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Old     (tyler97217)      Join Date: Aug 2004       01-23-2012, 6:53 AM Reply   
Just saw this on the WW homepage and surprised it has not made it into the forum yet. The possibilities with this bluetooth device are pretty cool. Let's all do our best and not try to turn this thread into a WS vs Exile thread......

http://www.wakeworld.com/news/latest...h-airpuck.html
Attached Images
  
Old     (srock)      Join Date: Mar 2002       01-23-2012, 7:12 AM Reply   
If I new more about electronics I would have something really spectacular to comment on but from a functionality standpoint I love the nice big knobs and individual controls.
Old     (razzman)      Join Date: Dec 2006       01-23-2012, 7:51 AM Reply   
Pretty cool, I saw it the other day as well. I'll be adding the ZLD to my boat this season, not sure about the Airpuck yet. From what i'm gathering you could have a wireless bump type party by passing signal along via multiple pucks to multiple boats, really cool!
Old     (timmyb)      Join Date: Apr 2007       01-23-2012, 8:04 AM Reply   
Interesting volume control separation. One master volume control and then a knob to fade it to either the cabin or the tower speakers. Any word on pricing?
Old     (Txjole)      Join Date: Dec 2011       01-23-2012, 9:02 AM Reply   
I dosent look to be backlit.
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       01-23-2012, 9:13 AM Reply   
Hey guys - Zone control is the final piece of gear most Exile owners have been waiting for. Our approach to the ZLD is functionality. We are not huge fans of EQ's in boats because so much can go wrong so fast. Yes, the ZLD can give you some tone control, but it's real focus is to give you zone control of your entire system in a manner that is easy to use and makes sense... Thats the whole idea. Because it's rather easy to end up with to many features that eat up space on the faceplate, we've limited it so we can use big easy to grab controls. If your one of the people using a head unit, then you can benefit from the line driver section of the ZLD. If your one of the guys that uses iPod players, you can plug directly into the aux input. Many people have asked why we combined the Tower / cabin sound on one control. Again, this is space and functionality. You can fade 80/20 or 60/40 or 100/0 or 0/100 etc and then vary the master volume control up and down. We felt it more important to separate the cabin and subwoofer zones as a lot of people like the independant control of the subwoofer. There are several people out there that tested this device as a proto last season. Their combined input (along with some of our engineers) dictated the final feature set.

The AirPuck is a standalone device that as applications on the boat, in the home and for the car. Some questions that have come up are:

Q: Can it be hard wired? Yes, no problem

Q: Why the battery? -- because you might not want to always hard wire it. In some cases you might want to switch your boat into transmit, and quick mount another one to your buddies boat (receive). Presto, you've got an instant link-- for 8 hours.

Q: Will I loose sound quality. -- From a tech standpoint the AirPuck is inferior to a high quality audio connection. However in the real world those differences are negligible at best. I'd be surprised if anyone can really detect a difference. What you gain in the ability to pass your iPod around the boat and really control playlists etc. In simple terms I'd think of the Airpuck as a gadget that eliminates cords and tethers.

Q: hows it work in home? --- oh boy, thats a separate thread completely. wireless subwoofers, distributed room to room audio, you can connect to anything that has an aux input. That gives you a lot of possibilities.

Q: Bump parties? --- I know this is always a topic that gets brought up. We didn't intend the puck to control 50 boats. It could be done, but you have to remember that this is a one to one relationship. TX -> RX. Not one to infinity. You could sync multiple boats by Boat1: TX-->Boat2: RX-->TX Boat3 RX. The Puck doesn't transmit and receive at the same time. It's one or the other. Make sense? But yes, it could be done, probably easier than running cables all over the place.

Q: range? --- as stated in the press article, its solid to 30 feet. Not 130 feet. Just 30 guys. This is more than enough to go a second boat.

Someone asked about prices..

USA retail:

ZLD $200.00
AirPuck $80.00


-Brian
Exile Audio

Last edited by brianinpdx; 01-23-2012 at 9:16 AM.
Old     (camassanger)      Join Date: Oct 2009       01-23-2012, 9:23 AM Reply   
It looks great Brian. However, if you would have integrated throttle based volume control (a la HSE), this thing would be a HOME RUN!
Old     (timmyb)      Join Date: Apr 2007       01-23-2012, 9:47 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by camassanger View Post
It looks great Brian. However, if you would have integrated throttle based volume control (a la HSE), this thing would be a HOME RUN!
That would be awesome! Maybe V2 could have that?
Old     (david_e_m)      Join Date: Jul 2008       01-23-2012, 9:51 AM Reply   
Brian,

I have a couple of questions. Most functions and operations are self-explained.
1) Is the "sub frequency" control a variable lowpass crossover to the subwoofer?
2) On the top is that a 180 degree phase switch?
3) On the top is that separate input gains for the main input and auxilary input?

If I have missed the mark then please explain these functions.
Appreciate it.

