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New (to me) 2007 VLX stereo audit and upgrade


gvb

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Getting into the stereo on my new boat... this is what I’ve got:

Sony Head Unit -> Sub Out -> Punch P325.2 -> Driver Kick Panel Punch P2 Sub

Sony Head Unit -> Front Out -> Punch P450.4 -> Tower Titian Alpha 1 (?) Speakers and Bow Punch Speakers

Sony Head Unit -> Rear Out -> Punch P450.4 -> Dash and Cabin Punch Speakers

 

Questions on existing setup:

1) Stereo only has power with the key in the ON or ACC position.  Is this factory wiring?  When a rider is done and I turn the motor off, I’d have to go past OFF directly to ACC to keep the stereo on, right? I can imagine with a Bluetooth receiver that is powering off, there would be a lag for Bluetooth to reconnect before music starts playing again...  My old VLX has a stereo power switch so this wasn’t a concern, which is why I am asking.

2) The bow, cabin, and dash speakers are wired from the amps to the back of the head unit and then spliced into the factory wiring harness instead of wired direct... why add all this extra length to speaker wiring?

3) Rear right speakers weren’t working... the gain pot on the P450.4 for that channel is the culprit... I was able to get audio by rotating the pot a bunch, but still hearing some noise there... will try blowing some air and contact cleaner into that pot from the outside to see if that helps at all.  Worth opening up the amp to try and clean this to fix?

 

Questions on future setup:

1) I’ll only ever use Bluetooth or AUX in, so I’m thinking about ditching the head unit completely and going with a Wet Sounds source unit.  I’d prefer to have zone control for Sub, Tower, Bow/Dash, and Cabin (WS-220) but I think I’d rather give up the split boat zones in favor of having EQ with the WS-420.  I looked at the WS-420SQ + WW-BTRS combo, but I dash mount my audio source (phone) so I don’t think I really need the external control of the WW-BTRS.  So, with all that in mind, is the WS-420BT the way to go?

2) With the WS-420BT, I’d keep the existing sub amp and sub on the sub channel.  I’d keep the existing 4 channel amp and wire the bow and dash speakers to the front channel and gain them down a little bit vs. the cabin speakers which would be wired to the rear channel.  I’d need to add an amp for the tower speakers... recommendations?

3) For power to the WS-420BT, I’d want to power at the same source that the amps are getting power from, yes?  The WS unit doesn’t have an output to turn the amps on... should I add a stereo power switch to my dash to turn on the WS unit and amps that way I don’t have to worry about the key off issue mentioned above?

 

I’m not looking to build a reference system or make everyone else on the lake listen to my music... just enough to hear while surfing and chilling around the lake, so cheaper/old/used amps are just fine with me.

Thoughts?  Thanks!

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I have a 2005 with now a nice stereo setup.  Using one of the rocker switches - which controls the 420BT, two amps, and the XM receiver.  Rewired the switch to use the same + (dedicated) as the amps main power supply.  Also have all stereo components going to a common ground.

Works great and has been reliable.

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if you use your phone go 420 BT ( but does it have remote power out to turn on system like BT RS has? 420 SQ does not have it ) 

i put phone away so i luv the BT RS and it fits perfect in your stereo ACC bay

i use a separate acc switch powered and grounded to amp boards for system power.  my BT RS (with its built in remote power out) while auto connecting when powered up turns on the EQ and amps and the HU  i kept as an alternate source to the BT RS so a rider can play his list on his sess on the USB HU input.  i also installed a USB charging plug/station in my coffin on battery switch wall .  My HU can also turn on amps and EQ with its remote out if i do not fire up BT RS

Edited by granddaddy55
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put your entire system including  the dash helm switch for powering system on to remote power and ground from amp board distro blocks with 0-4 gauge connected straight  to non house battery two. i used zero gauge to distro blocks for remote power and ground feed direct from batt 2.  4 gauge from blocks to amps.  install a 250 amp fuse inline from batt two to power distro block while your rearranging system. i attached mine at low point on coffin wall befind battery boxes which was path of zero gauge wires

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Thanks all...

Best/cheapest place to purchase the WS-420BT and mount from?

Any recommendations for an amp to power my tower speakers?  Anyone have any old stuff they are looking to get rid of?

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1 hour ago, gvb said:

Best/cheapest

These two almost never go hand in hand. 

1 hour ago, gvb said:

Any recommendations for an amp to power my tower speakers? 

I would go with a 2 channel amp that would deliver in the 100W rms range to each pod. So 100W x 2 @  4 ohm or 200W x 2 @ 2 ohm. 

