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Horrible helm/dash rattle from subwoofer!


dtb

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Hi guys.  I test drove a 2017 21 VLX on Saturday.  I've had my eye on it for a while and finally got schedules aligned to get out on the water and check it out.  Everything checked out fine for the most part, with the exception of the stereo.  I have two main questions for The Crew:

With any subwoofer volume at all, there was horrendous rattling/vibration coming from the helm/dash area, to the point where it completely overwhelmed the music.  I'm thinking there is no way this can be typical, but wanted to see if any of you are experiencing this issue from the sub location under the dash.  Surely this can't be normal?  There is no way you could possibly enjoy music with the subwoofer on in this boat, the rattling is that bad.

And a related topic, the way the system was tuned, there was absolutely zero low frequency playback from the cabin and tower speakers.  The system was relying entirely on the subwoofer to produce any and all lows.  If I turned the sub off, the entire bassline of the track was non-existent - not just quieter or no "punch" but no playback at all.  I asked about crossover settings on the amps, and dealer has explained that these systems are "factory tuned" by Malibu and can't be adjusted.  Surely Malibu didn't intend for all low frequency to be cut completely from the cabin speakers?

I look forward to your thoughts.  Was hoping to move toward a purchase of this boat, but was really disappointed with the performance of the stereo....

Thanks!

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The 21VLX is a free air sub which proceeds to rattle everything around it and produce zero low end in the process. Mine also had only some of the screws in it and the grill was loose against the fiberglass wall. You are correct that the amps cannot be tuned and are set from the factory. I just broke down and ordered a new amp and sub and will be building a box to fit under the helm and make it proper. PM me if you want more info on my plan. 

Don't let the stereo be the reason you don't purchase the boat. That can always be fixed!

 

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23 minutes ago, dtb said:

the way the system was tuned, there was absolutely zero low frequency playback from the cabin and tower speakers.  The system was relying entirely on the subwoofer to produce any and all lows. 

This is correct. We do not want the mid-bass driver producing bass, we want to leave that for the subwoofer.

As to the dash rattle. First need to make sure the woofer is securely mounted. next, is the wall thick enough to support the heavy woofer without flexing. May need a reinforcing board on the back side to stiffen it up. Both these issues can lead to loss of performance and rattles. Lastly, track down the offending dash component. Make sure they are all tight. Sometimes you can add some sort of insulator or gasket between it and whatever its contacting. 

Being a 2017, id also want to make sure the amps are loaded with the latest and greatest tune from Malibu. 

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suppose you could also add some dynamat under the helm but only after you find the culprit vibrating or rattling root cause.

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Begin by verifying if the under-dash subwoofer is 'free-air' as someone suggested. Free-air only works 'IF' the front and rear subwoofer radiation is completely acoustically isolated in the immediate area, which would be extremely difficult to do. The subwoofer mounting panel must also be absolutely rigid with zero flex. Plus, a 'free-air' application with the wrong subwoofer can be like driving a car on coil springs without shock absorbers, as the role of controlling the cone motion is left solely up to the subwoofer, and that excess motion and overhang will absolutely be transferred to the boat structure and parts surrounding the subwoofer. If 'free-air', the answer would be a subwoofer in a well-built enclosure.

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1 hour ago, 23LSVOwner said:

Have the dealer pull the sub and check it out. He will find an issue with the sub itself I bet.

Thats what Im thinking. Ive seen the spider on the woofer come unglued, and they make a lot of noise when this happens.

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Thanks for the replies.  I do have the dealer checking things out.  It seemed that much of the rattling/vibration was coming from the top area of the dash, around the main screen, windshield, etc.

Also, I didn't previously mention that the subwoofer itself is not factory, it was switched out to a JL Audio sub by the previous owner.  I'm not certain exactly which model sub.  It seems to produce a lot of bass, but also the excessive vibration/rattling. 

I'll see if the dealer comes back with any ideas.  He was going to have his stereo guy look at it this week.

Appreciate the help!

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10 hours ago, MLA said:

This is correct. We do not want the mid-bass driver producing bass, we want to leave that for the subwoofer.

I understand this for the very low stuff, but there was no mid-bass or mid-range from the main speakers, just highs.  Didn't seem right.

I'll see about them updating the the latest digital tune.  Maybe something is off there.

Thanks for the advice.

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17 hours ago, dtb said:

Thanks for the replies.  I do have the dealer checking things out.  It seemed that much of the rattling/vibration was coming from the top area of the dash, around the main screen, windshield, etc.

Also, I didn't previously mention that the subwoofer itself is not factory, it was switched out to a JL Audio sub by the previous owner.  I'm not certain exactly which model sub.  It seems to produce a lot of bass, but also the excessive vibration/rattling. 

I'll see if the dealer comes back with any ideas.  He was going to have his stereo guy look at it this week.

Appreciate the help!

The subwoofer is an JL Audio M12IB6. 

Funny, I didnt realize what boat this was until you mentioned it had a JL sub in it. 

We will be looking into the issue Today or tomorrow. We also have a new 6ch amp from Malibu to replace the one as it had a front channel not working, so if they made any tuning changes it will have it.  

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7 hours ago, COOP said:

The subwoofer is an JL Audio M12IB6. 

Funny, I didnt realize what boat this was until you mentioned it had a JL sub in it. 

We will be looking into the issue Today or tomorrow. We also have a new 6ch amp from Malibu to replace the one as it had a front channel not working, so if they made any tuning changes it will have it.  

COOP, thanks for the help, just saw your reply.... I guess you are associated with "the dealer" in this case LOL.  Looking forward to hearing from you guys once you have a chance to check it out.  Andrew has my info, feel free to call me to discuss.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Follow up to this:  dealer (COOP I presume) did some work and got the sub sounding much much better.   There were a few of the sub mounting screws that had been broken off which i think was the main issue, and they did some work to tighten up the dash rattles.  There is still some vibration from the right side of the dash or windshield (I can't tell exactly where) when it is up loud, but overall sounds a lot better than it did.

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It might be rattling from the area where the horn is located. After replacing the sub, mine started rattling from that location. However, I don't hear it when on the water so I haven't worried too much about it. 

20200517_170432.jpg

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On 6/1/2020 at 7:39 AM, Kojak said:

It might be rattling from the area where the horn is located. After replacing the sub, mine started rattling from that location. However, I don't hear it when on the water so I haven't worried too much about it. 

20200517_170432.jpg

I only hear this rattle outside the boat. 

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6 minutes ago, Sparky450 said:

I only hear this rattle outside the boat. 

I had the boat in my driveway.  My wife heard it outside the boat and I heard it from the driver's seat.  We were on the water this weekend and with the motor running and the stereo cranked up we didn't hear it at all.

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10 hours ago, Kojak said:

I had the boat in my driveway.  My wife heard it outside the boat and I heard it from the driver's seat.  We were on the water this weekend and with the motor running and the stereo cranked up we didn't hear it at all.

That’s funny!! I don’t hear it in the boat at all!!! 😂

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Hey, @dtb - just seeing this thread.  I had a '17 21VLX before the current boat.  My only, and biggest complaint on the design of the boat, was how worthless the sub was.  All it did was rattle.  This was after having the dealer look at it.  You can search this topic on here as well.  This is fairly well documented problem.

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