Got a few questions on new boat

[DAI]

5 hours ago, ORMailbuboater said:

You will need a special cable to play the iPhone but it is using the pin connection on the RF unit in the glove box.   http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/products/details/ipodec  or ipodec2 (lighting).  

I still have not ordered the cable for use with an iPod or iPhone.  Strictly using BT.   The USB slot accepts a thumb drive or SD slot for music but I have found them to be worthless.  No way to search folders or see Artist, Titles, etc...     Not user friendly at all.  

^  This.

I have this cable on 2014 and it works well with an old iPod touch that use to access my iTunes library and download Spotify music.  The iTunes playlist is fully fuctional on the transom remote, sound quality is better than the stock Bluetooth setup, and I have functionality through the RF interface on the dash to artist, playlists, tracks, etc ... (last one is probably not applicable to a 2016)

[hethj7]

Okay, I think that is the cable I was referring to except it seems if you need the Lightning connector, you have to go through Patrick Industries.  Does that cable also charge?  If so, I would probably run one from the black box to the phone cradle.   

 

Still, what a pain to set this all up in a new system!

 

 

[ConnollyCrew]

On July 9, 2016 at 10:23 PM, hethj7 said:

We picked up our 2016 23LSV today and I already have a few questions. 

1.When plugging the iphone into the USB in the glovebox, the stereo just continues to say the USB is reading.  Is this normal? I expected I could leave my phone in there to charge and still access my playlist via the 7" screen using USB.

2.  Where does the strap go on the very front tip of the cover.  

 

3. Dealer didn't mount the windshield mount cipa mirror.  I figured no big deal but can't figure it out.  I think I may be missing a bracket or something.  Anyone got a few photos of theirs?

4.  The stereo is underwhelming at best.   I would be surprised, but you all forewarned buyers how bad the stock system is.  It really is embarrassing for Malibu  My sub is basically non-existent.  No real question here, just a statement.  Off to re-read threads on getting the most out of the stock setup  

 

 

1. If you want to plug in call Patrick industries in Indiana and but the special plug,it is not very consistent  though. Buy the RFX 6000 bt dongle and be done. The ipodec2 does not do well. Go ROckford bt dongle. You can use a Ian to charge, I use the one in my dry box to charge while I play audio bt with phone in cradle on dash. 

2 Bow eye, I wrap mine under the strap and pull taught. 

3 sorry, I have the tower mirro

4 Get a good box built and properly tune your amps and make sure everything is wired in an ideal manner. This may take a marine audio pro but for less than 1000 usd the stock system can do fairly well. A good sub box and proper power on everything and it will rock for sure. The inboats will sound great with 100-125 watts rms. Not sure about the specs on the sub nor do I know which Wetsounds tower speakers you have but Malibu grossly underpowers and has no idea how to tune an audio system. 

Dont forget that doing these customizations is part of the fun of making the boat YOURS!

Edited July 14, 2016 by ConnollyCrew

[ctvandy23]

Same experience with the cable.  Bought one from Patrick and an exertsion from Amazon.  Ran it from black box to under cradle.  Looked great and sounded great for less than a month.  No it is very intermittent and too frustrating to deal with...$70+ for both cables.  I now use the BT and have had no problems!

[hethj7]

Thanks for the updates on the cable.  I was seriously about to pull the trigger, but maybe it isn't good money to spend.  I'd rather go that route than bluetooth, but not if it doesn't consistently work then I'm not about to.   

 

And @ConnollyCrew, I hear you about customizing, but some of these items are just to make the dang thing function like it should from the factory.  My build sheet shows about $7,500 in stereo equipment on this thing and I have a pathetic sub, detuned amps, no zone control, shelf mounted tower speakers, bluetooth profiles aren't remembered after shutting off batteries, only 1 bluetooth profile is allowed, and I can't plug my iPhone in and have it work?  Giant fail in my book.  Look, I still love the boat and Malibu, but it can't be overstated how poor the stereo is for the price from the factory.   

