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Stereo system upgrade do's & dont's

235K views 588 replies 81 participants last post by  skydrol 
#1 ·
I'm picking up my 2013 XC tomorrow and looking to upgrade the speakers and adding a set of 6 x9's and a amp to the system. Just looking for a little input on what works best and what didn't work. Looking to have a nice sounding system nothing over the top. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
 
#2 ·
#3 ·
6x9's produce terrible sound.... Go with a 6.5" high end speaker and skip the 6x9. Any oblong speaker 3x5, 4x6, 5x7 and 6x9,s will not produce as clear as sound as a speaker that is round in design. It may produce a little more bass but you will sacrifice sound quality. If you want a little bass there are many car audio companies that produce high end 6" subwoofer's I had some Kicker ones installed in my 56 dodge pick up.


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#330 · (Edited)
6x9's will out perform a 6.5" speaker of the same quality and RMS rating any day of the week.

I have 2 Polk Audio MM651's in the Fairing they are 6.5" speakers with crossovers. In the 6x9 saddlebag lids I just bought from HMD I will be installing 2 MM691's. They are in the same family as the MM651's but they are going to sound just as clear and will give better bass response. Every car audio place that I have spoke with Crutchfield, JL Audio, some local shops. They all say the same thing, the 6x9's are going to dominate the front 6.5" speakers in my setup.
 
#4 ·
Run your amp power and ground wires directly to the battery.

Do a search on this site and there are a couple of great how to's. They give a great over site on the over all process.

The components are your choice, but from experience spend as much as your budget allows. There are some bargains but do the research. I am far from being a audiophile, but I'm learning.
I'm pretty quick at removing the outer fairing for sure..lol

Congrats on the new bike and good luck to you.
 
#7 ·
OK... So you are going for an extreme audio system. There are a couple of topics where others have added speakers to the bags. Good luck.


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#8 ·
Kinda off Topic but I had to ask this question.

What version of ipod's will work with the 2013 cross country connecter? Some ipods will charge and some won't with certain cables. So I'm curious as to what you guys are using for tunes?
 
#10 ·
iPod nano 4th gen works for me, pawn shop special...
 
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#9 ·
I'm looking at an amp which would control all four speakers. I'm considering a 4-channel amp with either 100 or 150 watts per channel. I'd get speakers to match my desired wattage.

Having said this, is my logic sound when it comes to the amp, wattage, etc?

Finally, it seems 6.5" front speakers are the best for the front. But, What about the trunk? What 100-150w speakers will fit without a heat gun, cutting, etc?


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#11 ·
Rockford Fosgate PBR-300 4 channel 4ohm is very popular here and HD.
 
#13 ·
Don't know what year bike you have, but my 13 with factory kickers was the same until I added the amp. Those speakers need a amp to perform. There is lots of talk around that the volume doesn't increase over level 15 with out a amp. I could hear mine fine at around 15 with the amo, and most say I deaf.
 
#14 ·
Most speakers are rated for peak watts... That Rockford 300 will power any coaxial speaker you can buy. The key too good sound begins with an amp that is actually generating as much it claims. Most lower end vehicle audio equipment claims big watts but if you read carefully the actual RMS will be minuscule. Go with well built gear and put a decent amount of power to it and you will be fine.


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#16 ·
Bingo you nailed it. The small RMS number is really the only number that matters. And how you wire your speakers(OHMS). All that max wattage bullshit is just that "marketing BULLSHIT". With the right distortion ratio number and a fair amount of RMS you can bump any door speaker to it's fullest potential. IMHO
 
#19 ·
Thanks, Hammer and Travis. It's a '12 CCT. I'm not sure if they are Kickers or not.

So, what I'm hearing is I should go with the Rockford 300 and see how the speakers sound. The speakers should be ok with the amp and go beyond the 12-15 volume thereby increasing the volume at highway speeds. Did I get that right?


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#22 ·
So you would go with the RockFord 300x4 to cover all 4 speakers. I assume for the Cross Country without the rear speakers the Rockford 300x2 would be sufficient. Unless I wanted to bridge and create x2 RMS to each front speaker. I havn't even got my bike yet, and I know the amp is going to be a must. ;)
 
#21 ·
I did the Kicker upgrade and an waiting to do amp upgrade. I was going to do a bigger front speaker, but, i will do amp first and go from there. The kickers do sound very nice as is.

When riding alone its no big deal as i can hear music just fine...however, in a group, forget it. Amp is a must.
 
#32 ·
You will definitely benefit from just the amp. No need to change those speakers they will wake up with the RF amp. Let us know how it sounds. Enjoy.
 
