Product Spotlight: Rockford Fosgate M2D2-10I and M2D4-10I Marine Subwoofers

When choosing subwoofers for a boat audio system, having the correct drivers for the application is crucial to designing a system that sounds good and will last for years. The marine audio fanatics at Rockford Fosgate have a subwoofer solution for every application. We will examine the 10-inch M2-Series M2D2-10I and M2D4-10I subwoofers in this spotlight.

Subwoofer Solutions for Every Application

Before we discuss the M2D2-10I and M2D4-10I subwoofers, we should discuss all available options. The M2-Series includes subwoofers for relatively small sealed or ported enclosures and the I-series for infinite baffle applications. You can choose from 10- or 12-inch woofers with dual 2- or dual 4-ohm voice coils. You can also choose from black or white “sport” grilles. All 16 different M2-Series subwoofers also include a stainless-steel grille insert so you can pick your style before installation.

The M2D2-10I is a 10-inch subwoofer with a white grille and dual 2-ohm voice coils. Its brother is the M2D4-10I, which has dual 4-ohm coils. The same drivers are available with black grilles in the M2D2-10IB and M2D4-10IB.

10-inch Infinite Baffle Subwoofer Specifications

The Rockford Fosgate M2D2-10I and M2D4-10I are rated to handle 400 watts of continuous power with peak power rated at 1,600 watts. The drivers have an efficiency of 90.3 dB and an Xmax specification of 11 millimeters of excursion in each direction. These subwoofers have a stiff aramid-polyester spider with a linear rate to control cone motion without an enclosure. The result is a driver that plays loudly without concerns about the woofer cone bottoming out.

Marine Subwoofer Features

These subwoofers are based around a 30% fiberglass-reinforced PA66 nylon basket. The mixture includes UV inhibitors, so the plastics won’t chalk, fade, crack or discolor when exposed to the sun. The electrical connections are made via Deutsch/Amphenol connectors with gold-plated brass terminals molded into the basket. The basket also has integrated cooling vents protected with nano-coated mesh to keep water out.

The woofer cone is made from mineral-filled polypropylene. The mineral powder adds thermal stability and improves the damping characteristics. A large 2-inch Kapton voice coil serves as the heart of the subwoofer. The tinsel leads from the voice coil to the terminals are encased in silicone to protect them from damage. Rockford Fosgate includes a VERSA switch that lets your installer quickly select between series and parallel wiring to simplify the installation. For dual 2-ohm models, the VERSA switch allows you to select between 1-ohm (parallel) or 4-ohm (series). On dual 4-ohm models, you can select 2-ohm or 8-ohm.

The top of the cone is bonded to a UV-stable, injection-molded foam surround. The surround mounts vertically to the edge of the basket. Rockford Fosgate calls this their Vertical Attach Surround Technique, a design that increases the effective cone area while maintaining standard mounting dimensions. The effective surface area of the M2D2-10I subwoofer is 363 square centimeters or 56.72 square inches. Popular competing products have 320 to 340 square centimeters. When it comes to optimizing efficiency, cone area matters.

Designed for Durability

The Rockford Fosgate engineering team takes reliability seriously. Their marine speakers and subwoofers pass torture tests to earn their Element Ready label. These include 500 hours of accelerated UV and salt fog testing, an IPX6 water intrusion rating and durability testing that meets the ISO60068-2-64 standard. A two-year warranty backs the M2-Series marine subwoofers against manufacturing defects.

Color Optix Integrated Lighting

Nobody can think of a wakeboard boat without thinking about style. As mentioned, you can choose from white or black sport grilles and decide whether you want the stainless inserts installed. Rockford Fosgate has integrated RGB LED lighting under the grille in a design they call Color Optix to take things a step further. You can choose from thousands of illumination colors using the RF Connect smartphone app with the optional PMX-RGB lighting controller. You can also configure color-shifting patterns if you want. Of course, the wiring for the lighting, along with the circuit boards, also meets the Element Ready requirements.

