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Polaris

Polaris General 1000 Gets Full JL Audio Sound System

August 17, 2019 By JOey Knapp Leave a Comment

Polaris AudioA long-time friend of the Pinnacle Autosound owner recently came by to see about upgrading the audio system in his Polaris General 1000.  After talking a bit with the staff at Pinnacle Autosound they determined what he needed were some serious upgrades.  Not only did the General need to have plenty of volume, it also needed to be able to stand up to extreme abuse.  The Pinnacle Autosound team was up to the task and the client scheduled a time to drop off the General.

JL Audio Media Master

Polaris Audio
The custom radio mounting plate lets everyone know where this awesome audio system was built.

Our go-to powersports audio source for side-by-sides and golf carts is the JL Audio MBT-CRXv2.  The unit is a small, round controller that features Bluetooth connectivity and front mounted buttons for source control.  The client wanted something with a few more bells and whistles for his General, though.  The radio for him was the JL Audio MediaMaster MM100s-BE.  This radio features multiple zone control, a color screen and numerous tone adjustments for each zone.  All of the gear we would be installing could be controlled easily from the driver’s seat thanks to the new radio.
To integrate the radio in the dash of the General, we had to fabricate a mounting plate.  We chose to make the plate out of black HDPE plastic, because of its good looks and durable construction.  The plate was machined on our Shapeoko CNC machine.  In the blank space below the radio we used the CNC to pocket a space for a badge insert.  We again called on our CNC to machine a red and white insert for the dash insert piece.  This helps give the build a truly custom look.

Powersports Amplifers

Polaris Audio
The amplifier mounting plate was precisely machined and all the edges were chamfered for a finished look.
Polaris Audio
HDPE was also used to fabricate the mounting plate for the two fuse holders.
Polaris Audio
It was a tight fit, but we were able to neatly fit all the gear under the hood.

To make sure this General sounded loud and clear at any speed, or any level above or below water, we needed lots of power.  Our most rugged amplifiers are the JL Audio MX series powersports amplifiers.  For this build we used a 4 channel 500/4 MX amplifier to power the speakers and two 500/1 MX amplifiers to power the two subwoofers.  The mounting location we discussed with the client was under the front hood, where they would at least get a little bit of protection.
To mount the amplifiers we once again called on the use of HDPE plastic.  We hand machined a piece of HDPE that would fit under the hood and give the proper clearances for factory items also located there.   The plate would hold the three amplifiers as well as the power distribution block.  As you can see from the photos, it was a tight fit to get all three amplifiers under there.  We secured the mounting plate and amplifiers with stainless steel hardware for long service life.  All of the wiring was neatly routed and secured in a way that would allow for easy servicing, if needed, later in time.

Speaker System for Polaris Audio

Polaris Audio
Reinforcement rings were added behind the rear speakers.
Polaris Audio
Quick connect fasteners were used for all the speaker and subwoofer wiring, for easy servicing.
Polaris Audio
Our speaker upgrade fit perfectly in the unused space under the console.
Polaris Audio
Two speakers were mounted on each side of the center console.

One of the things that we were excited about in this project was getting to use the brand new JL Audio M6 series marine speakers.  This was our first vehicle to feature them, and they did not disappoint!  To maximize the audio output in the front of the Polaris General we installed two pair of the M6 6.5″ coaxials in the front console area.  The space we chose was normally just an open cavity.  To mount the speakers we machined two 1/2″ HDPE plates, one for each side.  The plates were able to be bolted to the factory trim pieces using stainless steel hardware.  We wired up the speakers using special all-weather, high-current connectors.  The connectors would make it easy for the client to disassemble the system if he ever needed to go back and service any of the General.
An additional pair of M6 speakers were added to the rear of the General to help round out the sound for the rear passengers.  These speakers were surface mounted to an existing flat part of the factory console panels.  To help reinforce the mounting we cut out two 1/2″ HDPE reinforcement rings that mounted behind the speakers.  This allowed the speakers to securely mount, and helped reduced unwanted flexing of the panel.

Subwoofers Bring Some Serious Bass

Polaris Audio
Rivet nuts were installed to the General frame for mounting the subwoofer mounting frames.
Polaris Audio
Two metal racks were fabricated for mounting the pair of subwoofer enclosures.
Polaris Audio
Additional tabs were welded onto the mounts to secure the subwoofer enclosures.
Polaris Audio
The urethane spray looks great and will protect the enclosures from damage.
Polaris Audio
The subwoofer enclosures were positioned to fire directly into the openings under each front seat.

