The Official 2014 audio upgrade thread
magic box came in. waiting fo new rca cables
Novice
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh
I just installed the Magic Box today in my SGS with Rockford Fosgate T400x4ad amp. I had to reconnect the RCA I cut off of the harness in my original install (solder and heat shrink to make it right) and it was all plug and play. I had to completely reset the gains on the amp though after install. Before, using the high level inputs, the amp would sense the signal in the speaker inputs and turn on. Now that it is coming in through the RCA's, I had to hook up the remote wire to the Cig Lighter.
Original setting on the amp gain was roughly 1/4 and it sounded great in the garage in accessory mode. When the bike was started, all bass was gone and sounded "tinny" as one person called it. When you would turn the engine off, the sound would all come back full and sound great.
Now adding the magic box, and my gains set at the 1/4 as before, full volume was not very loud at all and sounded weak. I adjusted my gains, crossover adjustment and punch EQ. If I remember correctly, the gains are now at 3/4 - 7/8's crossover is High Pass cutoff around 80hz-ish and Punch EQ is at 3/4's and the sound is out of this world. Took the bike for a ride and can tell immediately that the sound quality was much much better.
One complaint is slight white noise from the speakers at lowest/no volume due to the gain setting on the amp. But it is minimum and I'll be riding it and wont here it once its started.
Setup consists of:
Rockford Fosgate Power T400x4ad
Hybrid Audio Technologies Imagine 6.5's (Faring) Boom Grills
Hybrid Audio Technologies Imagine 57's (Harley Boom Saddle Bags)
Cycle Sounds "Magic Box"
iPod Nano
FM4500
Original setting on the amp gain was roughly 1/4 and it sounded great in the garage in accessory mode. When the bike was started, all bass was gone and sounded "tinny" as one person called it. When you would turn the engine off, the sound would all come back full and sound great.
Now adding the magic box, and my gains set at the 1/4 as before, full volume was not very loud at all and sounded weak. I adjusted my gains, crossover adjustment and punch EQ. If I remember correctly, the gains are now at 3/4 - 7/8's crossover is High Pass cutoff around 80hz-ish and Punch EQ is at 3/4's and the sound is out of this world. Took the bike for a ride and can tell immediately that the sound quality was much much better.
One complaint is slight white noise from the speakers at lowest/no volume due to the gain setting on the amp. But it is minimum and I'll be riding it and wont here it once its started.
Setup consists of:
Rockford Fosgate Power T400x4ad
Hybrid Audio Technologies Imagine 6.5's (Faring) Boom Grills
Hybrid Audio Technologies Imagine 57's (Harley Boom Saddle Bags)
Cycle Sounds "Magic Box"
iPod Nano
FM4500
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 466
Likes: 9
From: Jacksonville, IL
So is the big difference between the current biketronics systems and the new version that will be coming out that the new will be plug n play? I'm looking at fairing speakers for right now only with amp. Would the current bt offerings be fine plus the magic box?
FOR THOSE RUNNING OR CONSIDERING KICKERS
I believe I was the first one to use these speakers (Kicker CS67) in the Rush bikes. I even had Bill from Biketronics order a pair while on the phone with me so he could test them out. Well my testing is complete; they were killed by my BT4180 amp. By all accounts they were a great speaker till they gave out. Great sound and probably the best bass you'll get out of a set of 6.5s that will fit on a bike. Not to mention a great price point. However they were not up to the task of an extended run with the power that the BT4180 puts out. They made the 3 hour trip up to Americade, and a two 1.5 hour rides while up there, plus plenty of short runs, but while on the way home they finally had enough and gave out at about the halfway mark. Ive tested and gone over everything else, and it was without question the power handling of the speakers themselves. They just got cooked running for hours at a decent volume while rocking down the highway at 75. Meanwhile my Biketronics Titans/HAT speakers in the front fairing are running strong without a hiccup.
I have since spoken to Bill again at Biketronics and they do not yet have a good solution for the rear speaker pods on the rush bikes, and won't anytime real soon. He did inform me that they are days away from starting production of their propriety brackets that will replace the internal speaker pods, and allow for the installation of their 7.1 speakers. That being said Bill recommended a set of Alpine SPR-60 speakers for the rear pods. They have been using them in their test bike with great results and have had no issues with them as they are rated at 300 watts of power handling per speaker. I will be installing these later today and will let you guys know how it goes. I'm still waiting for my cycle sounds magic boxes. Hopefully they will show up later today and I can install them as well.
