Stereo upgrade assitance sought

G

Gidders

New Member
Jan 24, 2011
73
East Coast, NSW Australia
Boat Info
Sake Joe
Engines
6.2L Mercruisers, V drive
I want better sound in the cockpit. I currently have the standard Clarion XMDA3 receiver, standard amps and speakers. Sound below deck is fine, and don't want to replace the receiver butI need better sound in the cockpit. I'm thinking all I need to do is instal better speakers in the cockpit, although a friend suggested a better amp that allows a subwoofer as well. Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated.

Regards
 
It depends on your budget. Upgrading the speakers will improve the sound but to a point. To get really high quality sound you will need new speakers, at least one subwoofer, at least one new amp and a preamp/line driver/EQ. This will run several thousand dollars.
 
I'm helping my buddy with an upgrade on his 320. Right now he's keeping the clarion head unit, but adding JL m770's in the arch, JL MX 650's in the cockpit walls, a JL 5 channel amp .he's trying it out first w/o a sub apparantely the 700 series may not require a sub (they're that good) all in all abround $900 everyone points to JL. Audio for sound quality.
 
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My setup mostly follows the guidance that hack4alivin provided you the link for. My equipment list is a Sony CDX-H910UI head unit, Sony RM-X60M/L wired remote, 2 x AudioControl Overdrive pre amps, JL Audio M500/3 amplifier, 4 x JL Audio M770 speakers, and 1 JL Audio M101B5 sub. The system sounds awesome using Pandora streams almost exclusively. The cost was in the neighborhood of $2000 with cabling. If I was doing it again I would also consider the WetSounds speakers as the buzz about them is impressive.
 
I switched my stock speakers with JL M770s. they alone make a big difference. My head unit is a CMD4. The M770 are bigger and you will need to make the opening bigger.
 
As far as the M770's, I made a jig for my router to enlarge the hole, no big deal. The mx650's are exact refit to the stock Panasonic speakers . Good luck
 
I replaced all my cockpit speakers with Polk audio db650 speakers. The improvement in sound was amazing. I've used these speakers in two boats now with impressive results. I have two audiophile friends that frequent the boat and they say it sound great. I am using the OEM amp and a clarion M502 head (which I don't like because it is hard to use).
 
JL speakers are th bomb but you will get the best sound out of the speakers with an amp (they love power) and even better by adding a sub.
 
Ive done a little more research and the Polk MM651 are getting good reveiws as well, even suggesting they have enough low end to do without a sub woofer. Anyone running the Polks?
 
Gidders said:
Ive done a little more research and the Polk MM651 are getting good reveiws as well, even suggesting they have enough low end to do without a sub woofer. Anyone running the Polks?
Click to expand...

I put the Polk MM6501 in my 300DA. This is the component version of the 651. I can't imagine a better sounding speaker and plan to replace all the speakers in my 400db with the MM651.
 
I have Polks and love them! I had the db651's in my prior boat. I just had the stereo upgraded in this boat in September. I replaced the head unit with a Clarion M303 and the speakers were replaced with Polk MM651UM(the UM is for Ultra Marine) and also replaced the sub with a MM1040 DVC. I kept the existing amp. My plan is to replace the amp next spring and perhaps add 1 more set of speakers in the cockpit. Even with the old amp powering the new speakers, the sound quality difference was incredible. I am sold on the Polks.
 
18 JL770 component on just the bridge and 2 10"JL subs ...... Need I say more, oh and 3 JL 400 watt amps and 2 600 watt amps for the subs it's all about the clarity
 
Bottom Line said:
I have Polks and love them! I had the db651's in my prior boat. I just had the stereo upgraded in this boat in September. I replaced the head unit with a Clarion M303 and the speakers were replaced with Polk MM651UM(the UM is for Ultra Marine) and also replaced the sub with a MM1040 DVC. I kept the existing amp. My plan is to replace the amp next spring and perhaps add 1 more set of speakers in the cockpit. Even with the old amp powering the new speakers, the sound quality difference was incredible. I am sold on the Polks.
Click to expand...

Bottom Line, what was the old head unit model and stock amp - from the diagram in my user manaul there only appears sockets to run 4 speakers

Cheers
 
Gidders said:
Bottom Line, what was the old head unit model and stock amp - from the diagram in my user manaul there only appears sockets to run 4 speakers

Cheers
Click to expand...

My old head unit was the Clarion XMD1 and the amp is Clarion APX400.4. Next year I will either go with a 5 channel amp or go with a new 4 channel amp and a monoblock for the subwoofer. Check out the Polk Ultra Marine speakers.
 
brewster16 said:
JL Audio.........end of discussion
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+1 on JL Audio. I put a whole new system in last year and it sounds amazing--crystal clear. Any time I hear someone at the docks playing tunes that sound great, it always ends up being a JL system!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Also looking for some guidance on where the amps are located on my 2005 375 Sundancer (US 340). Electronics forum suggests 3 possible locations - under the lounge opposite the galley, behind the DC breaker board or behind the bulk head TV. The stock set up is the Clarion XMD3, 2x Marine Audio 2 channel amps, 4 speakers cockpit, 4 speakers v berth.

Cheers
 
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