Budget HLCD's FYI

[jmvotto]

received an e-mail 175 pair unloaded, also over on WW
for those on a budget. new look is kinda cool.

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60% Off Sale - Version 2 Krypt 6.5" HLCD Wakeboard Tower Speakers

Click here to buy now, and use coupon code during checkout:

6.5 HLCD



http://www.bulletlines.com/HLCD-Wake...aker-p/465.htm

[you da man]

Hmmm, new design? Must have found a new supplier after his Bullet Hollow Point copies were exhausted. Not saying it's not a good deal but find out about the warranty...if any.

[jmvotto]

YDM, looks like they just changed the grill IMO. warranty , not sure .

For that price if they die, you get new ones, for that matter how many of us really blow a speaker and have it re-coned etc. todays society is a throw aways society ( you reapir a DVD player lately, fix a laptop or ipod , etc???)

These are like the Vizio of the lcd tv market, you get what you pay for. I thought i would pass it along because there have been guys on here on a limited budget for tower speakers. These sound pretty good and do project 80 ft.

If i had to do again and did not have a budget i would go with exile, i like the look and the "cool factor " of the spin clamps)

These were definitely and upgrade from the polks db651 inthe towers.

The original bullets stopped selling 6.5's so i guess the copying thing is a moot point now.... my .02

[EarmarkMarine]

Just for a little clarification. The original Bullet HollowPoint company stopped making 6 1/2-inch HLCDs because they felt its impossible to get a small midbass cone to compete with the output of a horn loaded compression driver. Also, part of the balance equation is having adequate pod displacement. You may note that the Exile XM7, WetSounds Pro60 and HollowPoint 770 all have considerably larger pods than that which is typically available for a 6.5" driver. Personally, I want a speaker that has some musical integrity, even from an HLCD. I want lower midrange and a little midbass to accompany the treble. But, I do understand the limitations of someone who is trying to retrofit a speaker into existing or factory pods. On the other hand, I've found that most of these people end up upgrading in time anyway so it ends up being a temporary solution.
On another note, this year Bullet HollowPoint sent their engineer to China to collect all tooling related to their product so no more back door deals or stealing their design work. This also means no parts for reconing or service for products of questionable origins.
Keep this in mind. Kicker, NVS, Bullet HollowPoint, Exile, WetSounds, to name a few, have internal personel who have some engineering background and understand speaker and crossover design. I'm frequently in technical discussions with all of these companies. You can bet that if its an HLCD, any HLCD, it will be loud at 80 feet as that is impossible to get wrong. However,
just because a copycat product looks similar in form does not mean that it sounds the same, presents the same load to the amplifier and has the same level of design capability going into the product. You'll note that there is one company that is totally absent from any audio technical discussion on any forum and that is because there is very little audio technical knowledge there. I'm sure of this also as I've personally spoken with this person as well.
Just a few things to consider before you leap at a strictly price proposition.

David
Earmark Marine

[sandm]

krypt is still filling a need that bullet stopped. you make some great points above, but if you don't have a full bank account, or just don't want to spend tons of cash on tower speakers, krypt is filling that need. I have heard krypt 6.5's and they don't sound that much different than my bullet 6.5's, especially when you figure that they are being played most of the time in a boat-full of people-in the open outdoors-travelling at 10-23mph-with different speakers in the boat-on a lake full of other sound systems-not listening to music with a lot of nuance..

there is a reason krypt and bullet exist in the boating world, just like in the home theater market there is a reason sony and magnepan exist. each one fills a nitche.

[brain_rinse]

Well put, David and sandm. I'd like to copy/paste both responses any time a discussion comes up on krypt HLCDs.

[jmvotto]

David, very well put.

Sandm, glad to know that they sound close as i do not have a reference point to compare with. using my Wetsounds eq does help shape the sound better.

[sandm]

there's a guy with a krypt-powered tower on our lake. they don't sound bad at all... well, they actually sound like a$$, but I think it's his choice of music

[you da man]

I'll keep my opinions to myself about Ken and Bulletlines in regards to legal issues with some of his speakers and tower racks. I'd rather be patient and catch the quality stuff on sale vs paying cheap for products that were the result of others design and research

[EarmarkMarine]

Taking off my industry hat and putting on my consumer hat, Pride of Ownership comes into play for me. I want to own a product from a company that did it the right way for the right reasons. I also want to support those who support me or contribute to the advancement of the industry.
Here is my personal example. I wanted a Harley Davidson bike. It was over $20k. Instead I purchased a Harley lookalike for much, much less. It was a good bike. But everytime I looked at it after the newness rubbed off, I kept thinking of what I really wanted and why I wanted it. The bike I purchased rode well enough but I wasn't proud of it in the same way that I would have been with the Harley status. It may sound petty but that is how I felt none the less. So I sold the bike and learned a lesson.