David
Earmark Marine
Old     (shawndoggy)      Join Date: Nov 2009       01-23-2012, 12:12 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by brianinpdx View Post
Q: Bump parties? --- I know this is always a topic that gets brought up. We didn't intend the puck to control 50 boats. It could be done, but you have to remember that this is a one to one relationship. TX -> RX. Not one to infinity. You could sync multiple boats by Boat1: TX-->Boat2: RX-->TX Boat3 RX. The Puck doesn't transmit and receive at the same time. It's one or the other. Make sense? But yes, it could be done, probably easier than running cables all over the place.

***

-Brian
Exile Audio
So Boat 1 transmits. Boat 2 receives. Boat 2 then has a second puck to transmit to Boat 3... and so on? Am I reading this right that all but boat 1 in the bump party scenario would either need cables or two pucks to do a true wireless setup?

On the EQ -- I know you guys have sold and recommended the $50 Clarion EQS746 in the past. Can you distinguish what the ZLD does that the EQS 746 does not?
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       01-23-2012, 1:13 PM Reply   
@camassanger - there are several iPhone / droid apps that will do this for free. I see more and more guys using them already. Althought i like that use piece.

@Earmark - yes, yes and yes to all three of your questions.

@ shawndoggy - Fair question. The Clarion piece is probably the best bang for the buck out there. I'd use one of those any day over the cheapest solution (PKLC1). As compared to the ZLD there are feature, design, and sound quality differences that tailer the ZLD to the needs of the boaters. All of this tailoring comes with a cost. I'd prefer not to go down the list and tear apart another brands product but here's a few highlights that will give you an idea about ZLD and what set it apart from other options on the market. (not just clarion)

Variable input level gains (all inputs)
Ti (formally Burr- Brown) audio op-amps and drive devices
sub phase select
Independent cabin / sub level controls
Oversize knobs
front/rear input jacks
Variable subwoofer crossover freq
2 year warranty

re costs - Is it worth the step up? Ultimately you'd have to be the judge of that. Heck the Ti SQ devices literally triple the cost of the design, but we are aiming at the enthusiast market that wants quality. During our "on water" testing last year there was audible sound field differences that can be heard between the two. There are 4 boats that have proto units from that testing. 2 of which came from the clarion piece you mention.

In short, we think most will agree the features and SQ will be fit the market as a great mid price point zone controller. At least thats our hope. hehe!

-Brian
Exile Audio
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       01-23-2012, 1:20 PM Reply   
@ shawndoggy I forgot to answer your question about the Puck. The primary goal for this piece is to stream audio from source to your preamp controller on the boat. In that regard, this device is a very affordable solution all boaters. The fact that it can Transmit as well as receive AND has an ion battery , make it a candidate for the application your speaking about.

To do a true wireless setup yes, your understanding is correct. I don't see people buying 50 of these things to run 25 boats. but maybe Exile will have to sponsor the BUMP next year eh?

-Brian
Exile Audio
Old     (shawndoggy)      Join Date: Nov 2009       01-23-2012, 1:44 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by brianinpdx View Post
@camassanger - there are several iPhone / droid apps that will do this for free. I see more and more guys using them already. Althought i like that use piece.

@Earmark - yes, yes and yes to all three of your questions.

@ shawndoggy - Fair question. The Clarion piece is probably the best bang for the buck out there. I'd use one of those any day over the cheapest solution (PKLC1). As compared to the ZLD there are feature, design, and sound quality differences that tailer the ZLD to the needs of the boaters. All of this tailoring comes with a cost. I'd prefer not to go down the list and tear apart another brands product but here's a few highlights that will give you an idea about ZLD and what set it apart from other options on the market. (not just clarion)

Variable input level gains (all inputs)
Ti (formally Burr- Brown) audio op-amps and drive devices
sub phase select
Independent cabin / sub level controls
Oversize knobs
front/rear input jacks
Variable subwoofer crossover freq
2 year warranty

re costs - Is it worth the step up? Ultimately you'd have to be the judge of that. Heck the Ti SQ devices literally triple the cost of the design, but we are aiming at the enthusiast market that wants quality. During our "on water" testing last year there was audible sound field differences that can be heard between the two. There are 4 boats that have proto units from that testing. 2 of which came from the clarion piece you mention.

In short, we think most will agree the features and SQ will be fit the market as a great mid price point zone controller. At least thats our hope. hehe!

-Brian
Exile Audio
Good stuff, thanks Brian.
Old     (srock)      Join Date: Mar 2002       01-23-2012, 3:19 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by camassanger View Post
It looks great Brian. However, if you would have integrated throttle based volume control (a la HSE), this thing would be a HOME RUN!
Right on Derek. Someones going to do it along with a simple over ride button and sell the crap out em.
Old     (jonyb)      Join Date: Nov 2008       01-23-2012, 9:55 PM Reply   
Don't think i like being stuck with a fade option from boat to tower. Some people turn both all the way up, not either or....
Old     (501s)      Join Date: Feb 2010       01-23-2012, 10:24 PM Reply   
I want the puck. Where can we buy it?
Old     (SteveO)      Join Date: May 2011       01-23-2012, 10:34 PM Reply   
jonyb - What do you mean by either, or on the boat/tower fade? With the knob in the middle you would have equal sound through both zones. The fade just gives you an option to turn one zone down.
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       01-23-2012, 11:53 PM Reply   
@Steve - your correct. you can do 70/30 50/50 30/70 or whatever depending on where your fader knob is set. It's very intuitive. Remember, this device has a master volume control too.

