Cicada Audio vs Wild Boar Audio: Harley Touring Sound Compared

Cicada Audio vs Wild Boar Audio: Harley Touring Sound Compared

Both the Cicada Audio 14FLXCX-4X2 and the Wild Boar WBARG-KIT-2R / WBASG-KIT-2R are purpose-built, plug-and-play amplified front-stage upgrades for 2014–2023 Harley-Davidson® Touring models. Both deliver a genuine improvement over factory audio. Both are well-regarded systems from brands that understand motorcycles.

The difference is not which one sounds better on day one. The difference is what you're actually buying — and what it costs you when you inevitably want more.

Quick Comparison

The Real Difference: Closed System vs Open Platform

The Wild Boar KIT-2R ships with a mounting plate for a second amplifier. That detail tells you everything about the system's expansion philosophy: when you want more, you buy another amp, mount it alongside the first, run another wiring harness, and find space in a fairing that was already tight with one unit in it.

The FLX500.4 in the Cicada 14FLXCX-4X2 is a 4-channel amplifier. Two channels power the front CX65.2 speakers. Channels 3 and 4 are wired, fused, and waiting. When you're ready for rear saddlebag speakers, you connect them — no second amplifier, no second power run, no second mounting plate fighting for fairing real estate.

This is not a minor convenience difference. The Wild Boar expansion path requires:

• A second WBA 400.2R amplifier
• Rear speakers
• A second mounting plate (included with the first amp, but the space still has to exist)
• Two physically large amplifiers sitting in a fairing designed around one

The Cicada expansion path requires rear speakers. That's it. The FLX500.4 is already there, already powered, already taking up the same space it always did.

One More Thing: The FLX500.4 Is Bridgeable

The Wild Boar expansion path is a second WBA 400.2R amplifier sitting in your fairing alongside the first. That's two physically large units competing for space designed around one.

The FLX500.4 is bridgeable — any two channels can be combined to deliver 250W into a 4Ω load. If you want more power from the Cicada system without adding a second amplifier, that headroom is already built into the hardware you own. You'd need speakers rated to handle the bridged output — the CX65.2 pair in this kit is rated at 100W RMS, so bridging would require an upgrade to appropriately rated drivers — but the amp supports it and the option exists.

And if you do want a second amplifier for maximum output? Two FLX500.4 units fit into the fairing space that a single WBA 400.2R occupies. Eight amplifier channels. 1,000W total rated output. A smaller physical footprint than a two-amp Wild Boar stack.

Wild Boar markets the three-amp fairing stack as a genuine upgrade path — and it works, on their terms. But you're fitting three physically large units into a fairing to get there. Two FLX500.4 units get you more channels and more output in less space, with the crossover flexibility to tune each channel independently.

Fixed Tune vs Adjustable System

The Wild Boar WBA 400.2R ships with pre-set crossover, gain, and EQ. There is no adjustment. What Wild Boar decided sounds good is what you get — permanently. For a straightforward two-speaker front stage on a stock-ish bike, that may never be a problem. But the moment your system evolves — a new head unit, a DSP processor, different speakers — the amp cannot move with it.

The FLX500.4 is a different instrument entirely. It ships with selectable crossover modes (LPF / FULL / HPF), adjustable crossover frequency across the full 20Hz–20kHz range, selectable slopes at 6, 12, 24, and 48dB per octave, REM/DC/VOX signal turn-on options, and a gain range from 0.2V to 12V. An installer can dial this amplifier precisely to the speakers, the source, and the listening environment. As the system grows — DSP integration, rear speakers, a different head unit — the amp adapts. The Wild Boar cannot. If you ever want DSP integration, see the Cicada DSP Guide for how the FLX series fits into a tuned system.

The Radio Flash: Both Systems Need It

Wild Boar's installation manual notes that a radio flash "may be required." The factory Harley-Davidson® Infotainment firmware applies heavy EQ curves, dynamic compression, bass roll-off at volume, and output limiting — regardless of which amplified system you install. The flash isn't optional; Wild Boar just word it carefully.