TTFN
I believe I was the first one to use these speakers (Kicker CS67) in the Rush bikes. I even had Bill from Biketronics order a pair while on the phone with me so he could test them out. Well my testing is complete; they were killed by my BT4180 amp. By all accounts they were a great speaker till they gave out. Great sound and probably the best bass you'll get out of a set of 6.5s that will fit on a bike. Not to mention a great price point. However they were not up to the task of an extended run with the power that the BT4180 puts out. They made the 3 hour trip up to Americade, and a two 1.5 hour rides while up there, plus plenty of short runs, but while on the way home they finally had enough and gave out at about the halfway mark. Ive tested and gone over everything else, and it was without question the power handling of the speakers themselves. They just got cooked running for hours at a decent volume while rocking down the highway at 75. Meanwhile my Biketronics Titans/HAT speakers in the front fairing are running strong without a hiccup.
I have since spoken to Bill again at Biketronics and they do not yet have a good solution for the rear speaker pods on the rush bikes, and won't anytime real soon. He did inform me that they are days away from starting production of their propriety brackets that will replace the internal speaker pods, and allow for the installation of their 7.1 speakers. That being said Bill recommended a set of Alpine SPR-60 speakers for the rear pods. They have been using them in their test bike with great results and have had no issues with them as they are rated at 300 watts of power handling per speaker. I will be installing these later today and will let you guys know how it goes. I'm still waiting for my cycle sounds magic boxes. Hopefully they will show up later today and I can install them as well.
TTFN
Last edited by MontyCop05; Jun 10, 2014 at 02:31 PM.
That I can't answer as of now. I haven't inquired with Bill if they will be including plug and play HD connectors. Historically they didn't as they cater more to the audio enthusiast whom typically just cuts and splices. I'd call and ask. I don't know if they will be offering a "kit" perse', or just the new 14' model fairing brackets that allow you to install their 7.1s. Any of the BT amps will work fine on a 14' now. Its just the Pods (front & rear) that have been limiting them on using the HAT speakers.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 466
Likes: 9
From: Jacksonville, IL
FOR THOSE RUNNING OR CONSIDERING KICKERS
I believe I was the first one to use these speakers (Kicker CS67) in the Rush bikes. I even had Bill from Biketronics order a pair while on the phone with me so he could test them out. Well my testing is complete; they were killed by my BT4180 amp. By all accounts they were a great speaker till they gave out. Great sound and probably the best bass you'll get out of a set of 6.5s that will fit on a bike. Not to mention a great price point. However they were not up to the task of an extended run with the power that the BT4180 puts out. They made the 3 hour trip up to Americade, and a two 1.5 hour rides while up there, plus plenty of short runs, but while on the way home they finally had enough and gave out at about the halfway mark. Ive tested and gone over everything else, and it was without question the power handling of the speakers themselves. They just got cooked running for hours at a decent volume while rocking down the highway at 75. Meanwhile my Biketronics Titans/HAT speakers in the front fairing are running strong without a hiccup.
I have since spoken to Bill again at Biketronics and they do not yet have a good solution for the rear speaker pods on the rush bikes, and won't anytime real soon. He did inform me that they are days away from starting production of their propriety brackets that will replace the internal speaker pods, and allow for the installation of their 7.1 speakers. That being said Bill recommended a set of Alpine SPR-60 speakers for the rear pods. They have been using them in their test bike with great results and have had no issues with them as they are rated at 300 watts of power handling per speaker. I will be installing these later today and will let you guys know how it goes. I'm still waiting for my cycle sounds magic boxes. Hopefully they will show up later today and I can install them as well.
TTFN
I believe I was the first one to use these speakers (Kicker CS67) in the Rush bikes. I even had Bill from Biketronics order a pair while on the phone with me so he could test them out. Well my testing is complete; they were killed by my BT4180 amp. By all accounts they were a great speaker till they gave out. Great sound and probably the best bass you'll get out of a set of 6.5s that will fit on a bike. Not to mention a great price point. However they were not up to the task of an extended run with the power that the BT4180 puts out. They made the 3 hour trip up to Americade, and a two 1.5 hour rides while up there, plus plenty of short runs, but while on the way home they finally had enough and gave out at about the halfway mark. Ive tested and gone over everything else, and it was without question the power handling of the speakers themselves. They just got cooked running for hours at a decent volume while rocking down the highway at 75. Meanwhile my Biketronics Titans/HAT speakers in the front fairing are running strong without a hiccup.
