Questions from a guy that knows nothing about audio

[Eccool]

Hi and thanks for taking the time to answer questions on this forum.  UltraNutz said that the Biketronics are the best speakers, what is the best amp?  What is a class D amp?  What do you think of Harley's line of Boom amp's & speakers?  Lastly, what do you think of the Kenwood kac m1804?  I apologize for all of the questions, but I am new to this stuff.  Thanks!

[Blackpearl#1]

Hi and thanks for taking the time to answer questions on this forum.  UltraNutz said that the Biketronics are the best speakers, what is the best amp?  What is a class D amp?  What do you think of Harley's line of Boom amp's & speakers?  Lastly, what do you think of the Kenwood kac m1804?  I apologize for all of the questions, but I am new to this stuff.  Thanks!

I agree with UN on the BT stuff. Best amp will spend on budget, where ya want to mount it, channels needed and bike model. Class of an amp is how it makes the power, others will chime in on this one. Harleys line of boom is also referred to as Kae-book for obvious reasons. No input on that Kenwood, but others here may.  A simple recommendation is do lots of homework like you are now, ask lots of questions and do it once and do it right the first time.  Hope this helps some.
Kris

[Gannicus]

Hi and thanks for taking the time to answer questions on this forum.  UltraNutz said that the Biketronics are the best speakers, what is the best amp?  What is a class D amp?  What do you think of Harley's line of Boom amp's & speakers?  Lastly, what do you think of the Kenwood kac m1804?  I apologize for all of the questions, but I am new to this stuff.  Thanks!

I'll start with your last question first. The Kenwood 1804 is a 45 watt marine rated amp only compatible with 4 ohm speakers. Not a very good amp for a bike. The Boom speakers are Harley Davidson version of an "upgrade" from stock.  The problem is Harley Davidson is not in the speaker business and the speakers are not very good quality and do not handle power well.  A class D amp is what we call a switching amplifier,  Without getting into the technical details it's the most efficient amplifier you can buy for a motorcycle. We can discuss the pros and cons later. Lastly I have to agree with my friend Nutz on the Biketronics speakers. I've tried pretty much all of them and Biketronics is still number 1 hands down. Trust me.  Oh I see you actually have another question in your post.

The best amp is totally subjective it's usually the one that matches your speakers to perfection.

[z71_fourwheelin]

Oh...ME..ME..ME... Can I suggest the company from Tucson, AZ...   Sorry UN & Gannicus.... just had to. LMAO

[Eccool]

Hi and thanks for taking the time to answer questions on this forum.  UltraNutz said that the Biketronics are the best speakers, what is the best amp?  What is a class D amp?  What do you think of Harley's line of Boom amp's & speakers?  Lastly, what do you think of the Kenwood kac m1804?  I apologize for all of the questions, but I am new to this stuff.  Thanks!

I agree with UN on the BT stuff. Best amp will spend on budget, where ya want to mount it, channels needed and bike model.

I want to do both bikes, an 09 ElectraGlide and a 14 UltraLimited.  Not sure what you mean by "channels needed" but I want to front and rear speakers if that is what you are referring to.  As far as mounting it, I just assumed they went in the fairing   As far as budget, if I'm going to get the Biketronics speakers 7.1, I can't see skimping on the amp.  That's why I asked what's the best.  But again, I don't know, so I am open to any and all suggestions.  Thanks!!

[Gannicus]

Amps for the most part are either two channel or 4 channel. If you are going to run 4 speakers you want a 4 channel amp. 1 channel for each speaker. if you are running two speakers you want a 2 channel amp. Now it can get a little more complicated. But that is the basics. If you are going with the 7.1's from biketronics and money is not an issue then I would go with the BT4180 four channel amp. The amp mounts on top of the radio.

[zeke383]

In my little experience with the 7.1's , I've found that they need power to unlock their potential. As stated, if budget allows, the. BT amps are matched perfectly to the speakers.

[Eccool]

Thanks!

[UltraNutZ]

Hi and thanks for taking the time to answer questions on this forum.  UltraNutz said that the Biketronics are the best speakers, what is the best amp?  What is a class D amp?  What do you think of Harley's line of Boom amp's & speakers?  Lastly, what do you think of the Kenwood kac m1804?  I apologize for all of the questions, but I am new to this stuff.  Thanks!

The best amp is really what you determine you need for your setup.  The amplifier used will be directly dependent upon the speaker(s) you choose to use in your setup.  As for the amp classifications, specifically D:  Class D amps are the most efficient mobile audio amps on the market now.  They produce good power, generate little heat, are small in size, and draw very little current in comparison to the other classes of amps out there.  Their main drawback because of the switching power supply used in these type amps is they can cause FM interference.  Sometimes none, sometimes very little, sometimes takes FM out altogether.  Boom Audio - simply put it's crap and WAY overpriced.  Don't get me wrong it's a step above the stock junk HD puts on these bikes but IMO I put Boom Audio in the same class as Kraco, Audiovox, etc. as for quality.  The Kenwood amp you mention above, I agree with Gannicus is just not a good choice for a bike.  74dBA Signal to Noise ratio is weak, THD is unusually high, only 4 ohm stable.

[Eccool]

Thanks for the reply UltraNutz.  So is the Biketronics amp the best choice for the 7.1 speakers?  Thanks again!

[UltraNutZ]

it is an amp that is specifically tuned for the 6.5 and 7.1" speakers so if you're willing to spend the $, I'd say go for it.

I put a ton of the PBR300x2 amps on the 7.1" and it's a kick azz little amp as well.

just depends on what you want to spend.

[Eccool]

Thank you very much; that is exactly the info I was looking for!