AMP suggestions without breaking the bank?

[bthessel]

So I just bought my Yamaha in November. It is a 2009 AR230. It looks like everything is factory still on it, JBL head unit, speakers etc. The tower is wired and I found the wires for it coiled up in the console. I am looking at upgrades I can make without breaking the bank and I have purchased 4 Polk DB651's and I got a sweet open box deal on a pair of Rockford Fosgate M282-Wake pods for the tower (hoping these are good, reviews seem ok).

So I am guessing I am going to need an amp or 2? Anything special to watch out for? Should I be looking to replace the head unit? I haven't messed with car stereo stuff in 25 years to know what's what.

 

[MikeyL]

Personally I think you did really good, so far.

I DO recommend an amp. Rockford-Fosgate makes very very nice Class D amps. Reasonably priced.

If I can help further, please PM me. Stick with your existing Head Unit until AFTER you get everything hooked it. It might surprise you greatly and work just fine for your intended purposes.

If I can help further (fusing, wiring, wiring type, etc) just PM me. Best Wishes - Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[JetPowered]

There are a bunch of good recent amp comparison threads in the Electronic forums you posted in. I would start there.

 

[David Analog]

Four in-boat coaxials and a pair of tower speakers is a bunch of fullrange energy with a lot of bias toward treble. I would strongly consider adding a subwoofer now or down the road. And it is easier to plan for if it is already part of your amplification and/or amplifier supply wiring scheme.
Nothing inexpensive about ever having to do it twice.
An 8-inch tower speaker isn't going to have much midbass extension because it is actually an 8-inch coaming coaxial (infinite baffle by design) placed in a compact pod, and because that pod displacement is really tiny after the pod is loaded with the speaker, and because the speakers are elevated in open air 5 to 6 feet above the sole.
It is very different from an enclosed cabin of a vehicle where four 6.5" coaxials can offer a great deal of warmth and balance.
A coaxial might be able to reproduce 70 Hz at VERY near field and at a VERY low volume level. But introduce an open air environment, add a bit of wind, ambient noise, and movement, and the same speakers will struggle to get within an octave of a lot of real important music.
I'm not a basshead by any standard but I do not want to miss a fundamental part of the music.
No one would consider installing a bunch of midbass drivers without tweeters. Yet with in-boat speakers the tweeters carry little to no fundamentals and are mostly relegated to upper harmonics. But they give shape to the instruments and music. Same with a subwoofer, except the subwoofer plays an important role in reproducing significant musical fundamentals.
Don't ignore the foundation.

 

[tdonoughue]

I won't be able to get as technical as @David Analog , but definitely I can tell you from experience that the subwoofer makes a huge difference to the sound. So 2x on that suggestion.

 

[PaulyB]

I have a Wet Sounds HT-2 I am looking to sell. Retails for 429, I bought it brand new with an HT-6 and then found a SD-2 on Ebay for an awesome deal and bought it. Now have no need for the HT-2, it would be perfect for your Tower speakers with a rated output of 165 x 2 in 4 ohm configuration or 300 x 2 in 2 ohm config. Im looking to get $320 shipped...

https://wetsounds.com/pages/products/HT2.html

 

[GTBRMC]

One cost-conscious route to go is a small class D amp for the 4 in-boat db651 coaxials and a larger amp for the tower M282-Wake pods.

I put in a Clarion XC1410 for my 4 in-boat db651 coaxials and am quite happy with that part of my setup. I have a pair of JL MX650 coaxials for my swimdeck and plan to buy a significantly better/more powerful amp for those speakers as they will be used at higher volume for swimming behind the boat on sandbars, etc. I will likely go with a JL M series amp for that. I expect to go with a JL M500/3 to power that pair plus drive a subwoofer that I will add down the road a bit.

http://www.amazon.com/Clarion-Electronics-XC1410-4-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00B43LKV0
Anyway, the XC1410 is very compact and not a wallet buster ($93 and free shipping from Amazon right now) but is a huge improvement over the stock JBL head unit power.

