What size speaker to use?

glemay

Hey guys,

This post is regarding the stereo in my boat. I know I've asked about this in the past, but we just put it in the water so now I can start seriously thinking about the stereo. As of right now, I have my Pioneer deck in (PEH-4700MP, or something really similar) and my small kenwood amplifier in(KAC-5201, I think, it's 40 watts RMSx2 @ 4 ohms and 60 watts RMSx2 @ 2 ohms and 120 watts RMSx1 @ 4 ohms) and for speakers I have 4 5.25 cheap marine speakers.

I am not satisfied with this setup since I have like no bass and the speakers start to break up pretty quick. So I want more volume. What would you guys do? I dont wanna spend alot of money. The deck is the only thing that I wont be changing, since it is good enough and pretty recent. For the speakers I would like to go marine that way I wont need to worry about water but can't get the speaker I want in 5.25, only 6.5. So, what do I do, stay with 5.25 or go to 6.5? What about a sub with my small amp? and then get a new one for the 4 speakers or something? Let me know what you guys think, I'm open to all opinions and suggestions.

Thanks

MacLeod

The more power the better. You could move up to 6.5" speakers with your current amp and then get another small amp like that one for a small 8 or 10" sub and that will improve your sound a bunch.

glemay

Do you guys think it is really that much of an upgrade to go from 5.25 to 6.5 speakers? The thing is, I would prefer to put marine speakers in the boat because they will get wet, and I'm not sure how a car speaker would really hold up. But if I go marine I can't get a 5.25, so I will have to cut bigger holes in my boat, that is something I don't like doing, holes in boats.

But, if I had a small sub, (remember my amp would only be 120 watts RMS for the sub) would four 5.25 sound good? Will the car speakers be fine, the boat is kept outside for the boating season, so april to october.

MacLeod

The DB series are marine speakers. You can get a 5.25 or a 6.5. Either will work. If you dont want to cut a hole for a 6.5 then stick with the 5.25.

Yes 4 5.25's would sound good with a sub and as for leaving them out in the elements for 6 months, yes it will be bad for them. But thats unavoidable. No elecronic audio comonents are going to fair well in the weather.

glemay

If I do buy my stuff off of sounddomain.com, will I have any extra fees since it will be shipped to Canada? Extra tax or something?

Thanks

audiobliss

I can't answer that one for you. But like Mac said, I would suggest something from the db series since you're not looking to spend a lot. But if you wanted to, you could move up to the MOMO series, as they're also marine certified. There isn't a 5.25" db series speaker, so you would have to go with the db650 coaxial. They have an RMS power handling of 60 watts, so ideally, you'd want to be throwing them more power than your Kenwood amp is capable of giving them. Also, I'm not really familiar with any subs that would be happy with 120 watts. So, from the way I see it, you need to trash your current amp (stow it away in the closet as a back up) and get two more. One 4-channel amp to power 4 db650 coaxials, and then another to power a sub of some sort. I would probably recommend a 10" sub. This db104 10" sub will take 270 continuously, so you'd need a lot more grunt than your Kenwood will give ya.

Maybe Mac knows of some subs that don't need as much power.

PoweredByDodge

get the WICKED audiobahn marine speakers... they have horn loaded compression tweeters... they SCREEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMM. i have 4 in the bed of my truck (6x9 version) --- they're in - friggin - tense... i have routinely let them be soaked by down pouring rain and have yet to have any issues with them.

here's the 6x9... ($79 per pair)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_4112.html

here's the 6.5" ... ($69 per pair)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_4332.html

and they'll kick the crap out of anything else... with a measily 50 or so watts per speaker (with 4 of these in the bed), I rock the party that rocks the party... and i make people deaf at the drive in.

ps - they're pretty much sealed all the way around... the magnet is inside of protective water resistant casing... the motor structure is tucked under a waterproof spider and the tweeter comes out of a grommet lookin deal on the cone -- so its all pretty much as anti-water as u're gonna get.

audiobliss

Ahh, I forgot about those. You praised them once before. I'd give thsoe 6x9's a look, too.