Cafe racer stereo.
 

Where have you guys mounted your amps in a Cafe? I was either thinking about under the back seat somewhere? Or the little closet / storage thing on the port side in there? Looking for ideas.

thanks!

Back seat they’ll get wet if you’re in and out of the water a lot. Ours were mounted on all 3 of our cigs in the little storage closet on the port side as you go into the cabin. We had a small
fan in our first gun because it will get HOT in there
in the summer heat. Even in the current gun if we’re playing music for a while I’ll open the door to get some airflow in there.

cafe set up.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...39dd8a7d9.jpeg

I also mounted mine in the closet as well. I did not mount them to the wall but made a bracket that bolted to the bottom and held them upright keeping them off the wall for air to circulate around them to help keep them cooler.

I had an amp on my old Cafe in the storage closet. This was older tech, but it constantly overheated and ruined the mood right when things were getting fun - even with fans and the door open, Virginia summers just didn’t have any air flow.

I was a younger man then - funny looking back on it. I barely even need a stereo in my current cig.

I'm not familiar with the Cafe cabin, I have a cover girl cabin and I built a standoff amp rack out of Kingboard/PVC board. The top of the rack is open and I made a raceway into upper storage cabinet for the wiring.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...80c8ae9a16.jpg

Totally different boat I know but in my Nordic I built a false wall on the stbd side behind the helm an ran all the wires through so you don't see them...I hate seeing wires but if it's unavoidable at least make them look nice like tanks above.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...5e2d118e97.jpg

I think you meant Jims, lol My wires were showing a bit in the Cafe. I think the Top Gun the wires are hidden. Can't remember as the system came with the boat. Jim's set up (and yours) looks like some show quality install sh*t. Bad azz!

Soundigtal
 

how do you like that sound digital stuff? I’m shopping currently. JL is my go to but good lord has it gotten expensive over the years. I know it’s all the craze but dang! lol I don’t mind spending the money but surely there is an alternative that’s close to for a little less! LOL

mine are in the cabinet as well, on a board
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...9ad8b71658.jpg

Sound digital was very nice. Powered two 12" Fosgate subs and 3 sets of Fosgate separates. Clean, loud, nice. Fosgate isn't my favorite but Buddy got them for me at cost!

I've had a LOT of high-end car audio systems. At one time I had 12 12" JL subs in a suburban show stereo. Started off with old school Kicker systems then when JL was getting started and came out strong switched over to JL. Ran multiple systems. My go to though was JL Subs, MB Quart mids and highs pushed by Precision Power amps. This was before stereo companies were offering all components (subs, components, amps, receivers, etc). So, you had to piece out your systems. And I still believe the best system is built not package purchased. I don't think each big brand builds the best everything. I think each have some great products and some OK products. Running German Maestro marine speakers in the gun. It came with the current system. 6 sets of the GM 6.5 coaxle speakers and 2 12" GM subs under the rear seat in separate enclosures. Frankly, I don't remember what amps are in it. It's clean and loud enough. My days of trying to be the loudest on the water are over and frankly, if the boat is running, you can barely hear the stereo with 2k HP running through nearly dry pipes. But if I were to build a fresh boat stereo, It'd be JL speakers, PPI amps and either Kicker or JL head unit. Close second speaker wise would be Kicker's Marine lineup. Very nice stuff and they're actually releasing a new line soon. Was asked to be the demo boat boat a huge rebated price but I'm spending enough money on the boat and like I said, the stereo is actually pretty nice. Another amp I'd HIGHLY consider and is SUPER underrated is Zapco. Never heard cleaner power from a smaller package. Really tiny amps that pack a sh*t load of umf.

I mounted my stereo in the bilge


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...fc2b760ab6.jpg

Ha!
 

