Stereo Install in my 330SS


A

Alindquist

New member
Figured someone might be interested in how I did the stereo on my 2006 330SS.

I went back and forth between Wetsounds & JL but the black Friday 20% deal that Wetsounds was doing was too good to pass up so Wetsounds it was... Then there was the issue of the head unit, I really liked the zone control feature on the Fusion stuff and since there was already holes cut for remotes I need a deck with good remotes too. Fusion got the nod and I went with the MS-AV700i head unit and 2 of the NMEA remotes (1 for the helm, 1 for the transome)
Head Unit Installed

Helm Remote

Transom Remote:

While I was at it I put in a new TV since the previous owner decided to rip the old one off the wall, seriously I'm not sure if it was stolen or what but it was literally ripped off the wall
After:

Deck and remotes installed time to move onto the amps...
There was a factory installed Kenwood 4 channel amp that was installed in the closet. Since I wouldn't have room for the other amps in the closet I decide to move all the amps to area under the helm, aft of the cabin... Once I pulled out some "beauty boards" they was actually quite a bit of room under there. I pulled all the wiring form the 12 volt panel and the deck along with pulling speaker wires all over the boat down to this area. Pulling all the wiring and making it look like it was factory rigged was a big job. I'll bet I had at least 2 days into doing this alone but I'm kind of picky about wiring and I don't want to ever do it again so it was worth the time to do it right.
Basically what we have going on is the Kenwood is running the 2 cabin speaker (XS-65i) on 2 channels and I have 2 open channels if I ever wanted to put a sub down stairs (unlikely but you never know).
I have a SD4 running the cockpit speakers, 2 XS-650's and 2 XS-808's
I have a SD6 running the 2 FA-10 (bridged) and the 2 SW-808's on the transom


(that wiring has been cleaned up so don't judge, just don't have a pic)
Overall I'm pretty stoked on the amps, they were expensive but they do seem pretty solid.

On to the speakers.
In the cabin I did a set of XS-65i in the factory locations, I didn't snap a picture but trust me there there...
I replaced the 2 factory 6x9's with a set of XS-808's. This presented a few challenges but I'm happy with the solution that I came up with. Basically I didn't have the mounting depth for the 808's so I got out the router and machined spacers out of 1/2" starboard and I also put 1/2" acrylic rings for LED's This gave me an extra 1" of mounting depth and after trimming away a little bit more fiberglass they fit perfectly and look like they grew there.
Front Speaker:


Rear Speaker:

RGB LED's around these because why not...
There was originally only 2 6x9's in the cockpit and they are mounted low so I wanted to add a set of XS-650's in the arch. Formula did put in deck plates to access some wiring so It made sense to take the deck plate out and drop in a speaker, after a little trimming I think they fit pretty good.
Original Deck Plates:

Port:

Starboard:

RGB LED's around these and disco...
 
After going back and forth about the sub locations I ultimately landing on putting 2 of the FA-10 under the helm seat. There are 2 pieces of 1/4" starboard screwed into the base that I used as templates to cut out 2 1/2" pieces and then cut holes for the subs.

Finally came the most terrifying part of the install. I needed some type of transom speaker or tower speaker since we are at Crab Island every weekend. I really didn't want to do tower speakers since I wasn't sure on mounting them and I think they might look stupid on a boat like this. I decided that I was going to put a set of 808's on the transom.
I used my acrylic rings as templates and router guides:

Measure 50 times and cut once:

No turning back now:

Almost there:

Success:

Lights on:


Just for the hell of it I added a few RGB LED strips down in the cabin



Overall I'm pretty happy with everything, let me know what you think or if you have any questions.
Aaron
 
Looks sweet to me. I wish I had an arch; the speaker in the access hole mounting job looks like a great idea.
 
I ran a little 4 pin wire to where the LED's are installed when I ran speaker wire, that all goes to a controller that is mounted down near the amp rack.
 
looks awesome, great job. i would suggest to anyone attempting a similar install to measure 60 times instead of 50, that just doesn't seem like enough:cool:
 
looks awesome! i'm just about to get started on my own upgrade. ordered the UD750 Fusion head unit last week, and am going with a pair of Sinister SD4's and 6 650's with 2 650RGB's. the RGB's will also be stern mounted. also going with 1 of the 10" FA's. figured i could upgrade to 2 10" subs later if need be. how do you like the sound on your sub's? spent the last 2 days just trying to figure out how to get wires from the salon to the engine compartment...one time i'm hatin Formula. ;) i figured out wires from the engine to the dash...but that last bit is a beast!!!