[Ahaspert]

@hethj7 You said it perfectly earlier on. It's like buying a house, not everything is ready to go as you think it would be. Definitely unfortunate when you spend the money and go the whole 9 yards and still have to deal with these little problems that are nonetheless avoidable in my opinion. Overall still love the boat and the wake it puts behind it. 

[ConnollyCrew]

1 hour ago, hethj7 said:

Thanks for the updates on the cable.  I was seriously about to pull the trigger, but maybe it isn't good money to spend.  I'd rather go that route than bluetooth, but not if it doesn't consistently work then I'm not about to.   

 

And @ConnollyCrew, I hear you about customizing, but some of these items are just to make the dang thing function like it should from the factory.  My build sheet shows about $7,500 in stereo equipment on this thing and I have a pathetic sub, detuned amps, no zone control, shelf mounted tower speakers, bluetooth profiles aren't remembered after shutting off batteries, only 1 bluetooth profile is allowed, and I can't plug my iPhone in and have it work?  Giant fail in my book.  Look, I still love the boat and Malibu, but it can't be overstated how poor the stereo is for the price from the factory.   

I understand, my next boat will be ordered with stereo delete and the 8k will go to a true marine audio guy. Everyone agrees with your sentiment in regards to the audio. 

[mrnate450r]

8 hours ago, ConnollyCrew said:

I understand, my next boat will be ordered with stereo delete and the 8k will go to a true marine audio guy. Everyone agrees with your sentiment in regards to the audio. 

Even if they are all Wetsounds like we are seeing on the 2017s?

[shawndoggy]

16 minutes ago, mrnate450r said:

Even if they are all Wetsounds like we are seeing on the 2017s?

On the rockford boats, the problem really isn't the rockford speakers and amps, it's (1) poor sub box construction, (2) poor amp tuning, and (3) that dang RFX black box.

Even on that 21 VLX you really have no idea what's behind the sub tho.  Poor sub box construction is usually the biggest deficit/problem.  Once that's corrected, everything else can either be lived with (crappy ipod/iphone integration) or corrected (amp tuning).

Edited July 14, 2016 by shawndoggy

[ctvandy23]

13 hours ago, hethj7 said:

Thanks for the updates on the cable.  I was seriously about to pull the trigger, but maybe it isn't good money to spend.  I'd rather go that route than bluetooth, but not if it doesn't consistently work then I'm not about to.   

 

And @ConnollyCrew, I hear you about customizing, but some of these items are just to make the dang thing function like it should from the factory.  My build sheet shows about $7,500 in stereo equipment on this thing and I have a pathetic sub, detuned amps, no zone control, shelf mounted tower speakers, bluetooth profiles aren't remembered after shutting off batteries, only 1 bluetooth profile is allowed, and I can't plug my iPhone in and have it work?  Giant fail in my book.  Look, I still love the boat and Malibu, but it can't be overstated how poor the stereo is for the price from the factory.   

I totally agree, but I can't say I wasn't forwarned about going with the stereo delete.  In all honestly though like @shawndoggy said its really not the speakers that are the problem.  After adding an EQS I was able to tweak things so that the system sounds really good.  Of course I did go sub delete at the last minute and built my own box, so I never had to deal with the stock sub.  Still it's the small stuff that bugs me.  Yeah there are work arounds, like  the cable and you can use the fader to control your towers if you set up your amps that way, but these things should come from the factory!  Like you said I love my boat, but a few small adjustments/additions to this system would make it even better.  

[hethj7]

I would have gone stereo delete, but my boat was essentially dealer stock. 

@mrnate450r  Even with full westsounds, I wouldn't let the factory touch my stereo until they prove they know what they are doing if I was ordering a boat.  

[ConnollyCrew]

15 hours ago, mrnate450r said:

Even if they are all Wetsounds like we are seeing on the 2017s?

Yea

good equipment with poor power and piss poor install means more cash after the fact to make it right!!! Delete