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Trade out REV10's for ICON8's or other?


NorrisMike

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I currently have a pair of REV10's on my boat. While they are loud and sound great from a distance, they are over-powering while in the cabin. I found that we don't crank them up when we ride either - none of us can pay attention to that anyways..... and it will blow the passengers ears out :) Not to mention I have my 1.5 y/o daughter on the boat the majority of the time. This all kind of defeats the purpose of having HLCD's

1. Is there a way to tone down the horn to blend better with the 6.5's in the boat? I've tried a few different configurations but the only thing I can think of is to get an EQ like this http://www.amazon.com/LCQ-1-Gray-Audiocontrol-6-Channel-Line-output/dp/B00C2BE1PA/ref=sr_1_15?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1397677948&sr=1-15&keywords=audiocontrol%C2'> individually EQ my cabins/towers/sub.

2. Should I get ICON8's or something else? Any word on the street if anything new is going to be released this year? I'm looking for something warmer up there with awesome sound quality.

For reference - I've heard a few Mastercrafts with full JL systems and to my ears they sound AWESOME and warm.

Thanks in advance.

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Sounds like you need zone volume control. Any speaker you want to be loud at the end of a tow rope is going to be loud in the boat, thats just a side effect of the volume knob. You can gain them way down, then lower the cross-over frequency.

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My suggestion is adding a WS-420. It is easy to install and will solve all of your problems. You will have individual control over your tower speakers (or turn them off completely on days you don't wan them) but you still have them when you want. I'd strongly encourage you to not get rid of the Rev 10's as they are one of the best tower speakers on the market (IMO).

Plus, when your daugher gets older and she is learning to ski/wakeboard, etc., the mic option is nice so you can coach her.

Just my .02. I'm sure others will chime in as well.

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I have the Clarion EQS746 which (from what I understand) does the same thing.

I have the cabins running on the fronts and the towers on the rear. I can fade in and out to blend the best I can. However, any changes to the EQ effects the cabins and the towers and the sub.

How about running 2 of the same EQ's? Only $60 to try it. I could split the RCA inputs with a Y connector and send the signal to a separate EQ just for the REV10's. This way I would have full control over the cabins and the towers. I could probably tone down the highs on the towers and turn up the cabins a bit to blend better and be easier on the ears should I choose to crank it up.

Any down side to that? Other than having two volume knobs to fool with...

Edited by NorrisMike
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I added the ws420sq for this very reason. While cruising, I don't even have them on. My son is only 7 months, and I want him to be able to be able to hear when he is older.

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I have the Clarion EQS746 which (from what I understand) does the same thing.

I have the cabins running on the fronts and the towers on the rear. I can fade in and out to blend the best I can. However, any changes to the EQ effects the cabins and the towers and the sub.

How about running 2 of the same EQ's? Only $60 to try it. I could split the RCA inputs with a Y connector and send the signal to a separate EQ just for the REV10's. This way I would have full control over the cabins and the towers. I could probably tone down the highs on the towers and turn up the cabins a bit to blend better and be easier on the ears should I choose to crank it up.

Any down side to that? Other than having two volume knobs to fool with...

That is pretty much what the WS420 does, just in one box. I don't see why that wouldn't work.

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put a pac LC-1 before the signal input splitter and you'd get to keep master volume control.

But I agree with the other guys that the WS420 does what you are looking for in a much slicker way.

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If the Rev10 is too loud in the cabin then turn them down. Don't change speakers when a volume or zone control will do.

You can't drop down in size of pod displacement and cone surface area and get a warmer sound. But you can re-shape the sound and attenuate the horn. Don't do an internal modification to the passive crossover or try and attenuate the tweeter passively. Attempting this will re-bias the crossover frequency and create phasing and other new problems. You'll do far more harm than good. The best way is with active equalization. The Wetsounds EQ will allow you to adjust the tower zone without impacting the in-boat zone which is essential if you really want a usable EQ. Otherwise it takes dual EQs which was commonly done before the advent of the WS EQ.

One step better would be a trunk-mount hide-away EQ by Audio Control. You will have more than twice the bands to pinpoint the speaker re-shaping. One step better would be a Audsion Bit processor or comparable DSP. You would not be using all the available features but you would get an extremely precise EQ. Also, it is possible to have a quick AB selector so that you can have the speakers w/ EQ and w/o EQ with a flip of a switch. This is useful if you occasionally want unbridled output and maximum projection to the rider. Any equalization will diminish projection.

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the new JL 8.8s will soon be all the rave for folks wanting a non-HLCD setup

Sorry to hijack. I cant wait to here the 8.8 towers. Comparing the 8.8 in-boat to the 808, i'll take the 808.

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David, not sure why my link didn't populate in my first post but I was referring to an Audiocontrol eqs 6 channel. Does that just run to my eq. Tune the Audiocontrol and leave my clarion flat?

I'm considering the ws420 now. It seems like the easiest thing to do. Just want to make sure I make the right choice. Ws and Ac are about the same price. An extra clarion is the cheapest route.

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NM,

If you already have a 1/2 DIN EQ, then I don't see the value in six channel redundancy of the Audio Control EQS. You probably wouldn't need that much EQ for the in-boats and sub. The hide-away AC EQL could be used just on the tower zone after your dash EQ which would now function primarily as a zone controller.

Or, the Wetsounds WS420SQ which is made for this function. It just doesn't provide the finer tuning of the AC EQL for the tower.

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NorrisMike,

I am unfamiliar with the rules of MalibuCrew in promoting particular companies, but Earmark Marine is who I have always ordered my audio equipment from. They are competitively priced and extremely knowledgable. They will take the time to help you set up your system and even send you emails on configurations, etc. I have been very pleased.

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  • 9 months later...

NM,

What did you end up doing on your tower speakers? I'm currently trying to decide between the 1 pair of Rev10s or 2 pairs of Icon8 myself.

I really do not care about projecting to 80'. Goal is SQ in the boat.

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I just realized they are coming out with a bluetooth version... anyone looking to upgrade? I am not interested in the bluetooth...

I just put the 420 in boat and would absolutely do it again tomorrow if I had to having the ability to set the eq for both boat and tower is amazing. The boat has never sounded better. They also still sell the non Bluetooth version. I figured if I ever want to add that I can get the Bluetooth adapter for 100 bucks. So in the end it would be the same price and the head unit currently has Bluetooth anyhow. No joke, get the 420. You will love it
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