Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

2018 stereo questions


Brett B

Recommended Posts

Sadly, I still say if you are ordering a new boat you may as well go stereo delete.   Yes, I would miss some functionality from the knob and screen not being integrated, but think I would care more about the sound.  Although I am not sure what stereo delete looks like anymore with the way the factory does the sub box on the newer molds.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
On 4/24/2018 at 10:29 AM, Fman said:

Am I the only one still a fan of the stereo delete box?  Give me an old school eq, ability to tune, pick my own components, and do it myself.  If it doesn't sound good it's all on me.  This isn't for everyone but having options are nice and being able to tune a system to your taste even better imo.

Shame on Malibu if they are detuning these systems to not perform at the maximum potential.  For what they are charging buyers it should be rocking the house with a "wow" factor.

That being said the soundpack 3 in the new A24 I heard did sound very good to me.  Hopefully this result is across the entire Malibu lineup as well.

 

Even if it sounds good, my assumption is that the interface would still have goofy issues.  Can you now pair multiple Bluetooth devices? Can you skip tracks from the transom remote when using BT?  Will IXFE’s mute button start working?

Link to comment
1 hour ago, cowwboy said:

That is crazy, I remember Tim saying in a post on Wakeworld that they would have limited dealers that would have the DSP software. 
I kind of understand their warranty issue of not allowing general public have it but not allowing any of their dealers have it is crazy. 
 

They have limited dealers that have the dongles to flash the amps. I have not seen any proof that anyone has the actual software or can or has actually changed gains, dsp/eq, or x-over settings beyond what the factory one are.

Link to comment
9 hours ago, IXFE said:

@MLA says you can absolutely tune these amps if you just know where to go but declines telling us where. 

@COOP is a Wetsounds dealer and says he absolutely cannot tune the amp. Nobody can. 

Which is it gentlemen?

 

If hes declining to say or provide proof (maybe a screen shot of the computer screen running the software) then I would says he cannot and has not tuned these amps. That or he has misunderstood the difference between reflashing the amps to a different factory setting using the dongle and actually changing gains, dsp/eq, x-over settings. 

Ive been a Wet Sounds dealer for a long time and a Rockford Power dealer, as well as an Audio Control dealer. Before I was in the marine world I worked for Kenwood USA, and before that I was in custom car audio for over 20 years.  Although it has been expired for some time I was once MECP certified and was one of the first in MO. to take the MECP First Class test back in the early 90s. Even with all my background I could not get Wet Sounds to give me the software.  So Im calling BS until I see some proof. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
9 hours ago, IXFE said:

@MLA says you can absolutely tune these amps if you just know where to go but declines telling us where. 

@COOP is a Wetsounds dealer and says he absolutely cannot tune the amp. Nobody can. 

Which is it gentlemen?

 

Yes, I decline for two reasons. 1) I have not conducted a nation wide survey to see who does and will 2) Posting names would be be speaking for them, and that, I will not do.

However, on this very page, a post left on 4/24, links to a thread, that links to a thread containing a post by a Malibu boat owner, who indeed had an OEM DSP amp uploaded with a complete new tune, re-purposing the amp to a completely different job then what its OEM role was. This would have required a new gain dB level, cross-over point, etc. I believe a link to said post, has been shared in every thread that this topic comes up. 

Link to comment
6 minutes ago, MLA said:

Yes, I decline for two reasons. 1) I have not conducted a nation wide survey to see who does and will 2) Posting names would be be speaking for them, and that, I will not do.

However, on this very page, a post left on 4/24, links to a thread, that links to a thread containing a post by a Malibu boat owner, who indeed had an OEM DSP amp uploaded with a complete new tune, re-purposing the amp to a completely different job then what its OEM role was. This would have required a new gain dB level, cross-over point, etc. I believe a link to said post, has been shared in every thread that this topic comes up. 

I read that post. I sounded to me like the amp was reflashed to a different factory setting. That factory setting may have changed the gain/dsp/eq/x-over, but it is still a factory setting.

Edited by COOP
Link to comment
4 minutes ago, COOP said:

I read that post. I sounded to me like the amp was reflashed to a different factory setting. That factory setting may have changed the gain/dsp/eq/x-over, but it is still a factory setting.

