These Kenwood Amps are a fantastic value..

[Bruce]

@firecap797, where will you install the amps?

These are small amps so they do not need huge wires.

If you install them near the battery the power cable can be smaller, shorter and less expensive but you will need to replace or extend the speaker wires.

If you install the amps in the helm you will need to run a pair of 8 gauge power cables for each amp or a single pair of 4 gauge wires that would split to power the two amps. Then you could reuse or upgrade the existing speaker wires at your preference.

I have not yet decided where to install my pair of amps. Either way I will use two pairs of 8 gauge wire. I know lots of fancy marine wiring options exist but I have had good luck with and will continue to use 8 gauge copper THHN wire from an electrical building supply. I will terminate the ends with ring connectors with shrink tubing seals. I will add a BlueSeas fuse box with ground bus near my battery switch to use as a power source.

 

[VONCE]

You guys are good at spending my money.

 

[swatski]

Those micro amps are exactly the ticket if you ask me. And - at $51 like that Kenwood here - a complete no-brainer.
Clarion XC1410s have proven themselves as little brutes in boats, motorcycles, jeeps and what not, but I still mount those pretty accessible, in case they need to be swapped down the road. They do get pretty hot if you push them. The Kenwoods here are a complete unknown, have not been around for very long and basically no reports on the use in boats.

--

 

[firecap797]

@firecap797, where will you install the amps?

These are small amps so they do not need huge wires.

If you install them near the battery the power cable can be smaller, shorter and less expensive but you will need to replace or extend the speaker wires.

If you install the amps in the helm you will need to run a pair of 8 gauge power cables for each amp or a single pair of 4 gauge wires that would split to power the two amps. Then you could reuse or upgrade the existing speaker wires at your preference.

I have not yet decided where to install my pair of amps. Either way I will use two pairs of 8 gauge wire. I know lots of fancy marine wiring options exist but I have had good luck with and will continue to use 8 gauge copper THHN wire from an electrical building supply. I will terminate the ends with ring connectors with shrink tubing seals. I will add a BlueSeas fuse box with ground bus near my battery switch to use as a power source.

@Bruce I am thinking of putting them under the helm. I would rather have the power wires running longer than the RCA's and possibly picking up noise.

I was thinking about adding a circuit breaker at the battery compartment and then a distribution block under the helm as well.

 

[swatski]

@Bruce I am thinking of putting them under the helm. I would rather have the power wires running longer than the RCA's and possibly picking up noise.

I was thinking about adding a circuit breaker at the battery compartment and then a distribution block under the helm as well.

If I may make a recommendation, the KnuKonceptz OFC wires that @Mainah recommends are FANTASTIC. Here is the 4awg variety.


You could run those across the fuel compartment following the steering cables into the helm. Fuse with a breaker like a big Bussman mounted by the battery.



A distribution block is convenient if you can find what you want. I started making those on my own, I can fit what I want and how I want it. Just plug and play into the amp board. Here I'm putting together one for ballast pumps


--

 

[Bruce]

@swatski, @Mainah that does look like nice flexible wire.

For comparison my local "Wholesale Electric" store sells 8 gauge stranded THHN for $0.31 per foot which is a little less than half the price of the Kolossus Fleks Kable. Both have PVC coating and similar amperage ratings. The Fleks Kable is tinned and has many more strands making it more flexible.

I will likely use a BlueSea 5025 connected to the battery switch to distribute power to my two house circuits (20 amp factory & 30 amp switch panel), the two amps at 30 amps each, the fridge at 5 amps and the tube inflator at 30 amps.

 

[kthrash]

I ran a 4AWG cable from my battery switch to a Blue Sea 5025 like @Bruce listed, I have the 2 amps, a underwater LED light, some switches, and my Lowrance all powered off of it.. works great.

 

[blacksapphirez]

Would you get a distribution block for a ground also?

 

[kthrash]

Would you get a distribution block for a ground also?

that blue sea block does ground and positive.. I ran 4AWG power and ground wires.. I guess I should have clarified that.

 

[Drift Away]

I know they are not Fusion, WetSounds, or JL Audio or the other High End stuff thats always touted as being the best, but I wanted a budget good sounding system so I installed two of these Kenwood KAC-M3004 Class D Amps to drive 5 pairs of speakers.. Holy cow the difference it makes..

I installed all new Polk DB651 speakers, ran the inside speakers to one amp and put it on Forward control, wired the tower speakers in parallel and the deck speakers to the 2nd amp on rear control.. and now I can control the volume being delivered in the boat and outside the boat..

