Stereo post- upgrade question

I just had a few stereo components upgraded/ replaced in my boat and there is quite a bit of engine noise coming through the speakers with the motor running. I have inquired back with the company that did the upgrades and install but wanted to get a few opinions of what might cause this situation.
The upgrades included the following:
Arc Audio XDi805 amp (running in boat and sub)
Arc Audio 600.2 amp (tower running WS Pro485s)
Rockford Fosgate M262B (in boat speakers)
AGM Battery

The entire system was rewired using the existing CMD 5 head unit, WS420 equalizer, and WS 10 open air sub.
To say the least I am a bit concerned that given the money spent the outcome is certainly not what I expected it to be.

All stereo equipment needs to share the same battery source. Im a fan of taking the B+ and GND for the head-unit and EQ directly to the amps or their distribution blocks. Does the boat have a dual battery setup?. This usually address the majority of unwanted noise. After correcting any wiring, checking the level of the gain settings is next. Too high will also allow some unwanted noise in.

Yes it is a 2 battery system. I was running the switch in the both position yesterday as this was the first time in the water since install/ upgrade was performed. I am almost certain that all the equipment is running to the same battery (port side). It is a 08 210 SANTE.

Originally Posted by Paxdad

Yes it is a 2 battery system. I was running the switch in the both position yesterday as this was the first time in the water since install/ upgrade was performed. I am almost certain that all the equipment is running to the same battery (port side). It is a 08 210 SANTE.

With the OEM dual-battery setup in your CC, the ideal location for the amps, head-unit and EQ to draw their B+ from is off the "C" post of the switch. With the amps wired directly to the port battery, who knows where the EQ is wired and the head-unit is possibly still wired to the original boat harness.

Is it "engine" noise? Like rev up the motor and it gets louder noise?

Or is it "white" noise? Like a TV with no signal, just black, grey, and white fuzzy screen noise that does not change with RPM's? If the later, get a Matrix from Ryan at Chucktronics. "Boost your stereos RCA output volts" or something like that... Just dealt with it in a buddies boat we did a system in. Apparently not enough good sound coming out of the clarion deck sent to the 420 the amplified by the amps making the end result sound like a rattlesnake in a snowstorm. Beat my head against the wall till I talked to the man about it....

Also, in an attempt to solve the problem prior, I wired all 12v+ and grounds for everything to the same sources (00 distribution blocks) and it did not solve any of our issues...

You said it was the first time out? Fully charge your batteries and it should make a difference. The noise isn't really coming from the engine, it is coming from your alternator generating different kinds of currents. It gets complicated but the better your batteries are charged, the less noise you get from the alternator.

Make sure your grounds are all going to the same point in all your electronics. Electrons take the path of least resistance. If the electrons want to go weird ways, your amp makes weird noises! So lets make them all go to the same place!

Make sure your RCA cables are as far away from any power lines as possible! They like to interfere with eachother. If they absolutely have to touch because they need to cross each other, do it so they cross at one point at 90 degrees. Also make sure you are using good quality RCA wires with secure connections.

Make sure you have the proper size power wire. These amps should at least be on 4awg. And if they are all going to a distribution block, the wire from the block to the battery should be 0awg.

If all else fails go out on the water and try turning one amp on at a time to see if a particular amp is messing everything else up. If that's the case maybe it has a problem.

Yes. It was first time out since install. It appears to be white noise as it does not get louder with increase in engine rpm. I did not look at it yesterday when out on the lake but my son looked at it and said the power cables from the batteries were next to the RCA cables. I am going to call the dealer today to discuss. Will post back soon.