 

[redthumper9]

Look at the Rockford marine 400d. Two for them will set you back around $400. (Ebay) They are 4 channel, class D and have a small footprint.

 

[MikeyL]

If you are asking for VALUE .......... And you desire QUALITY ............ And your NEED is Low Price ...........
Look seriously at the Rockford-Fosgates. Please DO check Amazon as a supplier too !
You'ld be most pleasantly surprised when a decision like that satisfies all 3 of the above.
Good Luck ! Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

PS - As long as you mount these in the correct location, you do NOT normally need the Marine version. Non-whatsoever.

 

[kthrash]

I'll second the RF amps.. I have 2 in my boat (2) M600-4D, 4 channels to the inboard speakers, one pair to the sub and one pair to the tower speakers. sounds awesome.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/replaced-the-stereo-and-other-mods.3129/

 

[subysti]

I personally think the Poly Planar amps are the best bang for the buck. Less expensive, more power, lower THD and all the adjustments you could imagine.

 

[MikeyL]

@subysti ..... PolyPlanar MAY be a good company .......... But from their corporate website, they list a few dealers.
Checking out some of the dealers they list like Crutchfield, and Cabellas, these 2 companies do NOT carry Poly Planar products.
http://www.polyplanar.com/dealer_map

When you've got companies such As JL, Rockford Fosgate, Clarion, Polk, and WetSounds, a member might be better served using a company who offers a far larger "range" of products, with proven performance and support.

Please remember 1 thing: This is only MY opinion. And that is not to say PolyPlanar may not be a choice for some.
Diversity is 1 of the good things about this forum.
Best Wishes, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[subysti]

All true @MikeyL they are a small company but they are great for customer service and all they do is marine products not a side business. I've used them for years with great results. I'm going off of my experience and the tech specs of the products. Just throwing another opinion and option out there.

 

[kthrash]

I've honestly never heard of Poly Planar, until now.. looked them up and their prices/specs look almost identical to Rockford Fosgate..

 

[subysti]

Big difference in the distortion level though which bothers me. What's the use of all the power if it sounds distorted at high volumes. Rated power is much higher on the poly planar ME400D compared to the RF M400 almost twice as much power with half the distortion. Price is usually within $10-20 of each other.

 

[David Analog]

I went to the Poly Planar site and immediately recognized the amplifiers.
Look, Poly Planar does not R&D or engineer a single amplifier product. They simply buy and label catalog amplifiers from a China build house, just like many other companies.
The Spa series of amplifiers are very small somewhat anemic amplifiers.
The ME400D is truly a big boy, using the identical off-the-shelf platform shared with PPI, Polk and a dozen or so other marketing brands. That fullrange Class D platform is known for being a good power per dollar ratio, with decent but not great build quality. Certainly not in the same class as JL Audio for example. But nothing negative. Just nothing outstanding.

 

[subysti]

I'm only looking at the 400D as the spa stuff I don't care about. I still cant justify spending twice as much for something that "supposed" to be better when the specs say otherwise. The JL M400/4 doesn't have as much power, more distortion and is just equal to or lower rated in many other specs. I'm not looking to step on toes and anger anyone just throwing out my opinion. I've used the Poly Planar in 2 boats with never an issue. I also hate paying for a name.

 

[kthrash]

how accurate are their specs?

I've seen a bunch of BS specs posted all over that place about all brands.. I know RF measures their outputs.. my 400W amp was certified at 540W.. and my 600W amp at 699W..

 

[subysti]

Well I can't attest about if they are lying or not about specs. I thought if it was on the internet it had to be true?

http://www.polyplanar.com/sites/default/files/documentation_pdfs/me-400d.pdf

 

[kthrash]

Well I can't attest about if they are lying or not about specs. I thought if it was on the internet it had to be true?

http://www.polyplanar.com/sites/default/files/documentation_pdfs/me-400d.pdf

No doubt if its on the net its 100% true..