Hi All,

I'm probably the 1,000th person to post a similar thread about which components to get to upgrade my sound system on my 2011 SG, but bear with me. I'll only be running the 2 fairing speakers in my setup, and have no real plans to add bag speakers at this time.

I have read through a ton of threads outlining the pitfalls of certain components as well as researching the best "bang for the buck" items, so I hope that for the money I'm willing to spend, I'm picking the right components. I kind of want to keep it around $300.

I'll be sticking with the HK headunit for now..yeah, yeah, I know, there's better out there, but I don't want to lose my hand controls for now, and don't want to drop the coin to do what it takes to use them with an aftermarket head unit.

I'm currently running J & M 7.25" speakers, and while it was an improvement over stock, I must admit, they still leave something to be desired. I realize that the HK doesn't have much power, so I'm unable to fully reap the benefits of these speakers. That being said, as an initial upgrade, they aren't bad. But I want more, better, louder, clearer, and the J&M's sound a bit flat to me, if not "tinny". There just doesn't seem to be any depth to the music.

Here's where I'm at:
Infinity kappas 62.11i - these seem to be very popular lately and get good reviews for overall sound. For 100 bones, it seems that these should do the trick.

Adapter rings - I see there are some recent threads about some possible choices here, so I'm looking for some guidance on this.
-Dragonfly?
-Eastern Performance?
One is around $40, the other is $20. Are either of these a safe bet? Otherwise, am I looking at dropping $60 or more on the Arc Audio rings? Are they that much better the they're worth the extra cash?

Wiring kit - I don't necessarily have something picked out for this yet, as my amp choice will probably dictate the direction I go with this particular item. That being said, is there any real advantage to spending extra and getting a pure 100% copper wiring kit? I've seen them on sonic electronix and while talking to soundstream's tech support line about the FM interference question, I asked whether going 100% might make a difference with the interference. The tech said that typically he recommends going that route whenever possible because of better conductivity. Is it possible it might also dissipate some of the EMI caused by the amp as well or is that unrelated?

Amp - Ugh, this is where I'm really torn. Amps, amps amps. So many choices, so many threads about heat issues, FM intereference, etc, etc.

I'm leaning toward the RF pbr300x2 - mainly because I do listen to the radio.
BUT...man, it's hard to deny the value & power that the soundstream amps offer for less cost. I'm just unsure whether it's worth taking the chance on the SS amp and lose FM. After all, it seems that the audio guru's on here (Ultra, Gannicus) tend to lean toward the SS amps (or other class D amps) for the low draw, low heat, and clean power they offer.

Then I read about a possible ferrite core fix, which works for some, but not everyone. I guess if it were shown that the fix was more consistent, then I wouldn't hesitate to get the SS, but it appears to be so hit and miss.

So, what's the consensus? Play it safe in regards to FM and get the RF and push the kappas with that?

Are there any other parts I should be looking at? speaker grills, things like that?

Thanks all!

 

If keeping your FM is important you should go with the RF. It pairs well with the Kappas, has plenty of power to push them, and you won't lose your FM reception. If it isn't really that important and you want the extra power because you might change things up in the future, then the SS is certainly a choice you won't be disappointed in. Sounds like it comes down to how important maintaining your FM is.

 

Can't beat the Rockford PBR300X2 and Infinity set-up for your budget. The X2 is going to allow you to keep your FM radio and the Infinity Kappa 62.11i's are great little speakers. I always get the eastern performance adapters off ebay for $22 bucks and have not had any Issues with fitment. My friend NUTZ always recommends the ARC audio adapters which are a little more expensive but fitment is pretty much guaranteed.

Are you looking to just set up a two speaker system on your glide and call it a day? or are you looking to expand in the future? Might look in the classifieds for an X2. A lot of guys just took advantage of the "group buy" from Biketronics and may be selling for a good price. The X2 is a great little amp at 2 ohms and 4.

The boss 8 or 10 gauge amp kit off amazon will work just fine for your application.

 

Best thing is the X2 has a great resale value if you decide next month you wanna upgrade. I'd probe the group buy forum and see who might have one and be willing to sell. A PM never hurt anybody

 

OK I was in your shoes with a 2011 SG and have continued to upgrade searching for just a tad more....

I started with he Infinity and PBR300X2 and stock HU. Doing this on a budget. It sounded better and surely 300.00 better than stock, but I wanted a tad more. I picked up a sony HU for 80.00 and the ASCW-1 hand controls module and Metra kit for about 75. So the radio was 155.00 and I sold my HU for 150, so that was a wash Ok this was much cleaner sound, but I still wanted a tad more. So with a better HU, USB, input, etc. I figured losing FM reception wasn't a big deal and I added an RZ42000D and honestly, the Kappas sound like different speakers with this amp. Now that I'm running a PPI 900.4 with even more power they even better.

 

In case you are willing to gamble I ran a PPI amp (Soundstream clone) and did not lose any FM reception. It's a crap shoot, some lose a little, some a lot, some like me didn't lose any.

 

I didn't lose any FM reception with my SS. Hit or miss, I guess.

 

No loss of FM on my SS 4.520D all wires are also in looms which also helps isolate interference, or just dumb luck you decide.

 

Thanks fellas. That's the kind of input I'm looking for. Thanks for the ebay links Z, those are pretty good prices on those RF amps. And I'll look into hitting up some folks who are going in on the group buy if I decide to go with the RF amp.

As far as the SS amps, if I were to pick one, I guess I'm leaning toward the pn2.350 as I'm only going to be running the 2 fairing speakers, unless I should just go for the 4 channel 4.350 off the bat.

I've been talking to an engineer here at my work about the EMI concern, and he seems to think that the key to reducing or eliminating the EMI is via shielding the amp itself. I suggested that I would have some aluminum formed to make a mounting bracket to place the amp above my HU by about an inch, which he seemed to think would help.

Of all of you who have no interference, are you using a mounting bracket or did you just stick it to the top of your HU with velcro?

 

If you read back over UN's various posts; everything has been tried from wrapping the amp, wrapping the radio, using ferrites, using different grounding locations. Nothing has guaranteed a positive result.

The choice is really yours. I'd personally go for a 4 channel to save future money. But the 4.320 is an underpowered waste of money. Your better off with the ss 4.520 or the rz4.2000 or this new cerwin vega people are trying