ones above. I happen to be one of those, so it is not a good thing for ANY system.

[Deephaven]

And crap. Just realized that the OP I was referring to in this case was for the mounting location on the ZLD. See if respond before coffee again.

Sorry for adding it here although considering the OP's addition of a second set of tower speakers here it isn't terribly far off since it was dealing with how to control them.