Simple stereo setup

[JulioEstevez]

Hi, new Malibu owner here, just bought a used 2002 Malibu sunscape and I am looking to change the stereo system.

Right now it has a head unit and 4 speakers, no amp.

What I want is a simple setup: keep my head unit, add an amplifier and change the 4 speakers.

Installing tower speakers would be a PIA because of the tower I have. Wiring would be hard to do for a clean install.

Plus, our boat is on a quiet lake, we will be doing mostly wakesurfing, cruising around and rarely ski/wakeboard. I do not need to be hearing the music from the rope.

I read a lot of posts with multiple amplifiers and many speakers all around. I would like to have your suggestions for a simple setup.

The budget is limited, I would like to get 4 speakers and an amp for around 400-500$

Again, the sound does not need to be outstanding from across the lake I'm looking for a good price/quality.

I'm a bit lost with all the amps and speakers out there, if you could suggest a well balanced mix of amp and speakers it would help me A LOT!

Thank you!

[JulioEstevez]

This is the setup i am looking to do, very basic

[jwl019]

For speakers I am not sure about but for a good decent priced amp take a look at PPI 900.4, I was looking at it for my truck to just run the door speakers off of and a separate amp for the sub. Instead I went with the Exile Javelin to push doors and sub.

Speakers possibly look at Polk coaxials 6.5", but I am sure someone else will chime in with better suggestions.

[ColinP]

That's too funny, I was going to recommend the PPI 900.4 but jwl019 beat me to it! It's a great amp for the price. I use it to power a total of 8 speakers, 6 in the cabin and 2 on the tower and it's very reliable and powerful!

For speakers I am not sure about but for a good decent priced amp take a look at PPI 900.4, I was looking at it for my truck to just run the door speakers off of and a separate amp for the sub. Instead I went with the Exile Javelin to push doors and sub.

Speakers possibly look at Polk coaxials 6.5", but I am sure someone else will chime in with better suggestions.

[jwl019]

That's too funny, I was going to recommend the PPI 900.4 but jwl019 beat me to it! It's a great amp for the price. I use it to power a total of 8 speakers, 6 in the cabin and 2 on the tower and it's very reliable and powerful!

It is really a great bang per buck when compared to other amps! I almost squeezed the trigger on it and a separate amp for sub but I did not want to over complicate my first stereo install in a vehicle by having to deal with a dual amp set up.

[JulioEstevez]

Good to know for the amp, and it fits in the budget

No issues about putting that amp in a boat?

[jwl019]

Not sure on the size of the speakers you are replacing but here are some examples of 6.5" speakers that are marine rated (other sizes available as well):

Polk Audio - http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Slim-Mount-6-5-Inch-Speakers/dp/B000P0NJPS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405452537&sr=8-1&keywords=polk+audio+651s

Infinity - http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Reference-612m-High-Performance-Loudspeaker/dp/B00292XT2I

Kicker - http://www.amazon.com/11KM6LC-Charcoal-Coaxial-Speakers-Lighting/dp/B00FADFTJO/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1405452825&sr=1-1&keywords=kicker+6.5+marine+speakers

Alpine - http://www.amazon.com/Alpine-SPS-M600-SPSM600/dp/B000J3G6PG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1405452867&sr=1-1&keywords=alpine+6.5+marine+speakers

PPI 900.4 - http://www.amazon.com/Precision-Power-P900-4-4-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B005KVEPVO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405452600&sr=8-1&keywords=ppi+900.4

(not sure if it's marine rated or not but if you put it under the watchers seat and keep it somewhat dry I do not think you will have any issues with it - watch out for placing it under a cup holder with a hole in the bottom or your vent scoupe that may allow water to drip on it)

Polk D4000.4 - http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Channel-Amplifier-PAD40004/dp/B006OCBW1Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1405453269&sr=1-1&keywords=polk+D4000.4

[ColinP]

I think the Polk speakers are the way to go!

The PPI amp is not marine rated but it has not been a problem for me since mine is installed in a dry area. FYI I kept some original PPI pro class audio components from the 90's (I worked 2 summers to save up for these when I was a kid and I didn't want to install them in my boat) and the current PPI stuff is amazingly good for the price thanks to the advancement of the technology behind it all..

[Steve5sst]

Stating the obvious - It's all in what you want to spend and what you want to get out of it. Your post caught my eye because we have a very simple set-up because we don't need our music loud enough that you need to yell over it. When we do, we're always with other people who have the expensive stereos and extra batteries to power them. So I replaced the head with a $150 Alpine unit that has a front USB port and blue-tooth. LOVE the blue-tooth rather than a wire so I can keep the phone in a safe place. I replaced the speakers with marine grade Alpines which happen to be linked in the most recent post, and the new head powers them sufficiently for our needs. I used all the existing wiring. No amp. No extra battery, not that you necessarily need one when using an amp. I reeeeally wanted to spend more and have a much better sound system but I'm glad resisted because we just don't have the need for anything more.

[JulioEstevez]

Steve5sst, you have the alpine spsm600?

Your comment just made me Doubt the idea or getting an amp at all...

I might try just the speakers, and adding the amp if need be...!

Thanks for the speaker suggestions jwl019, i Will give an update once its done!

[MLA]

Speaker upgrade or not, getting an amp will be money well spend. That extra power will make a significant difference in volume and sound quality, especially while under way when the speakers are trying to compete with wind, water and engine noise.

[Nitrousbird]

PPI 900.4 would be fine, but the 600.2 would do just as well for you and save you $40:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_38336_Precision-Power-PPI-P600.2.html

It's only a 2 channel but do you really need to fade the interior speakers?

