2018 242X Audio Problem

[BoaTN]

Anyone with a 2018 (or 2019) 242X would you test this and see if it's just my boat?

Start some music (I was using bluetooth audio).
On the Connext screen go to audio settings. If I move the fader to the front, it seems to have no effect and all speakers still work. Move fader to rear all audio stops. Then move it back to center still no audio. I don't remember what I did to get it back, maybe exited the settings menu or adjusted volume.

Now try balance. On mine if I move it left the swim platform speakers and the tower speakers all move left but the front speaker moves to the right. Balance to the right swim platform speakers move right along with the tower and fronts move left.

The two wetsounds amplifiers in the helm closet have no adjustable settings at all. I was surprised since Yamaha normally uses off the shelf stuff, they really went the other direction with this model year. The amps are both OE versions and the only way to adjust them is with a dealer only DSP cable and software. One amp has a label for the input as "tower zone" and the other has "boat zone" and "sub zone" labels.

Is there an advanced audio setup menu in Connext I don't know about?
Is there a wiring diagram somewhere showing how the Fusion head unit on the swim platform, Connext, and the amps are supposed to be connected?

 

[JDRacing]

So, I've been through what you're talking about with my 2018 212X, with one HTX-6 DSP amp. The HU on the 212X is the Polk PA4, not the Fusion, however.

Here is what I found: https://jetboaters.net/threads/2018-212x-audio-system-brand-setup-change-from-2017.19663/

Also, see this thread: https://jetboaters.net/threads/mid-cabin-speaker-placement-opinions-appreciated.20196/

I'm virtually certain the problems you're seeing with your 242X audio system are related to improperly designed wiring harnesses by Yamaha, as was certainly the case with my 212X. And in fact playing with the fader and balance controls was what convinced me that something was very wrong.

The DSP amp is not something that most of the dealers can modify according to my dealer and WetSounds. so it makes straightening out the wiring issues more complicated than if the system used standard RCA plugs and individual output wire connectors. But it can be done.

I will send you a PM with my phone number if you'd like to discuss. I may be able to help point you in the right direction, having spent a lot of time trying to figure all of this out.

Jeff

 

[tek4fun]

The fader problem that you describe is a common one. Sometimes zone 2 on the Fusion head unit gets accidentally linked to zone 1. This has to be changed in the head unit. Go to Settings>Zone 2>link to zone 1 and select it. You will see a check in the box or the box will be empty. You want it empty.

Unfortunately, there is no advanced audio settings menu on the connext display.

I do not recommend changing the pinouts at the back of the Fusion head unit to fix balance issues those connectors damage easily. The best place to do any rewiring would be at the Amplifier outputs to the speakers. If you want to attempt to rewire those connectors to fix the balance, I could provide you with some crude drawings of the connector pinouts as they should have been from the factory.

 

[BoaTN]

That solves the fader issue, I remember seeing Zone 1 and 2 linked. Please do send me the correct pinouts. Here's how mine is wired:

HTX 6 Input:
Fusion Zone 1 to HTX6 CH1/2
Fusion Sub to HTX6 CH5/6

HTX6 Outputs:
Gray – CH1 – verified as front and rear right – Cable labeled “Right”
White – CH2 – verified as front and rear left – Cable labeled “Left”
Green – CH3- verified as swim platform left – Cable labeled “LTS”
Purple – CH4 – verified as swim platform right – Cable labeled “RTS”
Yellow – CH5/6 – verified as sub - labeled “SUB”

I would expect the outputs for right to be on odd numbered channels, and left on even numbered channels. As you can see above this isn’t the way it’s wired. Same for the HTX4.

HTX 4 Input:
Fusion Zone 2 to HTX4 CH1/2

HTX4 Outputs:
Green – CH1 – verified as left tower – labeled “L TWR”
Blue – CH2 – verified as right tower – labeled “R TWR”
Purple – CH3 – verified as right sound bar – labeled “R BAR”
Red – CH4 – verified as left sound bar – labeled “L BAR”

Also, thanks to Jeff (JDRacing) for all the help so far troubleshooting.

