Dead Radio

Cincy Aquaholic · **Joined:** Thu May 18, 2006 8:57 am **Posts:** 471

No idea why your radio won't power on. Try pushing the reset button? I'd pull the radio and check for power at the head unit. Power there tells you it's unit. If not, work your way back.

If I had to upgrade my head unit I'd go with the Kenwood double din. It puts out twice the power that the clarion does making the amps work much more efficient. But you know me, I'm obsessed.

wkearney99 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 5:05 pm

Amps are fed with a line-level signal. How would a head unit being 'more powerful' make any difference at all there? Now, a head unit driving it's own speakers would make those louder. But it'd have zero effect on any connected to an amp. Not that I disagree about using something other than Clarion (taking the issue with remotes into account though).

ric · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 5:45 pm

wkearney99 wrote:

Amps are fed with a line-level signal. How would a head unit being 'more powerful' make any difference at all there? Now, a head unit driving it's own speakers would make those louder. But it'd have zero effect on any connected to an amp. Not that I disagree about using something other than Clarion (taking the issue with remotes into account though).

what he said.

Now, different radios are made with different qualities. Same goes with amps. Some just sound better then others. Clarion is bottom of the barrel as far as quality/sound goes. You'd be happier with a Dual head unit from walmart for $60. Pioneer can be epic in their more expensive models but the normal priced stuff is tinny, Sony tends to be above average and for the price you get a ton of features. I have an old JVC marine MR-6s in my boat and it sounds good for it's age, better then most $150 new head units. My boat I'll replace with a Sony. I just put a cdx-gt700hd in my car and I LOVE IT!!!! Can't beat the feature/price ratio and good sound. I wish sony made a marine radio with a built in HD tuner, but they don't yet.

Rule of thumb.. Check the SNR and Frequency responses. They tell you what's good and what's not. Also read tons of reviews.

I'll probably install a GT700HD in my boat this summer, the JVC MR6s sounds great but it's really aged. I just home those marine "weatherproof" doors really work

Jafo4U · **Joined:** Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:33 am **Posts:** 1026

Paul I. wrote:

SundayDinner wrote:

Assuming its dead, I'm inclined to stick with Clarion, if only for size and compatability issues. I have the CMD4 with the football shaped remotes at the helm and on the swim platform. It looks like, at the very least, I'd have to replace both of those if I went up to a CMD6. That right?

I fall somewhere in the middle when it comes to boat audio. For my taste, you can do a lot better than the factory speakers, but I also don't see blowing a ton of money on sound in such an open space. My speaker choice will largely be based upon the best quality speaker that I can find with the minimal amount of fiberglass and gelcoat work to be done.

My experence with Clarion speakers is limted, but the one that came with my new boat were junk. I picked up a set of Kickers for $70.00 and now I can hear the highs and lows. Not just the mids. If you need a good web site for Kicker speakers, just ask.

I'm asking thanks

SundayDinner · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:58 pm

Reset switch? What is this reset switch you speak of? You boys are making my head spin. I'm taking the voltmeter out on Thursday to check if its the head unit. If it's dead, options are wide open since any upgrade is going to involve changing the remotes, etc. I'm liking what I'm seeing in the Sony head units. Cincy Aquaholic won't let me sleep unless the speakers are JL. The phrase "Bill's are bigger" haunts my dreams.

chrisvs · **Posted:** Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:20 am

Quote:

Clarion is bottom of the barrel as far as quality/sound goes. You'd be happier with a Dual head unit from walmart for $60. Pioneer can be epic in their more expensive models but the normal priced stuff is tinny, Sony tends to be above average and for the price you get a ton of features.

Ric, I know that everyone has different opinions of what is good quality or bad, so not meaning to start a battle here, but my experience between Sony and Clarion is completely the oposite (in regards to head units). The Clarion deck in my 2007 H180 was worlds above the current Sony in my 2009 180 in terms of features and sound quality.

Like someone said earlier neither one of them make really great speakers IMO....