Hahahaha same brother! Don’t matter what I do the dry exhaust will probably overpower whatever stereo I put in

I prefer to keep my amps as close to the batteries as possible. I would rather run shorter power and ground wires to reduce resistance and then run longer RCA's to the head unit.
I put my amps in my AT under the back seat. I have a 2-3" overhang lip though, so the chances of them getting wet are slim to none.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...46b329d4d7.jpg

I don’t let people get in my boat wet. No reason they can’t dry off (at least so they aren’t dripping) on the platform.

in my cafe I wasn’t strict and the interior took a beating. Always bothered me that I was so stupid. I got strict when I bought the tiger and I have no discernible change in the interior in 5 or 6 seasons. Foam is stiff, stitching hasn’t deteriorated, no rust or mildew anywhere - it’s a big difference

Thinking on this
 

Thinking on this set up I’m not a real stereo guru if you guys want to give me your opinions. I’m certainly not trying to be the loudest either. My dry exhaust makes the noise I wanna hear anyway LOL anyways

im thinking these 2 6.5’s
this 600w 4 channel amp
2 10in subs.

havent decided on a head unit yet…

thanks!
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https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...f58c9489d6.png
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I personally like the sound of kicker and JL better than fosgate. Personal preference though. Fosgate does have a great name in the industry and people love them. Like Glock and sig or Chevy ford dodge, people have their favorites :D

I would recommend getting two sets of the 6.5’s though. A set at the side panels next to the front bolsters and a set lower behind the bolsters next to the rear bench. You may even want to consider a 3rd set in the cabin to have music down there too. It’s nice to have those on a fader to dim them though. You can run a 4 channel amp to the 2 sets of 6.5’s and a 2 channel dedicated amp to the subs. Cleaner, more power. Less load.

Yes
 

I like the way you think! I believe I’ll add another set of 6.5’s like you mentioned. As for the cuddy I’ll probably skip out on that I had them in a cabin of a scarab I had in my 20’s JL audio and couldn’t ever even hear them lol. But might do it anyway I dono LOL i appreciate your insight! I just gotta get enough liquid courage in me to cut this perfect vinyl to put speakers in the side panels the thought of that makes me sick haha! Any tips and tricks for that department of install?

number one tip - pay a professional! lol

I don’t trust myself doing that stuff. No way!

Where are you going to mount the subs? Under the rear seat? If you’re just going to slap them in there and not have them in boxes, you should purchase free air subs. Other options is have small sub boxes built behind the area you mount them under the rear bench. Enclosed boxes always sound better and have more of a bass sound or harder crisper thump. Open air is less “solid” bass. They mounted my 12” free air subs in the gunnels under the bolsters in our cafe. I wasn’t a fan. Rattled a bit and lost the deep bass. Our old gun had free air subs under the rear bench that sounded ok. Best sound is gonna be from an enclosed sub box. Our current hub has them. Nice deep bass. Hard punch.

87CigCafe,

If you can remove the panel.....

Use a router to cut the hole through the panel from behind without cutting the vinyl. Try and suspend the area you're cutting over open air so you're not pushing the vinyl and padding toward the cutter. You might even stop just short of cutting all the way through and finish with a utility knife. Then you can cut slits in the vinyl from the center to just short of the hole in the panel, making triangles that you can stretch around behind the panel and staple. This will keep the vinyl tight. While I've never done it, I've seen it done and it works great.

As for subs, I'm a full-throated advocate of Bazooka tubes. They are self-contained, relatively compact and sound great. They have passive and several levels of powered models. I have an 8" tube, the lower powered model, tucked into the gunwale pocket in our PQ that takes up zero space I can actually use, and it will run us out if I crank it.

Thanks. Brad.

Im running a 6 channel Sony head unit and two 600 watt JL amps......4 8 inch Fosgate speakers in the cockpit on one amp and a 10 inch sub under the bench seat, I think its important to run a separate dedicated amp for the sub

bazooka tubes are actually a good option. They’ve come so far over the past 20 years. Great sound, self contained, small package.

lol obviously, motor music isn’t the only music you need to hear! Nice set up.

