amp & speaker choices

[Chubby4Life]

I'm getting ready to re-do my system and just wondered which way I should go. I've narrowed down to a few configurations. For Amps either 4 J.L.'s (2 sub 2 mids) or 4 R.F. (same way). Subs, (2) 12w7 and (2) 10w7 or (2) R.F. 12" Power T-2 and (2) 10" Power T-2. Also, what do you think of Diamond Audio? They are trying to sell me on the Diamond stuff, is it any good? The stereo guy is saying to change out my (4) 6" that sit lower in the boat for 6x9's. (He says this will be a loader than the 6's.) I'm not afraid to spend money for great sound as long as it's within reason. Can any of you help me out with the pro's or con's to any of this?
Chris

[Phat Matt]

It's all good stuff. You will get opinions for JL and RF. I would lean more to the JL stuff myself. Diamond does make good stuff also. The 6x9's can get louder than the 6's but the 6's will probably be clearer. I have 6x9's on the floor and 6.5's mounted up high.
Good luck.

[BADASS38CHEVY]

I'm getting ready to re-do my system and just wondered which way I should go. I've narrowed down to a few configurations. For Amps either 4 J.L.'s (2 sub 2 mids) or 4 R.F. (same way). Subs, (2) 12w7 and (2) 10w7 or (2) R.F. 12" Power T-2 and (2) 10" Power T-2. Also, what do you think of Diamond Audio? They are trying to sell me on the Diamond stuff, is it any good? The stereo guy is saying to change out my (4) 6" that sit lower in the boat for 6x9's. (He says this will be a loader than the 6's.) I'm not afraid to spend money for great sound as long as it's within reason. Can any of you help me out with the pro's or con's to any of this?
Chris
So are you plan on running 2 12w7 and 2 10w7.And which jl amps.

[Chubby4Life]

I have 6x9's on the floor and 6.5's mounted up high.
That's what he had in mind. What are some of the better 6's and 6x9's out there. I'd rather have crisp & clear over loud & rowdy, but both would be great.

[Phat Matt]

That's what he had in mind. What are some of the better 6's and 6x9's out there. I'd rather have crisp & clear over loud & rowdy, but both would be great.
I am running the Boston Acoustics SL series in mine. The best thing to do is listen to them and decide for yourself.

[Chubby4Life]

So are you plan on running 2 12w7 and 2 10w7.And which jl amps.
I'm planning on running both. 2 12's in the bow and 2 10's under the the driver & passenger pedastal's. I don't know the size (1000-1 and 500-4 maybe) but the amp is aluminum stock.

[Chubby4Life]

Don't waste your money on W7s unless you plan on putting a real 750-1000 watts to each one. If you don't, it's like buying a Ferrari to drive from your house to your next door neighbor's house.
Do you have any other sugestions that may help? Ie, would you say the same thing in regards to the T-2's. Reason being, I had 3 10 W-6's in my truck at one time and wasn't really impressed so I thought going up a level would do the trick.

[phebus]

I am powering a 12" JL W7 with a Phoenix Gold 1200.1, and it takes every bit of it. You can turn the gain up all the way, and it won't flinch. I wouldn't think of trying to power two of them with that amp. Pour the power to them, or don't even think of running them.

[BADASS38CHEVY]

I'm planning on running both. 2 12's in the bow and 2 10's under the the driver & passenger pedastal's. I don't know the size (1000-1 and 500-4 maybe) but the amp is aluminum stock.
I run 4 JL 13.5 w6's powered by 2 1000/1 .Cound not ask for anything more.More than enough bass.Gain is set about 2/3.

[Chubby4Life]

I run 4 JL 13.5 w6's powered by 2 1000/1 .Cound not ask for anything more.More than enough bass.Gain is set about 2/3.
I think I'll ditch the W-7 idea and go with something similar to what you run. Are your 1000/1's fan cooled? When I asked about that he said they were aluminum and didn't really need fans.

