8x 7.7" speakers, 2x 10" subs, just one 700W AMP?

[yuppie]

Alright, I'm looking to power the speakers in my boat (which is a 24' walk-thru open bow) and I'd like to get some newer amplifiers, maybe a newer head unit.

I've got 2x 10" subs: https://www.crutchfield.com/S-YU55m...udio-M10IB5-CG-WH-White-w-Classic-grille.html

8x 7.7" speakers: https://www.crutchfield.com/S-FRjf6...-MX770-CCX-CG-WH-White-w-Classic-grilles.html

So, I'm thinking OK, I'll get a 1,000 watt amp for the subs and a 800 watt 8-channel amp for the speakers

1000/1: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13698677/JL-Audio-XDM1000-1.html
800/8: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13698686/JL-Audio-XDM800-8.html

I call up a local shop and have it planned out with the front desk, this is good equipment and we have it set to be ordered.

A little later one of the more experienced installers calls me back and tells me that it's way too much power for this system unless I'm planning on upgrading later on. I'm not really planning on adding more speakers or adding bigger speakers because I think the stuff in there is already pretty good, so he tells me all I really need is this 700 watt 5-channel amp: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13698650/JL-Audio-MV700-5i.html

He's saying (the following is not word-for-word) 4 of the channels will be split to the 8x 7" speakers, each one will read the signal at 2 OHMs instead of 4 OHMs requiring less power, the fifth channel will be sent to the 2x 10" subs, so they'd get 150 watts each. They'll tune the system with the JL Audio software and they've never had an issue with it sounding good in a setup like this. I'll get more lifetime out of the speakers and I'll drain my boat's battery a lot less with a single amplifier, plus I'll save some cash.

Now, the subs specifications say they can handle 250W, so I was thinking I'd want to get at least a 500W amplifier just for the subs!

The speakers say they can take 70 watts RMS (225 watts peak power), so I thought I'd want at least 800w 8-channel amplifier just for the speakers.

I really don't know that much about setting up sound in a marine application, but I do love a wide range of music (from Rolling Stones to Radiohead) and I figured I'd want more powerful amplifiers...

Should I go with 2x XDM amplifiers or is this single MV700/5i going to do the trick?

 

[was thatguy]

Alright, I'm looking to power the speakers in my boat (which is a 24' walk-thru open bow) and I'd like to get some newer amplifiers, maybe a newer head unit.

I've got two 10" subs: https://www.crutchfield.com/S-YU55m...udio-M10IB5-CG-WH-White-w-Classic-grille.html

8x 7.7" speakers: https://www.crutchfield.com/S-FRjf6...-MX770-CCX-CG-WH-White-w-Classic-grilles.html

So, I'm thinking OK, I'll get a 1,000 watt amp for the subs and a 800 watt 8-channel amp for the speakers

1000/1: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13698677/JL-Audio-XDM1000-1.html
800/8: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13698686/JL-Audio-XDM800-8.html

I call up a local shop and have it planned out with the front desk, this is good equipment and we have it set to be ordered.

A little later one of the more experienced installers calls me back and tells me that it's way too much power for this system unless I'm planning on upgrading later on. I'm not really planning on adding more speakers or adding bigger speakers because I think the stuff in there is already pretty good, so he tells me all I really need is this 700 watt 5-channel amp: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13698650/JL-Audio-MV700-5i.html

He's saying (the following is not word-for-word) 4 of the channels will be split to the 8x 7" speakers, each one will read the signal at 2 OHMs instead of 4 OHMs requiring less power, the fifth channel will be sent to the 2x 10" subs, so they'd get 150 watts each. They'll tune the system with the JL Audio software and they've never had an issue with it sounding good in a setup like this. I'll get more lifetime out of the speakers and I'll drain my boat's batter less with a single amplifier.

Now, the subs specifications say they can handle 250W, so I was thinking I'd want to get a 500W amplifier just for the subs!

The speakers say they can take 70 watts RMS (225 watts peak power), so I thought I'd want at least 800w 8-channel amplifier just for the speakers.

I really don't know that much about setting up sound in a marine application, but I do love a wide range of music (from Rolling Stones to Radiohead) and I figured I'd want more powerful amplifiers...

Should I go with 2x XDM amplifiers or is this single MV700/5i going to do the trick?

You have no need to run each speaker on it’s own channel. 8 speakers on 8 channels is not what I’d do.
I didnt click your links but IF you can series and parallel back the bank of 7” bi’s at 2om load it’s the way to go.
BUT … only if that amp can run 4 ch at 2 ohm and the sub channel is mono’d and isolated to its own load.