finished install looks great! hope she sounds half as good as she looks. ;)

tw
 
well, i haven't figured out dash to salon yet. there are 2 right angles to be contended with and you can't reach either. i'm hoping TAG can help me figure out how to take apart the salon wall so that i can get better access.

from the engine compartment to the dash was a bit more simple. if you remove the cockpit fridge, there are 2 or 3 holes that get you into the engine compartment behind and just forward of the fridge compartment. i just ran a steel fish from the battery area to these access holes. from there, you can remove the circuit breaker panel at the driver's knees and you should be able to easily run a fish from behind the fridge to that opening.

would love to hear if anyone else has been able to run wires from dash to salon...

twarble
 
Twarble: I'm assuming the boat your working on is the 45 (I'm jealous), I have no idea how to go about chasing wires on that thing... For mine it was actually pretty easy getting the wiring pulled (although it was a big job). the power and ground run from the 12 volt panel and down to the amp area, there was already a bus and 1/0 gauge power that I was able to tap. The hardest one was getting the RCA's from the deck around the bathroom and to the area where I mounted the amps. In the end I cut an old RCA and pulled it along with a fish tape, I ended up doing the same thing from the helm to the engine compartment and from the helm to the amp area. I left all of the fishes in place so I can easily pull new wires for future upgrades.

As for the subs they sound good for what they are. In my last boat, Cobalt 232, I had a Kicker 12L7 in a 3CFT ported box. These 2 10's are not even close, but they do sound good. I really wanted to squeeze a Wetsounds XXX or a JL 12W7 in somewhere but I just didn't have the room without using one of the storage lockers or putting it down stairs.

Rheeder218: the amps are mounted where you would traditionally find the mid-cabin. The 330 doesn't have a mid cabin, the AC and Vac-u-flush is mounted in this area and there is some storage, but it's kind of wasted space. Once you climb in there there are a few "beauty panels" that I pulled out to expose a ton of room for mounting amps. The only "wiring hole" that I had to drill was for the speaker wires to the sub, there wasn't a way to get wires into that compartment any other way. I'm ok with the hole as it shouldn't get wet and unless I told you about it you would never know it was there.
Aaron
 
Alindquist...yep, it's a 45. at times like this, no reason to be jealous...just more junk to work around. ;)

after talking to TAG sounds like a suck it up, get a little bloody and figure it out kind of project. heading back down this weekend to get going. i told Sean at TAG...most times i'm bragging about how tidy they keep things, and how everything is tie-wrapped. right now i'm cursing them. i tried pulling an old wire like you did, but it's not budging. i can see all kinds of tie-wraps using an inspection camera. :(

it's funny you brought up the XXX sub. you're nuts! and a man after my own heart. ;) i debated long and hard about going with that sub instead, but decided to go with a single 10" FA. if need be i'm going to switch it out for a pair of 2Ohm 10" FA's. i hope that's more than enough. i'm not feeling to confident though after hearing your thoughts. ;) i'll let ya know how it works out.

twarble
 
Rheeder, finally got wires pulled, so i wanted to give you an update. if you're running any wires from the engine compartment to the dash, stick with my previous method. if you're going from engine to salon as I was, I found a better and shorter way. there's a horizontal stringer just above the batteries that runs all the way forward, and comes out just behind the sofa. i noticed that the red battery cable for the amps, and the water supplies for the forward head ran along this stringer. problem is that there is a bulkhead with a small opening that you need to get through to get there.

with the back of the couch out, you can see where the stringer comes out. i shoved a light in there, and then from the engine compartment i could see the light by using a mirror. after a lot of trial and error, i finally got it through.

from the dash to the salon was much harder, and in the end i decided to not follow the stock wires. as i said, i couldn't pull any wires through because they're all tie wrapped. i removed the AC control panel from the wall and was able run a fish up next to the AC duct, and then aft. with the helm circuit breaker removed, there's a false wall behind where the circuit breaker mounts. i notched out a section with a dremel, and then was able to pull my RCA's through real easily. only took 4 days to figure that out. ;)

good luck!
twarble
 
How did you install the TV? I'm assuming you had mounting locations already from the previous owner that you re-used? I would imagine the glass mirror kind of is in the way.
 
does anyone happen to know the depth of the arch? I'm looking into speakers to place there, however on the 2005 330 ss I have there are not the inspection covers. in other words id be cutting out new holes and would like to have the speakers and wiring ready to reseal the holes right away.
 
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