[h20skiracer]

I used to work in a stero shop, and doing customer service over the phone. Fosgate sucks. Period. Don't go with it. JL is good, but you can get the same thing from kicker by buying a couple of their Solobaric subs (L7 is the more powerful of the two), and you won't break your pocket book. The L7 has an RMS rating of 1000 watts on the 15" sub also. Plus Kicker has a rubber surround, they're gonna last longer. JL has a foam surround. That can get brittle over time, especially sitting in a hot boat. The other thing about the Solobaric subs is that they are a dual voice coil, you're gonna have more options for wiring than with JL. JL has some funky impedances on some of ther subs, like 3 ohms, and stuff like that. With a 4 ohm dvc sub, you can wire it down to 2 ohms, and get more out of your amp. Phoenix Gold make a very good product, and I wouldn't shy away from them either. Look into it more.
DON'T RUN YOUR SUBS AT MAX POWER!!!!!! The RMS rating on a subwoofer is there for a reason. That is the maximum wattage it can handle at a constant.

[Mr. Naudio]

imoa
a big noway on the R/F if you boat in havasu.
if I had the money i would go with the jl for subs and diamond for the highs
going to 6x9s would be a waste

[phebus]

DON'T RUN YOUR SUBS AT MAX POWER!!!!!! The RMS rating on a subwoofer is there for a reason. That is the maximum wattage it can handle at a constant.
I don't run mine at full power, it was more a comment of the power handling capabilities of the W7, and the power needs.

[riverbound]

I used to work in a stero shop, and doing customer service over the phone. Fosgate sucks. Period. Don't go with it. JL is good, but you can get the same thing from kicker by buying a couple of their Solobaric subs (L7 is the more powerful of the two), and you won't break your pocket book. The L7 has an RMS rating of 1000 watts on the 15" sub also. Plus Kicker has a rubber surround, they're gonna last longer. JL has a foam surround. That can get brittle over time, especially sitting in a hot boat. The other thing about the Solobaric subs is that they are a dual voice coil, you're gonna have more options for wiring than with JL. JL has some funky impedances on some of ther subs, like 3 ohms, and stuff like that. With a 4 ohm dvc sub, you can wire it down to 2 ohms, and get more out of your amp. Phoenix Gold make a very good product, and I wouldn't shy away from them either. Look into it more.
DON'T RUN YOUR SUBS AT MAX POWER!!!!!! The RMS rating on a subwoofer is there for a reason. That is the maximum wattage it can handle at a constant.
Do you have any clue what you are talking about??? What shop did you work in??

[riverbound]

The info that SWB gave is pretty much the same I would give you. Of course there will be preferences in brands that will vary you definitely are on the right track. ALWAYS go with the most power you can afford.
This other guy.....dont listen to him. Sounds like he used to work the customer service desk for circuit city or someone like that......a far cry from an audio professional.

[h20skiracer]

The info that SWB gave is pretty much the same I would give you. Of course there will be preferences in brands that will vary you definitely are on the right track. ALWAYS go with the most power you can afford.
This other guy.....dont listen to him. Sounds like he used to work the customer service desk for circuit city or someone like that......a far cry from an audio professional.
I have never had any problems with anything I have ever set anyone up with. And I do agree to go with what u can afford.

[h20skiracer]

And by the way it was just a suggestion. Everyone has their preference for audio equipment.

[Phat Matt]

So what brand is better? :D

[riverbound]

So what brand is better? :D
Rockwood :D I used to work as a home appliance salesman at circuit city, but I went to lunch with the car audio guys every once in a while and I heard them say Rockwood builds the best stuff out there :D

[Phat Matt]

Rockwood :D I used to work as a home appliance salesman at circuit city, but I went to lunch with the car audio guys every once in a while and I heard them say Rockwood builds the best stuff out there :D
Sweet. Walmart carries a nice line of stuff too. :)

[riverbound]

Sweet. Walmart carries a nice line of stuff too. :)
I know....I worked as a greeter there, but on my breaks I would go and browse the car audio section and the Jensen stuff (or Yenson as pronounced by our customers) Flew off the shelves. So i would highly recommend that too :D

[ROZ]

