2014 SGS Magic Box Testing
2014 SGS Magic Box Testing
Today I did some testing with and without the Magic Box and here is what I came up with. My speakers are INSIDE the pods. Stock flash (01_off.bin). Amp is RF PBR300x2 and Infinity Kappa 62.11i.
With the box the gain needs to be at 9. I cannot turn it past 5 without the box before it really sounds like crap.
I have slightly more clarity without the box but not much bass. I have to set the bass a few notches below flat to avoid distortion.
I have maybe slightly more bass with the box, probably because I can actually set the bass a few notches above flat
I can turn it up much more with the box.
It does not have the punch like I feel it should with or without the box. I installed the same equipment in a friends 13 Ultra and his is WAAAY better....so yeah, I'm a little pissed!
I reinstalled the box and would say overall it is better WITH the box.
I guess my next step is to put the speakers on the outside of the pods and see if that removes some of the muffled/hollow sound and gives me some punch I am looking for. If not, I guess I am SOL unless UltraNutz's experiment works, or I remove the pods and try the BT brackets, or we get this flash thing figured out....Stay tuned!
With the box the gain needs to be at 9. I cannot turn it past 5 without the box before it really sounds like crap.
I have slightly more clarity without the box but not much bass. I have to set the bass a few notches below flat to avoid distortion.
I have maybe slightly more bass with the box, probably because I can actually set the bass a few notches above flat
I can turn it up much more with the box.
It does not have the punch like I feel it should with or without the box. I installed the same equipment in a friends 13 Ultra and his is WAAAY better....so yeah, I'm a little pissed!
I reinstalled the box and would say overall it is better WITH the box.
I guess my next step is to put the speakers on the outside of the pods and see if that removes some of the muffled/hollow sound and gives me some punch I am looking for. If not, I guess I am SOL unless UltraNutz's experiment works, or I remove the pods and try the BT brackets, or we get this flash thing figured out....Stay tuned!
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 601
Likes: 109
From: San Diego
Today I did some testing with and without the Magic Box and here is what I came up with. My speakers are INSIDE the pods. Stock flash (01_off.bin). Amp is RF PBR300x2 and Infinity Kappa 62.11i.
With the box the gain needs to be at 9. I cannot turn it past 5 without the box before it really sounds like crap.
I have slightly more clarity without the box but not much bass. I have to set the bass a few notches below flat to avoid distortion.
I have maybe slightly more bass with the box, probably because I can actually set the bass a few notches above flat
I can turn it up much more with the box.
It does not have the punch like I feel it should with or without the box. I installed the same equipment in a friends 13 Ultra and his is WAAAY better....so yeah, I'm a little pissed!
I reinstalled the box and would say overall it is better WITH the box.
I guess my next step is to put the speakers on the outside of the pods and see if that removes some of the muffled/hollow sound and gives me some punch I am looking for. If not, I guess I am SOL unless UltraNutz's experiment works, or I remove the pods and try the BT brackets, or we get this flash thing figured out....Stay tuned!
With the box the gain needs to be at 9. I cannot turn it past 5 without the box before it really sounds like crap.
I have slightly more clarity without the box but not much bass. I have to set the bass a few notches below flat to avoid distortion.
I have maybe slightly more bass with the box, probably because I can actually set the bass a few notches above flat
I can turn it up much more with the box.
It does not have the punch like I feel it should with or without the box. I installed the same equipment in a friends 13 Ultra and his is WAAAY better....so yeah, I'm a little pissed!
I reinstalled the box and would say overall it is better WITH the box.
I guess my next step is to put the speakers on the outside of the pods and see if that removes some of the muffled/hollow sound and gives me some punch I am looking for. If not, I guess I am SOL unless UltraNutz's experiment works, or I remove the pods and try the BT brackets, or we get this flash thing figured out....Stay tuned!
My vote, install those fairing speakers outside the pods, just like factory & you will hear a night & day difference.
Mine has no flash, factory stock, using kappa 6.75" 11i up front, no magic box on PBR300X2 gain is set at 5.5...lots of bass & treble...
My own personal observation in all of these are only two points: Install speakers outside, set gain to no higher that 5.5...
hope this helps
**UPDATE**
Today I installed the speakers on the outside of the pods, just like stock, and tested with and without the magic box, and also tested with and without the pods all together.....
I never would have thought it, but it is MUCH better with the speakers on the outside! Much more fullness and no more hollowness. Before they sounded like they were in a box, not anymore! Above poster is correct, night and day difference!
In my opinion, the pods work. I had one speaker mounted to the pod and had a helper hold the other in the free air up the the speaker opening and there was way more sound and fullness with the pod. Granted, having the fairing back on and maybe some polyfill wrapped on the open air speaker would probably help, but I really think the pod helps, at least with the Kappas. A higher quality speaker and amp combo could change that...
Once I determined I wanted the speakers back in the stock location I then started testing the magic box. This was a very tough call, but I would say it's still better with the box.
Without the magic box gains above 6 things start to get garbled, and I couldn't turn it up quite as loud. Put the box back in and the gain can go back up to 9, and I can go louder and turn the bass up. Seems like the box filters out the real low boomy bass.
I am now running without grills so I have been playing with the +3 db on the tweeters. That seems to change with song selection so that's still up in the air.