#23 ·
I had one blown factory rear speaker of late and decided to fit the Polks often talked about here into the front- using the other for a rear replacement in the (part time used) trunk.

The Polks seem to have a richer sound and for $125 I'm pleased with them.

Fitting those were pretty easy but you'll need to drill out the stock size holes in the speaker as they are too tight to the bolt pattern of the plastic housings. Once I did that I got some M5 button heads to replace the socket heads (works better on the oversized holes) and all went well.

I did a bit of wire splicing and fit the crossovers on the inside of the frame head (?) using some HD velcro. Simple and effective.

Dab some black paint on the button head before you fit the grilles. Being black oxide they'll rust.
 
#24 ·
So is it pretty much set in stone the RockFord Fosgate is the best amp available for our XC's? Mostly because of the size.

And as far as speakers are concerned the 2013 XC's came with kicker's right? So with a RF amp those kickers should be just fine.
 
#25 ·
I haven't done much research about this. But does anyone know how to do bluetooth through the XC stereo?

I was thinking you could get bluetooth devices for the helmets and connect to the ipod itself. Is that how it works?

For riding and listening to tunes without using the speakers. Just a headset in your helmet.
 
#27 ·
Something like this?
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/CableJive-Wireless-Bluetooth-SoundDock-including/dp/B004XMMSZG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376856626&sr=8-1&keywords=Dockboss+bluetooth+receiver[/ame]


What exactly does it do? I'm reading some reviews now.
 
#29 ·
Bikes equipped with Kicker speakers have a little Kicker logo glued to the fairing speaker grills. If you do a Rockford amp and have 4 Kickers you will hear them just fine at speed. No kickers? Then just pick 4 good 5.25 speakers such as Polk's or Alpines or anything that has an rms close to what your amp output is. Peak wattage should be no more than 125 and you will be happy.

I went 6.25 in my fairing but had to loose the spkr boxes and that may have sacrificed a little bass. But I can hear them loud and clear at 90 and they hit hard with my RF amp.

V-Twin audio is a good source for info as is HMD. They both do a lot of Vic sound systems. Just don't over do it. On the road at speed it kills everything you hear compared to what you hear in your garage unless listening to high quality sound systems on bikes in your garage is your thing.
 
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#30 ·
I have yet to even see my bike yet. But on the XC models with the 2,000 dollar Custom Paint they have the Ipod cord in the saddlebag already, and I think they told me it had the Kicker speakers too. But that was just the salesman talking. So I'm not to sure if my bike does or not.
 
#31 ·
My .02.

My 13XCT did not have the Kickers. The Polks seem fine for my listening level (better than the stock spkrs) and are reasonably priced. If you're not an ipod guy (I'm not) there is a 1/8" phono input wiring kit you can use that will connect any phone/tablet/ipod etc. and will play through the AUX setting. You will not however be able to control it, just listen.

Anyone need an ipod cable kit? pm me.
 
#39 ·
Done, Thanks bro. thumb up
 
#45 ·
Well, hell. I think I will stay away from any ipod with a camera then. ;)
 
#46 ·
Damn I was looking at the Victory webpage and trying to figure out if my 2013 Metallic Flamed model had the Premium Audio with the Kicker speakers.

Here is what I found in the description:


KICKER® PREMIUM SPEAKERS
The fairing features an integrated audio system with KICKER® Premium speakers that deliver powerful, crystal-clear sound to enhance every ride. AM/FM/Weather radio is standard, along with an auxiliary cord to use your MP3/iPod® as your music source. This premium audio package is standard on Nuclear Sunset, Sunset Red and Anti-Freeze Green with Black Flame models

I think I'm screwed. :(
 
#48 · (Edited)
I think your bike will come with premium audio, it's been stated on here before MF had kickers. MF was a late color release if I remember correctly. So it probably was not a option at time of print. You paid the premium price, same as the above listed.
 
#50 ·
#51 ·
Lol,

I just read that and sent that article to the saleman from the dealership I bought the bike from. Asking him about it:


The Victory Cross Country will be offered in Midnight Metallic Flame with Factory Custom Paint beginning in the first quarter of 2013, and will only be offered for a limited time.
Every Victory Bagger features ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System), cruise control, an air-adjustable preload rear suspension, and is powered by the Freedom 106/6 V-Twin—a V-Twin engine that produces 106 ft-lb. of torque and is mated to a smooth-shifting 6-speed transmission with overdrive.
The Victory Cross Country features over 21 gallons of lockable storage in its hard saddlebags and a wind-cutting fairing that houses a comprehensive collection of instrumentation and a premium audio entertainment system.
The 2013 Cross Country in Midnight Metallic Flame Factory Custom Paint has a MSRP of $20,999.
 
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