Gainesville Client Brings his Sea Fox Commander to SDP for an Audio Upgrade

A client from here in Gainesville, Florida brought his 2016 Sea Fox 2016 Commander to Sound Depot and Performance for an audio system upgrade. We talked to the client about where and how he wanted to use the boat, and how loud he liked his music. Armed with an understanding of the application, we designed an audio system around four premium speakers and a subwoofer. He was excited about our plan and gave the go-ahead to start this Sea Fox audio upgrade project.

Head Unit and Amplifiers

The JL Audio source unit gives the client flexible control of the audio system.

Two of the JL Audio MX series amplifiers are tasked with providing the power for the system.

This 20-foot center console boat has a large area for chart plotters and electronics at the helm. We installed a JL Audio MM100s Media Master marine source unit in the upper right portion of the console. The MM100s features a fully weatherproof 3.5-inch LCD screen with AM, FM and Weatherband radio reception and Bluetooth for audio streaming.

We connected the preamp outputs of the MM100s to a pair of JL Audio JL Audio MX500/4 amplifiers that we mounted inside the central locker. We configured one MX500/4 as a two-channel amp to power one pair of large coaxial speakers with 250 watts per speaker. The second MX500/4 runs as a three-channel amp. Two channels power another set of coaxial speakers with 70 watts per speaker and the third and fourth channels are bridged to provide 250 watts to the system’s subwoofer.

Speakers and Subwoofer

Upfront, the JL Audio speakers provide the clarity needed for open water sound.

The rear JL Audio speakers keep the party going for the passengers in the back.

The low-end reproduction duties are handled by the JL Audio subwoofer.

To provide good, clean sound for every location on the boat, we installed two pairs of speakers. A set of M880-CCX-CG-WH 8.8-inch coaxial speakers provides sound for front seat passengers. In the rear of the boat, just below the fold down seats, are a set of JL Audio 7.7 inch JL Audio M770-CCX-CG-WH coaxial speakers. Installed on the starboard side of the center console is a JL Audio M10IB5-CG-WH subwoofer. JL Audio has designed this subwoofer in a way that eliminates the need for a dedicated enclosure.

We completed the installation process by setting the crossover and sensitivity controls on the amplifiers to maximum the sound quality and performance of the system without any distortion. We take our time with this part of the installation. Executed properly, it can make a system sound great. If done poorly, well, we do not do things that way.

Sea Fox Audio System Delivery

The client returned to Sound Depot and Performance to have a listen to his new audio system. He was stunned by how clear it was, even at high volume levels. The inclusion of a subwoofer with the large speakers ensured that the hard-to-reproduce bass frequencies were clear and balanced, even in this open-cockpit boat. If your boat needs some help in the audio department, drop by or contact us HERE.