Infinite Baffle Installation Simplicity

We should clarify the definition of an “infinite baffle” subwoofer installation. This refers to mounting the subwoofer in a location where the sound coming from the back of the driver can’t mix with the sound from the front. In short, it’s like mounting the subwoofer in a wall that extends forever. In a boat, a storage locker under a seat is one of the most common installation locations. Many infinite baffle subwoofers are mounted in the podium in a center-console boat.

Upgrade Your Marine Audio System with Rockford Fosgate M2 Subwoofers Today!

Whether you want your marine audio system to play louder or deliver a solid kick, the Rockford Fosgate M2D2-10I and M2D4-10I infinite baffle marine subwoofers are perfect. Drop by a local authorized retailer today to discover how these subwoofers can transform your time on the water. For more information about Rockford Fosgate products, visit their website, Facebook page, Instagram feed or YouTube channel.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Are High-Efficiency Speakers Better?

If you are an avid car audio enthusiast, it’s likely that you’ve seen photos of or heard systems that use high-efficiency pro audio style speakers. These drivers were designed for PA systems at concerts and can produce impressive output levels with moderate levels of power from an amp. In this article, we are going to look at the benefits and drawbacks of using pro-sound speakers in applications like a motorcycle.

What Determines Speaker Efficiency?

Before we dive into the differences between conventional car audio speakers and high-efficiency speakers, let’s take a quick look at the definition of speaker efficiency and what design features change this value.

Speaker efficiency specifications describe how much acoustic output a speaker produces for a given amount of input signal. A proper rating will look something like this: 88 dB (2.83 V/1M). This specification means that the speaker will produce a sound pressure level of 88 dB when driven with 2.83 volts of signal from an amplifier and measured using a microphone placed 1 meter away from the face of the speaker cone. Increasing or decreasing the supplied power will dramatically affect the specification. As an example, you may see companies use the 1 watt/1 meter standard. 2.83 volts is 1 watt of power into an 8-ohm load. For a 4-ohm car audio speaker, 2.83 volts is 2 watts. You can subtract 3 dB from the 2-watt specification to get the 1-watt number, and vice-versa.

Several technical design details determine speaker efficiency. One of the biggest factors is the weight of the cone and voice coil assembly. A lightweight cone assembly is easier to move and typically produces more output with less power. The drawback of this low-mass design is that the resonant frequency of the speaker will be higher and the driver won’t produce anywhere as much bass. This is the basic trade-off between conventional car audio speakers and pro-sound drivers.

Efficiency Versus Low-Frequency Output

When reproducing music, extended low-frequency extension adds a great deal of impact and realism to the listening experience. Vocals and midrange from the 175 to 200 Hz region are of course crucial, but adding another octave below that is the difference in between listening to music from a smartphone or a clock radio and the capabilities of a real stereo system.

Let’s compare two popular 6.5-inch woofers, both intended for car audio applications. Speaker A is a conventional car audio woofer designed to be used with a tweeter and is intended for installation in the door of your car or truck. Speaker B is a high-efficiency pro audio style midrange and will also need a separate tweeter to play above 3,000 Hz.

The graph below shows the predicted low-frequency response of Speaker A in red and Speaker B in yellow in an effectively infinite baffle application (a door or motorcycle fairing that isn’t sealed). The shown levels refer to each driver being supplied with 1 watt of power.

High-Efficiency Speakers — Low-frequency response of a car audio version pro audio 6.5-inch midrange.

As you can see, Speaker A produces about 90.5 dB of output at 630 Hz where Speaker B is at 93.3 dB. The trade-off is that Speaker B only produces 81.4 dB of output at 70 Hz where Speaker A produces 84 dB. These numbers are actually pretty small, but the overall tonal balance of the two options would be audible.

If you look at some of the popular target equalization curves that tuners use, they typically tune for flat midrange response from about 3,000 Hz down to around 100 Hz. Emphasis in the upper midrange is not typically desirable. If you have a digital signal processor in your system, your tuner could use the equalizer to lower those frequencies, but that doesn’t make the bass region play any louder in absolute terms.

