If you are thinking of adding music to your off-road vehicle, we would suggest you go for a custom-designed ATV soundbar. There are quite a few brands making ATV speakers and PowerBass is one of the leading players. It makes durable and long-lasting audio gear for adventure sports.

In this segment we are going to talk about the XL-1000, a massive 10-speaker amplified marine soundbar by PowerBass. It has a top power of 800 watts and RMS power 400 watts. It has Bluetooth and AUX for sound input. It also has outputs for adding extra speakers and amps.

Let us study the features and functions of the XL-1000 in a little more detail.

PowerBass XL-1000 Bluetooth ATV / UTV Sound Bar Complete Review :

Technology And Design :

The PowerBass XL-1000 is an all-weather and all-terrain UTV soundbar. It has a heavy-duty body made from extruded aluminum. It has IPX6 water-resistance which means it is protected against high-pressure water jets from any direction. The enclosure is water-tight and keeps out dust and debris. It can withstand jerking and handling abuse.

The XL-1000 is part of the XL Series of soundbars for powersports by PowerBass. It is specially designed to survive harsh weather conditions. It is therefore ideal for ATVs, UTVs, boats, trucks, buggies and jeeps. It is suitable for safaris, dune bashing, off-road and water adventures.

The soundbar has two ways of accepting sound input: Bluetooth and AUX. Bluetooth offers a clutter-free means of playing music from a variety of gadgets like smart phones, iPods, iPads, tablets, etc. You can listen to your favorite tracks on apps like Pandora, Spotify and SoundCloud sans wires. Bluetooth protocol of the device is v4.0 and it has a wireless range of 32 feet. Thanks to wireless technology, you can keep your media player in a safe place like the in-dash storage. This prevents the device from falling and getting damaged while the vehicle is in motion.

For wired input, the speaker bar has a 3.5mm AUX input port. It is compatible with the AUX output ports of most non-Bluetooth and Bluetooth devices. AUX is a reliable and uninterrupted way of listening to music.

The UTV soundbar has a 2 volt output jack for upgrading the system to a multi-device set-up. You can use the port to add another soundbar, speaker, an amplifier or even a subwoofer. It is totally your call. The XL-1000 gives you the bandwidth to choose and build your own sound system which is a huge advantage.

The biggest advantage of the XL-1000 is that it is a comprehensive speaker with in-unit amplification. This means you don’t need a separate amp to power the bar. It reduces clutter and keeps your dash area neat.

The speaker bar has universal mounting. It comes with L-brackets for flexible installation on boats and vehicles. You can also purchase top or bottom mount clam-style brackets if you wish to try different mounting options.

The speaker has a protective grille in front running the width of the bar. A circular LED back-lit control panel is located at the center of the grille. It lets you manage the power, music, volume and other important functions. An optional secondary dash-mounted wired remote controller is also available for sale separately. You can go for it if you want to be able to control the soundbar from the wheel.

The PowerBass XL-1000 has LED visual notifications and audible power on/off notifications. It has an integrated precision-tuned DSP processor for a wider frequency response. The processor has a Distortion Limiter which is instrumental in keeping distortions to a minimum.

The speaker bar has waterproof wire loom connectors. It has automatic turn on/off which saves battery when the device is not in use. The cabinet is 33.75 inches wide, 4.25 inches high and 4.17 inches deep. It weighs 16.35 lbs.

Sound Performance :

The PowerBass XL-1000 is a beefy 10-speaker 2-channel ATV soundbar. It is fitted with eight 3-inch marine-grade full-range poly cone speakers and two 1.25-inch SD Mylar tweeters. The speakers are powered by a built-in amp with a peak power of 800 watts and RMS power 400 watts (200 watts x 2 @ 2ohm). The speakers crank out ground-shaking music. The vocals are crystal clear and the instruments as realistic as can be. Overall, we can say the amp adds plenty of power to the tracks, and makes them more natural and articulate.

Frequency response of the XL-1000 is 50 Hz to 22 kHz, signal-to-noise ratio is >85 dB and input sensitivity is 0.25 V – 3.0 V.

Key Features :

10-speaker 2-channel UTV speaker with IPX6 water-resistant enclosure.
Built-in amp with 400 watts RMS and 800 watts peak power output.
Bluetooth, AUX, 2 volt outputs, universal L-bracket mounting system, auto turn on/off.
Extruded aluminum housing, precision-tuned DSP processor, optional wired remote.
Four pairs of 3-inch marine-grade full-range poly cone speakers, two pairs of 1.25-inch SD Mylar tweeters.

Installation Guide of Powerbass XL-1000 Power sports Soundbar

To install the PowerBass Xtreme XL-1000, you will need some knowledge of electronics wiring. Following are some of the general installation and operation guidelines you might find handy.

To run the unit, you will need a vehicle with a 12-volt Negative Ground electrical system.
Before you begin the installation process, detach the Negative wire from the battery and turn off all electrical and stereo devices.
Run all wires before you mount the soundbar to know if you need additional wiring.
When connecting ground cables, take care to scrape off the paint around the points to establish direct contact with the bare metal.
Make sure all connectors are weatherproof to avoid environment-induced corrosion.
Before you drill or cut anything, study the surrounding to avoid accidentally puncturing gas tanks, electrical wires, hydraulic lines or fuel lines.
If the unit’s power cables have to be routed through sheet metal, use grommets to insulate the metal edges from the wire insulation.Using tubing through grommets is recommended.
Remember NOT to route the wiring underneath the vehicle or keep it exposed to the elements on a boat deck.
Also try not to run any wires near the vehicle’s electrical system to prevent noise from ‘bleeding’ into the audio system.
In case the included brackets do not fit your vehicle and you have to buy separate ones, go for marine-grade stainless steel hardware to keep them from rusting or corroding.
The PowerBass XL-1000 comes with an L-bracket. Use the supplied mounting hardware to fasten the bracket to the soundbar at the desired angle. The hardware to secure the soundbar to the vehicle has to be purchased separately.
If the L-bracket is not compatible with your vehicle, you can buy a C-clamp bracket.
The ideal place for the device would be on the rollbar in the front of the cockpit.
The fuse on the wiring harness that comes with the unit does not protect the vehicle from short circuits. For that it is absolutely important that the main power wire to the bar be fused within 18 inches of the connection to the vehicle’s battery. The value of this fuse, also called circuit breaker, should not be more than the sum of the fuses found on all of the equipment being connected to that power wire.
The Red Fuse wire is the main power cable. It might be connected to a 12-volt battery power or a 12-volt switched power. The Black Ground wire is the ground lead. Create a solid ground connection with the chassis by sanding off any paint from the chassis and use a screw or bolt with a star washer for best results.