Quote

 

Nope

I am running SD4 on inboats, SD2 on XXX and had factory 4 ch reprogrammed to run Rev10's 

 

connollycrew's own post

Link to comment
10 hours ago, IXFE said:

So I spent several hours in my new 23 LSV this past weekend listening to the stereo. I was installing my Gatorstep and just poking around (not on the water, no engine running). iPhone was connected via Bluetooth  

My observations:

1) Mute button doesn’t work. Neither pushing the Sport Knob nor the soft button on the 7” screen will mute the music.  Bummer cuz we use the mute button a lot (ie rider goes down, mute or pause until back up).

2) Sub is a little on the weak side, as others have reported. But that’s not my only beef... the bass is dull and muffled.  Whoever called it “musical” made me laugh. Ummm, no.

3) There is a persistent clicking noise. During a song it’s not as noticeable (but definitely there). Between songs it’s clearly audible. So far this only seems to happen when the battery is plugged in.  

I can’t help but wonder if the answer to this riddle isn’t to just rip out the factory Wetsounds amp and replace it with ___________.  I may do just that with a Javeline.  Seems much easier than running around in search of the mystery stereo guy who can hack into the factory amp (if such a person even exists).

More to come...

IXFE - one thing to check on the mute functionality. I thought mine had the same problem. In reality, the sport knob or the soft mute button will only mute which ever speaker set is highlighted in the lower left corner of the stereo screen.  If you have tower speakers selected, it will mute tower.  It you have internal it will mute internal.  Make sure you have the main voulume selected to mute the whole system. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment

Looking at this dialog from the outside (non pro sound guy) the question I have is why they are doing this and how long they will continue if they really want to sell systems to audiophiles?  Were they really having major problems with people blowing amps and speakers?  Or perhaps they think they know better than everyone what tuning should be set?  I mean sound is subjective and variation is good.

Link to comment
10 hours ago, IXFE said:

My observations:

1) Mute button doesn’t work. Neither pushing the Sport Knob nor the soft button on the 7” screen will mute the music.  Bummer cuz we use the mute button a lot (ie rider goes down, mute or pause until back up).

2) Sub is a little on the weak side, as others have reported. But that’s not my only beef... the bass is dull and muffled.  Whoever called it “musical” made me laugh. Ummm, no.

3) There is a persistent clicking noise. During a song it’s not as noticeable (but definitely there). Between songs it’s clearly audible. So far this only seems to happen when the battery is plugged in.  

 

 

I've had the same/similar observations.  

1) When plugged into USB sometimes the "mute" on the sport button will pause the music, sometimes it will take ~5 seconds to pause, sometimes it would not pause at all.

2) Same, already discussed here

3) The first time I plugged into the USB I noticed this as well running on battery power at home. After I re-routed the USB cable it went away while still on battery power at home so I thought it was just a cable related issue that had been solved. On the water this weekend it was not there at all with the engine running. At home again doing cleanup and playing with the sub settings this weekend the clicking was back. I have not been able to pinpoint it, I'm using my iPhone as the source each time.

Link to comment

I am not an audiophile and not sure I have the time or interest to put in my own system that lets me tweak everything.  The Malibu system works fine for me and the folks that ride in my boat.  Could it be done cheaper - of course.  But that brings another set of potential headaches.

Although it has nothing to do with the sound quality of the system, I was wondering if anyone else is annoyed with the way an apostrophe shows up on the malibu screens when connected to Bluetooth.  Nearly everyone that connects their phone to the Bluetooth system typically has their phone name “Bob’s iPhone” and it shows up on the screen something like “Bob%$@s iPhone”.  Any idea how to fix this?  Nothing functional - it’s just that a piece of the anal retentive side of me dies each time someone connects their phone.

Link to comment
23 minutes ago, MLA said:

connollycrew's own post

 

And nowhere does he clarify if this was a "custom tune" where gains/crossover/etc were changed or if this was simply flashing with a factory supplied tune. My factory option Wetsounds DSP amp for tower speakers is also loaded with a factory tune for a pair of Rev 10's. No custom tuning required or provided. So explain to me how Connolly's post, which from everything I have read shows a dealer just flashing an OEM tune, somehow supports the assertions that you and others here have made that there are dealers out there that can tune these amps? Because I am sure not seeing it, and apparently I'm not the only one.