How Loudly Will It Play?

When it comes to motorcycle audio, clients want their systems to play as loudly as possible to drown out loud exhaust systems and wind noise while on the freeway. The defining factor in how loudly a speaker will play is its excursion capability. For our example above, Speaker A is rated to have an Xmax specification (one-way excursion limit) of 4 mm while Speaker B is limited to 1.2 mm because of its short, lightweight voice coil former.

The graph below shows how low each driver can play when driven with 70 watts of power before the cone assembly starts to leave the magnetic gap and distortion increases dramatically. With the high-efficiency pro audio speaker, you will have to implement a high-pass filter in the system to limit power below 150 Hz. With Speaker A, you can let the driver play down to 60 Hz before the voice coil starts to come out of the gap with the same amount of power.

Which Speaker Solution Is Right for Your Application?

Based on the science behind how speakers work, the argument for using a pro audio type speaker without the addition of a dedicated woofer of some sort seems illogical. If the amount of power you have available is limited, then a high-efficiency speaker might be worthwhile. With that said, even the smallest of high-quality amplifiers can produce at least 45 or 50 watts of power, which should be more than enough to drown out road and wind noise in almost any situation.

If you have plans to add a dedicated woofer to the saddlebag or trunk on your bike, and can find one that will play up to 150 or 200 Hz without significant distorting, then pro-style high-efficiency speakers may be a good option if all that matters is how loudly the system will play.

It’s worth noting: If you look at motorcycle and powersports-specific upgrade packages from companies like ARC Audio, Rockford Fosgate, JL Audio and Kicker, they all use a conventional speaker design that offers great bass performance.

If you need a hand choosing the right speaker for your application, drop by your local specialist car stereo retailer. They can provide some insight into the best solution for your vehicle and your listening style.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Apple CarPlay Entertainment Options Expanded

iPhone users are excited by the news that Tidal and SiriusXM are now part-compatible with Apple CarPlay. These subscription-based music services add to the extensive entertainment selections already available for control by using your voice. Let’s take a close look at these new Apple CarPlay entertainment options.

What is Tidal?

In similar fashion to Google Play Music and Apple Music, Tidal is a music streaming service with a catalog of almost 50 million songs. Tidal has differentiated itself by claiming to pay the highest royalties to artists and rights owners. (Before you rush out to sign a record deal, keep in mind that artists get about 10% of the income paid to the owners of master copies and the publishers/record companies).

Tidal emphasizes its commitment to creating and supporting a sustainable music industry at every opportunity. Well-known performers listed as artist-owners on their website include Alicia Keys, Arcade Fire’s Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, Beyoncé, Calvin Harris, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Daft Punk, Damian Marley, deadmau5, Indochine, J. Cole, Jack White, Jason Aldean, Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, T.I., and Usher. You can see all of the information at HERE if you want more details.

What Does Tidal Cost?

Tidal offers two levels of service. The Premium service costs $9.99 a month and provides users with access to Tidal’s song, music video and editorial content. The HiFi subscription chimes in at $19.99 a month and delivers audio in uncompressed, CD-quality FLAC formats as well as 50,000 tracks from Warner Music Group in Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) formats. There is some debate about the true benefit of MQA, but you can be confident that both FLAC CD-Quality and MQA formats far exceed what you are used to hearing from conventional streaming services.

With the addition of Tidal to the CarPlay family, you can now enjoy your music with dramatically improved sound quality and access your favorite music by simply asking for it.

SiriusXM Radio on Apple CarPlay

SiriusXM shouldn’t be new to mobile audio enthusiasts. All of the key source unit manufacturers offer SiriusXM compatibility on their premium source unit options, and most automakers include SXM receivers in their mid- and top-trim level vehicles. With more than 140 channels of genre-specific entertainment and coverage for most of North America, SiriusXM allows music enthusiasts to enjoy programming in extremely remote areas.

The addition of SiriusXM Radio to the CarPlay family is more about functionality and integration than about service. A satellite-based subscription or streaming subscription has a base price of $15.99 per month. If you have a satellite-based subscription, you can add streaming access for $4 per month.

