www.iFourWinns.com

So you replaced all four Sony speakers and the Sony HU with Clarion stuff ?

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Thanks again to everyone. After much thought, I decided that white speakers to replace the white ones there now were the way I wanted to go. So, I spent $85 on a set of 6.5" Clarion component speakers (CM1635's). I was trying to stay on budget, get an upgrade, and also keep in mind that a boat is not like a car where you really capture/hear all of the sound produced by top of the line equipment.

So, I picked up a 4 channel amp (75 watt RMS per channel), a Clarion 10" sub, and this set of Clarion 6.5" speakers to replace only the cockpit speakers. I'm going to leave the bow speakers unamplified for now, as it seems that people just complain about them being too loud most of the time anyway. Hopefully this will significantly improve the sound quality in the cockpit, especially while cruising, without costing too much money.

I'll post up some pics of the install and all of that. I know how much we like our pics here.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Nope.. I had cheap Sony head and who knows what speakers on my 2000 248 Vista.. Added 2 more speakers, an amp and sub... Remote control in the aft and connections for ipod, and tv. I picked Clarion because they were water and shock rated, and I figured that meant less problems.

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2000 Four Winns 248 Vista (Nice toys, no Air)
2001 Highly Modified Yamaha GP1200R (75+MPH)

There is nothing wrong with the Clarion as long as you aren't looking for top-end, very best stuff out there, performance out of your system. I completely respect what others have done to improve their sound system, but it is a boat. It isn't the optimal environment for detailed music apprecation, and many of us don't get to use our boats for more than 5-6 months out of the year.

Don't sweat implications that you "settled" for the Clarion stuff. I'm not worried about it.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

I know that I I'll catch heck but I've had a good luck with pyramid MDC7 marine speakers. They aren't the best but for $12.00 a pair on Ebay I had to give them a try. They fit right in the existing speaker holes and sound better than the stock speakers also.

Now don't get me wrong they are not a high end speaker and they don't sound like one, but if you are like me and just like to have some music and you don't need to blow the fish out of the water, give them a try...

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97 18' HORIZON 4.3L (JUST SLIGHTLY MODIFIED) VP.
PULLED BY 2007 DODGE RAM 1500

Found some 6.5" MB quarts on ebay for $72 that I am thinking of putting 2 pairs in for now. See how they work off the head unit to decide if i feel the need for an amp

I wanted to go with MB Quarts, but I didn't like the physical appearance and couldn't imagine them looking good in my boat. The model that DID match was out of my budget. Hopefully I don't regret my decision, but it was made partially with avoiding the wife's potentially negative reaction in mind.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Paul - Now that you've surely had a chance to "break in" your upgraded system, what are your thoughts?

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2008 H210SS VP 5.7 Gi/SX
2011 Ford F150 FX4 EB

Good news/bad news post for me on this one:

Good news- the speakers sound GREAT. I'm very happy with the Clarion 6.5's and the sub. Everything is exactly what I wanted and I stayed in my budget.

Bad news- I had detailed pictures of the entire installation from start to finish. And then I LOST my digital camera. I think I accidentally threw it away by mixing it in with all the boxes and packing materials from the speakers and amp. Stupid!

Regardless, I would highly recommend these speakers for anyone wanting a nice upgrade on a budget. If you want top of the line, you might be disappointed, but they still sound REALLY nice.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Sorry to hear about the camera. Sounds just like something I might do myself. Glad to hear your happy with your upgrade. I recently blew my factory installed MTX sub and I've ordered a JL sub to replace it. I hoping it will sound better/last longer.

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2008 H210SS VP 5.7 Gi/SX
2011 Ford F150 FX4 EB

Which JL did you get???

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

JL Audio M10W5-CG-WH 10" 4-ohm Marine Component Subwoofer

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2008 H210SS VP 5.7 Gi/SX
2011 Ford F150 FX4 EB