Complete stereo help 2012 SANTE 230

[nautiques4life]

Need stereo help… trying to ball on a budget. Just trying to get the best possible output with all the components I already have.

Here’s the gear:
2 Amps- Stock Polk PA D4000.4 and 5000.5
1 Sub- stock polk 10” behind the driver
4 cabin speakers- wetsounds: XS-65
2 bow speakers- kicker: km613
2 tower speakers- stock Polk 6.5 (but have 2 Rev8’s that need to be transferred from the old boat).

I’ve read multiple discussions about using the 4 channel just for the tower, others say run the bow, others say bridge stuff, others say bow off head unit… With my hodgepodge of random audio speakers I have no idea if any of that is even possible or if it would cause problems. I’m a novice- impedence, ohms, etc are way beyond my knowledge, but I’m sure one of you has this set up all figured out. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Another question: In my old boat I have 2 volume control knobs… one for tower, one for sub… worked great and at $30 each way cheaper than ws420. I see the Polk 5000.5 has a plug for remote knob, does anyone know off hand if that would control all output from that amp or if it is just sub/bass specific? Thanks

[nautiques4life]

PS I'm in the boat currently crawling around blindly experimenting- little confused on the wires coming out of the 4 channel... to me it looks like there are 4 speakers being powered by this thing; my assumption was 2 tower + 2 bow speakers. But when I unplugged all the cables going into both amps the 2 bow speakers were still on (the only audio playing) so now I'm assuming they are powered by the headunit after all. Any idea what all these wires off the 4000.4 are for?

[Kris2wild]

For what I understand it is for the tower. I just bought a 2013 230 with one set of tower speakers and if you add the second set it is plug and play. The 5 channel is wired to cockpit and sub with head unit powering bow speakers. I was going to go with rev 10 and bridge the factory 4 channel to 400 watts to them but wound up buying a set of factory's from a fellow PN member to get by this season

[MLA]

The optional sub level control for the 5000.5 is that just a sub level. Something like the Kicker ZXM-RLC would give you line driver boost and volume control of the ws-420, but at a more budget friendly price. A little more than what you had on the old boat, but again, the ZXM is a marine dual zone volume and its a line driver. Control unit mounts close to amps, so RCA cables are kept short.

From the looks of the wire colors, it looks like all 3 pairs of the in-boats are driven by the 5000.5. This can be confirmed by pulling the RCAs, with it off, then turning it on. If the bows, or any other in-boats, still play, they are not on that amp. I would want all the in-boats on the 5000.5

Im a huge Kicker fan, but I would swap the km6130's for a pair of xs-65. The Wet Sounds .75" dome tweeter sounds much better than the Kicker's .5 "W" tweeter. That Kicker KM6130 was a price point OHM model. Their other KM models, like the KM654 are MUCH better sounding, bit at a similar price as the xs-65, go with the xs-65 since its what you already have.

Yes swap the Rev-8 for the 6.5's and bridge them on the 4000.4.

[nautiques4life]

Yeah confirmed the 5000.5 is running the 4 cabin and sub.
So the extra wires from the 4000.4 are running to nothing somewhere up in the tower just in case I want to expand in the future? Can that really be true? Why wouldn't they just leave them next to the amp and bridge the existing towers that came with the boat?

[MLA]

Yes, id believe it, those wires are for the extra pair of tower speakers. Doesnt mater though, if you plan to move to the Rev-8 and bridge them on the 4000.4, you would want to upgrade the wiring to 12ga.

[nautiques4life]

Thanks MLA
As a really lazy human just how important is that 12 gauge wire?

[BrettB]

Anyone know if side mount rotating tower speakers from a 210 or 230 will fit a sport 200 tower? If they will and anyone has some they want to get rid of, please let me know.

[nautiques4life]

Not sure if they are boat specific; but I am sure they are tower specific... You having a 14, wouldn't have an fct5 tower so I'm almost positive the ones I have wouldn't work for you.

[ddipert]

Attachment is from a FTC3 but looks like this is the wiring the use on all their towers.

purple/purple & black are for your port mid mount speakers,
green/green & black are for your starboard mid mount speakers
gray/gray & black are for the starboard top mount (near the light bar wires)
white/white & black are for the port top mount

[nautiques4life]

Hopefully out at the lake this weekend if so I'll track them down

[nautiques4life]

Finally got the Rev8's installed, but didn't mess with the amp connections- just left them as they were for now. Many of you suggested running the 2 Rev8's bridged using the 4000.4. Just wanted to confirm that isn't too much to them, nothing is going to blow? Also I am a dummy, to bridge them I just pull out the 2 channels (4 wires) that are unused. And place the left rev8's 2 wires- one in + on channel 1 and one in - on channel 2. And the same for the right speaker's 2 wires? Thanks.

[a0128]

The REV8's are rated for 200 watts with 400 PEAK watts. In bridged mode the 4000.4 puts out 400 watts which puts you at the higher end of maximum power. I'd be sure you have the gain set accurately and the crossover set to around 100Hz to protect the mid drivers from blowing.

[nautiques4life]

So glad I didn't just blindly plug it in and go; thanks aO128

[nautiques4life]

ddipert.. looking at that diagram, is there a break at the top angle of the tower where there is access and pre-cut connections?