To be clear, the addition of SiriusXM Radio to the CarPlay family does not mean you can control your hardware-based satellite radio receiver.

Why Choose SiriusXM Radio?

Just as with other applications, the benefit of being part of the CarPlay family is in the safety of the interface. If you want to listen to Howard Stern, get play-by-play from the big game or listen to your favorite music, all you have to do is ask.

Communicate and Be Entertained Safely with CarPlay

If your vehicle doesn’t already have Apple CarPlay, drop by your local mobile enhancement retailer and check out the wide variety of multimedia receivers available. Be sure to bring along your iPhone so you can see just how easy, intuitive and safe Apple CarPlay is.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Everything You Need To Know About SiriusXM Satellite Radio

It seems you can’t go anywhere these days without hearing or seeing evidence of SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Satellite radio is touted as a commercial-free entertainment solution that can be accessed almost anywhere in North America. With more than 175 channels of music, comedy, sports and talk radio available 24 hours a day, there is always something to listen to. Let’s look at the how satellite radio began, how it works and why it has been so popular.

The Early Days of Satellite Radio

XM Satellite Radio evolved from the American Mobile Satellite Corp. AMSC was a consortium of companies that wanted to use satellite technology to broadcast telephone, data and fax information around the country. In 1992, AMSC formed the American Mobile Radio Corp. to develop a satellite-based digital radio service. AMRC was spun off from AMSC in 1998 as XM Satellite Radio. XM Radio was first to broadcast, launching on Sept. 25, 2001.

In 1990, Sirius Satellite Radio set out to attract customers and vehicle manufacturing partners to its proposed music service. After years of planning, development and licensing, Sirius launched three satellites in July 2000 and started broadcasting in January 2002.

Satellite radio was the hot ticket in the early the early 2000s, and partnerships with automakers were crucially important to each company. Sirius gained the support of Ford, BMW and Chrysler, while XM had General Motors, Honda and Toyota on board.

Satellite Radio Company Merger

In January 2005, the New York Post announced that Sirius and XM would merge into a single company on Feb. 19, 2007. The combined companies had about 14 million subscribers, but neither company had posted a profit. The result of the merger was SiriusXM – the brand we have now.

SiriusXM is now integrated into 75 percent of the new car market, with roughly 40 percent of those vehicle owners becoming subscribers. As of late 2017, there are about 32 million subscribers.

How Satellite Radio Works

Satellite radio is actually a very simple broadcasting system. The company has its main studios in Rockefeller Center in New York City and in Washington, D.C. Secondary facilities are in Los Angeles, Nashville and Memphis. The company plays music from its extensive catalog and has live performance spaces to host musicians and performers from all genres.

The information is broadcast to a set of satellites above the Earth that rebroadcast that information back to Earth. The broadcast covers most of North America. The satellite radio receiver in your vehicle (car, truck, boat or aircraft) uses a compact antenna to pick up the signal and extract the channel of audio you want to enjoy.

They Really Have Satellites?

Whether it’s a live performance, your favorite music or a great discussion about religion or politics, all of the information is combined into a complex digital signal that is transmitted to a set of five active satellites that cover North America. XM-2 and XM-5 are in a geostationary position above the Earth. That is to say, they stay in the same relative position all the time. Positioned about 22,370 miles above the Earth, the satellites relay broadcast information from the studio transmitters to all of North America, excluding the left half of Alaska. XM-2 covers the west side of the country while XM-3 covers the east.

The Sirius satellites also operate in geostationary orbits. Sirius FM-6 covers the West Coast while Sirius FM-5 is located south of New Orleans to cover the East. Early Sirius satellites (Sirius 1, Sirius 2 and Sirius 3) crossed the planet in a figure 8 pattern that had two of the three over North America at any time.

As you can see, there have been many satellites over the almost 20 years of satellite radio. In total, nine have been launched, with the most recent being Sirius FM-6 on Oct. 25, 2013. Sirius FM-6 was the first to broadcast both Sirius and XM transmission frequencies.

