Levi900RR's 2015 (and first ever) Stereo build

[Levi900RR]

OK guys I think I'm ready to start this thread. I've been collecting TMC hand me down parts all winter and have come up with this list:

Alpha 2's with WS 6X9's

Rockford 6.5's for the cabin

Infinity Basslink

Rockford 400.4 - Cabins

Rockford 300.2 - Towers

This will all be fed by a WS420BT (which I haven't ordered yet)

What I need some help with is all the little things I'll need to piece the system together.

Do I need to replace my stock cabin speaker wire? What else will I need for wiring? Is there a decent kit I can get somewhere that comes with what I need?

Also, I'm planning on mounting the amp's under the helm, for some reason I like the idea of having everything under the helm. Keeping my observers compartment free for storage.

I'm also adding a second battery, and already have a Perko switch which should be straight forward.

Thoughts?

[shawndoggy]

I wouldn't bother replacing cabin speaker wire. That's WAY down the list.

Darvex.com has good power wire, fuses and distribution blocks.

You will need a main fuse at your batteries, and then power and ground distribution blocks (optionally a fused distribution block on the power side). You will need ring terminals to connect your power and ground to the battery terminals.

Don't cheap out on the wire. Working with "good" wire is much more pleasant. The stinger HPM stuff darvex sells is definitely legit. If you don't go with that, MAKE SURE you buy OFC (oxygen free copper) and NOT CCA (copper clad aluminum). knukonceptz has very nice wire too, but they sell both OFC and CCA... you definitely want the OFC. If you want to go super legit marine install, genuinedealz.com has good deals on tinned OFC wire.

The only downside I see to having the amps under the helm (other than being obviously more exposed to the elements) is that they will be farther from the batteries and that makes choosing the right sized power wire more important since longer runs need thicker wire.

I would flip the amps around. The 300.2 would only give you 100w per can, the 400.4 bridged will give you twice that (200w x 2 @ 4ohms). Run in parallel, the 300.2 will give you 150w x 2 @ 2ohms (75w per speaker x 4). Only downside to that is that a 4 channel is particularly nice for your boat to undergain the dash speakers a bit because they can be a little "in your face".

Edited March 23, 2015 by shawndoggy

[Levi900RR]

Sean, do you think it would be worth trying to source another 400.4? I could start looking for another.

[ahopkins22LSV]

Ditto on the power wire and components from Darvex. I haven't installed my new amp yet, but I can already tell the 4 gauge power wire I bought is very good quality along with the other stuff I bought. Prices seemed pretty fair too! Free shipping over $50.0.

[shawndoggy]

ish? You can certainly do just fine with what you have. I think I'd be inclined to run what you have for this season and then see what you want to change (lol I think it will be the sub before the cabin speaker amp if we are taking bets )

If you do feel compelled to do an amp switcheroo I'd look for a 600.4. That would give you more headroom for the tower speakers (300w per can @ 14.4, realistically 225w per can under battery power conditions).

[Levi900RR]

What about tower wiring. Is there a single cable that will carry my speaker and power wires for lighting? And a decent connector for the gunwale?

Edited March 23, 2015 by Levi900RR

[shawndoggy]

Parts express has 8 conductor wire: http://www.parts-express.com/13-awg-8-conductor-portable-speaker-cable-1-ft--100-491

I used an 8 conductor neutrik connector on my old boat. Parts express.com has those too.

[Levi900RR]

Perfect, thanks!

[Bill_AirJunky]

The only Infinity Basslink I've ever heard sounded like crap. I hope your not spending any money on it. Otherwise I'd go with something else.

Good luck with the build.

Edited March 23, 2015 by Bill_AirJunky

[obski]

The only Infinity Basslink I've ever heard sounded like crap. I hope your not spending any money on it. Otherwise I'd go with something else.

Good luck with the build.

I had an Infinity Basslink in my 2001 SSVLX and would say that it was 'OK'. It added some low end that could be felt. Was it 'musical'?....No. Did it sound like crap?...No.It is a decent option when you are on a tight budget.

[Michigan boarder]

I have Pistol Pete's old Basslink in my "custom designed Echelon performance package sound system". It sounds good to me, I'll overdrive the Polk651's with the 40 watt amp before the sub gets sloppy.

[jonredcorn]

Parts express has 8 conductor wire: http://www.parts-express.com/13-awg-8-conductor-portable-speaker-cable-1-ft--100-491

I used an 8 conductor neutrik connector on my old boat. Parts express.com has those too.

If someone were to use this 8-conductor cable, would you imagine there would be interference if 4/8 wires were used for audio and 4/8 used for tower / nav lights? I'm wondering if shielded cables would be required for such an endeavor, considering I would almost never be using the lights and the speakers at the same time.

