A client from up in Charlottesville recently contacted the team at Extreme Audio to inquire about upgrading the stereo system on his 2021 Yamaha 252SD bowrider. The boat comes with a reasonable Wet Sounds audio system with control integrated into the cool Yamaha Connext touchscreen and three pair of speakers spread throughout the hull. However, the client wanted us to add two sets of tower speakers and upgrade the system with an EQ and a PA system.
Yamaha Speaker and Amp Upgrade
The first step in upgrading this fantastic 25-foot sport boat was to start running wiring into the wakeboard tower for two pairs of speakers. The client chose the Wet Sounds REV 10B-SC Revolution Series tower speakers to ensure that anyone behind the boat can hear the music clearly. These massive speaker enclosures feature a 10-inch midrange driver with an integrated horn-loaded tweeter.
We upgraded the enclosures with the optional LED KIT REV10-RGB illuminated rings and an XK Glow Bluetooth controller. The client can use the XK Glow app on his smartphone to choose the color of the RGB LED lighting in the rings or select from several morphing color patterns.
A Wet Sounds Sinister SDX2 two-channel amplifier powers the new tower speakers. This amp can produce more than 300 watts per speaker to create music that’s loud and crystal clear. We mounted the amp beside the SYN DX6 amp that came with the boat. The amps are in the storage area opposite the helm.
Yamaha Audio System Integration
The client wanted us to add one of the Wet Sounds WS-420BT multizone equalizers so he’d have full control over each speaker in the boat. The WS-420BT comes with a microphone that allows the captain to use the audio system as a PA. The unit includes a Bluetooth audio receiver to let anyone onboard decide what music will be playing. A four-band equalizer is dedicated to the main speakers, with a separate set of equalization controls specifically for the tower speakers.
We mounted the equalizer on the lower right side of the helm using the Wet Sounds WS-BT EQ UDM-B billet aluminum mounting bracket. An AudioControl LC1i line level converter was used to extract a pre-amp level audio signal from the Yamaha audio system and feed it into the equalizer. Turning the master volume control on the EQ is much easier and faster than tapping options on the touchscreen.
Richmond’s Boat Stereo Upgrade Experts
Working on a boat takes longer than a car or truck, as running wiring is more involved. However, we had the speakers, amplifier, equalizer and lighting integrated into this gorgeous Yamaha 252SD in just a few days. The client returned to Extreme Audio, and we climbed on the boat for a listen. He loved the new tower speakers and was impressed with our clean and tidy installation. If you’re shopping for audio system upgrades for your boat or powersports vehicle, drop by our location in Mechanicsville or Midlothian and talk to a member of our team. You can also reach us by phone or e-mail if you can’t get to one of our stores during regular business hours.
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question: Did you guys added an extra battery on this 2021 Yamaha 252SD or how did you gave power to the new amp? I’m in Florida but going through this dilemma. Thank you!
We definitely added a second battery with Perko. I would strongly suggest that with any larger system so you can turn off one battery and be able to fire the boat right up after playing for an extended period of time.
How did you split off the input from the original amp into the 2nd amp?
It’s direct wires, no RCA style plugs.
Thanks so much!
Since we ran the audio system through a device that has grounded RCA’s, we had to run the existing signals through a LOC (say an Audiocontrol LCi1 or LCi2) and then into the Wet Sounds WS420 EQ. There are other ways to do it, but it will depend on the input architecture of the amp you’re adding as to whether you can simply splice into the inputs of one to feed the other, or if you need an LOC.