Edited by Brett B
Link to comment
5 minutes ago, Brett B said:

 

And nowhere does he clarify if this was a "custom tune" where gains/crossover/etc were changed or if this was simply flashing with a factory supplied tune. My factory option Wetsounds DSP amp for tower speakers is also loaded with a factory tune for a pair of Rev 10's. No custom tuning required or provided. So explain to me how Connolly's post, which from everything I have read shows a dealer just flashing an OEM tune, somehow supports the assertions that you and others here have made that there are dealers out there that can tune these amps? Because I am sure not seeing it, and apparently I'm not the only one.

Brett,

The OEM supplied 4 chnl for running 3-4 pair of in-boats would absolutely have to have a completely different tune, in order to drive a single pair of 10" HLCD with the amp bridged to a 2 chnl. 

The factory does not offer this option, the OEM tower amp is a stereo 2 chnl. So there is no factory Malibu tune in existence for re-purpose the in-boat 4 chnl into a bridged 2 chnl for tower speakers. You could not nore want to, try and load the factory 2 chnl tune into a bridged 4 chnl. Therefore, in order to do this, as was done, a complete new tune had to be written.  

Link to comment

I took Connelly’s post that the amp was flashed to get more power for rev 10s? Bridged or mono? Don’t they use the same amp for 1 pair or 2?

I know how @IXFE loves auto manufacture comparisons, but Malibu and Wetsounds have made the factory system like a car. You can’t change much and adding to it is difficult. If you plan to change anything stereo delete seems the way to go. 

Link to comment
9 minutes ago, teamerickson said:

Don’t they use the same amp for 1 pair or 2?

For the tower, yes. The OEM offering is a stereo 2 chnl that would drive 1 or 2 pair of tower speakers. Crew's amp was the 4 chnl in-boat used for base level system that does not come with woofer or tower speaker. Completely different amp, so completely different tune as its used in a completely different scenario. 

Link to comment
46 minutes ago, MLA said:

Brett,

The OEM supplied 4 chnl for running 3-4 pair of in-boats would absolutely have to have a completely different tune, in order to drive a single pair of 10" HLCD with the amp bridged to a 2 chnl. 

The factory does not offer this option, the OEM tower amp is a stereo 2 chnl. So there is no factory Malibu tune in existence for re-purpose the in-boat 4 chnl into a bridged 2 chnl for tower speakers. You could not nore want to, try and load the factory 2 chnl tune into a bridged 4 chnl. Therefore, in order to do this, as was done, a complete new tune had to be written.  

I appreciate the info but I think we are having a terminology disconnect on "tune" vs "configuration".

Tune: Equalizer map (bass/mid/treble settings across the frequency spectrum), hi-pass/band-pass/low-pass crossover settings, gain settings and ratios for interior/sub/tower speakers on a multi-channel amp. These are the tuning parameters that would change/improve the sound performance that all of us are discussing in this thread.

Configuration: How the above defined tune is applied to a given amplifier architecture. For example the Rev 10 tune can be flashed to either a 2-channel, 4-channel, or 6-channel amp. This is functionally how the system works for a given amp application, but it does not in any way affect the tuning parameters and sound performance of a given speaker setup assuming similar power levels.

I agree that a new configuration may have been needed for Connolly to use Rev 10's on a 4-channel rather than a 2-channel amp. But I do not agree that this was in any a custom tune as most in this thread are defining it. It was replacing one factory set tune for interior speakers with another factory set tune for Rev 10's using a different amp channel config.

For example in my case the interior speakers would have been powered by a 4-channel amp with the standard wake package. Adding a sub changes that to a 6-channel amp. Making this change did not require a custom tune for the interior speakers, rather it was different configuration to run the same interior speaker tune using a 6-channel instead of a 4-channel amp. This is still not a custom tune as we are discussing in this thread. A custom tune would allow for the factory EQ/crossover/gain settings for my existing 6-channel amp to be altered. That is what we are looking for, and I have not seen any examples of this being done or of a shop who says they can do it.   

