Looking for innovative audio ideas

[biglurr54]

I need some help from some powerful minds! I have a 18 foot bow rider that I have been struggling with stereo issues for a while. I currently have two speakers up front and two in custom boxes in the back. They are great. I had a head unit in water tight box under the helm. It was in the way and my knees hit it all the time. It lasted one season before the box leaked and the stereo was toast. I got to thinking, why should I keep throwing head units at the boat when all I do is listen to music from my phone or ipod. I just need an amp. So my plan is to mount an amp and control everything from my phone/ipod. Louder cleaner music and less equipment in the way. My issue is where and how should I mount the amp so its water proof.

My ideas were a Rubbermaid container and I would mount the top of the container under the dash then mount the amp in the bottom of the container and seal the wires in the box with silicone then add connections on the outside part of the box so it can be removed for washing the boat. It should work but it?s big and bulky and not exactly water proof. I have a 4- channel car amp from my corvette laying around that I thought about using which is why I would like to make it water proof. Are the marine amps water proof or are they just more tolerable to marine environment?

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Looking for inovative ideas

Re: Looking for inovative ideas

Big,

Most amps will still need something to process the signal. Search the net carefully. I recently saw something that was just a processor with amp for what you described. Also, I recently installed a Jensen MSR2107 in my project boat. It works great and has no CD player just a waterproof face unit and the main guts of the unit mount somwehere else remotely through a cable. It has direct iPod controls, USB port, AUX input and built in 1GB of memory for downloading about 250 songs internally.

Marine amps are weather resistant NOT waterproof. So, yes you have to have them somewhat under cover/protected. All amps need plenty of cooling air around them so covering them is a no no and will shorten life.

 

[biglurr54]

Re: Looking for inovative ideas

Re: Looking for inovative ideas

I found a pyle PLMRKT4A which is an amp that has sealed wires coming out. Seems about as water tight as an amp can come. And for $120. bucks you cant beat that. I think I could mount it under the dash and it would be fine. It would only receive a light splash here and there while cleaning or in the rain. It would never be exposed to direct streams of water.

Most aftermarket amps have RCA inputs. if you buy a 3.5 mm jack to left and right RCA jacks ($5.00 available everywhere) and connect the RCA's to the amp it will take the signal from the 3.5mm jack and amplify it. If you want MP3 you attach your ipod, if you want a cd you attach a portable cd player, if you want weather radio you attach a portable weather radio. You control volume and everything from the device you connect. Its a much simpler system. How many features does your head unit on your stereo have that you don?t use. Things like the radio, cd player, graphics, equalizers, filters, and bass boosters. It all distorts the signal, uses more power, and is one more thing to go wrong and break. An amp has better filters and boosts. It makes perfect sense for me. I just need to find the correct amp for me. The most water resistant and good wattage. The Pyle seems cheap and way overrated. But still more powerful than just a head unit and seems more water resistant.

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Looking for inovative ideas

Re: Looking for inovative ideas

Ummmm...

Not sure why you post your question?

Also, RCA inputs on an amp are for line level (unamplified) inputs and not a low level amplified and processed signal like that from a 3.5 mm plug (head phone jack). Most amps that have boost and filters won't do anything to clean up the sound since they only separate signals and enhance those signals. If the signal is crappy/noise laden, then you only boost the garbage in. Go ahead but I think you are going to be disappointed by the sound quality.