New Yamaha AR240 Wetsounds Stereo Upgrade

[Devorda]

Hello! I just purchased a new 2020 AR240. Previously we owned a 2008 AR230, which we upgraded the stereo. Wanted to reach out to see if any of you have insight on a few questions.

here is the plan currently:
I purchased the fusion wiring harnesses to get the RCA and remote from the back platform head unit. Going to run them to the battery compartment where I will house all 3 amps and subwoofer. Plan to add another house battery to help with the amps, as well as a dual bank charger while I am in there with the tools. I am planning a 10” wetsounds sub and amp, 4- Revo 6 speakers to replace the cabin speakers, and 2 Rev10 tower speakers. I will also be installing the wetsounds 420 equalizer to have adjustability for the sound. I believe I have adequate amps to run all of these (3 amps).

My questions:
1) which tower (front or back post) did most of you run the speaker wires in?
2) do you see any issues with the stereo I have going here?
3) will I have to cut out for the wetsounds revo 6 main cabin speakers- or do they use the same size hole as factory?
4) if having to make the factory speaker holes bigger, any suggestions on what to use? Hopefully it will not be much cutting as it should be somewhat close?
5) where would you run the RCAs to best conceal them going across the boat (engine bay??) ?
6) should I integrate the power cable for the amps into the battery on/off switch for the house batteries, or go direct to the amp from the battery?
7) any other insight or issues I may run into?

thanks
Dan

 

[5nuklheds]

Hello! I just purchased a new 2020 AR240. Previously we owned a 2008 AR230, which we upgraded the stereo. Wanted to reach out to see if any of you have insight on a few questions.

here is the plan currently:
I purchased the fusion wiring harnesses to get the RCA and remote from the back platform head unit. Going to run them to the battery compartment where I will house all 3 amps and subwoofer. Plan to add another house battery to help with the amps, as well as a dual bank charger while I am in there with the tools. I am planning a 10” wetsounds sub and amp, 4- Revo 6 speakers to replace the cabin speakers, and 2 Rev10 tower speakers. I will also be installing the wetsounds 420 equalizer to have adjustability for the sound. I believe I have adequate amps to run all of these (3 amps).

My questions:
1) which tower (front or back post) did most of you run the speaker wires in?
2) do you see any issues with the stereo I have going here?
3) will I have to cut out for the wetsounds revo 6 main cabin speakers- or do they use the same size hole as factory?
4) if having to make the factory speaker holes bigger, any suggestions on what to use? Hopefully it will not be much cutting as it should be somewhat close?
5) where would you run the RCAs to best conceal them going across the boat (engine bay??) ?
6) should I integrate the power cable for the amps into the battery on/off switch for the house batteries, or go direct to the amp from the battery?
7) any other insight or issues I may run into?

thanks
Dan

I too have the same boat and have all the same questions. Did you figure out the path to success? I was going to run the RCAs to the helm compartment for the install of the amps, but now question that decision. How did you access your head unit? If you removed it from its seat, have you had water intrusion issues when the wake cascades on to the swim platform?

 

[Sotally Tober]

Revo 6's are a direct replacement. No cutting needed.

I actually severed the sound system from connext and removed the fusion head unit from the swim step. I have everything wired through the wet sounds head unit that can do everything and more than the 420 equalizer.

Here is a link to my build page. I still owe everyone a major update to it as I have been super busy and have made a few more mods/additions.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/sotally-tobers-2019-242-se-build.26770/

 

[Hoyt]

Your tower speaker wires get routed through forward facing bar. The back facing bar is welded shut.
Yes the revo 6 is a direct replacement no cutting needed.
Look into getting the revo 12" instead of the 10". With the cabin and tower your gonna want more bass.
If you plan to keep the swim deck head unit you won't need the 420 eq. You'll lose the zone adjustments if you add the eq. Zone is key for what we use the boat for. Cabin and sub on one zone, and Towers on the other. So when we are outside boat at sand bar we can adjust volumes of each zone independently. Rev10s are super loud and we rarely use them to their potential at the sand bar.

Here's a link to my build. I show routing of wires and installation in the thread. Sorry it's so long. Not the same boat, but same system....

https://jetboaters.net/threads/2020-195s-build-thread-warning-pic-heavy.24575/

Here's a link to my build

 

[alain Ganamet]

The revo 6 have a mounting depth of 3.375" so that means we have at least that much space between the mounting surface and the hull in our boats. I have a 2018 242 Limites S. Is it fair to assume that we have that mounting depth at the 3 locations, Elem, bow and swim platform ?

 

[Inthrustwetrust]

Looking for opinions, also a 2020 AR240. Currently have two 8 inch kickers on the tower, with a Rockville amp, Wetsounds Stealth 10 inch sub (new addition this winter, haven’t used it on the water yet) and a Renogy 200ah AGM battery, just installed yesterday, still charging on the boat.

In my quest for my sound on somewhat of a budget, I was going to put Revo 8s on the tower, and use my old cans, recon 6.5s to replace the garbage cockpit speakers, and the Wetsounds SYN-DX6 to power the 6 speakers, sub has a built in amp.

Cockpits are clearly going to louder, but are the Revo 8s going to be a big step up over the kicker 8s? I believe both the Kickers I have and Revos are rated at 150 watts rms. Also, with the Revo 8s rated at 150 rms and the recon 6s at 60 rms, are the Revos just going to blast out the Recons making it a waste? Savings going with Recons over Revos for the cockpit is a savings of about $500, and besides the 30 minute drive to/from our anchor spot, 95% of our time is spent on the swim deck or in the water. It’s another $600-$800 savings using my cans and swapping 8s opposed to getting 10s and new cans.