@JohnB - I wouldn't say your stuck at all. As you mentioned, lots of people will want to turn both all the way up. No problem, leave the fader at 50/50 and you get 100% of both zones. Done deal.

@ Levi - Pucks are 60 days out. Check our website or Facebook page for more information as we get closer.

-Brian
Exile Audio
Old     (Crackhoar)      Join Date: Jul 2011       01-24-2012, 1:39 AM Reply   
Brian, When will we be able to purchase the ZLD in Australia?

Last edited by Crackhoar; 01-24-2012 at 1:40 AM. Reason: Spelling
Old     (jonyb)      Join Date: Nov 2008       01-24-2012, 2:10 AM Reply   
Okay, I guess I understand it a little better now. Cool piece....

1 of my customers just asked about a BT adaptor for both of his boats the other day.

Last edited by jonyb; 01-24-2012 at 2:14 AM.
Old     (liljohn)      Join Date: May 2007       01-24-2012, 7:45 AM Reply   
Nice work Brian! The only queshtion I have is do i Really need two pucks? Can I use my phone for the reciver and the puck to transmit? meaning we could pass signal all day long with each boat only having one puck not two? Either way im in I just need to clarify what I am ordering.
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       01-24-2012, 9:12 AM Reply   
@ crackoar; (god I love that name).... We have a few places that you'll be able to find the AirPuck over in AU but I was just speaking with Jarryd from Killer Industries last night about the Puck. He will have them in stock same as USA. Can contact him here: http://www.killerindustries.com.au/

@ JohnB; thx man. I think you'll be surprised at how good it sounds. I was initially skeptical myself.

@ liljohn; It 's a good question. Fact is, you don't "really" need any of this stuff. haha! But it sure is cool. So with that in mind, I probably would get 2 units. This way you could hand one to your buddies boat and have a mini link up. If its just your own boat, you only need 1 unit. I suspect your kids will rob your units and they will be used for wireless headphones, or iPod controls in the house etc.

Yesterday the live attendant on our website said he took 50+ inquires of people asking the same thing. I'll have my web guy put a flyer together so you can see how the multi-linkup would work.

-Brian
Exile Audio
Old     (shawndoggy)      Join Date: Nov 2009       01-24-2012, 9:29 AM Reply   
@liljohn I guess it would depend on your phone. I'm an iPhone user, and I'm 99.9% sure that I can't use a2dp in reciever mode to passively receive from another bt source and then push it out the audio jack. I could be wrong and I certainly can't speak to what you might be able to do with an android.
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       01-24-2012, 9:33 AM Reply   
@shawndoggy - that is possible, but you'd have to have third party software and a lot of trickery. Not something I'd suggest doing. I was just at CES getting a vendor demo of that but it was buggy at best. and seemed like a lot of screwing around.
Old     (liljohn)      Join Date: May 2007       01-24-2012, 9:36 AM Reply   
Thanks Brian!
Old     (shawndoggy)      Join Date: Nov 2009       01-24-2012, 11:26 AM Reply   
Brian I'm curious -- have you tried the bump party scenario with the bluetooth pucks? Because of how the signal would be processed (with 25 boats for instance, you'd have to pass through 23 boats' eqs before getting #1's source signal to #25) would there be a time delay? With each boat being a repeater, it seems like eventually you'd have some delay between the source and the final recipient.

Also how do two pucks pair? I understand pairing between a phone and a puck, but the choosing which source to pair with occurs on the phone. The pucks don't appear to have screens, so I'm curious how you get a transmitting puck and a receiving puck to pick one another?

Last edited by shawndoggy; 01-24-2012 at 11:29 AM.
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       01-24-2012, 11:36 AM Reply   
shawn - bump parties would be a nightmare from the pairing view point alone. And yes latency is an issue with the many boats. It's really not intended for that. You'll see an Exile solution for that in the future, but at this point, its not ready for discussion.

To recap -
1) The Airpuck is a great wireless streaming device for 1 boat
2) The Airpuck is a great wireless streaming device for 2-3 boats.
3) The Airpuck is not a device to be used beyond 3 boats

We've taken a lot of emails about this.Crazy!

Last edited by brianinpdx; 01-24-2012 at 11:37 AM. Reason: .
Old     (Crackhoar)      Join Date: Jul 2011       01-24-2012, 2:40 PM Reply   
Brian, will the ZLD be available in Australia soon?
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       01-24-2012, 3:59 PM Reply   
@ Crack -You'll see available by March. -Brian
Old     (Crackhoar)      Join Date: Jul 2011       01-24-2012, 9:22 PM Reply   
Thanks Brian.