 

[tek4fun]

Here is the simple pinout information for you. I also included the assembly instructions for that series of connector. Make sure to follow the instructions for the receptacles and not the plugs. It tells you how to correctly install the receptacle terminals into the connector for removal just move the TPA to the pre-locked position and the receptacle terminals should pull out.

I noticed that you did not say, if the speakers were reversed left and right in the sound bar. I suspect that they were and this pinout will correct that also. Let me know, if you have any questions.

 

[Troch1]

Where/how are the R and L cabin speakers wired? In series with something else, I assume?

 

[BoaTN]

Where/how are the R and L cabin speakers wired? In series with something else, I assume?

I missed this when I was verifying all of the speaker connections. The front and rear cabin speakers seem to be wired in parallel. On mine the front and rear right share channel 1 on the HTX6 and front and rear left share channel 2 on the HTX6.

 

[tek4fun]

The front and rear cabin speakers are wired in series for MY18. It was changed to parallel for MY19.

Edited 12/20/18: This information is true for the 212X, not the 242XE. This was a mistake on my part.

 

[Troch1]

The front and rear cabin speakers are wired in series for MY18. It was changed to parallel for MY19.

Do you know where the harness is so the series connection can be changed to parallel?

 

[JDRacing]

Do you know where the harness is so the series connection can be changed to parallel?

So, in communications with OP (@BoaTN), he's got a late 2018 and it's clear his cabin and bow speakers are in parallel--Yamaha must have changed over later in the model year. My late 2018 212X had the cabin and bow speakers in series.

First you need to confirm that yours are in series--and it's very important you confirm this before taking the following steps, because if they are already in parallel and you do this, you will short out the amp. Assuming you determine it is wired in series, here's what I think is the easiest way to change it to parallel: (1) remove the rear cabin speakers and cut the two speaker wires on the amplifier side of the speaker plug at the speaker hole--in other words, you will end up with the rear cabin speaker in your hand with the plug and a pig tail on the non-speaker side of the plug; (2) connect the speaker wires together you just cut running from the amp--twist, solder and heat shrink tubing. After you do this on both sides, confirm that that the bow speakers play and sound correct. I would run a right and left channel sound check and polarity (phase) check sound from the files available at audiocheck.net; (3) now you will need to run new speaker wire from the pig tails connected to the rear-cabin speakers to the amplifier. Use tinned 14 gauge wire, twist, solder and heat shrink tubing. Hook them up to the same channels as the right and left bow speakers at the amp. Right to right and left to left, (+) to (+) and (-) to (-). Check the rear cabin speakers with audiocheck.net files to make sure they are hooked up correctly.

If the 242X is like the 212X, the speaker wires are part of a big split loom from the factory, and it is not worth taking it apart to try to unravel and tap in there. I used 3/8" split loom around all the new speaker wire harnesses I made, and it looks factory stock.

Jeff

 

[Troch1]

So, in communications with OP (@BoaTN), he's got a late 2018 and it's clear his cabin and bow speakers are in parallel--Yamaha must have changed over later in the model year. My late 2018 212X had the cabin and bow speakers in series.

First you need to confirm that yours are in series--and it's very important you confirm this before taking the following steps, because if they are already in parallel and you do this, you will short out the amp. Assuming you determine it is wired in series, here's what I think is the easiest way to change it to parallel: (1) remove the rear cabin speakers and cut the two speaker wires on the amplifier side of the speaker plug at the speaker hole--in other words, you will end up with the rear cabin speaker in your hand with the plug and a pig tail on the non-speaker side of the plug; (2) connect the speaker wires together you just cut running from the amp--twist, solder and heat shrink tubing. After you do this on both sides, confirm that that the bow speakers play and sound correct. I would run a right and left channel sound check and polarity (phase) check sound from the files available at audiocheck.net; (3) now you will need to run new speaker wire from the pig tails connected to the rear-cabin speakers to the amplifier. Use tinned 14 gauge wire, twist, solder and heat shrink tubing. Hook them up to the same channels as the right and left bow speakers at the amp. Right to right and left to left, (+) to (+) and (-) to (-). Check the rear cabin speakers with audiocheck.net files to make sure they are hooked up correctly.

If the 242X is like the 212X, the speaker wires are part of a big split loom from the factory, and it is are not worth taking it apart to try to unravel and tap in there. I used 3/8" split loom around all the new speaker wire harnesses I made, and it looks factory stock.

