Tigé 24V
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This is the second Tigé system we’ve designed and installed for the owner.

This Tigé was special ordered without any audio electronics. There were no pre-cut holes for the source unit, dash remote, or any of the eleven speakers.

Every penetration received the same treatment as would a million dollar motoryacht. Every gelcoat edge is radiused and the exposed fiberglass to the interior of each hole is sealed. We perform a truly marinized installation and carry the supporting marine materials and hardware to do the job right. 
THE DESIGN:
This Tigé has a red hull and a gray tower. The deck cap and interior are predominantly white gelcoat and upholstery with red and gray accents. Plus, the boat has a few chrome and brushed factory appointments. We selected the wakeboard tower speakers and lights to compliment the factory theme. Thus we choose polished aluminum bullet-shaped speaker enclosures and white grills. The polished aluminum light rack features gray cups for each light that perfectly match the gray powdercoated tower.

We installed a Clarion XMD3 CD receiver in the dash. This unit is a Sirius radio and CD changer controller. Also the XMD3 accepts hardwired remote controls. The Clarion is the same as factory equipment and is one of our favorites. 

We added a Sirius digital remote to the driver’s dash. This remote is able to command the XMD3, CD changer, and Sirius satellite radio.
A second remote on the transom provides control from the sun pad or the swim deck.

A six-disc CD changer mounted just inside the passenger-side gullwing seat is easy to access and consumes zero storage space within the locker.

From the bow perspective, looking through to the opposite gullwing opening, you can see the CD changer and Sirius tuner.
Because this boat is going to a distant lake, Sirius satellite radio is a necessity. The hideaway Sirius tuner is mounted high and out of the way.
We mounted a white marine Sirius antenna on the passenger side bow deck cap several inches forward of the tower. This location is perfect for reception since it is unobstructed by the tower or windshield frame.
A Clarion equalizer mounted under the glovebox and directly under the CD player provides separate zone level controls for the tower speakers and all deck speakers. It also provides a dedicated sub level control that can accentuate or attenuate the subwoofer.
Just to the right we added a drain hose to the factory cup holder and cut a “T” into the glovebox drain. This way the cup holder, which is directly over the factory amp location, drains into the bilge rather than onto the amplifiers.
Four amplifiers and ten channels deliver the ability to tune the system to perfection. Every zone is level-matched without a trace of distortion.
A Clarion two-channel amplifier operates two-ohm stereo high-pass to the tower speakers. A second Clarion two-channel operates four-ohm bridged mono low-pass to a subwoofer. An Alpine four-channel drives four sets of component speakers in the cockpit and an Alpine two-channel drives a pair of coaxils located in the bow.

A 200 amp DC breaker was located under the battery switch in the port side aft locker. This breaker protects the 4-gauge cables that connect directly to the battery and feed the amplifiers. A second similar breaker protects the 4-gauge service to the helm and to the dedicated service that supports the five-lamp tower light rack.

A Clarion 10-inch free-air marine subwoofer was installed in the driver’s console. The large interior locker provides the ideal infinite baffle enclosure. Fortunately the Tigé is one of a few towboats with a totally sealed bulkhead in the driver’s console. We fabricated a birch baffle ring and covered it in a marine rubber-backed carpet. This serves to reinforce the mounting panel for better bass performance. The baffle ring also neatly dresses out the opening.

Just above and outside the woofer we installed a molded isolation chamber for the midrange component. The chamber is filled with polyester batting for the correct damping. Isolating the woofer and midrange component keeps the midrange from being modulated by the woofer. This results in clean midrange sound and tight mid-bass tonal construction. This is a very important procedure.
We used four sets of Clarion marine separate components in the cockpit. The powerful one-inch aluminum dome tweeters easily overcome the low positioning. With a four-channel amplifier dedicated to the cockpit components, the sound system competes with the engine roar and wind noise in stride, even at top speed.

We installed a pair of Clarion marine coaxials high in the open bow. With their own two-channel amplifier and operating from 100 hertz and above, there is plenty of volume up in the front.
Four Clarion marine coaxils in polished aluminum cans adorn the wakeboard tower. You can’t miss the glisten of these cans on a sunny day.
These bullet-shaped spun-aluminum cans provide enough displacement for good sound and, while there’s enough mass to look seriously substantial, their aerodynamic shape makes these speakers appear very sleek. The five-light system has three forward-facing lights and two rear-facing lights.
   A three-position switch on the dash (second from the right) selects between “front only”, “all off”, and “all on.” The switch drives two separate 30 amp relays, one for the front circuit and one for the rear circuit. This isolates the 25 amps of current draw from the 15 amp control switch. This is a crucial safety issue. Also, the light circuit uses a heavy gauge service directly to the battery.
The speaker cables travel down the port side of the tower while the multiple lighting circuits travel down the starboard side of the tower.
 
Service loops at the tower hinge point allow the tower to break down for storage and service. Chassis grommets are secured in place with clear marine silicon. These grommets serve to isolate and protect the wires from chaffing while passing through a tower hole. The zip ties are only temporary while the silicon cures and are removed later. This secures a flat chassis grommet in a round tube.
 
All wires penetrate the deck cap through the center of the tower base. This entails the full removal of both the combing cushions for interior access.
 
The In-depth explanation exposes just a sample of the small details that make an EARMARK marine installation different. You won’t find this level of quality commitment in anyone else’s work. Every facet of performance is considered in the design including cosmetic, acoustical, electrical and mechanical.
Earmark Car Audio

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