Will get onto Jarryd from Killer Industries.
Old     (jonyb)      Join Date: Nov 2008       01-25-2012, 12:41 PM Reply   
Brian, one of my customers was gonna call yesterday to order 2 of the BT devices. I told him they were 60 days out, but maybe he could get his name on the list. I'd say you're gonna make a killing on these things.
Old     (tyler97217)      Join Date: Aug 2004       01-25-2012, 1:07 PM Reply   
I want my name on the list too Brian. I want a puck and a ZLD. Maybe two pucks. Will want to chat with you about best way for us to link boats up on bluetooth.
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       01-25-2012, 1:50 PM Reply   
@ Johnny; thanks. We have received a lot of calls and emails about this piece. Pre order will start Mid Feb. Thats what we've been telling people... with the expectation that the product will drop early March.

Here's a PDF we put together to help people understand what this device does. It's simpler than one would think.

AirPuck Link

-Brian
Exile Audio
Old     (ian_ashton)      Join Date: Jul 2008       01-25-2012, 2:03 PM Reply   
That is an excellent description, and explains exactly how I thought it would work. Nice job!
Old     (mikeski)      Join Date: Aug 2003       01-25-2012, 2:06 PM Reply   
Cool stuff.

I have been playing around with bluetooth transmitting of audio quite a bit recently. I have a Belkin bluetooth receiver that I use in the office so I can transmit from my desk over to the Cambridge Soundworks Microworks system on the bookshelf about 30' away. This worked very well, I have been thoroughly impressed with the functionality of the setup. Funny to watch people react when I turn the music up or down from my desk.

Those following the headphone thread may have seen my write-up on the Sennheiser MM 550 bluetooth headphones. These allow me to take calls and listen to music seamlessly from my iphone. I can leave the iphone plugged into the computer or in my pocket and control everything from the buttons on the side of the headphones. The audio quality is very good on the bluetooth headphones, I don't note any difference in quality when I plug in the hardwire. As Brian has mentioned there is a slight delay, maybe 20 milliseconds or so, not significant but it is there. I notice it when I watch movies on the plane, the mouth movements don't quite match the audio. Still not enough to plug them in but enough to be noticeable. I suspect this delay could be fairly annoying when linking boats via bluetooth?

I also have a Cardo BTA II bluetooth adapter that allows me to use the headphones with my Polycom deskphone for conference calls. It's not as good as I would like it to be.

In my garage at home I have a little battery powered bluetooth receiver (ebay cheapie). It receives signal from my iphone and plays it through the garage stereo system. Again, it's nice to have the phone in the pocket with seamless integration to the stereo. When I get a phone call it is easy to hear and answer on the phone itself, interrupting the tunes, controlled from one device. Unfortunately this device lacks adequate gain to drive my boat stereo.

I will probably grab the puck when it becomes available. The convenience of these things is great, they aren't necessarily the thing I would use when I am demoing my boat stereo but when 95% quality is enough the convenience more than makes up for the 5% of SQ loss.

Last edited by mikeski; 01-25-2012 at 2:14 PM.
Old     (ian_ashton)      Join Date: Jul 2008       01-25-2012, 2:07 PM Reply   
Actually, here is a question;

Could you use the iPhone audio out jack to a splitter, going to your head unit and 1 Airpuck in Transmit, and then put a second Airpuck in Receive in a second boat and achieve the same goal?
Old     (mikeski)      Join Date: Aug 2003       01-25-2012, 2:15 PM Reply   
Ian,

Your iphone will not transmit to both bluetooth and the audio jack. In theory the answer to your question is yes but due to the limitations of an iphone the answer is no.
Old     (Txjole)      Join Date: Dec 2011       01-25-2012, 2:16 PM Reply   
I think I will pick one up as well, maybe you can do a WW discount to get the ball rolling.
Old     (cowwboy)      Join Date: Jul 2008       01-25-2012, 2:51 PM Reply   
Mike,
I think Ian meant is using a headphone jack splitter and using it to send audio to your deck and to the puck using the headphone lines. Then using the puck in his boat to send the signal to his buddies boats puck.
To me it sounds liek it would but the only thing would be the time delay others have spoke about.
Old     (liljohn)      Join Date: May 2007       01-25-2012, 5:55 PM Reply   
Maybe we are all looking at this the wrong way. Maybe we only need one puck. And one boat needs one of these?

http://www.bluemagnet.com/xrange2000.html
Old     (xstarrider)      Join Date: Jun 2007       01-26-2012, 5:54 AM Reply   
I love this style or fade feature. So simple. Just one question I currently have The WS 420. The sub will not run with out the interiors turned up a bit. Seems this one will allow the sub to run on its own even if one of the towers or interiors is faded off? Is this correct?