 

[ElAzul]

Headroom (reserve power on tap) and channel flexibility is your friend. There are some really stout multi channel amps out there but that's a fair load for one amp. 2 ohm's is nothing to most amps but they do loose some SQ and control driving at lower impedance.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

I’m running 8 speakers and a single sub off a 1000 watt 5 channel amp in basically the same setup they described to you and similar wattage per speaker. It works great and has for years.

 

[HBCraig]

I have an Ultra 247 so it's a similar size to you. I have all JL Audio stuff. 2 12" subs with 6 additional speakers and it powered by a single 800 watt amp and sounds great. My stereo guy added a crossover

 

[yuppie]

You have no need to run each speaker on it’s own channel. 8 speakers on 8 channels is not what I’d do.
I didnt click your links but IF you can series and parallel back the bank of 7” bi’s at 2om load it’s the way to go.
BUT … only if that amp can run 4 ch at 2 ohm and the sub channel is mono’d and isolated to its own load.

Yeah, I guess so:

I have an Ultra 247 so it's a similar size to you. I have all JL Audio stuff. 2 12" subs with 6 additional speakers and it powered by a single 800 watt amp and sounds great. My stereo guy added a crossover

OK, good to know, I guess my dude knows what he's talking about then!

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Yeah, I guess so:

View attachment 1194332



OK, good to know, I guess my dude knows what he's talking about then!

I’ll add that you are still able to upgrade.. if you did, then you would get another amp and divide things up.

 

[was thatguy]

Headroom (reserve power on tap) and channel flexibility is your friend. There are some really stout multi channel amps out there but that's a fair load for one amp

It’s m not a big fan of “one amp does it all” but I have done a few installs with a single 5 channel amp that worked out real good.
Debs Durango was the northern CA <800 watt SQ champion 2 years in a row with a single Kicker 800x4 with 1-2 on 2 ohm load Focals and 2x 8” kicker Dual VC pro subs in a custom box I built from a computer rendering running on 3-4 bridged and reversed.
That was the best stereo I ever did, excluding my DDR SPL days.

 

[Bpracing1127]

My 23 ft ultra has 2 amps

2500 watts of power

One 1500 watt amp for my subs (2 15” subs)
One 1000 watt amp for my speakers (8 JL)

I have plenty of amp

 

[ElAzul]

This is the best one amp solution's I have played with. Been out of the game for a while but I was one of the top pro's in the audio industry and this amp fuckin gets after it

X2 1200.6

At 150 Watts by 6 channels at 4 ohms and a plethora of HP, LP, AP and BP crossovers the X2 1200.6 is the perfect amplifier for most any type of system.

www.arcaudio.com

 

[was thatguy]

This is the best one amp solution's I have played with. Been out of the game for a while but I was one of the top pro's in the audio industry and this amp fuckin gets after it

X2 1200.6

At 150 Watts by 6 channels at 4 ohms and a plethora of HP, LP, AP and BP crossovers the X2 1200.6 is the perfect amplifier for most any type of system.

www.arcaudio.com

I’ve got 2 ea 10” Soundstream davinchis like new in box I want to sell.
And a couple 2 ohm Adire Koda mid components without XO and 2 ea Brahma 12’s.
This is original Adire stuff from 2000, not the “new” crap.

 

[ElAzul]

I’ve got 2 ea 10” davinchis like new in box I want to sell.
And a couple 2 ohm Adire Koda mid components without XO and 2 ea Brahma 12’s.
This is original Adire stuff from 2000, not the “new” crap.

Ahh Adire the OG XBL2 motor so much goodness

 

[was thatguy]

Ahh Adire the OG XBL2 motor so much goodness

My younger cousin was a SQ and SPL judge.
He was a huge og Adire supporter and had a hand in developing the Koda proprietary passives.
The set of mids I have was from the era before they could build their passives due to lack of component availability.
I ran them on Focal Y2K passives with success.
He’s the contact I had that got me the Kodas
and the set of Brahmas. They are just unreal pieces.
Equal or better then the Soundstreams.
Ah the good old days.

 

[HPBoats83]

I did the opposite of you and I’m not all that thrilled with the way my stereo sounds, I want it louder. I have 4 amps, (8) 6.5 JL M3, (2) 12” RF M-2, (2) TM400-4 powering the 6.5’s and (2) TM-750-1, one powering each sub.