Bazooka tube
 

I’d be curious to what a bazooka tube would sound like under the back seat? I forgot all about those things. I haven’t seen one since high school lol!

Cabin Speakers
 

In my old boat (25 Checkmate) I had 4 speakers and two subs in the cockpit area powered by 2 amps. One for the 4 speakers and one for the subs.
I also had 2 low quality speakers in the cabin that were wired directly to the head unit (no amp). I had a toggle switch next to the head unit that, using the amps trigger wires, would turn the amps on or off. If we were overnighting or just relaxing in the cabin, I could turn the amps off and it killed everything except the cabin speakers. The low volume sounded just fine and we didn't annoy everyone else at the dock. This also saved the batteries and could run music all night. With the amps on, if we had it cranked up for outside music, I didn't care what the speakers in the cabin sounded like and let the shake rattle and... distort.
When its time for the Bullet music system, I'm gonna do the same.

Ok does anybody have a set up for when your sitting on the water though. I love to listen to music when we are at the beach/sand bar but if you have it loud enough to hear in the water its WAY too loud for anyone to sit on the boat. I was thinking of just a remote set to put on the swim deck or even a pair of wakeboard tower speakers you could take on and off. I don't need it to be concert level loud just enough so you can listen behind the boat and still be in the boat with the same volume.

87CigCafe,

You won't want to confine it. I initially strapped mine down in the engine well, tucked into the back corner, out of the way. It sounded decent in the boat, but made everything rattle. They've got to breathe. Even if there is plenty of passageway for the sound to escape, it will sound like crap.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...df468f131.jpeg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...c633275dc.jpeg


Thanks. Brad.

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Carter did these in a cafe. This still is from a video. The hatches were on an electric ram. Push the button at the helm and they open up. Bad azz design. Speakers out front for when you’re beached.

as far as off the transom I’ve seen people run wire they can pull from under the seat to hook to pod speakers they’ll grab out of the cabin and set on the swim step. Not glamorous but works. I’ve also seen people in havasu perma mount speakers on the transom. Im
not a fan. The two 6.5 up
high on the dash of our gun actually help
carry the sound out or the boat and down to the water when you’re floating off the swim step. I wouldn’t have put them
there but they’re there and they actually work.

Funny I always ran Alpine heads, MB Quart separates, Phoenix gold amps and JL subs. Sounds like we have similar winning tastes in audio lol. In case you weren't aware, when MB Quart sold out the original MB guys started German Maestro so the story goes. I still have OG MB quarts Q series separates in two of my trucks. Always wondered if the Maestro stuff mirrored the quality of the OG Quarts since I've never known anyone to own any.

My current boat has JL 7.7's and my last one had 8.8's. If space were permitting, I'd 100% go with the 8.8's they are amazing IF powered correctly and you don't need a lot of them as with the smaller sizes.

phoenix gold is good stuff!!! Agree on all your points. Specifically with the 8.8’s and running appropriate power to them. I did not know about the MB Quart and German Maestro connection. But makes sense because got dayum the pricing on the GM high end stuff mirrors MB Quart high end pricing. Frankly I’d never heard of GM until I was buying RWTD and was told about the “crazy money” the owner spent on the stereo. I’ve been out of the stereo game for a while so I looked em up. Good stuff.

ive actually not had the opportunity to
really crank the GM’s or even fine tune the system. Mostly because I’m not a fan of the older Sony head unit it has. Not impressed. I’m changing it out this season. I’d like to get a JL MM105 head unit. lol then plan on putting a smaller garmin unit in the dash above the cabin where the current remote is. So stupid it’s there.

speaking of good stuff, I always liked Focal too. Crisp, clean LOUD sound.

Nearly exactly how I did mine. Only I used a Dremel with a rotozip type bit and circle cutter attachment.

