Bang for the buck.

[Durwood]

I used to be heavily into car stereo's as a teenager, then later in life it was PA systems.

My question on a 2011 touring bike with 4 speakers, I am considering an amp and speaker change only, I like the factory radio and want whatever I buy to be plug and play.

Suggestions?

Thanks Daren

[HD/Wrench]

Parking lot is using the rear speakers.. Going down the road you cannot hear them.. Best investment in what is in the fairing .. I run a hogwired 400 with speaker fairing HAT Unity speakers.. I sent the head unit to Iron cross for pre amp out puts and blue tooth . Killer set up at 90 MPH and full face helmet I can still clearly hear the system.

[gplatt58]

Biketronics are plug and play and very high end components. You won't find better customer service and the lifetime warranty is hard to beat. I would of saved myself a lot of time and money if I started there first.

[HD/Wrench]

Yes plug and play is fine however the stock head unit  is noisy amp wise so you amp that and you have more noise in the signal..  The hogwired is 400 watts clean sounding plug and play as well.. Upper speakers come with cross over to tune the system..  I am learning this stuff but I get to hear hundreds of systems every year.. So you get to know what sounds great compared to another.

[Durwood]

I am looking for highway sound, not a parking lot kinda guy, too hard on batteries.

My wife complains she can't hear the music at interstate speeds.

Steve, can your wife hear what you have going on?

Thanks Daren

[HD/Wrench]

yes in fact last night we went for a short hop maybe 60 miles on a hyw section so 75-80 mph .. She told me to turn it  DOWN    I have to say for one amp and one speaker set it is very loud and very clear at 95% volume still clear 98&  a touch of distortion. But I do not to adjust the cross overs a bit further. 
what is in the fairing currently

http://hybrid-audio.com/unity/

http://hawg-wired.com/product_info.php/cPath/24/pPath/186



I am adding another amp and going with speaker in the lowers next. This is what we plan on using in the lowers , we are going to do some mods to the speaker insert as well. I will take a short video and send it to you. I will put the bike in the open where sound cannot bounce off anything like many do.



Kicker 40CWRT672 6-3/4" CompRT67 Sub 300W Peak/150W RMS 2 Ohm DVC Car Subwoofer
 
Kicker 42PXA200.1 PXA200.1 Motorcycle/ATV/Marine 200-Watt RMS Mono Amplifier Amp with amp HKUP kit 1 



I like focals and have heard them but they are not as clear and clean and what I currently have .  I ask just about everyone , that has stereo upgrades what they have and have been taking note so to speak

[Durwood]

 

[lilchief]

I've got the 2015 RG Biketronics 2180 amp & speaker kit on the way from California Phil. According to BT, you can run 4 4ohm speakers wired in parallel off this amp. I've got 6 Polk Audio DXI 6.5" speakers and pods for the lower fairings already, so I'm gonna give it a whirl. It's gotta be better than the stock setup. Once I get it & get it installed, I'll post the results.

Lil Chief

[HD/Wrench]

Most systems after market wise can be run in parallel.  I am not against the BT amp but having installed many,  I feel the kits  are a nice low level kit vs what other have to offer. cost wise the BT vs hogwired are very close in cost .  Cross overs are a must and that is one item that many do  not have . lower dollar speakers lack the items that really bring out the best in the system.. But any stock head unit is going to not offer the best performance with amp unless you have pre amps installed.. 

Its very much like a dyno tune.  Once you ride a properly tuned bike you know that the cost was worth it.. Vs a canned map..

[Eccool]

Please forgive my ignorance, but what is pre-amp?   I looked on the Iron Cross website, but I didn't see an explanation of it.  Thanks!

[HD/Wrench]

pre amp is just a NON amplified signal .. Where as without it you have a signal that has been increased and any "noise" in that signal from the stock amp then gets increased again when you add a aftermarket amp.  That is one of the main reason so many swap to a after market head unit.  But they are not as water proof as your stock unit.. So pre amps and blue tooth is the most common..  Maybe Iron cross will post up about here..

[Eccool]

pre amp is just a NON amplified signal .. Where as without it you have a signal that has been increased and any "noise" in that signal from the stock amp then gets increased again when you add a aftermarket amp.  That is one of the main reason so many swap to a after market head unit.  But they are not as water proof as your stock unit.. So pre amps and blue tooth is the most common..  Maybe Iron cross will post up about here..

Thanks!

[Eccool]

pre amp is just a NON amplified signal .. Where as without it you have a signal that has been increased and any "noise" in that signal from the stock amp then gets increased again when you add a aftermarket amp.  That is one of the main reason so many swap to a after market head unit.  But they are not as water proof as your stock unit.. So pre amps and blue tooth is the most common..  Maybe Iron cross will post up about here..

I stopped in a local audio shop to ask about speakers for my bike.  He asked me if I was planning to keep the stock head unit.  I said yes, why do you ask.  He said the stock head unit put out a "dirty" signal.  I assume what you have described must have been what he was talking about.

[Joker65]

pre amp is just a NON amplified signal .. Where as without it you have a signal that has been increased and any "noise" in that signal from the stock amp then gets increased again when you add a aftermarket amp.  That is one of the main reason so many swap to a after market head unit.  But they are not as water proof as your stock unit.. So pre amps and blue tooth is the most common..  Maybe Iron cross will post up about here..

Will a line levelers or "magic box" device eliminate the noise, or does that just eliminate the factory Eq settings? 

Thx

[johncr]

Steve,

Does the Hawgwired amp interfere with the FM radio?

John