Need a recommendation for a new amp. Currently have the stock HU, Arc KS125-2 amp and BT 7.1's in my 13 SG. Speakers want more power than the 70 watt RMS the arc puts out. One problem is I don't go past half volume on the HU before the distortion starts. Maybe replace the HU before the amp? Was considering the BT2180 amp and would like some feedback on it. I listen to FM stations often and I'm not close to any of them so the signal is weak.
Also, hit a deer last week and the bike may be getting a new HU and speakers so now is the time to change.

 

Sounds like you got it under control brother. Guys I know with the 2180 love it after they get it dialed in with the rest of their system. There are no gain settings so the HU becomes a very important factor. Another alternative might be the Cerwin Vega B2. I've read a few post on this forum where guys said they didn't lose FM with this amp and it has great specs for the 7.1's. Have not tried one myself so I can't verify the results but personally I'd rather have an amp that I can set my own gains.

 

Head unit will be the weak link if you do get a bigger amp. I went with a kenwood, it doesn't distort at half volume like the HK. I'd start there, I know the 7.1's like a lot of power, but MY 2 cents would be the head unit is holding you back.

 

It flat out is a PIA (pain in the ****) to set the sound up on the 2180's. I'm at least a month in and still tweaking. I've figured out the source has a hell of a lot to do with it. All the phone music apps sound different, so if you go from I tunes music to Pandora to spotify, you almost have to know what settings you need on the radio EQ to make them all sound the best. I don't know if the infinite adjustability of the kenwood is a blessing or a curse to be honest. All I know is I can tweak it all day long and then one song will come on and its like "damn it time to tweak it some more".

 

Yes Sir! That's exactly what I'm hearing from the guys who have the 2180. I've been on the fence with the 4180 for about a year now just for that very reason. . I hear guys in the parking lot with the 4180 and to me my TN4.900 sounds just as good if not better. Those guys always ask me what amp I'm running. I think they are surprised when I tell em it's a Soundstream TN4.900 and a Power Acoustic RZ4.2000D. I'm looking at the Rockford T400XAD to replace the PA. I really like the fact that it has an input/output clip detection feature. Takes all the guess work out of setting the gains and getting the perfect signal. Don't get me wrong. . . Nothing wrong with the PA. Jut me and my OCD. . . lol

 

Cerwin Vega B2 and B4 seem to be getting hard to get (Out of Stock on multiple known audio retail sites)
Was surfing the web a bit... ebay has seller that really dives under the common pricing out there...
B4 - 180 bucks
B2 - 140 bucks

pretty sure it is NOT an authorized dealer but still... saving quite some money.

 

Was not an easy tune, but I do love the amp, no clipping, no real draw, no heat issues, no fm issues and makes the 7.1's jump. For a two speaker system it holds it own with anything else I've heard, BUT as per the norm I want more.

 

SO with the no gain BT issue, Aren't the gain set automatically in the amps circuitry by detecting clipping off the hu source. I sure Bill told me that.


Hell I think my HK hu with line level outputs sound dam fine at 1/2 volume NP


I am using Mp3 gain to even the music on my mp3player and all the songs are even volume level and it Rocks I even can EQ the Bass up and tweets down with a 5 band eq on the player, all for 34 dollars and it can hold a 16 gig mcroo SDHC

 

They do automatically adjust or are pre set. As opposed to the old method of turning it up until it distorts and then turning it back down a half a turn so it doesn't distort, this is a little more involved because its like the amp is set at max throttle all the time and depending on what you are sending to it, it will amplify it. When you set an amp below its capabilities you have a little more wiggle room on more music sounding better as it "can't" distort it because its only 3/4 throttle. That's about the best way I can describe it, if anyone can do better I'm all ears.

 

+1 there - takes some time but once you can it dialed in, any new music for on the bike is going thru MP3Gain FIRST! set at 93Db.