03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

[thedude]

I'm pretty much a stereo novice, but I was messing around with my stereo this weekend and realized that it doesn't sound very good. For instance, the bass seems non-existant. I've tried messing with the basics (bass, trebble) with little luck. I've also noticed that I pretty much can't hear my interior speakers until volume is up to about level 22, by that time the tower speakers are so loud you can't hear the interior speakers anyway. Is this just normal since the tower speakers are larger?

My question is, does anyone know of a procedure to dial in this system?

My stereo is stock but I don't know too much about the original set up. From what I can gather I have a clarion amp that is connect to my tower speakers. I also have a Kicker amp that is connected to the sub I believe. Along with 2 sets of MB Quart tower speakers...I think this is pretty much the stock TEAM set-up in 2003.

Do you guys have any tips for me or do I need to get it dialed in by a pro? I know a lot of people have these set-ups, what are your amp settings?

Thanks,
Matt

[gride300]

RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

turn your gains all the way down. adjust each channel w/ h/u set to about 80% of max. set frequences. high pass around 120 for starters and low pass around 110 or 100. slowly increase the gain on each ch. until it distorts and then back off a little. after that adjust your freq to desired sound. keep everything on h/u flat.

[crowland]

RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

Mikeski has a pretty good post in this thread that would probably benefit you quite a bit -

http://www.planetnautique.com/index....ghlight=tuning

[thedude]

RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

Thanks guys...do you happen to know the model number of the clarion amp that drives the tower speakers on an 03 SANTE? I'd like to look online for a manual for it. I found the kicker manual on this website!

So if I understand correctly...the stereo should get loud at about 75% of max volume...typically tower speaker amp should be set in high pass mode around 150 Hz while sub amp (I think my kicker is connected to the sub) should be set in low pass mode at about 100 Hz.

I think I understand how to set the tower speakers and sub, is there a way to do the same for the interior speakers? Does the head unit serve as the amp for the interior speakers? Do I need to mess with those or should I just accept the fact that they will never be heard due to the tower speakers?

gride300: when you say keep everything on the h/u flat, do you mean have the bass and treble set in the middle of their range, or at 0?

Thanks again,
Matt

[SuperSquirt]

RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

he means to keep the head unit set to 0 (flat)

[TravisFling]

RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

Depends on how the bass and treble is set in the headunit. Set them to the midpoint. Don't turn them all the way down, just leave them all right at the middle. OR, better put, if your headunit goes +6 to -6, then zero is fine. if it goes 0-12 then put them at 6. Right in the middle.

Turn the headunit to 75% of max. Set the sub in low pass at 100 hz and the in cabin speakers at 120hz, or so. What you're telling them to do is take everything below 100 (lowpass) to the sub, and everything above 120 (highpass) to the mids and tops. These numbers represent a sloping dropoff point, not a cliff, so it's ok to mess with them a little and find what sounds good to you. You don't really want a 50hz gap there, typically, though. That might be a little large. Turn each gain on the amp up until you hear some distortion (there are better ways to do this, but they are a little more complicated.) and then back it off a little, repeat for each gain control on the amp. If you're feeling froggy you can take some pictures of the amps and their settings and we can guide you in from there. Pictures of the amps with speaker wires going to their various homes will tell us what speakers are run off what amps.

It's just like landing a plane - piece of cake!! Let me know if that didn't make any sense at all.
Travis

[thedude]

RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

Thanks guys...I'll give all this a shot this weekend and post up my results!

-Matt

[TravisFling]

RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

Best of luck!

[thedude]

RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

Well I guess I was wrong...it turns out the tower speakers and bow speakers are wired up to the same Clarion Amp. I got those tuned according to the tips above and I think I have them set pretty well. Or as best as I could get them to my untrained ear.

I think I discovered another problem along the way...the Kicker amp is hooked up to the subwoofer and the non-bow interior speakers. For some reason the connection in the rear of the sub had jarred loose. Which must have been why I was getting no sound from the woofer, so I reconnected it. Well I tried to adjust the kicker amp but the red "protection" light on the side is lit up. I checked the fuses and they are fine. The manual says that might mean there is a bad speaker...is there a way to test a speaker to see if its bad or not? I'd rather not take them out of the boat unless I know they are bad, can I hook up a ohm-meter to it or something?

My guess is the sub is bad and causing the amp to go into "protection" mode.

Thanks guys,
Matt

[thedude]

RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

Update:

I disconnected all the speaker wires from the kicker amp with the power to it off. I then turned the power back on and the red "protection" light was still lit up with nothing but the power wires hooked up to it. Is there a way to reset the amp to make this light go off? Or is the amp dead and needing replaced?

Thanks!

Matt

[crowland]

RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

what model of amp do you have? I remember seeing in my kicker manual that there were steps to try and diagnose the problem when it goes into protection mode. Generally speaking protection mode it not a good thing, especially if you do not have speakers hooked up - you do not have an impedance or bad speaker issue that is causing the protection mode.

[TravisFling]

RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

If only the power and ground are hooked up and the amp is protecting itself I would say it's not the speaker. It sounds like you're not getting the 9-16 volt acceptable operating requirement met. I would check the power and ground and make sure they're good and not corroded and attached well.

[ispair]

Re: RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

If only the power and ground are hooked up and the amp is protecting itself I would say it's not the speaker. It sounds like you're not getting the 9-16 volt acceptable operating requirement met. I would check the power and ground and make sure they're good and not corroded and attached well.

Ditto, what he said.

[thedude]

RE: Re: RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

The AMP is a kicker KX300.4

I'll check the power and ground connections with my voltmeter...the fuses are in good condition.

Does anyone know of a good cost-effective replacement amp incase this one is bad (and best place to purchase)?

Thanks again,
Matt

[TravisFling]

RE: Re: RE: 03 SANTE, Help with amp settings...

That kicker is a great little amp. Nothing wrong with going that route again. If you wanted to stick with Marine the clarion apx480m is a nice little amp too. I don't have any complaints about it.