Without a flash, either system will disappoint. With a flash, both systems perform as designed. Budget $150–$300 AUD and 30 minutes with TechnoResearch or an authorised dealer. For more detail on what the flash actually does and why it matters, read Why Flashing Your Harley Radio Matters.

Impedance: 2Ω vs 4Ω

One more thing worth noting on power figures: Cicada publishes amplifier output as RMS — the conservative, continuous measurement used as the industry standard for honest power ratings. Wild Boar publishes their 200W figure as "rated power," which is not necessarily equivalent to RMS and may reflect a less conservative measurement method. The real-world gap between 125W RMS and 200W rated per channel may be smaller than the numbers suggest.

The Cicada system runs 2Ω speakers matched to the FLX500.4. The Wild Boar system runs 4Ω. For a full explanation of what this means in practice — current delivery, thermal load, voltage swing — read 2Ω vs 4Ω: What It Actually Means for Motorcycle Audio.

The short version: at 2Ω, the FLX500.4 delivers more output per channel with less voltage swing, paired with the HDPG8K 8 AWG wiring kit sized for the load. At 4Ω, Wild Boar's amplifier runs cooler with more conservative electrical demand. Both are deliberate design choices — neither is wrong. The Cicada approach trades slightly higher current draw for more headroom at speed; the Wild Boar approach trades headroom for thermal stability and simpler electrical requirements.

How They Sound

Once properly flashed and set up, both systems are a significant step forward from factory audio.

The Cicada 14FLXCX-4X2 sounds forward and dynamic. Vocals stay present when wind and speed build. There's authority in the low-mids that makes the system feel like it's working with you rather than being overwhelmed by the environment.

The Wild Boar KIT-2R sounds smooth and composed. It doesn't push forward — it holds its ground. Long rides feel relaxed rather than fatiguing. The WBC 1654 speakers are genuinely well-specced — carbon fibre woofer cones, titanium dome tweeters, studio-grade crossover components, and vented magnets for heat management. These are quality drivers in a quality package, and they sound like it.

One system pushes into the wind. The other cruises with it.

One Genuine Wild Boar Advantage: R.E.M.I.T.

Wild Boar's R.E.M.I.T. (Reduced Electro Magnetic Interference Technology) is a real feature addressing a real problem: Class-D amplifiers generate electromagnetic interference that degrades FM reception. Wild Boar's proprietary circuit design minimises this. If FM radio is a regular part of your riding experience, this is a meaningful advantage — and an honest one.

The FLX500.4 does not have an equivalent technology. If FM reception matters to you, factor that in.

Which System Is Right for You?

Choose the Cicada 14FLXCX-4X2 if you:

• Want a front stage today with a clear, low-cost path to a full 4-speaker system later
• Don't want a second amplifier living in your fairing when you expand
• Want a tuneable system that can grow with DSP, different speakers, or a new head unit
• Prefer vocal presence and dynamic authority at highway speed
• Stream music, Apple CarPlay, or Spotify — FM is not your primary source

Choose the Wild Boar WBARG / WBASG KIT-2R if you:

• Primarily listen to FM radio and want the best possible reception from a Class-D system
• Are confident two front speakers is the final destination for this build
• Prefer a relaxed, smooth sound signature over a forward, dynamic one

The Bottom Line

The Wild Boar KIT-2R is a well-built 2-speaker system with a genuine FM reception advantage. If FM is your world and two front speakers is your end point, it will do the job.

But if there's any chance you'll want rear speakers — and most riders eventually do — the Cicada 14FLXCX-4X2 is the more intelligent starting point. The FLX500.4 is already a 4-channel amp. Expansion costs speakers, not another amplifier, not more fairing space, not another wiring run. You're not buying a 2-speaker system — you're buying a 4-speaker system and choosing to start with two.