Also it looks as if the zones all run off the same adjustments for the mids highs and lows. Can both zones be adjusted seperately? Or is it one adjustment for all

Last edited by xstarrider; 01-26-2012 at 5:57 AM.
Old     (david_e_m)      Join Date: Jul 2008       01-26-2012, 8:06 AM Reply   
Swatguy,
I can answer the question about the Wetsounds WS420 EQ functionality. A majority of EQs used in boats are based on an existing car stereo platform or are a car stereo EQ. In a vehicle when you fade front to rear you must have constant bass so its logical that the bass is summed from both front rear and you would have an independent bass control.
The WS420 EQ has a dedicated 'paragrahic' bass controller that allows you to influence the sub with some flexibilty....if you fully understand its operation. This EQ platform was designed from scratch specifically for towboats to provide independent equalization circuits for the in-boat and tower zones. So its logical to combine the sub with the in-boat zone on this particular EQ. Not many try to drive the bass to wakeboarding range as part of the tower zone. However, if you have a usage, whether at rest or in motion, where you want to attenuate just the in-boat coaxials with bass remaining or supplement the tower with more bass I can tell you how to accomplish this.

David
Earmark Marine
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       01-26-2012, 11:07 AM Reply   
Swatguy -

You hit the nail on the head. IT CAN BE SO SIMPLE.

Our approach to zone control is different than your ws unit. We received a lot of early feedback that people are looking for "simplicity". I've no interest in brand bashing, or the the like..... So I'll focus my comments on the ZLD. Specifically , in your situation, I would keep the 420 and enjoy all its functionality. It's a great unit. After all, you own it. If you where building a new system I would suggest to you weigh your options and look at options such as the ZLD. We believe it to have a fantastic feature sound set for the buck.

ZLD in car - would not be a great choice for a car controller because we are using different eq targets and really downplay the whole eq part of the device. Eq's in the hands of many are a bad situation. In the hands of few, they can be a fantastic thing. We have purposely limited that option to keep it simple and users out of trouble (read blowing up speakers on the water).

In theory one could suggest that a boats eq influence and zone control should tie the sub/cabin zones closely together and leave the tower zone as a completely separate thing. This does make sense... and would "integrate" the sound fields. But in the real world, it is our humble experience that boaters want much more control over the sub zone than they do the other zones. In this regard, the Exile approach purposefully leaves traditional thinking behind. Specifically, you set your tower to cabin blend, and then maintain your sub level independently. Your master volume control becomes your best friend and you tweet the rest on the fly.

The bottom line: The ZLD is less about eq and more about zone control.

-Brian
Exile Audio

Last edited by brianinpdx; 01-26-2012 at 11:15 AM.
Old     (david_e_m)      Join Date: Jul 2008       01-26-2012, 4:04 PM Reply   
I'm not referencing any other EQ or controller other than the Wetsounds WS420 EQ and the functionality issues that Swatguy raised.
Keep in mind that when you select an EQ that has separate tower and in-boat equalization you have to combine the subwoofer EQ function with one or the other. The in-boat side or zone certainly makes much more sense than the alternative.
While still possible, there are very valid reasons why you would not create a third stereo EQ circuit dedicated to the subwoofer or create redundant bass EQ circuits on the two zones in order to have a summed bass between the two zones or place gain stages in front of EQ circuits to do the same.
So if you want dual zone equalization you won't have summed bass output. And if you want summed bass output you won't have dual zone equalization. Its an A or B choice.
There are simple ways to get around this in particular situations. Its never an issue among our local users but it has come up on the forums.
If you want 'everything' mentioned above then get a hideaway Audio Control EQS and a 3-way zone control.

David
Earmark Marine
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       01-26-2012, 4:12 PM Reply   
Totally hear you David. We really don't view the ZLD as an EQ. I almost opted to take the tone controls out completely. If a EQ is the number one feature someone is looking for...buy an EQ. The ZLD would not be my first choice. If flexable Zone control is whats sought, the ZLD is a top choice in my book.
Old     (david_e_m)      Join Date: Jul 2008       01-26-2012, 6:01 PM Reply   
Brian,
Turning my comments to the ZLD (for the first time), I like the look and the simple approach. I like the spacious control layout, the positions and the different knob sizes and their priority. Its clean man!

David
Earmark Marine
Old     (xstarrider)      Join Date: Jun 2007       01-27-2012, 7:45 PM Reply   
Brian, David

Thanks for the info.

Especially appreciate the detailed comparison to the the WS 420. I understand why WS did what they did for the sub now ,and for me the dual zone EQ qualities outweigh the sub feature. I still do love that simple fade feature. One of the two things I just wish were ugraded are the dials to switch the fade to the towers and interiors as the small dials are hard to isolate with my 5 thumbs. The other is having a stand alone sub feature. For me the reason is that I use the towers solo for a good chunk of the time. Especially on the sandbar as people and younger kids like to hang out in the boat so dont want them blasted out by the interiors while I have managed o keep it low and have the sub going it would still be nice to be able to run it solo. Call me that "one guy", but just something that would interest me. Thanks again for the details. Will be picking up one of those pucks for sure.

Last edited by xstarrider; 01-27-2012 at 7:49 PM.
Old     (jrw160)      Join Date: Oct 2006       01-28-2012, 5:28 AM Reply   
Swatguy, I'm with you on wishing the ws420 has independent sub volume control. It would be really nice if there were a switch to make it selectable. I also like the dual zone eq. The zld looks nice, and if I didn't already have a ws420, I would strongly consider it.
Old     (david_e_m)      Join Date: Jul 2008       01-28-2012, 8:37 AM Reply   
jrw,
I just responded to someone else on two different methods to get independent sub control on the Wetsounds EQ for those sandbar situations. PM me if you want the same info.