Very impressed for the $$$ spent..

I tell people all time the sounding system is the your happy with and can afford. I grew up with JL but thats just a personal preference. Congrats on the new system

 

[kthrash]

Yeah Im not knocking any one brand, But I've had $5K+ systems and I can say for the $500 this cost it sounds 95% as good.. It may not blow the cove away, but it will drive you OFF the boat with very clean sound.

 

[renrab]

I know they are not Fusion, WetSounds, or JL Audio or the other High End stuff thats always touted as being the best, but I wanted a budget good sounding system so I installed two of these Kenwood KAC-M3004 Class D Amps to drive 5 pairs of speakers.. Holy cow the difference it makes..

I installed all new Polk DB651 speakers, ran the inside speakers to one amp and put it on Forward control, wired the tower speakers in parallel and the deck speakers to the 2nd amp on rear control.. and now I can control the volume being delivered in the boat and outside the boat..

Very impressed for the $$$ spent..

Thanks for the tip, just bought two, great price man and 4 years warranty!

 

[firecap797]

@swatski - By chance do you know how long of a run it is to go across the fuel bay, following the steering lines?

As far as the distribution block, I picked up some European terminal strips a long time ago at Gateway Electronics in Maryland Heights, and made several of my own, but those were for lower amperage applications. I like the BlueSeas one pictured above.

 

[swatski]

@swatski - By chance do you know how long of a run it is to go across the fuel bay, following the steering lines?

As far as the distribution block, I picked up some European terminal strips a long time ago at Gateway Electronics in Maryland Heights, and made several of my own, but those were for lower amperage applications. I like the BlueSeas one pictured above.

It is about 15' when trimmed nicely - going out of the battery compartment - across the corner of the engine compartment into the fuel compartment (through the fuel hose grommeted opening) and then into the helm. I would get a couple extra feet if you need it high up in the helm. If you like to go across the engine compartment it is more like 20-25'.

--

 

[firecap797]

It is about 15' when trimmed nicely - going out of the battery compartment - across the corner of the engine compartment into the fuel compartment (through the fuel hose grommeted opening) and then into the helm. I would get a couple extra feet if you need it high up in the helm. If you like to go across the engine compartment it is more like 20-25'.

--

Perfect. Thanks for the information. Knowing my luck I would have ordered too short.

 

[Bruce]

This morning I received the two open box amps that I ordered from Best Buy on Monday. Very quick shipping. One was perfect except for the box. Unfortunately the other one had damage from an impact. The wires were cut. It clearly is a returned item not "Open Box Excellent" as ordered. I tried chatting online with customer service but all they could do was to give me a contact number to call. After calling in the agent could not send a replacement due to low stock despite the website showing the amplifier as available to order. In the end I ordered another amplifier and he issued a return label with free shipping.

 

[renrab]

Hrmmmmm....explains why they only shipped one out of two amps to me as of yet...lol...and as I typed this package two gets shipped

 

[swatski]

Now, speaking of fantastic value...
How about those BassLink subwoofers (powered!) that used to be $350 are now going for $160:
https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_372_Infinity-Basslink-Great-Bass-Save-Space.html
That's nuts.
Now, those do have a known weakness, a capacitor that sometimes burns out, but it is a $5 part and we could learn here quickly how to swap it, right? In the meantime, mine is installed, I posted here in the other thread, and I tell you - that thing hits like a mofo.
https://jetboaters.net/threads/2016-ar240-budget-stereo-upgrade.7719/page-3#post-224212

--

 

[firecap797]

Now, speaking of fantastic value...
How about those BassLink subwoofers (powered!) that used to be $350 are now going for $160:
https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_372_Infinity-Basslink-Great-Bass-Save-Space.html
That's nuts.
Now, those do have a known weakness, a capacitor that sometimes burns out, but it is a $5 part and we could learn here quickly how to swap it, right? In the meantime, mine is installed, I posted here in the other thread, and I tell you - that thing hits like a mofo.
https://jetboaters.net/threads/2016-ar240-budget-stereo-upgrade.7719/page-3#post-224212

--

And I was looking at those last week and talked myself out of it. Damn it. Lol this whole boat thing is worse than my firearm addiction!!

On another note, my amps showed up from BB today and I cannot believe how little they are.

 

[swatski]

And I was looking at those last week and talked myself out of it. Damn it. Lol this whole boat thing is worse than my firearm addiction!!

On another note, my amps showed up from BB today and I cannot believe how little they are.

Well, that sub on the other hand is anything but little, I think it weights 25lbs, lol.

--