When the day comes that my current Sony dies or I decide to upgrade, Alpine will be where my money goes.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:23 am

To the above post, I will say that the Clarion speakers that came on my boat were junk. The head was from "07", it was 22 per channel, Sony was and is 17. It came with bluetooth, a bigger screen and more. As to th specs, as in THD I don't know. But it seamed like a good deck! I pulled it out, because I kept the Sony deck from my old boat! Which has a USB port, so I can use my 8gig stick and I have HD radio. I am just being fair with this to say that, for me Clarion desk may need a 2nd look at. But Sony decks have treated me well in the past and I have money already invested in it right now, that to move to any other brand would be out of the qustion.

As to Bill's post, "Amps are fed with a line-level signal. How would a head unit being 'more powerful' make any difference at all there?" Yes you are right, but the low level out put could be greater or less from brand to brand. So if it is greater, than your past deck (and were talking in the MV range), the power amp will need to put out less to give you the same volume that you had before. Or at lest that what I took from the other persons posting.

ric · **Posted:** Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:34 am

Sony makes some horrible head units that come OEM on a lot of boats. They are very basic units that costs pennies. Clarion makes horrible head units no matter what they come in, no matter what the price. :lol:

chrisvs · **Posted:** Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:45 am

Quote:

Sony makes some horrible head units that come OEM on a lot of boats. They are very basic units that costs pennies. Clarion makes horrible head units no matter what they come in, no matter what the price

O.K. then...... :roll:

ric · **Posted:** Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:06 am

chrisvs wrote:

Quote:

Sony makes some horrible head units that come OEM on a lot of boats. They are very basic units that costs pennies. Clarion makes horrible head units no matter what they come in, no matter what the price

O.K. then...... :roll:

I'm 100% positive you can order a boat from Four Winns without a radio and speakers so you can install your own setup if you care about sound. If you just want stuff to come out of the speakers and that's the extent of your care, Four Winns gladly sells radio packages pre-installed.

Cincy Aquaholic · **Joined:** Thu May 18, 2006 8:57 am **Posts:** 471

Are you guys saying that a HU that puts out 2 volts versus one that puts out 4 volts is going to have no difference when connected to an amp? That would be news to me and the guy I buy from.

But I beg to differ. If not, what's the point of these??

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_161MATRIXW ... ml?tp=9503

The reset button is behind the CD door that folds down.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:08 pm

I am not fellowing the above posting and what the "Matrix" has to do with what we are taking about? No one mentioned voltages as in real numbers. But you brought this up, "HU that puts out 2 volts versus one that puts out 4 volts is going to have no difference when connected to an amp?"

From your link
==Input Gain: The input gains are adjustable up to +24 dB, allowing you to increase the head unit's line voltage to the top of your amp's input range; up to 9.5 volts RMS/13 volts peak. The three sets of outputs have individual gain controls.

Output Voltage Indicators: Each set of outputs has four LEDs to indicate the output voltage; 2 volts, 5 volts, 7.5 volts, and Maximized (9.5 volts).==

So from 2 to 9.5v is a 24db gain which is 7 times greater in volume. A 7. difference. You are saying that " 2 volts versus one that puts out 4 volts is going to have no difference" I am not sure were you are coming from?

All I am saying, that from head to head and ALL other things being equaling. When hooking up to a power amp, each heads output could be different than the other. Giving you a a little louder or softer output.

Cincy Aquaholic · **Joined:** Thu May 18, 2006 8:57 am **Posts:** 471

We are getting off track here but I'm totally confused by this most recent post from Paul unless you're sorta proving my point?? I mentioned earlier that getting a Kenwood that puts out more power thus in my opinion more volume would be better and let the amp run more efficiently. Maybe I wasn't clear but I was referring to more volts. In this case clarion 2 versus kenwood at 4 volts. My stereo guy claims Id see noticeable volume gains with 4 volts. As i read the posts above kearny and others are saying not so fast. Hence the link to the line driver and the effects of putting more volts to the amp seems to in fact make a difference. What am I missing??

Paul I. · **Posted:** Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:20 pm

I don't now!! I am confused now!! No I am not "trying" to make a piont. Now you did bring up Kenwood amps, but nothing about 2 to 4 volts. You did say the amp puts out more voltage, OK. I just did not understand were the "matrix" came into play. OK, I am lost again!!

ric · **Posted:** Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:27 pm

I'll take the blue pill

www.iFourWinns.com

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