Sub Woofer Install

[bacaruda]

I am putting a 10" in the side of the starboard side bench lean back, much like South Bay does. Any one do this? Curious if the back of the speaker should have some kind of surround/box protection. Any pics appreciated.

Thanks, Jim.

[mpilot]

Some manufacturers make infinite baffle subwoofers that can operate in open air like you are looking at doing. Keep in mind when doing your power wire calculations your total run length is 2x the distance since you are running both wires full length to the power source unlike a car. For example, where I want to mount my amp is 12 feet from the battery so I have to calculate my wire size based on a 24 foot run.

[Bamaman]

If you boat on a lake with a bunch of houses on the shore, do us a favor. Skip the sub-woofer.

We can feel boats with sub-woofers coming (barometric pressure spikes) long before we can even hear them. They can keep us up at night.

I used to have the same problem with local fishing tournaments and boats at 5:00 am every Saturday morning with their Mercury Racing 250 hp and 300 hp motors screaming as they went by waking everyone up.

Subwoofers are really not any substitution for high quality speakers and amps.

[guy48065]

Amen.
But if you boat on a party lake where everyone has to out-blast everyone else, then go for it.

[haganjeff]

I put a 10" powered Bazooka in the starboard leanback storage area that you mention. It sounds terrific and added so much more fullness to the music. Only problem is the rattling of my fence panels on heavy bass. I have added a bunch of life jackets that is helping, but still get the occasional vibration.

[bacaruda]

Thanks all, so no enclosure cool, Bamaman, not everybody booms RAP. I have 4 GOOD 6x9's, but a classic rock tune with good bass will sometimes rattle the cone and sound like cr@p. That'
what I'm looking to get rid of. Should add some "body" too. By myself though I might crank some Skynrd, or Hendrix, or even some Grand Funk.
I'd do a reflex enclosure but would need a really nice little grille for the vent. I have a couple Jensen 6x9's in the runabout reflexed and you have to balance the bass all the way down.
I'll probably take some thin mylar or aluminum and block off half of the frame back, to keep anything from being dropped on the back of the cone.
Jim.

[TDJ2591]

I didn't think of GFRR when assembling my "boat" tunes. Maybe my list should have included "I'm Your Captain". That takes me back a few years..to some really good years.

[joe20toon]

[quote="haganjeff"]I put a 10" powered Bazooka in the starboard leanback storage area that you mention. It sounds terrific and added so much more fullness to the music. ...[/quote]

That's the one I want except, don't have "approval" yet. My stock speakers and holes for them are small. No chance for good 6X9's. Sound travels quite well over water. I too want that 'fuller' sound and yet not irritate homeowners or other boaters.

[rancherlee]

What do you have powering your full range speakers? Many times the full range cones rattle due to "clipping" the signal. I ditched my Head Unit and installed an Amp with a Bluetooth adaptor plugged into the RCA wires. My 6.5" speakers sound a lot better and have that "fullness" quality to them now with a clean 60watts rms feeding them instead of the overinflated 4x40max that head units claim (most head units don't even put out 4x15 wrms at low distortion levels)

[bacaruda]

Rancherlee, thanks. it's a Clarion CMS1 head unit with a Sirius/XM module that stays for sure. The main speakers are Jensen or JBL triaxial, 6x9. don't remember. I just intend to get some of the bass off them so when it does get heavy they won't growl. 'Course when by myself I do tend to CRANK sometimes if I hear a good one.

[bacaruda]

And joe20toon, never thought of that. Never had experience with powered speakers. I kind of doubted their sound quality over getting power from amp. But, don't know them.