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Fading ability - 2015 Malibu


Murphy8166

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If you are using Viper II than no. If your boat was an early 2015 build and has both Viper II and BT source the BT dongle from Rockford Fosgate does allow you to fade/balance and control bass/treble.

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I stand corrected thanks to MLA. He just sent me pictures of a boat with Viper 2 and medallion with the following controls. Bass, treble, fade front to rear... Etc

That's true, but unless my memory is failing me, I don't believe it works if you're connected via Bluetooth. Kinda defeats the purpose since that's how most people connect.

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Ok, here is what i have found on a 2015.

If you BT through the Medallion Viper II, the select button for accessing fade goes away. So, you cannot access fade, bass, treble, etc, while connect to the medallion Viper II BT. But, you can set the fade where you might want it while in another mode, then go back to the Viper BT.

If connecting through the Rockford BT, that select button is there and functioning.

From a performance and SQ standpoint, I would use the RF over the medallion, unless the Medallion is a whole new unit and not just a revision of the previous models.

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So if I'm going to buy a BT single for the direct connect into the fosgate... Is there anything I need to be mindful or such as revisions or updates to the dongle?

I purchased the RFXBT3 a month ago and it works perfect ($84.99 I think). There isn't anything that you have to do other than find the BT cable coming out of the RF blackbox and plug it in. It also gives me a second option for BT if we are jumping between two people's phones.

It also makes the paddle wheel and remote at the back of the boat completely functional.

Edited by jsmail
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Do you remember where you bought it from

You can buy it through Best Buy's Marketplace or they have it at Sonic Electronix also. I tried Crutchfield first and they said they had it and then a few days later they said it was discontinued.

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I purchased the RFXBT3 a month ago and it works perfect ($84.99 I think). There isn't anything that you have to do other than find the BT cable coming out of the RF blackbox and plug it in. It also gives me a second option for BT if we are jumping between two people's phones.

It also makes the paddle wheel and remote at the back of the boat completely functional.

I had both on my '15 LSV as well. The only issue with the RF dongle was that you don't get artist and title displayed on the dash screen. Only the Viper 2 connection gives you this. Also, I found that just about any source running through the RF black box was subject to more background noise. So really, each BT option has trade offs.

I ended up using neither. I simply installed a 3rd BT connection (Exile) and ran it through an Exile ZLD, essentially bypassing the entire Malibu audio system. No background noise that way and full control of all my zones w/out having to rely on the clunky fade control of Viper 2.

This is why a lot of guys order their boats without any factory audio. All this is such a pain.

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^^^or b/c they can't figure out how to eliminate noise...

Been there done it... Tons of guys installing system in malibu's that get it and figure it out.

Look at Ryan Norris at chucktronics... Every Malibu he does is with the factory head unit... It can be done / it is being done.

Sometimes folks get "sold" / before they get educated. :)

Edited by Murphy8166
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^^^ and that is not meant to be insultative. I get it that some guys pay 90k for a boat and don't want to screw with "eliminating noise"

I'm one that will go to great lengths and have conversations with installers all over the map to know more!

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Or...install a WS-420 and have complete control of your system, in boats and towers controlled independently and in a way that looks factory! I did mine this weekend and couldn't believe how easy it was! I didn't get the BT version of the WS-420 as my plan is to use the Viper II connection so I can take advantage of the track info on the display. Only challenge I have read is that volume is low via Viper II Bluetooth however, I should have plenty of power to push it up!

I had both on my '15 LSV as well. The only issue with the RF dongle was that you don't get artist and title displayed on the dash screen. Only the Viper 2 connection gives you this. Also, I found that just about any source running through the RF black box was subject to more background noise. So really, each BT option has trade offs.

I ended up using neither. I simply installed a 3rd BT connection (Exile) and ran it through an Exile ZLD, essentially bypassing the entire Malibu audio system. No background noise that way and full control of all my zones w/out having to rely on the clunky fade control of Viper 2.

This is why a lot of guys order their boats without any factory audio. All this is such a pain.

Quick clarification...your black box was still an input to your ZLD, correct? Thus, not a complete bypass of the factory system rather a bypass of the need to control from your factory system?

