Audio: Two Amp System, Individual control of in-boat vs tower speakers

[jmboater]

I'm looking to replace my existing audio amplifier and get controllability between which speakers are playing (in-boat, tower, and both).

Current setup: 4 channel amplifier (blown) powering 4 in-boat speakers and 2 tower speakers

Future setup decisions:

1. A 6-channel amplifier wiring each of the speakers, in-boat and tower
2. A 4-channel amp for in-boat speaker and a 2 channel amp for tower speakers

What I am trying to understand is (without using the head-unit) what is the best way to select between :

1. In-boat speakers only
2. Tower speakers only
3. All the speakers

...and do I use speaker wire volume controls, RCA input controls, or something entirely different to accomplish this. My forum searches so far have not come across this but it could be my inability to search the right keywords.

 

[AZMark]

I used these. There are more expensive equalizers and things that will do it too.

Dual Zone Volume Control

Each sold separately Tired of taking your eyes off the water to dig through poorly-designed head unit menus just to adjust the balance between your in-boat marine speakers and tower speakers? So are we. That’s why we created the Dual Zone Volume Control. With this elegant analog solution, you...

store.roswellmarine.com

Edit: There are cheaper rca level controls out there too but these Roswell ones are pretty nice and I liked that there are two adjusters per unit, more compact.

 

[jmboater]

I used these. There are more expensive equalizers and things that will do it too.

Dual Zone Volume Control

Each sold separately Tired of taking your eyes off the water to dig through poorly-designed head unit menus just to adjust the balance between your in-boat marine speakers and tower speakers? So are we. That’s why we created the Dual Zone Volume Control. With this elegant analog solution, you...

store.roswellmarine.com

Edit: There are cheaper rca level controls out there too but these Roswell ones are pretty nice and I liked that there are two adjusters per unit, more compact.

Awesome, so you take the one input from your headunit and dual outputs (one to each of the amps) and thats it? Seems like the perfect solution.

 

[AZMark]

Yes. My head unit has 4 rca outputs that I’ve split into 8 (4 zones of R/L) with two of these controls.

I wasn’t sure how it would work with the signals split but the sound quality seems to be just as good as before without them.