Speaker sizes on a '99 225 Sundowner

Joe · **Joined:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:47 pm **Posts:** 83

Greetings everyone,

I am just purchasing my first boat today, a '99 225 Sundowner. I'm really excited as I have wanted one since I've been 6, now 20 years later (including 5 long years of college, 2 years of a sales career) I finally made it!

I have been on plenty of forums (600rr.net, mtbr.net, hidplanet, ect.) before so hopefully I will be able to offer some new ideas.

Anyways, to the reason for my post, I have a great car audio system just sitting in my basement and I was wondering the speaker sizes in the Sundowner. I believe the rear speakers are 6", is this correct? I have an awesome set of 6x9's laying around (Pold DB's) and I was wonder if up front in the cuddy what size speakers they use and where they are located. Anyways I want to get my stereo upgrade purchased soon and I was looking for the sizes and locations (my boat is still at the dealer), so please help me out!

So far I think for the head unit I'm going with an Alpine xda-100M, with an MC20 remote for the swim platform, and some Polk DB 651's for the rear speaker upgrades.

Graham R · **Posted:** Wed Sep 19, 2012 12:09 pm

I had a 1999 Sundowner.

I can't remember where the rear speakers were I'm afraid and never had reason to measure them ! I have a vague recollection they were in the side panels, behind a fabric mesh screen, but I might be wrong.

I do remember the front speakers are in the panel at the end of the cabin; you can see them (I think) on one of the photos of the 205 posted today, on the 225 they are mounted in the same place.

edit; I found some old photos, the speaker were at the rear of the side panels behind a fabric mesh section.

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Wed Sep 19, 2012 12:19 pm

Not 100% positive, but all four speakers should be 6-1/2"

Front cabin speaker location.

97_245_sd · **Posted:** Wed Sep 19, 2012 1:12 pm

The rear speaker location depends on what style seating you have. Mine is the u-wrap seating and my rear speakes are in the fiberglass seat base pointing inwards.

Joe · **Joined:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:47 pm **Posts:** 83

I also have the U seating in the back the speakers are in the fiberglass. The front speakers are hidden so I didn't see what size they are. I'll have to investigate further today.

Graham R · **Posted:** Wed Sep 19, 2012 2:10 pm

Mine wasn't the U seating; I had the Sunsport seating. The rear seat was basicaly a bench seat sitting on a starboard box. The U seating would have covered the speakers where they were on mine.

Joe · **Joined:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:47 pm **Posts:** 83

Looks like I have 2 sets of 6". Has anyone attempted putting 6x9's in the rear bench? Or would it be to hard to cut, or too large of a space to cut out?

I'm thinking for now just going with the Polk db 651's and running them at 100 watts rms on each channel from bridging my 4 channel my car amp. Then I would just run the front two speakers off of the head unit. I'm thinking that would give me good volume. However maybe I would want to do something with my 6x9's and install them in the bench or side pockets.

Mark T · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2012 2:14 pm

I have 6 db651's and 2 db521's and the sound is really nice. The 521's I cut into the sides by the driver and passenger seat, which is great so you can hear music without blasting those in the back.

One of the pairs of 651's are on a seperate amp and one the transom, so we can have music tubing or on the swim platform.

Do have the Alpine head unit you are looking at as well.

Joe · **Joined:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:47 pm **Posts:** 83

That sounds like a nice setup. In a year or so I would like to add some swim platform speakers or a tower with speakers.

How do you like your sound? How is the bass response? I was thinking of the Polk mm's for their output and that they are suppose to have better low end response. However for the same price I could go with the DB's and add a third set towards the front like you had done. I think this would be superior because I always seem to like my music louder so I can hear the detail when in my car, at home or anywhere.

ric · **Posted:** Wed Oct 03, 2012 11:03 am

MM's have a little more bass, but require a 2 ohm amp to run them. You will damage the speakers/radio running them right off a head unit. The DB651 are 4 ohm but also require a minimum of 20 watts to work correctly. The average 50x4 head unit only outputs 5 watts per channel RMS.

The DB651's output amazing mids and highs, with a little bit of low. The correct way to do it would be to add a subwoofer. If you want lows without the "boom" you could go single 8in, or if you want a little bit of boom, go with a 10. I'm installing a Polk DB1040svc on my boat with a 220w RMS class D Cerwin Vega amp. I already have another amp of exactly the same model running two Polk DB651's in the front of the boat.

Two Polk DB651's with 65w RMS going to them tuned in are extremely loud and clear. I'm very happy with them and going to just a DB1040svc in the rear. It has enough volume to be heard clearly 300yds on shore, or to make your ears bleed at WOT.

6 DB651's on a boat is ridiculous. You are either very hard of hearing or not correctly amplifying the speakers to get their correct sound output. When I had my DB651's just running off the head unit their output was nearly half of what they are now, and sounded like poop.

My buddy has a ski boat with four DB651's on a new sony marine radio no amp. My two 651's on amp are nearly twice as loud as his 4, and sound pretty much twice as sharp/clear.

ric · **Posted:** Wed Oct 03, 2012 11:27 am

The best thing to do is read customer reviews and follow manufacturer guidelines. Make sure to get pretty close to stated RMS requirements per speaker. Use quality parts (o2 free copper 16g speaker wire, etc). Make sure to follow subwoofer box volume sizes and try to stick with a sealed box not ported. Get a tone generating CD and tune each amp. On a boat you really want a class D amp only, they only use as much power as required. Turned down low will last all day on battery. A class A/AB will use full power at 10% volume or 80% will kill a battery in an hour.

A really good sounding stereo system is really easy to do and not expensive if follow all the instructions and guidelines. It's also really easy to make a very expensive stereo system sound really bad by not following them.

Joe · **Joined:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:47 pm **Posts:** 83

Thanks guys, that gives me some good info to think about over the winter. I know I went with db's in my car before and I loved them. However I had a sub with them so I was thinking the MM's with no sub (well in the next year at least). For the price difference I could add more speakers so now I have a lot to think over. I am quite an audiophile though so I know I'll love looking and listening to the MM's, and I just have to figure out if I get the DB's if I will wonder what could have been every time I look at them.

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Sat Oct 06, 2012 3:56 pm

Get the Infinity 612M's, then you're wondering will not ever happen, you will know you bought a great set of boat speakers. I had them in our last boat, and IMO they sounded better than the Polk's all around. Can't beat $71 a pair right now on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Referenc ... B00292XT2I

Joe · **Joined:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:47 pm **Posts:** 83

So those really sound better than the polks? They do look cool, however I am an audiophile so I'm pretty picky. Great price though, so I'm interested to hear how you think they sound in comparison.

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:38 pm

To my ears, they sounded better than the Polk's. Even without an AMP.
Cleaner Bass response, crisper highs and handled more power. You won't notice a night and day difference between
the Polk's, because they are both good sets of speakers for a cheap price.

You may be an audiophile, but beware, a boat is the worst place to judge quality sound, no matter what you spend.

www.iFourWinns.com

Speaker sizes on a '99 225 Sundowner

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