2016 G23 studio elite package… Very disappointed.

[sarasetp]

I just demoed the 2016 G23 that I'm going to purchase that has the studio elite package in it. I have a 2008 Malibu 23lsv with just six speakers, an alpine head unit, amps,, and one 12 inch sub woofer . That system on my old Malibu sounds 1,000% better than the studio elite package on the 2016 G23. I did not have much of a chance to play around a lot with the EQ settings but out of the box I was pretty disappointed. There was not much punch out of both of the 10 inch sub woofer's, and it sounded like the music was coming out of a fishbowl. Is that just me or is there some better setting that you guys use that I should tweek on the studio elite package?


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[markj]

I have some thoughts. First, I guarrantee it's not dialed in. Second, if you were to install a real 12" sub in an enclosure in that boat, you'd probably be pretty happy. Good bass makes up for a lot of other deficiencies. As soon as I got my 230 (off the lot and mine has every stereo option for 2015), I was scheming to get a new system throughout. I started by just replacing the cabin speakers (only because they fell apart) and then installed an amp with two 12" subs. After that, it kinda killed my desire to rip the rest out. I'm sure I'll tinker with it over time, but I definitely don't have any burning desire to chuck it all and start over. Improve the bass first and then decide if further upgrades are worth it. Anyone who orders the full stock stereo and expects anything like an aftermarket system is crazy.

[Guntersville230]

I agree with markj, my 230 was tuned TERRIBLY from the factory and felt like it had little cabin volume and NO hit...one trip to a professional stereo shop to tune stock system and install roswell zone control for tower/cabin speakers and it was 10x better. Several post on here that amps installed at factory have settings all over the place and not standardized well...

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[wakerider107]

Each boat comes from the factory tuned differently, im not sure why. Check all the audio settings on the LINC and have your dealer tune the amps properly. The amps are supposed to be tuned to certain specs at the factory but it seems they still miss this step sometimes. When the settings are correct, i am very impressed with the stereo package in the Gs.

[sarasetp]

I looked for the posts about adjusting the factory stereo but was unable to find the content.

Are you guys saying that the system's amps are not tuned correctly from the factory? Is it the high pass and low pass frequency filters need to be adjusted as well as the sensitivity controls? Or are there other issues that need to be adjusted? If that is the case, I could probably handle tuning these myself. While I am not an audiophile, I do have an ear for things and could probably adjust these tuning items on the amps to my desired sound quality.

[Jeb1974]

You might need to adjust gains and the crossovers. It's easiest to do one channel at a time. Either mute or unplug the RCA's from the other channels, turn the volume on the stereo up not quite to the max but close and make sure fading and eq settings are flat - our 2015 goes red about 3 or 4 from the top. Then adjust the gains until you hear the amp clipping (distorting). If the speakers seem to be bottoming out you can turn up the x-over frequency a bit. (100hz is a good starting point for most full range). Repeat this for all the channels. Try to pick music that is quite dynamic - you might need to repeat with a few different tracks. Once you're done you can balance things out on the head unit if one zone overpowers another. It's really not difficult but there is a bit of an art to it and some trial and error if you haven't done it before. The most important part is having a good ear for when an amp is clipping otherwise you risk blowing speakers.

[David Analog]

JL Audio offers a 9-step tuning process with concise output voltages for each amplifier channel & application. Just requires a disc or download and a basic multi-meter. This is perfect for finding the maximum non-clipping output channel by channel. However, this is only the first step and does not provide for a balanced SQ system. Final tuning is a bit of an art form and with certainty a local and experienced audio specialist can make the system sound much better.
It's always going to be hard for concealed subwoofers to compete with a direct-radiating sub like you had in the BU. With the Nautique you'll have to take what the boat gives you. The best way to overcome the challenges of concealed subs is with much more power and subs with much more surface area. But with a good tune, you should get a big improvement on the factory system.

[SierraWave]

I talked to my dealer about this today. They said there is a sticker on the amps that has to be removed to adjust them. If the sticker is removed the warranty is void. Does that sound right? I've always cut the tags off my mattresses!


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[sarasetp]

SierraWave , That really stinks and seems a little silly to me to have stickers to prevent an owner from adjusting their stereo. I do not have my boat as it is in storage. I cannot verify whether there is a sticker on the amps. Can anyone verify that there are stickers on the amps that prevent an owner from modifying the amps?

[OKWAKEBDR]

I talked to my dealer about this today. They said there is a sticker on the amps that has to be removed to adjust them. If the sticker is removed the warranty is void. Does that sound right? I've always cut the tags off my mattresses!


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Never heard of that or seen it. Nautique warrantied the amp in my last boat no questions asked.

[MLA]

Stickers on amps is nothing new, but seems new to CC. Given the relative cost of an amp, one might weigh the risk.

[Nauti 210]

A buddy of mine has a '16 G23, not sure what audio package it has, but has (4) JL 8.8's on the tower, a 10" sub, the "wave" where the sound comes up the inside of the windshield, and all the stock JL in-boats. It's by far the best dealer ordered system I've ever heard. I mean, it's no (3) W7s and 6 rev 10s, but it sounds legit for stock.

[heel5man]

After a few tweaks by the dealer, we are very happy with the Studio Elite system on our 2017 G23. We checked "every box" on the stereo and I think it sounds amazing. We came from an optioned out factory system on a Malibu 23 LSV and there is no comparison, the G sounds much better. I think it's a great option for those that want to stick to factory sound.

[Guntersville230]

After a few tweaks by the dealer, we are very happy with the Studio Elite system on our 2017 G23. We checked "every box" on the stereo and I think it sounds amazing. We came from an optioned out factory system on a Malibu 23 LSV and there is no comparison, the G sounds much better. I think it's a great option for those that want to stick to factory sound.

Were they able to get the "pop" out as well as the buzz that you had previously posted about?

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[sarasetp]

heel5man Thanks for the feedback. That is great news. Do you know what they tweaked? Was it in the head unit or was it on the amps themselves, or both?

Would you mind taking pics of the settings on your head unit and posting them?

Also would you mind taking pics of your amp's dials and settings where you change the gains and crossovers and posting them?

That would be helpful is dialing in my Studio Elite without having to do too much guessing. Thanks in advance.