The final component of the Polaris audio upgrade was the subwoofer system.  The client has the JL Audio Polaris Stealthbox in another one of his side-by-sides.  For the General he wanted more output.  After looking at the available spaces on the General, we determined that directly under the  passenger and driver’s seats would be the idea spots for a pair of JL Audio Tw3 10″ subwoofers.  Knowing the abuse and water that this Polaris would see, we knew the enclosures and mounting had to be very robust.
The enclosures were cut out of 3/4″ marine grade plywood, and then assembled using waterproof glue.  We then rounded the edges of the enclosures and coated each enclosure with a saturated layer of 1.5oz fiberglass mat.  When the fiberglass had cured, our next step was to spray each enclosure with a thick layer of SEM Rock-It Bedliner.  The Rock-It spray is a two-part urethane textured coating that dries to form a very durable and great-looking surface.
Securing the enclosures to the underside of the General took quite a bit of time.  Our fabricators had to switch hats once again, this time to metal working.  One inch square tubing and One inch angle iron were used to fabricate the mounts for the subwoofer enclosures.  The mounts were bolted to the frame work of the General with stainless hardware that threads into rivet nuts that we installed.  The result were enclosures that were incredibly sturdy and we are sure the General is now even stronger thanks to the added support.

Great Audio Inside AND Outside this Polaris General

One of the things we were concerned with in this project was how low the speakers had to be mounted. Typically in a side-by-side we are mounting the speaker up higher, and many times to the roll cage.  We knew the audio on the inside of the Polaris would sound great, but we weren’t sure how it would sound outside.  When we finally tuned the system and cranked it up for the first time all our concerns were gone.  The music was able to be heard loud and clear not only inside but also far away from the Polaris General.  We were excited and knew the client would love his Polaris General audio upgrades!
Here at Pinnacle Autosound in Lake City, Florida, we love working on powersports vehicles.  We stock plenty of stainless steel fasteners and plastics, that will hold up in any environment to ensure our installs last the life of our client’s vehicles.  If you would like to find out about upgrading your side-by-side, golf cart or motorcycle audio, lighting or accessories give us a call or contact us here.

Filed Under: FEATURED INSTALLATIONS, Powersports Tagged With: Amplifiers, General, JL Audio, Polaris, Radios, Speakers, Subwoofers

Camouflage Polaris Ranger Audio Console Upgrade

February 4, 2017 By JOey Knapp Leave a Comment

Polaris Ranger AudioSide-By-Side vehicles are becoming more and more popular. They are great for riding through the woods to enjoy nature, hunting, fishing, or working on the farm. What is even better than cruising in the open air is doing it with your favorite tunes. That is what the client that brought us this Polaris Ranger wanted, some great sounding audio to go with his new toy. After discussing his wants and needs we came up with a comprehensive plan and booked the appointment for his Polaris Ranger audio upgrade.

Wet Sounds Speakers In Custom Console

Polaris Ranger Audio
The speakers mount right over the head of each occupant, tucked cleanly into the console, there is plenty of head room.

If you have been in a Polaris Ranger you know that there is enough room in the passenger area to be comfortable, but not a lot of extra space. We have worked on a number of these vehicles and come up with a great solution for them. We build custom overhead consoles to house not only speakers but also amplifiers and other electronics. This is a perfect compliment to the Ranger, because it adds much needed audio equipment without taking up any usable space. This console got a pair of Wet Sounds XS-65i coaxial speakers. These speakers use a separate woofer and tweeter for incredible full-range sound.

Wet Sounds Amplifier For Big Boost In Clarity

Polaris Ranger Audio
The Wet Sounds SYN MICRO amplifier packs a lot of power in a small package!

Riding in a Polaris Ranger at speed is fun and exciting. It is also very noisy. To help overcome not only the noise of the engine, but also the wind and road noise, we installed an amplifier in this Ranger. Again, we went with the Wet Sounds brand. Their amplifiers are designed to be in the harsh environments that this Ranger will see. We chose the Wet Sounds SYN MICRO amplifier for this installation. The SYN MICRO puts out almost 100 watts of power per channel. The SYN MICRO gets its name from its incredibly small size. The small size allowed us the ability to safely install the amplifier in the overhead console. An additional benefit of the amplifier is that it is very efficient, so the charging system in the Ranger is not overworked. With the amplifier power on tap, the Wet Sounds XS speakers now sound incredible sitting still and going down the road at full speed.

Unlimited Music Selection Thanks To Wet Sounds Bluetooth Volume Control

Polaris Ranger Audio
Ultimate audio flexibility is provided by the Wet Sounds Bluetooth knob. The client can listen to an endless supply of music via his smartphone.

We offer a number of different audio sources for side-by-side vehicles. After our initial discussion with the client, we found that he was mainly going to use his phone for all the music he would listen to. Using a smartphone is a great option for many reasons, you already carry it with you, you can listen to any of your playlists of music stored on the phone, and you have access to any song in the world with a number of streaming music apps. To connect the client’s smartphone and audio system, we installed a Wet Sounds BT-VC Bluetooth volume control knob in the console. This knob receives the Bluetooth audio signal from the smartphone and sends it to the Wet Sounds amplifier. The knob gives the client volume control as well as the ability to play, pause and skip forward and back in the song list.

Let Pinnacle Autosound Enhance Polaris Ranger Audio!

If you have a Polaris Ranger, or another side-by-side vehicle, we would love to talk with you about adding great sound audio to it. Give us a call today or contact us here for more information

 

Filed Under: FEATURED INSTALLATIONS, Powersports Tagged With: Amplifiers, Polaris, Ranger, Speakers, Wet Sounds

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