Boat Speaker Advice needed.

[flienlow]

Forgive me, I am not an audiophile.

My boat came with the most basic system from the factory and I would like to upgrade during the winter.

Here is what (I think) I want:

(I plan to keep the Stock Moomba Fusion Stereo head-)

1. Replace existing 4- in Hull Speakers.
2. Add 4 new Tower Speakers.
3. Add 2- 10" subs
4. Amps and batteries to power it all.

Suggestions on what to get for all?

Thanks!

[KG's Supra24]

Budget? Towers usually dont come cheap. Goal of nearfield or wakeboard distance?

Any reason to favor 2 10" subs opposed to a single 12" or bigger?

1 and 2 are easy enough with budget parameters. I'd assume the answer to #2 will provide the answer to #1 or else I'd stay factory, imo.

3 gets a little more technical and usually requires a box build. Are you doing this or paying a shop to do?

4 is driven by the answers to 1 through 3.


My suggestion? Easy ... Wetsounds.

[MLA]

1) plenty of quality build and good sounding marine built speakers out there with varying sound signature, grill designs and price points. Wet Sounds Revo and SX/SW-65i series, JL MX650, Kicker KM654LCW and Rockford MP262.

2) Is the reason for 4, looks? Id stick with an 8" or 10", regardless. Too many good options there, to go with a smaller 6.5". Plenty of options like the Wet Sounds Rev-10 or 8, Icon-8, JL 8.8, Kicker KM8, depending in goals. With the right setup, only a single pair might get the job done and come in less expensive then 4 pair of smaller speakers.

3) Not at opposed to two 10's if they can be done effectively. I would also consider a single 12" in a ported enclosure as an option.

4) once the final speaker options are decided, amp choices fall in line. Battery setup will be steered by use. As a minimum, id suggest a dual bank setup with at least one group 29/31 size deep cycle.

[kaneboats]

Exile Audio has some hot deals going right now. You can always call them and talk to Brian about setup and ideas if you need advice. Great folks to work with.

http://exileaudio.com/store/hot-deals.html

[flienlow]

1) plenty of quality build and good sounding marine built speakers out there with varying sound signature, grill designs and price points. Wet Sounds Revo and SX/SW-65i series, JL MX650, Kicker KM654LCW and Rockford MP262.

2) Is the reason for 4, looks? Id stick with an 8" or 10", regardless. Too many good options there, to go with a smaller 6.5". Plenty of options like the Wet Sounds Rev-10 or 8, Icon-8, JL 8.8, Kicker KM8, depending in goals. With the right setup, only a single pair might get the job done and come in less expensive then 4 pair of smaller speakers.

3) Not at opposed to two 10's if they can be done effectively. I would also consider a single 12" in a ported enclosure as an option.

4) once the final speaker options are decided, amp choices fall in line. Battery setup will be steered by use. As a minimum, id suggest a dual bank setup with at least one group 29/31 size deep cycle.

I am loosely trying to mimic my neighbors setup. he has 4- rockford fosgate tower speakers, 2-JL 10" Subs, and I am not sure about his other speakers or amps, but will find out. His system is pretty intense. And I think the oldies on the lake are not a fan of it.
The last boat I had, I dumped a bunch of money into the system, and was never happy with it. It had a 12" sub, and 4 tower speakers. For some reason ( probably me) it never performed well. I thought I would post this to see other recipes. I imagine a budget of about 5k or so?

[MLA]

I am loosely trying to mimic my neighbors setup. he has 4- rockford fosgate tower speakers, 2-JL 10" Subs, and I am not sure about his other speakers or amps, but will find out. His system is pretty intense. And I think the oldies on the lake are not a fan of it.
The last boat I had, I dumped a bunch of money into the system, and was never happy with it. It had a 12" sub, and 4 tower speakers. For some reason ( probably me) it never performed well. I thought I would post this to see other recipes. I imagine a budget of about 5k or so?

We can spend hours dissecting your old system to figure out why it did not perform well. To not end up in the same boat, I suggest working with a credible retailer installer to design the system based on your goals. Some one that has experience with a variety of marine products. Even the most premium products can under perform if the application and execution are flawed. They can also assist through the installation and tuning after the sale, if you are going DIY.

Clearly define your goals. Build the system that meets these goals, rather then design a system that fits a dollar amount. Then see where the price comes in at. You are better off increasing the budget and doing the build in two stages, then scaling back the design to come in at budget. Slimming down can easily put you back where you were with the previous boat. Good money spent, but not happy.

[David Analog]

So you have good advice from KG and MLA, two guys that really know their way around marine audio. I'll only add this. No concrete reason to go either with one 12-inch sub or two 10-inch subs. Both options can get the job done. However, your previous experience and dissatisfaction with a 12-inch sub should not deter you from using a 12-inch sub again. There are countless potential reasons why your 12-inch sub under-performed, but I can assure you that none of them are related to the subwoofer size. I'm going to recommend a 12-inch sub if the required cabinet size fits your boat. And the cabinet size and fit is where you should begin. That will determine a) the enclosure loaded method, and b) the subwoofer size. Just a few measurements and a good audio dealer will make quick work of providing the better option.

[smorris7]

You will have NO problem with the Exile warranty even beyond the stated 2 year mark. They are all about customer service. Both companies are great from a customer service standpoint. Don't let that be the reason you go one way or the other.


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[jmvotto]

I agree here, exile has taken good care of me beyond 2 yrs

[MLA]

No one has made any reference to any warranty issue. However, in two threads, the exile warranty was touted as being a selling point over another brand's. In reality, I think any reasonable person can see for themselves, which brand has the better warranty. Wet Sounds offers two years on their products. Each individual product, regardless of what amp brand the speakers are powered with, or what speakers an amp drives. No one is required to purchase a package, to get the same 2 year warranty.

Have an amp and want to upgrade the tower speakers = covered 2 years
Want to upgrade the in-boat wattage and get an amp = covered 2 years
Want to install an XXXv2 but go with a Kicker KX2400.1 = woofer gets a 2 year warranty.