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[grc]

I wonder if as with the previous radio there is a CVO version?  40 x 2 for the front built in to the radio and the rear amp adds the 40 x 2 for the rear speakers for the total of 160 watts? Or does the tour pack amp run all four speakers [smiley=nixweiss.gif] If the unit by itself is 20 x 2 i'm not sure how they'd get 160 watts total unless the amp ran all of the speakers.

From the H-D web site - the radio is rated at 20 watts per channel.  The optional amp "boosts" this by 40 watts per channel (strange way to phrase it, unless they are feeding it with speaker level outputs and not pre-amp outputs).  So does this mean 20 plus 40 equals 60 watts per channel?  That doesn't equate to 160 total amps either.  I'm thinking that it is 40 watts total output per channel times 4.

Advanced Audio High Output Sound System

When loud just isn't loud enough. The high output amplifier provides a [highlight]40-watt per channel boost to the Advanced Audio Sound System [/highlight]for distortion-free sound, even at freeway speeds. Amplifier is installed beneath the rigid mount Tour-Pak® to save storage space.

Fits '06-later Touring models equipped with an Advanced Audio Radio and rigid mount Tour-Pak® luggage system. [highlight]Compatible with 2- and 4-speaker systems. [/highlight]

[jeffj]

From the H-D web site - the radio is rated at 20 watts per channel.  The optional amp "boosts" this by 40 watts per channel (strange way to phrase it, unless they are feeding it with speaker level outputs and not pre-amp outputs).  So does this mean 20 plus 40 equals 60 watts per channel?  That doesn't equate to 160 total amps either.  I'm thinking that it is 40 watts total output per channel times 4.

Advanced Audio High Output Sound System

When loud just isn't loud enough. The high output amplifier provides a [highlight]40-watt per channel boost to the Advanced Audio Sound System [/highlight]for distortion-free sound, even at freeway speeds. Amplifier is installed beneath the rigid mount Tour-Pak® to save storage space.

Fits '06-later Touring models equipped with an Advanced Audio Radio and rigid mount Tour-Pak® luggage system. [highlight]Compatible with 2- and 4-speaker systems. [/highlight]

My 06 CUSE has the Advanced Audio and to be honest it is pretty much distortion-free with full volume. There is not to many times I had to have the volume past 3/4's as its pretty loud and clear. The only thing I don't care for is the amp under the tour pak and that huge cable

see cable in attached pic:

[Twolanerider]

GRC, Dude, et.al, I may be able to clarify the amp question.  It was confusing (at least to me).  But I got to be on the phone with the parts guy I know when he was on the phone with SPOC for the radio information this morning.  As it was explained from someone who truly sounded like he knew what he was talking about the specification on the radio is 20 watts per channel.  So it's listed as a 40 watt amp when running the two front speakers.

The guy also said they did (very early on) have some advertising out that was too misleading (not his words, but that's what he meant) even for Harley to live with it.  This listed the radio as an 80 watt unit.  This could be correct if one had the front and rear speakers as the amp is 20 watts per channel and the rear speakers can be added with or without the accessory external amp being used.  Since a large large majority of the applications don't have the rear speakers, however, the "40 amp" description was more practically accurate.

The same math works for the accessory amp.  It adds its heft to front speakers alone or front and rear if the rears are installed.  But its gain is an additional 20 watts per channel.  So when the advertisements we're seeing say the external amp allows us 40 watts per channel none of that specifically say it's 40 amps from the accessory amp by itself.  They're speaking to it in combination with the primary amp in the radio.  It's a system total number (which makes sense in an advertising sort of way).  So the external amp, plus the internal amp, X 4 speakers gets us to 160 amps.

[Twolanerider]

My 06 CUSE has the Advanced Audio and to be honest it is pretty much distortion-free with full volume. There is not to many times I had to have the volume past 3/4's as its pretty loud and clear. The only thing I don't care for is the amp under the tour pak and that huge cable

see cable in attached pic:

Jeff, thank you very much.  I'd seen one the units mounted but didn't have a camera in hand at the time.  That is exactly the image that someone had asked me for.  It's tough to describe in words.  And that big-ass cable is the only reason I really want to be able to get by without needing the accessory amp with the new radio.