I have since spoken to Bill again at Biketronics and they do not yet have a good solution for the rear speaker pods on the rush bikes, and won't anytime real soon. He did inform me that they are days away from starting production of their propriety brackets that will replace the internal speaker pods, and allow for the installation of their 7.1 speakers. That being said Bill recommended a set of Alpine SPR-60 speakers for the rear pods. They have been using them in their test bike with great results and have had no issues with them as they are rated at 300 watts of power handling per speaker. I will be installing these later today and will let you guys know how it goes. I'm still waiting for my cycle sounds magic boxes. Hopefully they will show up later today and I can install them as well.
TTFN
Correct. When I talked to him yesterday they were expecting the final prototype in that day. As long as all is well, then production would start and they should be on line to be sold as of July 1st. At least thats the timetable they're shooting for.
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Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Kansas
FOR THOSE RUNNING OR CONSIDERING KICKERS
I believe I was the first one to use these speakers (Kicker CS67) in the Rush bikes. I even had Bill from Biketronics order a pair while on the phone with me so he could test them out. Well my testing is complete; they were killed by my BT4180 amp. By all accounts they were a great speaker till they gave out. Great sound and probably the best bass you'll get out of a set of 6.5s that will fit on a bike. Not to mention a great price point. However they were not up to the task of an extended run with the power that the BT4180 puts out. They made the 3 hour trip up to Americade, and a two 1.5 hour rides while up there, plus plenty of short runs, but while on the way home they finally had enough and gave out at about the halfway mark. Ive tested and gone over everything else, and it was without question the power handling of the speakers themselves. They just got cooked running for hours at a decent volume while rocking down the highway at 75. Meanwhile my Biketronics Titans/HAT speakers in the front fairing are running strong without a hiccup.
I have since spoken to Bill again at Biketronics and they do not yet have a good solution for the rear speaker pods on the rush bikes, and won't anytime real soon. He did inform me that they are days away from starting production of their propriety brackets that will replace the internal speaker pods, and allow for the installation of their 7.1 speakers. That being said Bill recommended a set of Alpine SPR-60 speakers for the rear pods. They have been using them in their test bike with great results and have had no issues with them as they are rated at 300 watts of power handling per speaker. I will be installing these later today and will let you guys know how it goes. I'm still waiting for my cycle sounds magic boxes. Hopefully they will show up later today and I can install them as well.
TTFN
I believe I was the first one to use these speakers (Kicker CS67) in the Rush bikes. I even had Bill from Biketronics order a pair while on the phone with me so he could test them out. Well my testing is complete; they were killed by my BT4180 amp. By all accounts they were a great speaker till they gave out. Great sound and probably the best bass you'll get out of a set of 6.5s that will fit on a bike. Not to mention a great price point. However they were not up to the task of an extended run with the power that the BT4180 puts out. They made the 3 hour trip up to Americade, and a two 1.5 hour rides while up there, plus plenty of short runs, but while on the way home they finally had enough and gave out at about the halfway mark. Ive tested and gone over everything else, and it was without question the power handling of the speakers themselves. They just got cooked running for hours at a decent volume while rocking down the highway at 75. Meanwhile my Biketronics Titans/HAT speakers in the front fairing are running strong without a hiccup.
I have since spoken to Bill again at Biketronics and they do not yet have a good solution for the rear speaker pods on the rush bikes, and won't anytime real soon. He did inform me that they are days away from starting production of their propriety brackets that will replace the internal speaker pods, and allow for the installation of their 7.1 speakers. That being said Bill recommended a set of Alpine SPR-60 speakers for the rear pods. They have been using them in their test bike with great results and have had no issues with them as they are rated at 300 watts of power handling per speaker. I will be installing these later today and will let you guys know how it goes. I'm still waiting for my cycle sounds magic boxes. Hopefully they will show up later today and I can install them as well.
TTFN
http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Produ...500SPR60&g=400