I like the Kicker products you picked. Save yourself the headache of coming up with a box and speaker sub. Call Justin at Waves and Wheels and get 1 or 2 of his prepackaged subs. They are pricey, but they work, they are waterproof and they won't swell up like wood boxes. Also find out what amp will drive them. This guy is smart and knows what does and does not work. I have a homemade sub box under my rear bench it is a square kicker been there for years. It is plenty loud for me and I can't hear very well anymore. The wood has swollen, and it will have to be cut out. I will be replacing it with a WW Bluave

I agree 100%, i have 2 of them in my tiger under the rear seat... click this link and go down to boat story... https://wavesandwheels.net/gallery .. I had the same sub in my 20. when i crashed it sat in 83 feet of water for 3 months as i had to get a licensed salvage diver to go more than 50 ft in the Chesapeake bay... after 3 months down, the sub played perfectly. it is still in the showroom as a testament to the durability...

Griff,

I actually had it typed out for using a Dremel, but I figured most on the forum would rather use a palm router instead. The Dremel works just as well, even if a bit slower, due to the 1/8" bit. I actually have the router base for my Dremel, and have used it for this sort of thing a lot. I used my Dremel to cut the holes for newer, slightly bigger speakers in the PQ when I updated the stereo right after buying it.

About the bit... Do yourself a favor.... Go to mscdirect.com and order a 3 flute carbide end mill (1/8" for a Dremel or similar, 1/4" for a router). They will last far longer and do a much better job than the high speed steel RotoZip bits. for just wood, you can get away with a 2 flute, but the 3 flutes work much faster and have almost as much clip clearance. Their AccuPro house brand are fantastic and very affordable.

Accupro - Square End Mill: 1/8" Dia, 3/4" LOC, 3 Flute, Solid Carbide | MSC Direct

Accupro - Square End Mill: 1/4" Dia, 3/4" LOC, 3 Flute, Solid Carbide | MSC Direct

.... For example.

Thanks. Brad.

Phoenix was the $hit back in the day and being local to me in Portland was a no brainer. I still have a custom one it's on the "registry" : Other (1st pic on the left of the upside down one). Definitely beasts when you look at the internal construction of them.

You should seriously look at the Fusion RA series heads that have the "wifi streaming". Supposedly it's a game changer for SQ, which knowing what equipment you have would be shame to not take advantage of the added clarity. They also integrate seamlessly with Garmin MFD's and especially now that Garmin owns Fusion.

can you recommend what model? I’ll check it out.

Garmin Fusion® Apollo™ MS-RA770 Marine Stereo | Head Unit

If you know someone that is a Garmin dealer you should be able to get a deal?

Tank,
3 subs under the seats or 2 in the enclosures in the gunnel?

(each seat is basically an enclosure , all 3 are seperate)


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...f48c33be0e.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...8b0928bef4.jpg

I may know someone. ;)

thanks brother.

edit: read up on it. I’m ordering it. Done.

thanks for the tip. Bad azz unit. I love how you can make your phone the remote which is so cool while standing around the dock chillin, or beaches up or whatever. Can control the stereo 100% from wherever you are. and it’s totally compatible with the GPS unit not to mention the wifi angle. Super nice unit.

you could do 3. That was JL’s original claim to fame was running 3 subs in series. I’ve always just run two subs. Separate enclosures. I wish I hade a pic of the current boat. The speakers are in hard case (fiberglass maybe) angled boxes.

if you were able to use your rear seat area as induvidual boxes and run 3 subs in series that would be pretty bad ass. Only problem is cubic feet of air is pretty sensitive with speakers and then some speakers are ported and some are sealed boxes and it’s a science to get the best sound.

Garmin also owns JL Audio now as well although i haven't seen any integration or shared products on that front as of yet. They are really stepping up their audio game these days. I just did a full Fusion install (head unit, speaker and amps) last spring on my boat with NMEA 2k integration to my garmin MFD looks and sounds great! really like the head unit with multiple zones and the whole system integration. Also the dual zones works great for having a higher volume on rear deck speakers without blowing out the cockpit speakers.