JL 8.8 Tower speakers worth the money?

[Jwredmon101]

Looking to get started on my audio on the new Craz... had Exiles in the last but Im looking to get away from HLCDs cause all we do is surf anyway. My question is how good are the JL stuff because the are way up there in price compared to even wetsounds ( non HLCD) speakers. Any audio guys care to chime in ?
Thanks,
Josh

[jonyb]

Everyone will have their own opinion, your best bet is to go to a dealer and DEMO them on your own.

I'm not a JL fanboy, honestly get sick of hearing their name. Their marketing works, that's about it.

[sandm]

fwiw, have 4 icon8's on my tower and they sound good. when surfing, I typically turn the boat speakers down to almost nothing and they still fill the boat with enough music and be able to carry on a conversation....

wish they had a tad more low end, but ws doesn't make an icon10

[jmvotto]

Everyone will have their own opinion, your best bet is to go to a dealer and DEMO them on your own.

I'm not a JL fanboy, honestly get sick of hearing their name. Their marketing works, that's about it.

JL stuff is quality the new supras are stocked with them and my buddies x45 has them and they sound great, for non hlcd, you got the EXile , ws and JL.

my .02

Jonyb welcome back , looks like they lifted the ban

[David Analog]

Looking to get started on my audio on the new Craz... had Exiles in the last but Im looking to get away from HLCDs cause all we do is surf anyway. My question is how good are the JL stuff because the are way up there in price compared to even wetsounds ( non HLCD) speakers. Any audio guys care to chime in ?
Thanks,
Josh

Oh heck YES, they're worth the money. The JL Audio 880s are still an 8-inch, just like all the other players, and in a compact pod, just like all the other players, so you won't get a miracle in low bass extension. But here is what you will get in a JL Audio 8-inch surf speaker that is different. A larger 1.2" soft dome tweeter and an American designed and built speaker. This speaker is the result of an exhaustive all-in-house process. It's hard for a small 1-inch metal dome plus a large 8-inch midbass to effectively bridge the midrange gap, especially when pressed to play at high amplitude levels in open air. The JL Audio tweeter is 20% larger and most importantly has a very low natural resonance, much lower than a metal tweeter. So it can reach a little lower and handle a little more power. The result is a seamless transition. No null in the middle. And no erratic response in the middle. If you have listened to the smoother & warmer texture of a JL Audio in-boat speaker, then you get how this will also translate to the tower.

[Jwredmon101]

My next question.... is money worth compared to say a Wet Sound icon 8.. will a novice notice the difference in sound enough to pay and extra 400-500 dollars?

[jonyb]

Jonyb welcome back , looks like they lifted the ban

Thanks. A certain person on here had a personal vendetta, evidently after other people complaining about him, he was relieved of his duties. Some people can't handle authority well.

I'd like to kindly say that just because a manufacturer puts a brand in their boat, doesn't make it the best. The OP should really demo all brands first, and make his own decision. And not from someone's boat, from a dealer. Most boats come out of the factory poorly tuned or poorly setup. I've talked to the guys at Wet Sounds numerous times about Tige' and their issues. It's a bad representation of a product.

I've got the Icon8's on display in my store, but I'm about 4 hours from Lake Cumberland. I think there is a Wet Sounds dealer up that way though.

[Jwredmon101]

Yeah there is a dealer that is close to me that sells both. But, I had him do the audio in my first boat and it was the most half A&* work I have ever seen ... went back through it my self just to fix the problems.. I will not have the opportunity to demo them anywhere near me ..much less side by side, hence why I am asking for facts about the brand. If I had the opportunity to demo I wouldn't have a post . Jonyb where is your shop?

[jonyb]

I'm in Paducah, KY. The far Western corner of KY. Off of exit 4 from I-24 going towards Illinois.

Sorry to hear that about the dealer. It's a shame that some of these guys can't do a better job.

[David Analog]

My next question.... is money worth compared to say a Wet Sound icon 8.. will a novice notice the difference in sound enough to pay and extra 400-500 dollars?

I don't think anyone can answer that question objectively....especially since sound is somewhat subjective. I can go into nano detail about the construction of both but this is really where a personal audition and comparison is needed.
I recently listened to both the JL Audio 880 and the Wetsounds Icon8 side by side with the identical power. Average output was about equal. But they sound a little different in that both are true to their individual design objectives.