David
Earmark Marine
Old     (razzman)      Join Date: Dec 2006       01-28-2012, 1:39 PM Reply   
Hey David could you share how to get independent sub volume control with the rest of us on the WS420? I have a buddy who's been crying about this since he put his in and it would shut him up if i can fix it for him! Thanks!

Oh yeah, we should probably start a new thread for that instead of totally jacking this one

Last edited by razzman; 01-28-2012 at 1:45 PM.
Old     (david_e_m)      Join Date: Jul 2008       01-28-2012, 3:54 PM Reply   
That is exactly why I didn't get into the details here. I think I will go ahead and create a draft and get it posted on our site next week. Then everyone can benefit from it.

David
Earmark Marine
Old     (Txjole)      Join Date: Dec 2011       03-01-2012, 12:08 PM Reply   
Anyword on a sale date for the puck??
Old     (UNvisible)      Join Date: May 2010       03-08-2012, 1:49 PM Reply   
Curious how the exile product differs from the avant unit... Looks identicle, aside from some fancy exile logo painted on

http://www.avantalk.com/products02.php?id=62


Last edited by UNvisible; 03-08-2012 at 1:57 PM.
Old     (murphy_smith)      Join Date: Dec 2005       03-08-2012, 3:10 PM Reply   
Is that a Ken Land knock off?
Old     (mikeski)      Join Date: Aug 2003       03-08-2012, 4:57 PM Reply   
They must be totally different, look how much shinier the Exile unit is!
Old     (Houstonshark)      Join Date: Jan 2011       03-08-2012, 4:59 PM Reply   
It sure looks the same. Maybe the Exile version is optimized for marine use...
Old     (UNvisible)      Join Date: May 2010       03-08-2012, 5:35 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by Houstonshark View Post
It sure looks the same. Maybe the Exile version is optimized for marine use...
or has $40 bucks worth of hand stenciled paint
Old     (UNvisible)      Join Date: May 2010       03-08-2012, 5:38 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeski View Post
They must be totally different, look how much shinier the Exile unit is!
I think it's the lighting ...

http://www.amazon.com/Avantalk%C2%AE...&tag=pr1o80-20
Old     (Houstonshark)      Join Date: Jan 2011       03-08-2012, 7:17 PM Reply   
Well, I just bought one off of Amazon that will be here on Monday so we'll see how well it works. I could have had it shipped to arrive on Saturday but no one will be at my office to receive it and we will be busy taking delivery of our new RZR and hoping it doesn't rain all weekend!
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       03-08-2012, 8:08 PM Reply   
Hey guys - been away from wake world for the last few days. Main difference with the Exile Airpuck from other on the market devices are:

- The the battery life. We want a batter thats going to last so we are going with 800maH supply. This is about double most available.

- A built in magnet in the base for quick coupling it to a preamp on the water.

- aptX lossless codecs. Which is an emerging audio compression algorithm for lossless digital streaming. It's not yet available in the USA in class 1/2 devices. We are the first in line. More information here if you want to burn your brain. There are other reasons for this which I'm not prepared to get into yet. Read--Big brother wireless product.

http://www.csr.com/products/technology/aptx

Guys there are plenty of devices on the market that will get the job done. Probably find stuff for 15 or 20 bucks online. The Exile solution is geared toward the enthuisast market. Hopefully 80 bucks won't break the bank.

Cheers

-Brian
Exile Audio

Last edited by brianinpdx; 03-08-2012 at 8:11 PM. Reason: .
Old     (shawndoggy)      Join Date: Nov 2009       03-09-2012, 5:54 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by brianinpdx View Post
Hey guys - been away from wake world for the last few days. Main difference with the Exile Airpuck from other on the market devices are:

- The the battery life. We want a batter thats going to last so we are going with 800maH supply. This is about double most available.

- A built in magnet in the base for quick coupling it to a preamp on the water.

- aptX lossless codecs. Which is an emerging audio compression algorithm for lossless digital streaming. It's not yet available in the USA in class 1/2 devices. We are the first in line. More information here if you want to burn your brain. There are other reasons for this which I'm not prepared to get into yet. Read--Big brother wireless product.

http://www.csr.com/products/technology/aptx

Guys there are plenty of devices on the market that will get the job done. Probably find stuff for 15 or 20 bucks online. The Exile solution is geared toward the enthuisast market. Hopefully 80 bucks won't break the bank.