Jeff

Awesome info! Thanks!

 

[BoaTN]

The front and rear cabin speakers are wired in series for MY18. It was changed to parallel for MY19.

To check mine I unplugged the rear cabin speaker and the front continued to play. If it was in series I don't believe this is possible, break the connection of one and they all stop working. On my boat the only speakers that share an amp output channel are the front / rear cabin speakers. All others have their own channel.

Also, with the zones 1 and 2 unlinked in the Fusion headunit the fader does work. If you imagine the labels being something like "Interior" and "Tower" instead of "Front" and "Rear" that's how it's functioning.

If anyone else finds their helm USB port isn't working, on my boat the USB A female extension connection in the helm is broken. They are using this adapter and an Ethernet cable to connect the helm USB port to the Fusion headunit on the swim platform. As long as there's not something wrong with the Ethernet cable this is connected to it should be very easy to replace.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=6042
The left piece is what's plugged into the Fusion headunit. The right piece is what's plugged into the helm USB port.

 

[tek4fun]

I have been very busy lately, so it took me awhile to get back to this thread. BoaTN, you are absolutely correct. If you break the connection when speakers are in series at one speaker, then the other speaker will quit working. This suprises me greatly for this boat. I always try to double check my information before I post something, because I do not want to confuse or mislead someone. I will check again how they were wired for the two model years and post again what I find out.

To add to what JDRacing said about where the speaker wires are ran. In MY18 boats, the 242XE is the only one that had a separate radio harness and main harness. It still would be too difficult to get to the speaker wires, so running new wires from the pigtails created as described by JDRacing is the most efficient way of running new wires. In your case, it does not sound like you need to do this, since it does sound like they are parallel already. For people working on MY19 boats, the 242LTDS and 242LTDSE now have separate harnesses for the radio and the main also.

 

[tek4fun]

I have been very busy lately, so it took me awhile to get back to this thread. BoaTN, you are absolutely correct. If you break the connection when speakers are in series at one speaker, then the other speaker will quit working. This suprises me greatly for this boat. I always try to double check my information before I post something, because I do not want to confuse or mislead someone. I will check again how they were wired for the two model years and post again what I find out.

To add to what JDRacing said about where the speaker wires are ran. In MY18 boats, the 242XE is the only one that had a separate radio harness and main harness. It still would be too difficult to get to the speaker wires, so running new wires from the pigtails created as described by JDRacing is the most efficient way of running new wires. In your case, it does not sound like you need to do this, since it does sound like they are parallel already. For people working on MY19 boats, the 242LTDS and 242LTDSE now have separate harnesses for the radio and the main also.

I double checked my information on serial vs parallel. I was wrong in my previous post. I confused the 212X with the 242XE speaker wiring. I edited my previous post to fix this information.

 

[BoaTN]

Thanks @tek4fun @JDRacing and everyone for all the info.

On my boat the Wetsounds DSP amplifiers programming did not match the speaker wiring. I was able to get the left/right issues resolved by reprogramming both amplifiers. I didn't have to change the pins, cut, or splice any of the wiring harnesses. Amazingly the DSP amps can change the mappings from input to output channels and even polarity in software. On the consumer style amps this would require moving a couple of wires from one output channel to another, but in the OEM amps it's all done in software.

 

[Troch1]

Thanks @tek4fun @JDRacing and everyone for all the info.

On my boat the Wetsounds DSP amplifiers programming did not match the speaker wiring. I was able to get the left/right issues resolved by reprogramming both amplifiers. I didn't have to change the pins, cut, or splice any of the wiring harnesses. Amazingly the DSP amps can change the mappings from input to output channels and even polarity in software. On the consumer style amps this would require moving a couple of wires from one output channel to another, but in the OEM amps it's all done in software.

How exactly did you have access to changing those parameters?

 

[BoaTN]

 

[Troch1]

View attachment 92594

Assuming that non-dealers can’t access that device and software???

 

[jacoviii]

View attachment 92594

Well where can I get one then

 

[jacoviii]

Also with testing the DSP has Zone1 and SUB inputs blended even tho they have separate outputs from the Fusion and inputs at the amp.