[nglauer]

I need some opinions on mounting locations, etc.

I recently purchased two pairs of Kicker KM620.2 Marine Components. One pair will be an easy mount because I can place them where the factory speakers are. However, the second pair is a little more tricky. I do not want to cut on my interior to mount them.. so i'm not sure how or where to mount them.

Factory location



I have seen some boats with them mounted in the side - however the idea of cutting a hole here is making my stomach turn



I thought about mounting them under the rear seats inside the panels that remove when opening the engine compartment - however I don't want to hassle with moving the wires around or unplugging anything when I want to check the motor (which I do frequently.. because i'm overly cautious/paranoid like that).



I thought about making some type of pods and mounting them inside one of the rear pockets - although i hate to lose the use of those cup holders.

I also purchased a "new" to me Clarion M475 CD Player with a retractable splash cover (like the one that broke on my boat). It also comes with an amplifier - a Clarion 201a. The seller claimed this was a "marine" amp - however I believe it is an oldschool Clarion car amp. Either way - I doubt I use it to power anything, as it is only a 2 channel 25w + 25w.

Anyways - If anyone could offer some suggestions or even better.. pictures.. that would be awesome. So please feel free to post pictures of your "mild" or "wild" installs. Even stock location's would be awesome - as I haven't seen in to many of the Mariah's and i'm looking for any examples I can find.

Thanks again!

Nick

[Motoxxx43]

I was in the same boat you are about 2 months ago. I was not sure where to mount the rear speakers. I had many trips out to the lake to help decide where I did not want them. The big thing to keep in mind is protecting the speakers. Regardless it they are marine/UV safe or not I wanted them out of direct sunlight as much as possible. The next big issue was involving docking. People ALWAYS lean on the side of the boat right where the speakers would "look" or "sound" nice. I kept this in mind and mounted them closer to the bow a foot or two and sorta hid them behind the captain seats. The sound bounces right off the seats and they provide shade and bump protection from occupants getting sloppy and leaning on the damn speakers to assist in docking or whatever they may be reaching out of the boat for. Not that our boats are super similar the idea is still the same: Protect your investment and keep it sounding as it should!
250 Shabah speakers

[Motoxxx43]

Something I forgot to mention involves the cutting of the holes. It really is not rocket science. Dont over think it. Measure it out, use a marker and trace the holes out on BOTH sides prior to cutting vinyl. Take a step back and have a gander. Make sure you are happy with the location. Move around the back of the boat, see how the ergonomics of the speakers might have advantages or disadvantages. Once you have the holes marked good use a razor to cut the vinyl/foam down to wood. Remove said foam/vinyl. Then trace the same hole to the substrate. Use a Jig saw to finish the job. On the base of the Jig saw I put tape to keep the worn metal on the saw from discoloring my vinyl. ( dark gray smears from the aluminum base plate). It is very easy once you get past the idea of possibly cutting a hole in the wrong place and not being able to fix it... I have done four boats this season, 4 speakers in each. Trust me on the marking and taking a step back!! Take a few min and come back to make sure they will be in a good location! (dont forget to look behind the possible hole for important things like electrical...)

[nglauer]

Thanks Motoxxx43!

I'm thinking I may build pods and mount the rear components inside the open pockets.

Something like this: Universal Vehicle Kick Panel Rear Deck Wake Board Boat Speaker Mount Pods | eBay
I have grey marine carpet that is identical to the carpet in my boat as well, so I suppose I could make a pod that was covered in it and would blend in. I believe I have more room in these pockets compared to the V6 Diablo's.... I guess I will just have to look, measure, curse, and probably drink a cold one while trying to figure out the best location to place them. "concealed" will be my goal. Although - I will probably mount the front tweeters flush in the dash to they reflect off the windshield. The rear tweeters will probably be mounted in the pod.. assuming that's the route I go.

Under the rear seats would be a great location too - except it would be a pain when getting into the engine compartment. It's also a "catch all" area for our cooler and other toys the kids bring with them.

I think I got a great deal on my speakers too. Here is a link to the seller I purchased from. I figured for the low price of $49.99 with free shipping... I couldn't go wrong. I tested both pairs and they sound great... plus they are new units not refurbished.

Kicker KM620 2 Marine Audio 6 inch Boat Component Premium Quality Speakers New | eBay

I wouldn't mind see some other pictures.. so break em out. If you've got an interesting install lets see it

[Motoxxx43]

I really like those pod things. Thanks for sharing them. I think you can do something creative with those. Like inside the wall type mounting. I was considering that location as well but I did not want to have to build a box or mounting surface for the speakers. I will say that keeping the speakers inside the boat controls the sound a lot better (opposed to on wake rack). I get annoyed hearing people's stereos blast obnoxious music while hanging out in a cove.

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[nglauer]

We have quite a few wake towers down here - and they do the same thing. Luckily, we only see/hear them in passing.

I had surgery on my back yesterday - so i'm hoping to be up and running in the next few weeks. If so I will start building some type of pods. It's been a long time since I fiberglassed anything - but I thought about making my own pods in a similar design. I also thought about making pods for the stock locations up front. This would give me extra back spacing, and I could mount the tweeters there as well.

I will make sure to post some pictures, once I finally get around to doing this (along with the rewire and light replacement on my trailer, and the repaint/coat of monstaliner on it as well).

I may go ahead and add an amplifier while I am doing the installl. I need to go through my closets and garage and locate some of my old audio equipment. I used to install for a few local places back in the 90's early 2000 and had quite a few things that I bought and boxed up over the years (I literally have rolls of tweed and carpet and wire stashed away lol). Although - Ideally, I would like to buy some type of small self amplified sub with enclosure. I have looked at a few of the marine units - like these:

Clarion SRV303 - probably just enough kick that I can hear it - and the rest of the river won't lol
Wellcraft 065 1430 Clarion SRV303 Counter Drive Active Boat Subwoofer | eBay

Kenwood Marine Sub/Amp combo - this is the updated version. The older version can be found for under $150.00, so this might be a good match, although again - i don't want to but any holes in my baby
Kenwood P WD253MRS KFC W253MRS 10" Marine Subwoofer and KAC 210MR Amplifier | eBay


JBL MPS1000 - very expensive compared to the kenwood setup, but completely sealed and amplified ( I think I can score one around $200.00 if I am patient) another hole cutter - but i have thought about mounting back by my trim pump
MPS1000 | 10", 250-watt powered marine subwoofer | JBL US

Does anyone have any pictures of their audio installs? I would love to see them if so!

Moderators - can we start an audio section? I realize that most of us are running stock stuff or stock locations (which I will basically do). It would just be nice to see some images and other threads in one section.


Thanks,
Nick

[nglauer]

I think I found the exact pods I will be buying - I had seen them listed on ebay, but they are priced extremely high compared to buying them direct. Although I do not know this company or their products - they look to be priced reasonably, and honestly.

3dLogics Speaker Pods Home Page

These might be great for anyone trying to avoid cutting on their interior - or limiting the cutting.

Thanks,
Nick