2022 AR250 audio upgrade

[gmeyers5]

Well boat hasn’t hit the water and we’ve upgraded the sound system. Only one problem, the sound only works when one of the preamp outputs are connected… once the sound is working you can plug the others in. If you turn the boat off and back on with all inputs connected, you get nothing but a little static.

Please let me know if anyone in the group has any suggestions. Feel like this is something an audio pro would’ve come across. Thanks in advance for any advice.

It sounds awesome when it’s working; loud and full. We went with SKAR speakers; 2 1kw amps; 10” kicker sub; and 3rd battery. All components mounted in the console. The SKAR speakers have a lot of base of their own.

 

[212s]

Probably something simple like line levels crossed between amps or the EQ. Go through the connections of the RCA cables making sure pairs (L/R) are going to each amp and not mixed.

 

[MUNIK FL]

did you replace all the factory speakers with the SKARS? What channel configuration did you use on the amps? Is one powering the speakers and one powering the sub? Do you still have the zone control with this set up?

 

[gmeyers5]

I replaced all speakers with SKAR and added a sub. Note. I'm over-amped for the speakers. I do have zone control.

The front output from the head unit go to an LC1. LC1 output goes to an SKAR eq. The from the EQ, the front outs go to amp1 - swim speakers, the rear go to amp 2 for the tower speakers. The sub output goes to amp2 for the sub. For the sub on amp2, two channels are bridged for 500W to the sub.

The front output from head unit goes to another LC1. From the second LC1 the output go directly to Amp1 for the 4 boat speakers.

the zone control on the head unit controls the boat speakers (front) and swim+tower (rear). You can further bias tower and swim using the fader on the eq.

lots of ways to skin the cat... mine may not be the best but it sounds good. Use good cables and secure all of them them well. The boat bounces around they can come lose. Make sure your power and ground have a strain relief within a few inches of the connection to amps and breakers.

 

[MUNIK FL]

Great post!

I went under the helm to take a look at what I had and it looks like a small WetSounds amp. Did your boat have this? Did you bypass it or is it the brains from the “tablet” head unit?

 

[gmeyers5]

I removed the production AMP entirely. There are other threads here that talk about the amp. Its heavily de-rated with no gain control. The head unit needs to see 20k ohm impedance or it will fault. The SKAR amps had MOhm impedance on the input. Hence, we needed to add the LC1s (line input conditioners).

 

[LukeDames]

Man, I have all my gear ready to install. Just trying to read up on what others have done first but the more I read the more confused I get lol. I was told my professionals not to install a LOC bc that was for autos and not rated for marine environment. I’ve read on other posts that the head unit is actually the controls on the swim deck ? Can’t that be replaced with something better that actually has a screen, pre am outputs and a DSP such as one of the Fusion head units and still be able to control the stereo from the Connext ? My Bluetooth range also sucks really bad, another reason is like to swap it out. I have 22 AR250. Thanks

 

[gmeyers5]

The swim deck control is not the head unit. (That was an older model). The rear control is connected to the front display (which is the head unit) via CAN.

Without the LOCs the head unit faults out due to the high input impedance of the amps. It is mega ohms vs the 10k ohms. You can verify this on the old amp and the new ones.

Without the LOC, I could trick the head unit by turning it on with only one speaker input connected. I had sound! Then could connect all the others one but one and still have sound. However, you cannot turn the system off or back on or it will fault.

If there’s an improvement to the BT range, I’m interested.

 

[MUNIK FL]

Did you get this figured out yet? Was it the LC1’s that fixed it for you?

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

I use an AudioControl Matrix for my 252 and no issues.

 

[gmeyers5]

That looks great! Wish I had found that when I was doing mine.

 

[MUNIK FL]

So I’m going on a trip next week and I was thinking of installing a self powered su

I use an AudioControl Matrix for my 252 and no issues.

Do you have a diagram of how you wired it up? Pictures? An in-depth write up???

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

So I’m going on a trip next week and I was thinking of installing a self powered su


Do you have a diagram of how you wired it up? Pictures? An in-depth write up???

No... it's not difficult though. I grabbed the audio leads from the Connext screen, spliced on RCA tips with something like this: Rockford Fosgate RFiF2SW Those were my inputs, then ran standards RCAs to my amps from output side of the Matrix.

In my build thread I might have some pictures and might have posted the wire color associations. They were mostly standard audio wire colors though. (White/Grey/Green/Purple)

 

[MUNIK FL]

No... it's not difficult though. I grabbed the audio leads from the Connext screen, spliced on RCA tips with something like this: Rockford Fosgate RFiF2SW Those were my inputs, then ran standards RCAs to my amps from output side of the Matrix.

In my build thread I might have some pictures and might have posted the wire color associations. They were mostly standard audio wire colors though. (White/Grey/Green/Purple)

I looked through your threads and it wasn't apparent which one was your build thread. Can you post a link?

Thanks!

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

https://jetboaters.net/threads/252se-nice-aft-build-thread.31994/

 

[theonlyryno]

No... it's not difficult though. I grabbed the audio leads from the Connext screen, spliced on RCA tips with something like this: Rockford Fosgate RFiF2SW Those were my inputs, then ran standards RCAs to my amps from output side of the Matrix.

In my build thread I might have some pictures and might have posted the wire color associations. They were mostly standard audio wire colors though. (White/Grey/Green/Purple)

my question to this i been researching the shit out of this. does the matrix send back the inputs? for that voltage the connext needs to register. or is the connext (big screen) in the wake models different than the smaller screen in the AR250 models. i bought the LC1 originally but now i am second guessing this.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

I can’t say 100% sure for your mode, but I don’t think you would have any issues