I didn't do any road testing so all my results are with the bike off and in the garage.
I would say I am now very close to my friend's 13 Ultra with same equipment. Now I want to get them side by side. The weather is supposed to be shitty the next week so I am going to start installing the reduced reach bars so that and some road testing will have to wait.
Today I installed the speakers on the outside of the pods, just like stock, and tested with and without the magic box, and also tested with and without the pods all together.....
I never would have thought it, but it is MUCH better with the speakers on the outside! Much more fullness and no more hollowness. Before they sounded like they were in a box, not anymore! Above poster is correct, night and day difference!
In my opinion, the pods work. I had one speaker mounted to the pod and had a helper hold the other in the free air up the the speaker opening and there was way more sound and fullness with the pod. Granted, having the fairing back on and maybe some polyfill wrapped on the open air speaker would probably help, but I really think the pod helps, at least with the Kappas. A higher quality speaker and amp combo could change that...
Once I determined I wanted the speakers back in the stock location I then started testing the magic box. This was a very tough call, but I would say it's still better with the box.
Without the magic box gains above 6 things start to get garbled, and I couldn't turn it up quite as loud. Put the box back in and the gain can go back up to 9, and I can go louder and turn the bass up. Seems like the box filters out the real low boomy bass.
I am now running without grills so I have been playing with the +3 db on the tweeters. That seems to change with song selection so that's still up in the air.
I didn't do any road testing so all my results are with the bike off and in the garage.
I would say I am now very close to my friend's 13 Ultra with same equipment. Now I want to get them side by side. The weather is supposed to be shitty the next week so I am going to start installing the reduced reach bars so that and some road testing will have to wait.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 714
Likes: 21
From: Northern,CA
I did exactly what u did. Couldnt figure out why the Kappas didnt have much punch to them as far as bass. Dont get me wrong, they r way better than stock. I have the magic box cause of all the horror stories about the different sounds with a flash. Yes, My amp is turned up to the 7-9 level. (rf300x2) But when I changed out the speakers (Focals 165's) The sound was unbelievable. WAAY better and much more bass. My speakers are outside the pods as intended, Cycle sounds grills, 2014 SGS and no flash.
Just my $.02
Just my $.02
I did exactly what u did. Couldnt figure out why the Kappas didnt have much punch to them as far as bass. Dont get me wrong, they r way better than stock. I have the magic box cause of all the horror stories about the different sounds with a flash. Yes, My amp is turned up to the 7-9 level. (rf300x2) But when I changed out the speakers (Focals 165's) The sound was unbelievable. WAAY better and much more bass. My speakers are outside the pods as intended, Cycle sounds grills, 2014 SGS and no flash.
Just my $.02
Just my $.02
Which Focal 165's?
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 714
Likes: 21
From: Northern,CA
PC165's.
I am supper happy with my setup. Some are not with the magic box. I have the Magic box because I was/AM afraid of the dealer flashing my bike. Everything works, so I would hate to mess it up.
That being said. I do have to turn my gains up more than the 5.5 everyone says. The focals seem to need more juice with the RF300, and the gains on mine are set to 7-8.
I think my sound can be better. I hate to think I am sacrificing the sound just because the MOTO doesn't want me to have an aftermarket system. But oh well.
Many thx to the guys on these threads. Without them, I would not have the sound I have.
I am supper happy with my setup. Some are not with the magic box. I have the Magic box because I was/AM afraid of the dealer flashing my bike. Everything works, so I would hate to mess it up.
That being said. I do have to turn my gains up more than the 5.5 everyone says. The focals seem to need more juice with the RF300, and the gains on mine are set to 7-8.
I think my sound can be better. I hate to think I am sacrificing the sound just because the MOTO doesn't want me to have an aftermarket system. But oh well.
Many thx to the guys on these threads. Without them, I would not have the sound I have.
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Advanced
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Florida
I did exactly what u did. Couldnt figure out why the Kappas didnt have much punch to them as far as bass. Dont get me wrong, they r way better than stock. I have the magic box cause of all the horror stories about the different sounds with a flash. Yes, My amp is turned up to the 7-9 level. (rf300x2) But when I changed out the speakers (Focals 165's) The sound was unbelievable. WAAY better and much more bass. My speakers are outside the pods as intended, Cycle sounds grills, 2014 SGS and no flash.
Just my $.02
Just my $.02
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 714
Likes: 21
From: Northern,CA
I never open the pods. Just mounted speakers on outside like stock.
But this DOES bring up a interesting point. The Magic box and RF300 must act differently with different speakers. My kappas sounded terrible. But many here say different. I bet the mb has alot to do with it. And yes, I have to turn the gains way high to get the punch needed.
But this DOES bring up a interesting point. The Magic box and RF300 must act differently with different speakers. My kappas sounded terrible. But many here say different. I bet the mb has alot to do with it. And yes, I have to turn the gains way high to get the punch needed.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,196
Likes: 13
From: Maryland
Ok, let me be the clueless one here.....when you guys mention "pods" are you referring to the white plastic covers that are over the speakers on the 2014 and up bikes? And what exactly is this mentioned "Magic Box" and what's it's purpose? I just installed a RF 300x2 amp with Infinity Kappas 62.11i on the way. Want to get the best sound possible on my 2012 SG.