With only $130 in the amp, that leaves you a nice speaker budget. Exile makes a nice product, here are their in boat speakers @ $180/pair:

http://exileaudio.com/store/index.php/amplifiers/speakers.html

That leaves you at $490 total, so within budget, and getting a NICE set of speakers in the process. 2 pair of Wetsounds XS-650i speakers are $175/pair and would also be a very nice setup: https://wetsounds.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?preadd=action&key=WSXSXS-65

These two speakers I've mentioned are easily a better speaker than anything mentioned earlier. I run the Polk MM series speakers for in-boats and love them, but they seem to be selling for a lot more now than when I bought mine, so I'd still stick with my Wetsounds or Exile suggestion.

Don't try to run without an amp. It can be fine for in a car - not a good idea in an open setup like a boat.

Lastly, I know you didn't mention getting a sub and it would change your budget, but you need one. Need, not want. I'm sure you have some idea in your head about a sub being for a bass head, thumping down the street, annoying neighbors, etc. Boats have very little bass response from just the in-boat speakers. Where cars can use some tricks to get at least some additional bass response, you just don't seem to get those advantages in a boat. The sub fills in the bottom end of that spectrum.

Since you aren't trying to go all out, I'd suggest just an Infinity Basslink all-in-one subwoofer. http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Basslink-200-Watt-10-Inch-Subwoofer/dp/B000063TJY

That is about the best bang for the buck sub setup you can buy. I had one for a while (sold it to a crew member) and it was actually pretty impressive for what it is. It will really fill in the bottom frequencies and give you a full sound your ears deserve. I just experienced not have a sub for one day on the boat (had a wire come off when I was putting a new sub grill on and didn't check before going out on the water and had no tools with me). It was amazing how off my whole stereo sounded, even at low volumes, without the sub.

[Slayer]

If you have a powered sub like nitrousbird linked, do you really need an amp? I'm in a similar position as the op.

[MLA]

If you have a powered sub like nitrousbird linked, do you really need an amp? I'm in a similar position as the op.

For the sub? A powered, or self-powered, sub, means the woofer and amp are a single piece of gear. So no additional external sub-woofer amp needed, if you went with a self-powered sub.

[Slayer]

For the sub? A powered, or self-powered, sub, means the woofer and amp are a single piece of gear. So no additional external sub-woofer amp needed, if you went with a self-powered sub.

I understand that but the question is directed to the balance of the system.

[shawndoggy]

yes, you'd still want an amp for the balance of the system. It's not about maximum volume, it's about headroom. An amp will give you a lot more range before it begins to distort, whereas a headunit alone will distort earlier. If you want to hear the stereo while underway, that's actually pretty dang loud in the big scheme of things.

[JulioEstevez]

Thanks a lot nitrousbird, your setup suggestion seems great. I'll think about the sub, i like the idea of an all in one piece of equipment, i didnt like the idea of getting a sub and a second amp...!

[shawndoggy]

you could always go with a five channel amp too as an alternative.

Kicker has nice marine speakers if you are trying to stay a little cheaper. In my experience, Kickers can take a ton of power and laugh it off.

I also second the sub recommendation. It's really the foundation of any system. Without one, now matter how much you spend, the system is going to sound cheap/weak. A sub will add a lot of presence to the whole sound.

[MLA]

Thanks a lot nitrousbird, your setup suggestion seems great. I'll think about the sub, i like the idea of an all in one piece of equipment, i didnt like the idea of getting a sub and a second amp...!

Yes, as mentioned above, an amp for the in-boats speakers will make a worth while difference. With or without new in-boats, with or without a sub-woofer. A single 5 or 6 chnl amp would allow you to drive your in-boats and sub. This will expand the field of sub-woofer options into the 500-600 watt rms range. Way beyond most self-powered subs.

[ryanowen]

Seems like everyone is pretty spot on. It really just depends on what you are looking for. For us, we really don't use the radio at speed. The lake isn't very big and when we're skiing the radio is off. Generally, we use it while parked and it's fine for that. For that reason, I just replaced the kaput head unit on our boat with a new Clarion M502 and an MF1 RF remote. Pretty slick basic setup using the 4 stock speakers and wiring. Easy couple hour DIY job. I can use Pandora while charging my phone with usb and adjust volume and skip songs with the remote. The interface on the M502 will take some getting used to with just one dial/button, but with the remote I really don't use it at all.

[CRF-Rider]

Regarding the marine rating of the PPI phantom series amps; I've had a PPI P900.4 and P600.2 on my boat for well over 2 years, and have not had a single problem. In fact, one night last summer I had my boat out of storage and an unexpected storm came through. The amps got completely drenched and were totally unaffected. On the same token, I've had "marine rated" amps fail as well as go into thermal shutdown, whereas I've never had a failure or overheating issue with the PPI amps. Polk, Soundstream, NVX, Hertz, Nakamichi, amongst others sell the same amp.

[CRF-Rider]

I don't know if I'm allowed to say this on the forum, but I have some used Exile SX65's I'll let go for cheap. They've been sitting in my garage for over a year. I took them out of my boat when I decided to go with an active pro audio setup.

[JulioEstevez]

I am definitely going to go with the P600.2 amp and 4 new speakers. They are 2x 6.5" and 2x 6x9 if I am not mistaken. I will measure them this weekend to be sure. I will probably do the install in a few weeks as I have just bought it last week.

The sub might be a winter upgrade

[jk13]

Good plan. Remember that you will have to budget around $100 for installation parts, especially if you are looking at speakers in that $200/pr. range. You will need RCA cables, power wires, speaker wire, etc. Lengths and price will depend on where the amp is going.

[CRF-Rider]

If you're going with the p600.2, which is a 2 channel amp, you will be running 2 sets of speakers in parallel per channel. What this means, is all 4 speakers should be identical and shouldn't have an impedance below 4ohm.