The Benefit of Satellite Radio

So, what’s the big deal? Why do people gravitate toward satellite radio? The answer comes from its coverage. You can make a road trip from Miami, up to Montreal, across to Vancouver then down to San Diego without having to change the station. If you want to listen to Howard Stern for the entire 90 hours of driving, you most certainly can.

Conventional terrestrial broadcasts (AM and FM radio) are limited in their coverage areas. In fact, the FCC regulates the strength of the signal (to 70 dBu, or decibels relative to one microvolt per meter of signal strength). That way, a station frequency can be re-used again in a relatively nearby location. The actual distance varies because of atmospheric conditions but usually covers 75 to 100 miles from the transmitter. Because each station is responsible for its own content, if spaced perfectly, you’d need to change stations between 60 and 80 times. In reality, you’d need likely a few thousand attempts to find a station that was playing the type of music you wanted.

More Than Just Cars and Trucks

SiriusXM satellite radio services have been synonymous with marine entertainment systems since they launched. Many people have cottages or camps in very remote areas that have few if any radio stations at all, so being able to enjoy their favorite genre of entertainment is fantastic. Likewise, receivers such as the SiriusXM Sound Station let you enjoy music in your home.

Things You Didn’t Know SiriusXM Could Do

Most of us are used to having satellite radio entertainment in the car, but there are several other applications for the system as well. Many aircraft, both small and large, can get weather and location information using a SiriusXM Aviation receiver. In fact, many Garmin aviation-specific products have the SXM receiver built in.

SiriusXM Marine provides weather information including lighting strike locations and radar, fishing information and more. Many Garmin, Raymarine, Simrad, Lowrance, B&G and Furuno devices are compatible with SiriusXM Marine.

SiriusXM Music for Business offers entertainment solutions that are tailored to different business types. Serve Happy covers restaurants and bars, and Shop Happy is designed for retail stores. There are channels for waiting rooms, spa and fitness businesses, banks and even music dedicated to use when clients must be put on hold on the phone.

Currently only available on OEM source units, SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link provide traffic flow information as well as local weather, fuel prices, sports scores and even movie listings. Traffic information mimics that of terrestrial RDS-TMC services in major urban areas.

The Cost of SiriusXM Satellite Radio

With the need to replace satellites roughly every 15 years, license music, pay hosts and celebrities, SiriusXM requires a subscription to access its services. In the U.S., prices start at $10.99 a month for 80 basic channels. If you want some of the artist-specific channels and MLB, NBA and NHL coverage, that rises to $15.99. To add Howard Stern, NFL and NASCAR coverage, the price is $19.99. Adding the ability to stream Sirius XM to your computer increases any of the above by $4 a month.

Enjoy the Entertainment You Want, Almost Anywhere

Whether you are in downtown New York or venturing to Supai, Arizona (the most remote community in the contiguous U.S.), enjoying your music is easy with SiriusXM satellite radio. If your vehicle doesn’t already have a satellite radio receiver, drop by your local mobile enhancement retailer and ask about your options to add SiriusXM.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Car Audio System Setup

It may seem as if they should be similar processes, but installing a new source unit, amplifiers and speakers in a car is unlike installing most home audio systems. It is not as simple as plugging things in and hoping they work. Proper integration of your new electronics into modern vehicles and their wiring is getting more and more complicated as complex factory sound systems become more involved. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the need to configure the equipment you have selected. Your installer will include this setup time in the cost to install your system. What does system setup and configuration involve? Read on to find out.

Signal-level Adjustments

When it comes to adding an amplifier to your vehicle, the most significant adjustment your installer will make is to adjust the amplifier’s sensitivity or gain control. Amplifiers have these controls so they can be compatible with a variety of different source units with different maximum output voltages.

Amplifiers are relatively simple devices in concept. They take an audio signal from your source unit and increase its voltage so it can drive a speaker. A 100 watt amplifier has to be able to increase a 1 volt signal more than a 4 volt signal to reach the 20 volts required to produce 100 watts into a 4 ohm speaker. The gain or sensitivity control lets us adjust for almost any source unit voltage.