JL has some funky impedances on some of ther subs, like 3 ohms, and stuff like that.
There was a reason for it... 3 dual 6ohmvc drivers could get you to 1 or 4 ohms , 2 dual 6ohmvc drivers would get you 1.5 or 6ohm , and 1 dual 6ohmvc would get you 3 or 12 ohms :) Nominal ratings, ofcourse...
Same with the 1.5 vc's... it's all about having flexibility :)
The surround on the JLs is a hybrid foam/rubber with excellent uv protection
Also agree with these guys on the subs vs power.. I know of several boats with w7's and matching power that have performed well for years... Unless you plan to put atleast 700 watts to an L7 get L5's.....
2 W6v2's will put out plenty of db's... Heck, just one rocks :D

[rivercrazy]

Boat stereo systems always have issues with sufficient supply of power. Most stereo listening is done with the motor off. Unless you have a generator/powersupply/battery charger setup, I would recommend not going down the JL W7 route. Or any other sub that requires a ton of power.
Stick with more efficient subs but just increase the # of em. The system will be louder using the same or even less power. I'm running four 10" Infinity Perfect subs off a 1200 watt amp. It puts out more than enough spl. The gains are turned down despite 8 other component speakers being fed a little over 1000 watts.
4 10's will be louder than 1 12" sub with equal power

[h20skiracer]

Sweet. Walmart carries a nice line of stuff too. :)
HaHa! I love it! Don't forget to check out the Dub speakers with the spinners for grilles!

[h20skiracer]

Boat stereo systems always have issues with sufficient supply of power. Most stereo listening is done with the motor off. Unless you have a generator/powersupply/battery charger setup, I would recommend not going down the JL W7 route. Or any other sub that requires a ton of power.
Stick with more efficient subs but just increase the # of em. The system will be louder using the same or even less power. I'm running four 10" Infinity Perfect subs off a 1200 watt amp. It puts out more than enough spl. The gains are turned down despite 8 other component speakers being fed a little over 1000 watts.
I agree. More power isn't always the best way to go.

[Chubby4Life]

HaHa! I love it! Don't forget to check out the Dub speakers with the spinners for grilles!
Guys, stop with the cheap stuff. I'm try to get high end stuff here......Fugg'it I'll just hit the mission swapmeet this weekend. Seriously though, thanks for the input it's helping alot.
Chris

[h20skiracer]

Guys, stop with the cheap stuff. I'm try to get high end stuff here......Fugg'it I'll just hit the mission swapmeet this weekend. Seriously though, thanks for the input it's helping alot.
Chris
Good Luck!!!

[Chubby4Life]

O.K. Here's what I installed:
Premier head unit
DEH P860MP
J.L. amps
1000/1
500/1
(2) 300/4
J.L. Subs
(2) 12w6
(2) 10w6
Diamond Audio Mids.
(10) D661i
I also purchased a Honda EU2000i generator and the Cascade 90 unit. My next question is this: Do I have everything I need to set up the generator system (minus the exaust hoses, and misc. fittings) or do I also need regulators and other hardware?
Thanks in advance,
Chris

[Phat Matt]

O.K. Here's what I installed:
Premier head unit
DEH P860MP
J.L. amps
1000/1
500/1
(2) 300/4
J.L. Subs
(2) 12w6
(2) 10w6
Diamond Audio Mids.
(10) D661i
I also purchased a Honda EU2000i generator and the Cascade 90 unit. My next question is this: Do I have everything I need to set up the generator system (minus the exaust hoses, and misc. fittings) or do I also need regulators and other hardware?
Thanks in advance,
Chris
I was told that the 90 was too much for the Honda 2000 so I went with the 75. I think Mbrown2 has the 90 in his so what do I know. I haven't had a problem keeping up with my system with the 75 though. Sounds like a nice set up.

[Chubby4Life]

I bought the cascade by following the link in your post from way back when. There wasn't a phone # on the web page to ask any qeustions. I figured a little bigger wouldn't hurt. You havn't had any problems with the 75?
Chris

[Phat Matt]

I bought the cascade by following the link in your post from way back when. There wasn't a phone # on the web page to ask any qeustions. I figured a little bigger wouldn't hurt. You havn't had any problems with the 75?
Chris
No, no problems. Rocky runs the 75 also. Give Cascade a call and ask them what they think to be sure. I know one guy uses the 90, but I would still call cascade.
www.cascadeaudio.com