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Edited by NCSurfing
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A good approach is to try to prevent the noise during the upgrades, rather then have to chase and fix the noise after the install is done.

Are you saying my upgrades to the factory system caused the noise?

Let me assure you that the noise was there before I changed a thing. And I've talked to Malibu about it and they acknowledged the issue, not just in my boat but in many of them.

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^^^ and that is not meant to be insultative. I get it that some guys pay 90k for a boat and don't want to screw with "eliminating noise"

I'm one that will go to great lengths and have conversations with installers all over the map to know more!

Not me. I look at it this way... Malibu changes upwards of $6k for a complete system with cabins, subs, and four towers. I'm all for factory integration, in fact I prefer it. And I can even swallow the underpowered amps and shoddy sub enclosure. Depending on my mood I might even be okay with fade control that doesn't work with the main audio source. But when it shows up fresh from the factory with intermittent crackling noise and constant "fuzz" that's when I opt out. Not gonna pay an independent shop to chase noise in a $6k system. Sorry. Edited by IXFE
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Are you saying my upgrades to the factory system caused the noise?

Let me assure you that the noise was there before I changed a thing. And I've talked to Malibu about it and they acknowledged the issue, not just in my boat but in many of them.

I was not addressing you or your setup directly, as I would have made that clear. My statement was meant in general for anyone doing audio upgrades.

Anytime upgrades are done to a system that included peripherals such as BT's, line drivers or EQs that boost the line level and amps, the door for unwanted noise, is opened wider and wider. This makes it easier for that unwanted noise to get in there. It can also mean that existing noise can be amplified, not necessarily caused. What we want to do, is through the course of the install/upgrades, is to take every precaution through equipment wiring and tuning, to prevent that noise. There are a handful of best practices that greatly reduce any path for that unwanted noise to fallow. Its much easier to do this through the build, then go back into the wiring after the fact, to chase noise.

I will speak directly to your scenario now. Ive only had one rockford black box since its appearance in Bu's, that gave us unwanted noise that could not be addressed through the normal rewiring. It was in a 2010 with a bone stock 3 amp system and the only audio work done was adding a BT and thats where the noise was present. After trying a 2nd BT of the same brand and then a 2nd brand, it was determined that the source of the noise was the BB's AUX input. We cured it with a GLI. I have yet to see one come in with noise issue to the degree of your experiences and certainly not, when they leave. Having your symptoms from the word go, I would have not taken delivery until they were resolved, simple as that. If the dealer was uncomfortable diving into the system, then I would have seen to it that it was taken to a shop that could resolve it, and I would have informed the dealer's Malibu sales, then any incurred expenses would be reimbursed. Sounds like your boat had a failed component such as the head-unit, RCA cable or one of the many interfaces. I am sorry to hear you had issues from the beginning. My experience is that they are not that wide spread. If a boat came to me for upgrades and it had existing noise, I would want to isolate prior to the upgrades. This goes back to my original comments. Prevent rather then fix. Also, the last thing I want to do is chase my tail after the fact, trying to resolve a noise issue that existed prior to diving in with new parts.

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I appreciate the clarification, and your experience.

The only place where we differ is in the number of 2015 boats that exhibited noise with nothing more than factory audio. I was far from the only one. There were numerous cases at my dealer, and on this forum (there's a video of mine somewhere taken just moments after taking delivery). As I said I had a lengthy conversation with the factory about it where they acknowledged it was an issue with many 2015 boats.

I chose not to chase it for a variety of reasons.

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If its isolated to the 2015, then the issue is likely related to malibu and possibly the interface with the Medallion system and maybe not the rockford BB. I say this because the current unit I believe was introduced in the 2014 models. I dont work at a Bu dealership, so I cannot comment as to the frequency of noise issues they have seen with the 2015 models. In my little slice of the galaxy, Ive been in 5 2015's, all with zero noise issue. Im not saying noise issue dont exist, ive read them here. What i will say though, is the threads I see here. seem to also include some degree of upgrades having been done, rather then bone stock systems with noise no one can fix.

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