New Tower Speakers!

[CMAC21]

So I feel like I've read every forum I can possibly look at. I don't personally have any buddies with tower speakers I'm interested in. I've got an 06 Möbius and it has the 4-speaker set up that comes with it. I'm wanting to have the tower speakers replaced by next year for sure. I'm just wanting to go ahead and start getting things for it. Now for my question.. Id like to hear while wake boarding if possible. I was looking at either replacing the 4 6.5 speakers now with 4 new 6.5 wet sounds coaxial speakers OR 2 8" Rockford m282 tower speakers. Obviously with the proper amp that would push them. We don't float a lot so if like to have them really clear to while close around the boat. I don't know to much about them as this is my first summer with this boat. Thanks guys!

[trayson]

If you want to hear them at wakeboard length, you're really going to have to skip over the coaxials and go straight into a HLCD setup.

The most cost effective solution would be to just buy the kicker 6.5" HLCD components and put them in your existing cans. You could later add another pair of cans to make it a 6-pack like I did.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kicker-41KMS...c8c27d&vxp=mtr



Or you can just step up to the big leagues and buy Exile or Wetsounds HLCD tower speakers. Bottom line the coaxials aren't the solution for "wakeboard length". they are what people get for surf speakers.

[MLA]

Id like to hear while wake boarding if possible.

This is absolutely possible with the proper speaker type and amp wattage. A coaxial like the XS-650 or M282 are not going to be the right speaker for the job. You will be better served with a horn loaded compression driver such as the Wet Sounds Rev-8 or Rev-10.

If you want to retain your current 4 pod setup and just upgrade the drivers, then the Kicker KMTS76 would be a great option. Its an HLCD but done as a component setup. http://kicker.com/41KMS674C

[philwsailz]

^^^^What they said^^^^

KMS674

Phil
Kicker

[David Analog]

There's a big difference between the Kicker HLCD tower system with four midbass drivers (in six total pods) and with two midbass drivers (in four total pods). IMO, the six-pack is at least as good as any single pair of 8-inch HLCDs in both output and sound quality. So I would strongly urge anyone to use the extra two midbass drivers. The problem may be finding two extra pods that match the existing and having adequate space across the tower while avoiding the front/rear bars.
If running 6.5" in-boat coaxials on the tower, the Wetsounds certainly is the best choice, but as mentioned above, trying to project at wake range with a conventional 6.5" coaxial, even two pair, is a challenge.
"Hearing" music at wake range and being somewhat intelligible at wake range in the face of engine noise and movement are two very different things. I feel at minimum you need 1) the Kicker HLCD six-pack, or 2) two pair of 8-inch coaxials, or 3) one pair of 8-inch or 10-inch HLCDs....and properly powered! Having to overdrive something that falls short is always harsh and annoying and extra hard on the people in the boat. Anything less then these options, IMO, will cause you to have products in the classifieds in the following off-season.

[trayson]

I have the kicker 6-pack and previously had the 4 speaker setup. Yeah, the 6-pack is a legit upgrade. I wasn't able to find cans that "perfectly" matched my Ariel cans, but the ones from Krypt were close enough.

My OEM setup with Polk Coaxials:


Putting in the 4 speaker kicker HLCD setup:


With the Kicker 6-pack and painted the grills all black:


You can see in the above pic that the clamps are different.
You can see in this pic that the cans are slightly different. the krypt ones are more 'bullet' shaped. But no one would really notice.

[viking]

You can see in this pic that the cans are slightly different. the krypt ones are more 'bullet' shaped. But no one would really notice.

I wouldn't have but now that you mention it I'm going to notice it and it'll bug me every time you post a picture!! LOL

[5:00]

What are the Hippity Hop things on the port tower?

[trayson]

I wouldn't have but now that you mention it I'm going to notice it and it'll bug me every time you post a picture!! LOL

I will consider it a privilege to mess with your OCD.

What are the Hippity Hop things on the port tower?

Those are Exile Bouy Balls. They are FANTASTIC and protect the boat awesome. Sometimes we throw them up there when we're just out for the evening. They work a TON better than those stupid fenders that look like tampons.

At Lake Billy, we used them and had rollers that were so bad that whitecaps broke over the top of the dock, and the boat was always safe and never got a scratch. Yeah, I didn't need 5, as three is typically enough. They're awesome in tie up's too.



http://exileaudio.com/store/index.ph...ll-fender.html

[ninedriver]

Hmmm...I'm intrigued. I currently have 4 tower cans with coaxials. I'm wanting to upgrade as well to get more sound/volume from the tower for wake boarding and the inevitable dragging of my kids and friends in the tube. Will the Kicker 41KMS674 setup make a big difference? Also, trayson, you mentioned by upgrading to the six pack it was noticable over the 4, how much? Also, how did you wire the 6 pack and with what amp? Finally, how would the 6 pack kicker set up compare to the exile xm9's. I'm curious because even though there would be 6 cans, I'm thinking they wouldn't hang as low as the xm9s and maybe allow for a bit more head room...