Edited by Brett B
  • Like 2
Link to comment

To my knowledge Malibu nor Wet Sounds offer a configuration for a 4ch bridged to run a pair of revs. All of the factory tower amps are 2ch. 

I am researching this more, If I discover something new I will chime back in.

 

Link to comment
8 minutes ago, Brett B said:

For example in my case the interior speakers would have been powered by a 4-channel amp with the standard wake package. Adding a sub changes that to a 6-channel amp. Making this change did not require a custom tune for the interior speakers

Most certainly would require a different tune for the in-boats with a woofer complimenting, as opposed to in-boats with no woofer. 2nd, the tune for the 4 chnl amp does not include any perimeters for a woofer. So in order to program the 6 chnl, the malibu installer would grab the 6 chnl tune dongle specific for that particular hull he is building.  

Link to comment
8 minutes ago, MLA said:

Most certainly would require a different tune for the in-boats with a woofer complimenting, as opposed to in-boats with no woofer. 2nd, the tune for the 4 chnl amp does not include any perimeters for a woofer. So in order to program the 6 chnl, the malibu installer would grab the 6 chnl tune dongle specific for that particular hull he is building.  

Correct. The 6ch will have different x-over points and most likely dsp/eq changes.

Link to comment
On 5/2/2018 at 9:18 AM, pawhitejr said:

IXFE - one thing to check on the mute functionality. I thought mine had the same problem. In reality, the sport knob or the soft mute button will only mute which ever speaker set is highlighted in the lower left corner of the stereo screen.  If you have tower speakers selected, it will mute tower.  It you have internal it will mute internal.  Make sure you have the main voulume selected to mute the whole system. 

You nailed it. Total user error. I went back and tried again, and it works!  I’m gonna have to pay close attention to the lower left of the 7” screen. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
On 4/19/2018 at 9:10 AM, IXFE said:

Passing cables from under helm to amp rack will be easy in your boat, Hop. I don’t think it’s so easy in the new two-piece boat, but I haven’t looked closely at mine yet. 

You don’t even need to go up and around the entire bow (although that’s easy too). Just remove the carpet kick plate at the end of the walk through and you’ll see your bow ballast pump. Cables can pass through there super easy. 

Pic 1 - bow tank exposed after removing seat cushions and carpet support panel. Just remove the carpet kick plate (two screws)

Pic 2 - under helm area (sub removed). See the red wires passing through that hole up front?

Pic 3 - here you see where cables can pass from bow into ob compartment. 

825C083A-5B9B-4A3A-8916-C3D6BEBB4516.jpeg

CF55AF63-12A4-4292-BC82-BE27DDCBB238.jpeg

AF148645-7749-4535-B3B6-CDC043E0E3C5.jpeg

You shouldn't even need to remove the kick panel just pass the wires between the wall and the Bow tank,  There is enough room. 

 

35542F35-F64C-41BD-8C44-D81B9E01F4A0.jpeg

42A21372-0B73-4959-B552-9E225B0B65A0.jpeg

Edited by Chrisjjbrown
Link to comment
ahopkins22LSV
6 hours ago, IXFE said:

You nailed it. Total user error. I went back and tried again, and it works!  I’m gonna have to pay close attention to the lower left of the 7” screen. 

Well this is very good to confirm at least! I’m sure I’ll still do it a million times this year. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

Had some issues with the stereo last weekend.

Set the input to USB and could not get any sound output. Unplugged and re-plugged in the phone with no change. Tried Bluetooth instead and still would not respond. Hit the stereo power "off" button and suddenly music would start to play even though the screen said stereo power was off. This happened a couple times since I was turning the stereo off to try and rectify the next problem.

The mixer screen would also freeze up and become non-responsive. I could not change any of the individual speaker levels. But the sport knob was still responding so I could still adjust overall volume.

The rest of the 7" touch screen buttons worked just fine, such as blower, bilge pumps, lights, etc. It was only the stereo interface that was wacky.

Has anybody had similar issues? I had the 10-hour service performed a few weeks ago so firmware should all be the latest version.

 

Link to comment

My 2017 did a similar thing. They supposedly replaced the screen since the controls for the stereo are built into it. I will pick the boat up Saturday to find out exactly what they did.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...