[naitram]

if you did the rear pods without the amp, then a small connector makes the tour pak removable

[Ed Ramberger - One_Screamin_Eagle]

2006 non CVO is 20w per channel peak for a total of 80 peak if you have 4 speakers.  If you add the amp, it's 40 wats peak per channel for a total of 160 peak.  If you add a sidecar, the front speaker leads from the radio go to the amp, and the amp drives the 4 speakers at 40 watts peak each and the radio head unit drives the sidecar for a total of the 20 watts each peak.  Total system power then becomes 200watts peak.
Also, good catch on my comment regarding 8ohm speakers, I forgot to mention 8ohm pre 06, then 4(cvo) now 2 ohm 2006 and later

[110tHunDer]

only thing I don't care for is the amp under the tour pak and that huge cable

What doubly stinks about that cable is it is on the high side when the bike is parked which makes it more noticeable.  Seems like if they had to put it on the side like that, instead of straight out the front, they should have put it on the opposite side. [smiley=oops.gif] [smiley=dunce2.gif]

[FR8TRN]

Great job, lots of folks are gonna want this.  One thing, on your observations with the hogtunes and the new radio, '06 speakers are 2ohms instead of 8ohms, I tried using my hogtunes with the new setup and noticed no difference, probably because of the impedance.  Pez with hogtunes has an '06 Classic now and is working on speakers for it and the Ultra's so they will be coming, when he wasn't able to say yet.

Didn't realize this was gonna be such a simple task, glad to see they didn't mess with the connections any, others should be able to swap this right in.  Don't understand the power thing though, the old radio's had unswitched power also, should of carried that over to the new if your gonna bring everything else over.  Oh well, 2 wires is easy.

[Twolanerider]

Finally got a chance this morning to take the bike out for a bit and compare volume levels on the road before and after.  No sound meters or anything.  Just my ears inside a 3/4 helmet on the red bike.

With the original radio and the original speakers I remember having to run the volume up to nearly full volume to be able to hear sound when going down the road at 75-80 mph.  And I mean that literally.  Just hear sound.  The stock speakers distorted badly when ran up that high.  The HogTunes speakers fixed that.  For the same speed volume needed to be at only about half of full volume and the speakers never distorted no matter how high the volume level was run.

New radio with its smaller amp.  Not as much volume as the old radio.  And it's a definite difference.  Having said that, however, there is enough volume.  With either the HogTunes or the new speakers that came wtih the radio (tried them both) was back to running somewhere around 80 to 85% of full volume to hear it going down the road at highway speeds.  Taking it all the way to full volume really didn't make too much difference from there.   With just the speakers in the fairing a passenger might have issues.  I honestly can't speak to this issue right now.

The good news here is that with either speakers there's not any distortion or breakdown all the way through full volume.  So spoken words or music stay as clear as they're going to stay in the ambient environment we provide.

The new radio gives us a front to rear fader control from the handlebars that we didn't have before.  Also an AVC (automatic volume control for adjusting to highway speed) level control we didn't have before.  Getting the sound to be satisfactory at that approximately 85% of full volume mentioned previously took some messing with both of those.  The fader is pushed all the way to the front speakers.  The AVC might still elude me a bit.  Still tinkering but there was gain to be had there.

So, in summary, the radio is perfectly usable with enough sound and good quality sound for the rider right out of the box.  If you had quieter exhaust you'd be in even better shape.  Mine are true duals with White Brother's E Series mufflers.  A fair bit louder than the stock pieces we started with.  Not quite as loud as Rineharts; for a rough comparison.

If you had a fixed tour pak or never removed your detachable tour pak you'd probably consider the accessory amp.  It would give you more headroom.  Sorry that I can't offer insights as to what a passenger might be hearing.  But in the front seat position the radio without the amp is completely acceptable.  I'd also emailed Pez and was told he's got "something coming" to mate the new radios.  Will be interested to see what that will be as well.

