Clarion CMD6 head-unit - 6 speakers on internal amp

[ShesCrafty]

Ok, guys and girls... the new 212x isn't even in my garage yet and I'm thinking about the sound system.

Might anyone here have insight into how the 6 Polk Audio coaxial speakers are wired to the Clarion head-unit?

I have confirmed the head-unit in the 2015 212x is the (discontinued) Clarion CMD6 -- 6 preamp outputs, but only 4 channels available from it's own internal amplifier. To my knowledge, there is no external amplifier installed in the boat from the factory. So, the more specific question is - what method/technique did Yamaha use to wire the six (6) Polk Audio speakers to these 4 channels?

Any help/insight is much appreciated!

 

[Bruce]

Most likely two pairs are wired in parallel. This halves the ohm rating of the load.

 

[ShesCrafty]

Halves the ohm rating, but not the output to the speakers, correct?

Man, I'm hoping they're in parallel - in the (likely) event I add an external amp. Having them wired in series would pull me in the direction of rewiring the speakers - which would really suck.

 

[David Analog]

The internal amplifier of a HU like the CMD6 has very little in common with that of an external amplifier. The HU uses a BTL chip amp. Essentially it is already bridged.
You will not get a premium in power as you halve the impedance (for a 2-ohm load) by running two 4-ohms speakers in parallel as you would with an external amplifier, and this places the HU in an unstable position. In the 2-ohm mode, when it clips, it clips especially hard.
So if factory did it correctly those two speakers per channel would be in series. That would be the good news.....and you know the rest.

 

[Bruce]

Someone with a service manual could likely answer this from the wiring diagrams.

When you get your boat you could use an ohm meter to check.

 

[OnTheWater]

So, which unit is in the 2013 242 Limited S? I was thinking it was the CMD-8, but now I'm wondering if it is the CMD-6. Anyone know for sure?

 

[MikeyL]

For those with 2015 24' Yamahas, the radio head unit is now a Polk.
It's a model Polk PA450UM.

The manual can be downloaded (and saved) going here:
http://www.polkmarine.com/downloads/dl/file/id/636/pa450um_owners_manual.pdfhttp://www.polkmarine.com/downloads/dl/file/id/636/pa450um_owners_manual.pdf

Hope this helps someone. Enjoy your week, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[ShesCrafty]

The plan is to add a Clarion 6-channel external amp and boost/clean-up the sound - using all 6 pre-amp outputs from the CMD6 and the six Polk Audio coaxial speakers (one per channel). After that, if I'm missing a bass thump, I can always switch the amp to 2-channel mode and use 2 of the pre-amp outputs to run a second amp for a subwoofer... at a later date.

Still hoping I don't have to pull/run new speaker wire to any great extent... but there are greater evils in the world.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[eticket]

@SleepyJean, did you figure out how the speakers are wired and if you can simply add a 6 channel amp with rewriting? I am planning to improve my tunes next but want to keep it simple and see how my stock HU and speakers sound with and amp added.

 

[bumpy]

So, which unit is in the 2013 242 Limited S? I was thinking it was the CMD-8, but now I'm wondering if it is the CMD-6. Anyone know for sure?

Mine (and a bunch of others per a 'popping' problem thread on the other site) came with the CMD 7. Sorry I didn't answer sooner.

 

[matt sabath]

I just purchased a 2014 242ls. It has a clarion cmd6 and 6 speakers and 2 speakers in the tower. I am looking to improve the sound. Feels like all i hear is the small speakers in the tower. Any recommendations on type of amp to add to improve the sound? Not looking to spend alot of money just want to bump up the volume throughout the cabin.