 

[yuppie]

I did the opposite of you and I’m not all that thrilled with the way my stereo sounds, I want it louder. I have 4 amps, (8) 6.5 JL M3, (2) 12” RF M-2, (2) TM400-4 powering the 6.5’s and (2) TM-750-1, one powering each sub.

Yeah, I've never been a fan of Rockford Fosgate. I wonder if you'd do better with bigger speakers, taking the 6.5's up an inch or two or if your subs would do better with a different amp. Weird.

 

[was thatguy]

Yeah, I've never been a fan of Rockford Fosgate. I wonder if you'd do better with bigger speakers, taking the 6.5's up an inch or two or if your subs would do better with a different amp. Weird.

Huh
I made a run at the unlimited SPL record with 9 ea Kove subs and 36 ea Fosgate 1200.2 amps back in the day.
I had 2 Amps per VC (4 amps per sub) bridged on 18 Volts per amp. All in a chopped VW beetle with 1” lexan windows and a Briggs lawnmower engine to put it in the lanes.
We burped like a 169 DB but did not break the record at that time.
Anyway, I’m a big fan of Fosgate decks and amps.
Their speakers were never top tier, but Fosgate always used to be an excellent choice dollar for dollar.

 

[ElAzul]

Huh
I made a run at the unlimited SPL record with 9 ea Kove subs and 36 ea Fosgate 1200.2 amps back in the day.
I had 2 Amps per VC (4 amps per sub) bridged on 18 Volts per amp. All in a chopped VW beetle with 1” lexan windows and a Briggs lawnmower engine to put it in the lanes.
We burped like a 169 DB but did not break the record at that time.
Anyway, I’m a big fan of Fosgate decks and amps.
Their speakers were never top tier, but Fosgate always used to be an excellent choice dollar for dollar.

Kove was started on by the guy who also founded Lanzar(pre Pyramid days) both some of my absolute favorite's

 

[RCDave]

Kove was started on by the guy who also founded Lanzar(pre Pyramid days) both some of my absolute favorite's

Zed audio?

 

[Smupser]

It’s m not a big fan of “one amp does it all”

neither am I. Mids and highs off one amp is fine, but big bass draws a lot and adds a ton of heat. Separate amp(class D) for subs in my opinion. yes, guys have good setups with the ”one does it all” but it comes down to how hard you really want it to hit

 

[ElAzul]

Zed audio?

Zed designed a ton of really good boards for a bunch of brands including Lanzar

 

[HPBoats83]

Yeah, I've never been a fan of Rockford Fosgate. I wonder if you'd do better with bigger speakers, taking the 6.5's up an inch or two or if your subs would do better with a different amp. Weird.

I tried but depth was my problem where the old 6.5’s were. To add 7.7’s or larger I’ll need to have the side panels in my boat rebuilt and need to find a stereo shop to tell me where to put the speakers in the new side panels.

 

[RCDave]

Zed designed a ton of really good boards for a bunch of brands including Lanzar

I banked Zed for a number of years!

 

[GreenEnergy28]

Yeah, I guess so:

View attachment 1194332



OK, good to know, I guess my dude knows what he's talking about then!

You want to get them to run at 2 ohms in order to make full use out of the amps for sure.
I am running 16 mids/highs off an 8 channel amp and 2 DVC subs off a sub amp. IMO the 5 channel amps leave a lot to be desired when it comes to the sub. They have come a long way since the old days and do work well, but I still prefer using a sub amp.

 

[dirtslinger2]

I'm sorta in the same boat for my old Tri-toon I'm gather stuff for.

I have 6 7" speakers I picked up here for highs, and 1 12" sub, and I have 2 400w alpine amps I picked up here.

Wondering how best to wire these up, I'd like the 1 400w amp to power the sub if possible, and the 6 other speakers off the other amp.

Sub is a 2ohm I believe, and the 7" are all 4ohm

Amps are stable at 2ohm

 

[yuppie]

You want to get them to run at 2 ohms in order to make full use out of the amps for sure.
I am running 16 mids/highs off an 8 channel amp and 2 DVC subs off a sub amp. IMO the 5 channel amps leave a lot to be desired when it comes to the sub. They have come a long way since the old days and do work well, but I still prefer using a sub amp.

View attachment 1194674

Yeah, my subs are only 10", so we'll see how it goes. I guess I could add another amp later if I need some more kick.

 

[Englewood]

I’m running 8 speakers and a single sub off a 1000 watt 5 channel amp in basically the same setup they described to you and similar wattage per speaker. It works great and has for years.

I had that same setup in my 23xs Ultra and it pounded!