Why Sensitivity Adjustments are Important

If the sensitivity of the amplifier is set too low, you will not be able to get the full power of your amplifier. If it is set too high, then you can drive the amplifier into distortion quite quickly. Too much “gain” can also add noise to the system in the form of hiss. A little extra is OK to allow quiet recordings to be played loudly, but too much is a surefire sign that whoever set up the system did not fully understand gain structure.

System Setup Tools

Different shops use different techniques to set gains on amplifiers. Some use an oscilloscope along with a set of test tones. Others use distortion detection devices like the SMD DD-1 or DD-1+. Finally, some installers are quite adept at setting up systems by ear, but that comes with years and years of experience.

As long as the system plays loudly without significant noise or distortion, the settings can be considered correct. If the system runs out of power at half-volume, then it needs some more adjustments.

Crossover Adjustments

There are two main advantages of adding a subwoofer to an audio system. A subwoofer provides more bass output than a typical set of door speakers could ever hope to produce. The secondary benefit is to relieve the small speakers of their requirement to try to produce bass. This reduction in bass reduces the distance the speaker cones have to move and directly reduces the potential for distortion. Midrange frequencies can be reproduced with improved clarity and at higher levels.

Tying this back to system tuning, how we set the crossovers built into your amplifier is crucial to ensuring that the output of your system blends perfectly between the midrange speakers and the subwoofer. If the crossover points overlap, there can be too much midbass, and the system will sound boomy or “honky.” If the crossover points underlap, the system probably won’t have enough midbass and will sound very dry and flat; the subwoofer can also sound “separated” from the system, reducing the coherence and realism of your music.

Speaker Polarity Adjustments

Because each vehicle is different, sometimes the direction a speaker faces requires that we wire it in reverse polarity for the output to combine properly from an acoustical standpoint. This requirement is very common with subwoofers, since they are often pointed in the opposite direction from the smaller interior speakers. Properly trained and equipped installers know how to measure the frequency response of a system and correct for that. In most cases, an audio analyzer is the best choice for setting up a system. These can be stand-alone units from companies like AudioControl and NTI or software-based solutions that work with a laptop, netbook or tablet.

Left-to-right speaker polarity, and the polarity between midrange drivers and tweeters, depends on placement and crossover slopes. These regions deserve analysis before a car leaves the install bay.

Leave It to the Experts

A properly tuned sound system will play louder, last longer and be much more enjoyable to listen to. As you can see from even from this overview, the tools and training required to maximize the performance of even a simple mobile sound system can be expensive and complicated. The staff at your local mobile enhancement retailer should be familiar with these processes and employ them on each installation they perform. Confirming this is part of your process in selecting a retailer that is qualified to work on your vehicle.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Subwoofer Solutions for Every Application

10-inch Infinite Baffle Subwoofer Specifications

Marine Subwoofer Features

Designed for Durability

Color Optix Integrated Lighting

Infinite Baffle Installation Simplicity

Upgrade Your Marine Audio System with Rockford Fosgate M2 Subwoofers Today!

What Determines Speaker Efficiency?

Efficiency Versus Low-Frequency Output

How Loudly Will It Play?

Which Speaker Solution Is Right for Your Application?

What is Tidal?

What Does Tidal Cost?

SiriusXM Radio on Apple CarPlay

Why Choose SiriusXM Radio?

Communicate and Be Entertained Safely with CarPlay

The Early Days of Satellite Radio

Satellite Radio Company Merger

How Satellite Radio Works

They Really Have Satellites?

The Benefit of Satellite Radio

More Than Just Cars and Trucks

Things You Didn’t Know SiriusXM Could Do

The Cost of SiriusXM Satellite Radio

Enjoy the Entertainment You Want, Almost Anywhere

Signal-level Adjustments

Why Sensitivity Adjustments are Important

System Setup Tools

Crossover Adjustments

Speaker Polarity Adjustments

Leave It to the Experts

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