All in all the new radio is actually really nice.  The display matches exactly (the red color), the XM system is great and its other new functions are both fun and worthwhile.  The overall audio volume level isn't as much.  But it is enough.  So I find I'm quite satisfied with the changeover.  Love having XM and MP3 as options in the saddle.

[110tHunDer]

. . . Also an AVC (automatic volume control for adjusting to highway speed) level control we didn't have before.  Getting the sound to be satisfactory at that approximately 85% of full volume mentioned previously took some messing with both of those.  The fader is pushed all the way to the front speakers.  The AVC might still elude me a bit.  Still tinkering but there was gain to be had there. . . .

Don, we have AVC on the stock radios.  It's not very intuitive to adjust, but the owners manual does discuss it.  As you point out, having it adjusted correctly can make a difference in the amount of volume you get from the system at highway speeds.  I think the default is something like "2," and I have mine set at "4," I believe.

[Twolanerider]

Don, we have AVC on the stock radios.  It's not very intuitive to adjust, but the owners manual does discuss it.  As you point out, having it adjusted correctly can make a difference in the amount of volume you get from the system at highway speeds.  I think the default is something like "2," and I have mine set at "4," I believe.

I did remember it was there (when I saw it on the new radio).  And had even fiddled with it once when I found it by accident.  When you do this one of the things you'll like is that a lot of system control is now much more easily and logically found.  It's a pretty cool radio actually.

Tom at Roeder's called me (unsolicited) yesterday to say that he had photocopied all the Advanced Audio section from an 06 bike's owner's manual and was mailing it to me.  Am wondering what's in there that I just haven't found yet.

[JR]

Don, I have truly enjoyed reading and following along with your install. Such detail and yet simply stated that even I can follow along. :-? You really need to send this in to American Iron or another such magazines. I talked myself into and out of several times why I should and shouldn't do this to my bananna. As usual I appreciate you and this wonderful site for the wealth of knowledge I receive. God Bless!

                                                              JR [smiley=banana.gif]

By the way, what is it exactly you do for a living?........Wait a minute I remember now......

Don Carey; Male Gigolo

 

[pezsez]

Hey

I recently gave the local service manager a 40 oz bottle of crown royal inexchange for doing testing on an 06 (before I got mine) and found that the 6 ohm Hogtunes were EXTREMELY close to the same volume as the HK 2 ohm speakers. I took advantage of the time, and also tested to find out the sound and found out that ours do sound better IMHO. It bothered me that the volume difference using our speakers in an 06 was not NEARLY as great as the radios they were designed for (98-06) so I had a custom/hand made set of 2 ohm HOGTUNES made up and have them in my bike now. Based on the testing so far--it is VERY safe to say, that by spring 06, there will be a Hogtunes 2 ohm speaker available. HD wants everyone to upgrade the software on the radios, and you guys can burn a CD and do this yourself. Go to the touring section of the MOCO site, and click the picture of the radio-then click "software download"--and follow the destructions.

I would release the 2 ohmers sooner, but have to finish a big project Im on now

Thanks for all your guy's support--Ride Safe out there--email me any questions

PEZ

[pj57]

Pez - thanks for the report on the speakers and download info.  BTW, weren't you working on an in-line amp for the HD radios a while ago?  Any chance you can "pump up the volume" with an amp for the HK unit that's smaller than the factory model?  Just a suggestion - to add to your multiple list of stuff to get done. Folks like us would probably buy a lot of 'em.  - PJ

[pezsez]

HEY PJ

YUP Signed off on amplifier circuits a week ago, and silkscreening this week. In order to make it fit on top of the radio, we did our own cutom aluminum extrusion for the heat sink which was expensive, but the only option. Im F*N tired of engineering drawings!! Of course they were all in millimeters just to make it extra fun. The amplifier will be called USA 24.2 and although is made to mimmick the moco radio power will have a very cool, but unusual feature to prove to eveyone that this is a dedicated motorcycle amplifier--not a rebadged car amp. Looks like it will be 60 degrees F on Sunday--so I will be test thrashing the 2 ohm hand made speakers I have to see if I can break em

Will be in touch......PEZ