2013 23LSV Stereo Upgrade

[NorrisMike]

Looking for tips or ideas as I put together a plan to help out my stereo 

Plan

keep the stock Rockfords cabin speakers - there is a stock 4 ch amp with only 4 of the 8 speakers hooked to it.  I'm guessing the other 4 are hooked to the black box and seeing crap power.   Should I add another 4ch amp to power the other 4 speakers or just wire all 8 to the 4ch amp thats already there. 

Keep the stock 6x9 tower speakers - they're on their own amp and i'm not really interested in upgrading either.

Add a sub.  In my last boat I had a 12" Imagine Dynamics IDQ12 sub that i liked in a 1cuft sealed box.  I'm open to other suggestions and have looked at the Stereo Integrity SQL 12 as another option.   https://stereointegrity.com/product/sql-series-12/  I'll have to add an amp and was considering the NVX  mono amps on Sonic Electronic. https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item-158919-NVX-VAD17001.html

EQ - I hate the stock touch pad left of the steering wheel so I'd like to add an EQ.  Not sure if that will cancel the functionality of my transom remote and dash or not?  If I recall i had my last stereo hooked up with an EQ and it was powered on when the stereo was powered on. 

I had a Clarion EQS746 before and it worked well.  I am considering the Wetsounds 420SQ eq this time to gain zone eq control.  Are there any other EQ's to consider? 

Bluetooth receiver - i had the Exile Audio one before and it always worked fine.  I assume there are others like it as well

so my list is something like this so far

Sub

Sub Amp

EQ

Cabin Amp (or not) 

4x 15ft RCA cables

Bluetooth Receiver

[MLA]

2 hours ago, NorrisMike said:

there is a stock 4 ch amp with only 4 of the 8 speakers hooked to it.

Have you confirmed this, as the OEM setup usually has all 8 wired to the poor little 4 chnl.

 

2 hours ago, NorrisMike said:

Add a sub.

Id steer clear of a woofer with a paper-based cone. Sometimes they use the term hybrid, laminated or cellulose when describing the cone material. 

2 hours ago, NorrisMike said:

I had a Clarion EQS746 before and it worked well.  I am considering the Wetsounds 420SQ eq this time to gain zone eq control.  Are there any other EQ's to consider? 

Bluetooth receiver - i had the Exile Audio one before and it always worked fine.  I assume there are others like it as well

If you have no need for the more traditional source unit features, then there are true marine build units that can incorporate zone volume, BT and dual EQ features in one unit. 

2 hours ago, NorrisMike said:

Not sure if that will cancel the functionality of my transom remote and dash or not?

Since the unit would be mounted on the helm, you would still have both the OEM interface and EQ right there. For the transom remote, it can still function as the master volume control. Any external universal BT, either connected to the OEM media source or the EQ, would also render the transom remote to master volume only, when streaming BT.  

[NorrisMike]

30 minutes ago, MLA said:

Have you confirmed this, as the OEM setup usually has all 8 wired to the poor little 4 chnl.

I will have to look. I assume you'd suggest adding an additional 4ch amp to power the 8 speakers properly? 

 

If you have no need for the more traditional source unit features, then there are true marine build units that can incorporate zone volume, BT and dual EQ features in one unit. 

Like what? Can I just swap out the Rockford touch screen head unit for something else without having to remove the black box? 

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by NorrisMike

[MLA]

Id suggest a larger, more efficient 4 chnl, or a 6 or 8 chnl amp. 

 

The touch screen and the black box are one in the same unit. Neither functions without the other. The screen is nothing more then a remote version of a typical head unit's face. If you dont need AM/FM tuner, USB, SAT, CD, etc, then there are BT units incorporate the blue tooth with 3-zone volume and a dual EQ tone attenuation.  If you want those traditional features, then retain the BB, add the universal BT and EQ.  

[ahopkins22LSV]

I can’t offer much, or any, help with the stereo. BUT, welcome Mike! New boat or still have the ghost white lsv?

[NorrisMike]

13 hours ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

I can’t offer much, or any, help with the stereo. BUT, welcome Mike! New boat or still have the ghost white lsv?

I sold that White one a few years back.  Did the houseboat thing for 5 years and recently sold it.  Started looking for another wake boat and ended up driving to Michigan to purchase a low hour 2013 LSV from Gull Lake Marine a couple months back.  Just now getting around to dialing it in for next year. 

[ahopkins22LSV]

53 minutes ago, NorrisMike said:

I sold that White one a few years back.  Did the houseboat thing for 5 years and recently sold it.  Started looking for another wake boat and ended up driving to Michigan to purchase a low hour 2013 LSV from Gull Lake Marine a couple months back.  Just now getting around to dialing it in for next year. 

Well, you know the deal. POIDH!