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1 hour ago, gvb said:

Thanks all...

Best/cheapest place to purchase the WS-420BT and mount from?

Any recommendations for an amp to power my tower speakers?  Anyone have any old stuff they are looking to get rid of?

 

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Plan is to mount the Wet Sounds EQ under the dash on the right side... the dash of my VLX just rolls under and doesn't continue on, so the Wet Sounds bracket looks like I'd be able to get the front two screws in (which I'd probably swap out for bolt/nut), but not sure that would be enough to keep in solidly in place...

Looks like I could also just do some simple L brackets and not use an enclosed type mount.

Thoughts?  Pics?

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My 420 is under the left side of the dash where the person in the observer seat can control the volume.  Good for busy lake days when the skipper needs to keep eyes up.

  • Like 2
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6 minutes ago, minnmarker said:

My 420 is under the left side of the dash where the person in the observer seat can control the volume.  Good for busy lake days when the skipper needs to keep eyes up.

You have any pics of the mount?  Are you mounting to the left kick panel or up under the dash?

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13 hours ago, gvb said:

You have any pics of the mount?  Are you mounting to the left kick panel or up under the dash?

I'll post a picture tomorrow.

Just under the dash but flush with the vinyl surface.   Used a piece of HDPE to make a mounting plate.

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Edited by minnmarker
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/5/2020 at 9:04 PM, minnmarker said:

I'll post a picture tomorrow.

Just under the dash but flush with the vinyl surface.   Used a piece of HDPE to make a mounting plate.

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Did you ever get a chance to snap a few pics for me?  Trying to figure out how to best mount my bracket and EQ like yours... thanks!

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I basically mounted mine where @minnmarker did except I used the supplied WS brackets to attach the 420 to the HDPE board. I then made some aluminum "L" brackets and attached the HDPE board to the dash into the bottom face of the vertical fiberglass helm ends and to the side of the carpet kick panel. It was attached in only 3 places, but you could do pull ups off of it. I also took some scrap SS and made a hanger bracket for the microphone. A word of caution. If you free mount the 420 like I did instead of framing it in like shown be prepared to have an occasional expletive filled moment when you forget its there and quickly rotate your self out of the chair. The corner of the 420 will scuff you up! That location is susceptible to having the volume knob accidentally adjusted and the microphone used by your significant other in "joyful" instances. :wine: If I only had kids to worry about.

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7 hours ago, gvb said:

Did you ever get a chance to snap a few pics for me?  Trying to figure out how to best mount my bracket and EQ like yours... thanks!

If I recall correctly I used the WS brackets to mount the 420 to the bottom of the dash.  The HDPE is just a non structural face plate to prevent exactly what wdr was talking about with his  knee.

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Mine will be mounted on the right to prevent the knee slashing but also other people from touching knobs :)

Your boat must have a lot more dash material underneath... on my 2007, the thin molded dash just rolls under and there is nothing else substantial under.  I think I may grab a 1" square of HDPE and sandwich the dash in between the WS bracket and the HDPE and screw the bracket through the dash into the HDPE and then use a metal strap to hold the back of the HDPE up fixed to the fiberglass up higher.

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I've made mounts with a thin piece (like 1/4") of hdpe.  You cut it as wide as the eq + the little brackets it comes with, and 6-8" long.  Heat it to bend it at a 90* (more or less depending on your application) and then you have an "L" that can mount up behind the dash (vertically) to so you can "reach" for a hard mounting point that's higher than the bottom of the dash.  Hope that makes sense (sometimes words are hard!).

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The helm area wasn't much more than 1/2" thick on that exposed end, but there was plenty space to be able to run a SS screw up in to it. The weight of the 420 wasn't going to rip out any screws so I was confident that the way it was secured was more than adequate.

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Maybe I need to see some pics of what you guys have... the black dash piece that rolls under is paper thin, and definitely won't hold anything.  There is nothing above that to screw into.  I'd have to reach up pretty high behind the dash to grab on to something with a strap hanging down for at least the rear part, and sandwich the two front screws with HDPE.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just wanted to post results now that I’m finished.  For the WetSounds EQ bracket I ended up with 1/2” HDPE sandwiching the bracket and dash vinyl.  I was going to strap the back of the HDPE up to the underside of the dash but this appears to be pretty solid as is.

Everything powered off a stereo rocker switch.

Ran out of 18 gauge wire for the remote power for the new WetSounds amp, so need to finish that and button up some cable dressing and tune everything.

One last thing... my sub amp has a remote dial... I assume I can remove that now with the new WetSounds EQ right?

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