[DIE2SURF]

I'm interested in where you will place and how you will mount the amps in under the helm. I'm about to tackle this same endeavor and was going to relocate my sub from the observers compartment to driver's feet/kick panel. I was going to put the amps on a board in the observers compartment...never even considered under the helm...

(It may be very common, and I uninformed)

[Dare2goBare]

I'm watching all of this closely. Lol

As I'm adding a Samson Harpoon Amp XM30.2, With Samson SMT65 Speakers.

Seeing as I have a DD, unlike Levi, I'm thinking my speaker separation will only be 12" - 16" apart on

the tower over top of the dog house. Speakers that close, will there truly be any stereo phonic sound? Thinking

that I should just wire the speakers in series and connect as bridged to the amp??? Only need to run

one speaker wire. 14 AWG. Thoughts.

Levi...not meaning to hijack....but thought this Q....was fitting.

Edited March 23, 2015 by Dare2goBare

[MLA]

I would not use an all in one 8 conductor for a couple of reasons. if the cable is sufficient ga for the speakers, it may be WAY overkill for LED Lights. 2nd, in most cases, the speaker leads need to down the port side of the tower and lighting will go down the stbd side to the helm.

@ dare2gobare, 14ga it too light for the 30.2. With a pair in series and bridging an 8 ohm load, the wire will be carrying the amp's 4 ohm x 2 output. 600W rms based on printed specs.

You will not have stereo much past 3-4 ft with the speakers that close. This is where an amp that allows for a summed mono signal pays off.

[IXFE]

Sean, do you think it would be worth trying to source another 400.4? I could start looking for another.

I have another 400.4. I also have a 500.2. I just pulled both out of my '15 LSV.

I also have distribution blocks and fuse.

PM me if interested

[David]

Dare2go,

It may look like a minor distinction but it's not. In this particular case with one 2-channel amplifier and no summing circuit on the input, you need to stay in the stereo mode with four conductors up the tower. The bridged/series thing works fine with a dedicated amplifier per each channel but not in this application with a single amplifier. It would sound nasty and you would lose some output.

[Dare2goBare]

Dare2go,

It may look like a minor distinction but it's not. In this particular case with one 2-channel amplifier and no summing circuit on the input, you need to stay in the stereo mode with four conductors up the tower. The bridged/series thing works fine with a dedicated amplifier per each channel but not in this application with a single amplifier. It would sound nasty and you would lose some output.

Thx David,

So I'll run two separate channel speaker wires up the tower. Will 14 AWG be sufficient then or should

I be looking at 12 AWG?? I'm going to feed the signal from my RF Head unit which feeds my RF Sub Amp

by splitting with a "Y" into the Harpoon, this should work fine?

Levi, sorry, guess I Really should have taken to a new post!

[shawndoggy]

I would not use an all in one 8 conductor for a couple of reasons. if the cable is sufficient ga for the speakers, it may be WAY overkill for LED Lights. 2nd, in most cases, the speaker leads need to down the port side of the tower and lighting will go down the stbd side to the helm.

@ dare2gobare, 14ga it too light for the 30.2. With a pair in series and bridging an 8 ohm load, the wire will be carrying the amp's 4 ohm x 2 output. 600W rms based on printed specs.

You will not have stereo much past 3-4 ft with the speakers that close. This is where an amp that allows for a summed mono signal pays off.

The cross section of the 8 conductor is really nice to work with for getting 8 conductors into the tower FWIW.

[MLA]

The cross section of the 8 conductor is really nice to work with for getting 8 conductors into the tower FWIW.

for 4 speaker, sure, a single jacketed 8-con could be the ticket. But given the context here, I dont see an advantage yet.

[Levi900RR]

Just ordered my 420. Next purchase is going to be distro blocks. Will I be safe running one big power and ground cable from the batteries over under the helm and then using a distribution block from there? I don't want to be chasing down weird noises at the end of this, and if I have to run everything back to the batteries maybe I'll mount the amps over there.

[MLA]

Levi,

Yes. As long as the circuit is protected with a fuse or breaker, its perfectly safe. This in itself, will not create noise.

[Levi900RR]

OK cool, my plan is to run power and ground off the common terminals of my Perko over to a blueseas distro block. Then power / ground everything off that.

Edited March 30, 2015 by Levi900RR

[Levi900RR]

OK, I've got my WS420 now. I'm going to start laying out (in my mind) what I need for wiring. Is this good enough to use as power / ground distribution?

https://www.bluesea.com/products/5025/ST_Blade_Fuse_Block_-_6_Circuits_with_Negative_Bus_and_Cover

I'll come right off my perko battery switch to that?

[shawndoggy]

yes, blue sea 5025 is money. The 5026, with room for 12 circuits is only a few bucks more.