Also, doing some math, do I need more battery to float for 4-5 hours?

500 watt sub, 300 watts on the tower, 240 watts for the cockpit, 1040 total/12v=86.6 amps. Figure 50% volume, so 43 amps, 70% discharge on the 200 ah AGM battery, about 3 hours of battery life?

 

[212s]

Cockpits are clearly going to louder, but are the Revo 8s going to be a big step up over the kicker 8s?

The Revo's might sound better but not get much louder with the same power ratings. I doubt you'll find it worth the cost to make the change. I prefer to keep all speakers the same brand/model if possible for smoother sound. If you already have the recons sitting there, I'd change out the stock Jensen speakers with them for better sound in the boat. The towers will sound a bit different but probably not enough to worry about and they'll be a bit louder, but projecting out the back so not too loud inside the boat.

Also, doing some math, do I need more battery to float for 4-5 hours?

I don't think so...see below.

500 watt sub, 300 watts on the tower, 240 watts for the cockpit, 1040 total/12v=86.6 amps. Figure 50% volume, so 43 amps, 70% discharge on the 200 ah AGM battery, about 3 hours of battery life?

Your math is correct, but your assumptions about wattage vs volume is not so you started with the wrong values.

At what you perceive to be 50% volume will be a 10dB drop in power output, which is 10x less power not half power (volume is a logarithmic scale, not linear). So you'll be able to listen all day at 50% consuming roughly 10% of max power output = 8.7 amps, so round up to 10 for losses and variances and you get about 14 hours of listening at moderate volumes with class D amps and bit less with A/B amps. But if you crank it up expect only 2-3 hours of play time.

This logarithmic scale is why going from 100w to 200w sounds just a bit louder, not twice as loud - a common misunderstanding of dB scales, volume, and wattage.

I have a 500w amp and playing at moderately low levels I'm probably pulling only 1-2 amps, it'll run all day floating on the stock marine house battery (90ah group 24) down 30% or 27 amps. Down the road when the battery wears out, I'll switch to a deep cycle or lithium battery for better runtime and longevity, but for now it works just fine for our typical use.

 

[Inthrustwetrust]

The Revo's might sound better but not get much louder with the same power ratings. I doubt you'll find it worth the cost to make the change. I prefer to keep all speakers the same brand/model if possible for smoother sound. If you already have the recons sitting there, I'd change out the stock Jensen speakers with them for better sound in the boat. The towers will sound a bit different but probably not enough to worry about and they'll be a bit louder, but projecting out the back so not too loud inside the boat.

I don't think so...see below.

Your math is correct, but your assumptions about wattage vs volume is not so you started with the wrong values.

At what you perceive to be 50% volume will be a 10dB drop in power output, which is 10x less power not half power (volume is a logarithmic scale, not linear). So you'll be able to listen all day at 50% consuming roughly 10% of max power output = 8.7 amps, so round up to 10 for losses and variances and you get about 14 hours of listening at moderate volumes with class D amps and bit less with A/B amps. But if you crank it up expect only 2-3 hours of play time.

This logarithmic scale is why going from 100w to 200w sounds just a bit louder, not twice as loud - a common misunderstanding of dB scales, volume, and wattage.

I have a 500w amp and playing at moderately low levels I'm probably pulling only 1-2 amps, it'll run all day floating on the stock marine house battery (90ah group 24) down 30% or 27 amps. Down the road when the battery wears out, I'll switch to a deep cycle or lithium battery for better runtime and longevity, but for now it works just fine for our typical use.

Thanks for the reply. I’ll have to double check my current towers, after some though they might have been 150 peak. Just from seeing/hearing some of the Wetsounds set ups they seemed significantly louder, they could have been running 4x towers and not 2 though, I don’t remember, I just remember hearing them and being impressed.

Thanks for the checking the math too, I know just enough about audio/electronics to be dangerous, not enough to be smart.

I think I damaged my house battery when I bought the boat and installed the towers, I didn’t have a tender for a month or so, battery wasn’t get the charge it needed, and I was draining it to much. End of last year it would take a charge, but after a hour or so of music it was dead, like below 10.5v. Hoping to avoid that with this 200ah deep cycle, at 125lbs it was a beast to install.

 

[212s]

Thanks for the reply. I’ll have to double check my current towers, after some though they might have been 150 peak. Just from seeing/hearing some of the Wetsounds set ups they seemed significantly louder, they could have been running 4x towers and not 2 though, I don’t remember, I just remember hearing them and being impressed.

The WS Rev 8's and 10's are horn loaded for volume at 200w and 300w so yeah they get loud with a suitable amp.

Hoping to avoid that with this 200ah deep cycle, at 125lbs it was a beast to install.

We don't blast the stereo as we're usually talking on or near the boat, but if I was doing a big setup for volume, I'd get a couple lithium batteries as they can be discharged to 80% without damage and will run longer than any similarly sized lead-acid battery, even AGM deep cycle, and at half the weight.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

IF you have the coin, Lithium all day.

 

[Inthrustwetrust]

The WS Rev 8's and 10's are horn loaded for volume at 200w and 300w so yeah they get loud with a suitable amp.

We don't blast the stereo as we're usually talking on or near the boat, but if I was doing a big setup for volume, I'd get a couple lithium batteries as they can be discharged to 80% without damage and will run longer than any similarly sized lead-acid battery, even AGM deep cycle, and at half the weight.

I took the leap and bought my set up, my old amp was class AB, I figured why not, only live once. Should be here tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll get some time and get it installed this weekend and post my opinions.

I considered Lithium, I just wasn’t ready to do the swap, my current tender is not lithium compatible, figured I would give this a shot first.