RF does have an install kit that is plug & play so they aren't all the same. For someone who doesn't do a lot of stereo installs it will save a few trips to the audio store for things that they forgot of just didn't know about. Plus, the RF kit comes with the tray and if you use the RF amp it is a pretty good combo. Not everyone is going to sit in a parking lot and listen to their stereo and no matter how much you spend, at 60MPH you lose over 50% of the sound. I have Mmats and I can attest to the fact that they are not very full even parked. My RF 6x9's sound so much better up to about 40 mph then the wind starts to take over. I wouldn't recomment Mmats, the stock Boom Stage 1 speakers actually sounded better but the Mmats do take a beating and keep on playing.

The OP is asking for a glass of milk and everyone is telling him to by a dairy farm.

 

Some folks have experienced FM reception loss with the Rockford amp. I tried one last year and lost some stations also.....but since I do not listen to FM, it was not an issue. I moved the RF to the bag and installed a stinger in the fairing, most stations came back. Most amps can cause some FM loss .....some worse than others

 

this is exactly what I was worried about and trying to avoid.

 

Thanks for your response. What is a stinger? Did you have to have that to regain your FM stations, or would the amp relocation solve the issue?

Now that I’ve already purchased the amp that installs in the fairing, and now knowing it can cause interference, I’m thinking about maybe just paying the audio shop to install it in the saddlebag if that would prevent interference.

***EDIT***

I just read that Stinger is an amp.

 

Do you mostly listen to a radio or use your BT/phone for music?

 

I guess I’m more old-school as I like listening to the radio over streaming. I didn’t think my reception was super good without adding an amp to the fairing, so it’s concerning to make it even worse.

I just got off the phone with the audio shop and they told me I shouldn’t really experience much loss unless I replace the stock antenna with the hidden antenna. Hopefully things will be fine, or I’ll have to start streaming music more often.

 

On Rockford's website they say that the M5-800X4 is basically the TM series sealed up. That TM400X4ad has been known to scramble RM reception. I can also say from personal experience it gets pretty hot. I had one in my saddlebag and it turned out to be the hottest running amp of the three I had tried in that location. I guess that's why when Rockford made the kit for Harley to mount in the fairing the mounting plate doubled as a heatsink.

I have not personally tried the M5-800X4 amp myself though, I am just going by my own experience with the TM400X4ad that Rockford says the M5 is based off of.

Mr. Phillips it sounds like you have backed yourself into a situation due to haste. I personally would not put the only amp in use on a bike into a saddlebag, it adds a lot of wiring considerations you just don't have to deal with when the amp is in the fairing right on top of the head unit that needs to feed it. I would say just mount it in the fairing and try it out. If you don't like your FM reception after that take your time, watch some more videos, ask some more questions and plan more carefully for your next amplifier choice. You could always sell the Rockford amp you just bought on the BST forum to get some of your money back.

In regards to the phrase "plug and play" I'm going to be the floater in the punch bowl and say it doesn't exist on budget systems. Even the Harley branded amps sometimes require basic wiring skills. The good news is no cutting of factory harnesses is required to install a good basic system if you are not too hung up on one particular name brand or another. Most of the brands you see listed on these boards offer some equipment that suits sled audio great but other equipment that does not. What little wiring knowledge that is required to install a basic system like it sounds like the OP wants is drop dead simple. You just have to be willing to do a little bit of research before spending money.

 

This is a fairly blanket opinion. FWIW folks here give advice on what works versus overpriced kits that fail on performance. Some really aren't looking for a huge upgrade and are satisfied with the kits, the cost, and what they perceive as an easy install. The general populous that comes here with questions are looking for the best bang for their buck and that's what the fine folks here try to help them with through trials of their own of knowing what works and what doesn't. And if you're losing 50% of your volume at highway speeds, then you did it wrong as well.

 

Gotta chime in on this as my suggestion above was indeed a glass of milk so to speak. The RF kit does come with a tray that mounts to the existing tray already on the bike and is not needed. The only reason it is there is to absorb some of the heat created by the tms 400x4 amp. As far as loosing sound at 60mph, yea it gonna happen. If you have the mmats and think the RF tms speakers sound better then you dont have the mmats tuned right. I will bet that you dont have your hu flashed and running thru a bt 355 line leveler. If that is indeed the case then the LL needs tuning also. I will admit that the RF tms690's arent a bad speaker either but again tuning is everything. I ran the complete RF package along with the amp tray, the tms400x4 and tms speakers for a while until I heard different bikes running the same 4 speaker configuration with other speakers. I can also tell you that I have run 20+ sets of different speakers in my current bike just to learn so I can save others from doing and buying the wrong stuff. I am no expert by any means but I can tell you what speakers sound better than the RF setup from personal experience. Its a hobby for me. Not a cheap one but legal and better than booze or drugs. LOL

 

Your statement of mmats sounding worse than boom shows that the tune or install was not right. No way a 2ohm boom 1 will sound better. That aside, I have since removed my mmats for the gz yellow baskets. Not night and day difference, but def more depth and potential.