Cheers

-Brian
Exile Audio
Brian that's really interesting reading about the codecs and something I hadn't ever thought about. The codec only really matters if you use the puck to transmit though, right? I mean, if I'm using bluetooth from my iphone to broadcast to a puck that's plugged in as a receiver on the aux input on my EQ, the puck can only repeat what it's served up by the iphone, correct? How does the built in a2dp bluetooth codec used by apple on the iphone compare to the aptX lossless?
Old     (tyler97217)      Join Date: Aug 2004       03-09-2012, 6:31 AM Reply   
I don't really understand this Codec, aptX, 800maH, but all I could think of was this Tommy Boy quote and I think I will trust Exile on this and buy theirs.
" I can get a hell of a good look at a T-Bone steak by sticking my head up a bull's ass, but I'd rather take the butcher's word for it "
Old     (murphy_smith)      Join Date: Dec 2005       03-09-2012, 6:44 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by tyler97217 View Post
I don't really understand this Codec, aptX, 800maH, but all I could think of was this Tommy Boy quote and I think I will trust Exile on this and buy theirs.
" I can get a hell of a good look at a T-Bone steak by sticking my head up a bull's ass, but I'd rather take the butcher's word for it "
I think in this case and others - I'd rather trust the view from the bulls rear
Old     (cowwboy)      Join Date: Jul 2008       03-09-2012, 6:54 AM Reply   
PDX, that quote had me cracking up. That movie was so funny.
Old     (UNvisible)      Join Date: May 2010       03-09-2012, 7:08 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by brianinpdx View Post
Hey guys - been away from wake world for the last few days. Main difference with the Exile Airpuck from other on the market devices are:

- The the battery life. We want a batter thats going to last so we are going with 800maH supply. This is about double most available.

- A built in magnet in the base for quick coupling it to a preamp on the water.

- aptX lossless codecs. Which is an emerging audio compression algorithm for lossless digital streaming. It's not yet available in the USA in class 1/2 devices. We are the first in line. More information here if you want to burn your brain. There are other reasons for this which I'm not prepared to get into yet. Read--Big brother wireless product.

http://www.csr.com/products/technology/aptx

Guys there are plenty of devices on the market that will get the job done. Probably find stuff for 15 or 20 bucks online. The Exile solution is geared toward the enthuisast market. Hopefully 80 bucks won't break the bank.

Cheers

-Brian
Exile Audio

Well, considering the 270mah battery is listed as lasting 10 hours in TX and 9 hours in RX mode, how does a 800 mah battery really help that much? Even with loads of amp hours, I can maybe eek 10 hours of play out of my bigboy system...

So what you're telling me is i'm going to pay double the price for a magnet, a double capacity battery I dont need in a day of boating, and some codec that wont really make a difference to me if I'm using the puck as intended in rx mode.. Just curious.... I dont want to break my bank if i dont have to..
Old     (murphy_smith)      Join Date: Dec 2005       03-09-2012, 7:23 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by UNvisible View Post
Well, considering the 270mah battery is listed as lasting 10 hours in TX and 9 hours in RX mode, how does a 800 mah battery really help that much? Even with loads of amp hours, I can maybe eek 10 hours of play out of my bigboy system...

So what you're telling me is i'm going to pay double the price for a magnet, a double capacity battery I dont need in a day of boating, and some codec that wont really make a difference to me if I'm using the puck as intended in rx mode.. Just curious.... I dont want to break my bank if i dont have to..
Well you do own 80k boat and you should be to afford it!!!! You dirty little enthusiast!!!!!!!!!
Old     (Houstonshark)      Join Date: Jan 2011       03-09-2012, 7:56 AM Reply   
The Avantalk piece shows that it uses the aptx codec as well, it just doesn't say it's lossless. I'm pretty sure I'll just do an Apple Airport Express anyway and use AirPlay which sounds better than Bluetooth IMO. You can set up the Airport Express so that you will use the wifi to AirPlay but still keep 3G (or now 4G as my phone states after the iOS5.1 update) for data.

It's much easier usually to just give someone else the wifi login info than pair their device via BT.
Old     (shawndoggy)      Join Date: Nov 2009       03-09-2012, 8:28 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by Houstonshark View Post
The Avantalk piece shows that it uses the aptx codec as well, it just doesn't say it's lossless. I'm pretty sure I'll just do an Apple Airport Express anyway and use AirPlay which sounds better than Bluetooth IMO. You can set up the Airport Express so that you will use the wifi to AirPlay but still keep 3G (or now 4G as my phone states after the iOS5.1 update) for data.

It's much easier usually to just give someone else the wifi login info than pair their device via BT.
how do you power up a wifi router on a boat? You need an inverter, right?

Quote:
Plug. Play. Rock out.AirPlay takes the music from the iTunes library on your computer and sends it wirelessly to any stereo or speakers in your home. All you have to do is plug an AirPort Express into an electrical outlet near those speakers, then connect them with an audio cable (sold separately).
Also doesn't airplay require you to have an itunes library on the network? So are you going to have a computer on board too?
Old     (UNvisible)      Join Date: May 2010       03-09-2012, 8:31 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by murphy_smith View Post
Well you do own 80k boat and you should be to afford it!!!! You dirty little enthusiast!!!!!!!!!
discoveries like these make me call into question exile's entire line of "engineered" products.....
Old     (jv210)      Join Date: Feb 2006       03-09-2012, 9:28 AM Reply   
uninvisible, if you don't like exile's products and question their engineering don t buy their products, it's that simple.

if you actually read the reviews from the amazon page YOU posted you would see where someone said
"I broke the usb connection. My fault. The product worked great except the charge didn't last long enough in my opinion. 4-5 hours of steady use before needing recharge."

they can claim 10 hours, but in reality it's probably not anywhere near 10hrs, so your argument about exile's costing twice as much and you not needing the battery life is a moot point.
Old     (spencerwm)      Join Date: Feb 2009       03-09-2012, 9:43 AM Reply   
You guys crack me up. If the product works what is the big deal? It's so cheap. Even if they sourced and branded it I would way rather want a company like Exile behind it in case I need support.

I remember back in the day when we had the Wetsounds thread going about the WS420 and the XS-XXX. Everyone freaked out because there were products with the same design already on the market. Turns out Wetsounds won that battle. I bought both of those products.

Reward the people that are making an effort to support our lifestyle. I would have said "Reward the people that are making an effort to grow our sport", but let's be honest. Drinking a beer listening to "red solo cup" on the boat is not a sport.

It is Tim and Brian's job to source the best parts that the supply market has to offer if they can't afford to produce them in house. I trust both of them to steer the industry in the right direction.

Last edited by spencerwm; 03-09-2012 at 9:45 AM. Reason: Went to the bathroom and someone submitted my post. Could have been my dog. Going to ask Dave for a keystroke report. Thanks
Old     (hatepain)      Join Date: Aug 2006       03-09-2012, 10:54 AM Reply   
Quote:
but let's be honest. Drinking a beer listening to "red solo cup" on the boat is not a sport.
yes it is!
Old     (hatepain)      Join Date: Aug 2006       03-09-2012, 10:56 AM Reply   
Exile puts out great products and stands behind them with excellent customer service and warranty. Are they (or anyone) reinventing the wheel? No, but they are tweeking and improving them to suit our needs, lifestyle and desire.

Last edited by wakeworld; 03-12-2012 at 11:16 PM.
Old     (Houstonshark)      Join Date: Jan 2011       03-09-2012, 11:11 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by shawndoggy View Post
how do you power up a wifi router on a boat? You need an inverter, right?



Also doesn't airplay require you to have an itunes library on the network? So are you going to have a computer on board too?
Yes, you just need a small inverter. AirPlay works from any iOS device or Apple computer. It also works stunningly well to wirelessly send video from your iOS device to a gen 2 AppleTV or the new AppleTV coming out in a couple weeks.

The Airport Express receives audio via AirPlay from your iOS device's iTunes library or other music apps like Pandora and outputs it via a 1/8" stereo audio jack.

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack the thread. I think the Exile piece will be great and will certainly be a very simple and easy to use and set up solution. I think the ability to transmit to another puck in a nearby boat is very slick. I'll probably get a pair once they are available.
Old     (spencerwm)      Join Date: Feb 2009       03-09-2012, 12:17 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by hatepain View Post
yes it is!
HAHA. Depends on the time of day.
Old     (chpthril)      Join Date: Oct 2007       03-09-2012, 7:53 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by Houstonshark View Post
. I'll probably get a pair once they are available.
They are available now, and have been for quite awhile from www.avantalk.com $45 through Amazon. No need for an extra long battery life on a device that is recharged while in use via USB. SOOOO many head units now a days have USB. $.02
Old     (joebob)      Join Date: Jan 2011       03-09-2012, 8:35 PM Reply   
I would rather support marine brand companys such as Exile and WS than no name brands on amazon to save a few bucks. Hey they are probably made in the same factory, silkscreened by the same guy and shipped by the same guy, but hey I know if I call Brian or anybody else at Exile I will get service and a good warranty. That is worth the money to me. They have done their research made their own tweeks.They are putting out a desired product and just that. Honestly do you think spending thousands of dollars on R&D to produce something that is already is available is cost effective? Hell no, lets just improve on what is out there and market it. Millions of companys are doing this and they are putting food on their plates. This is an extra to make the summer more fun, not enhance your boat stereo. That is what the ZLD is for and yes I believe this is their own. Check ordered mine...
Old     (jrw160)      Join Date: Oct 2006       03-09-2012, 8:40 PM Reply   
I don't really understand the use case for a battery powered Bluetooth receiver. Why not just hard wire it to the 12v in the boat? Having to remember to charge it before you take the boat out seems like an unnecessary hassle.

Last edited by jrw160; 03-09-2012 at 8:45 PM. Reason: typo
Old     (joebob)      Join Date: Jan 2011       03-09-2012, 8:41 PM Reply   
Oh and by the way, here is your contact info and tech support info for your Avantalk product.

http://www.avantalk.com/contactus.php
Old     (shawndoggy)      Join Date: Nov 2009       03-09-2012, 8:52 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrw160 View Post
I don't really understand the use case for a battery powered Bluetooth receiver. Why not just hard wire it to the 12v in the boat? Having to remember to charge it before you take the boat out seems like an unnecessary hassle.
If you want to hardwire, I can vouch for one of these.... http://www.ebay.com/itm/CLARION-BLT3...item4ab4deb636

no idea what codec it uses, but it sounds as good as the pioneer and sony decks I've used in the past with built in BT.

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