Upgrade from Polk DB651’s

[bthessel]

So I built a budget system when I got my boat 5 years ago.
-Rockford Fosgate 4x100 amp powering 4x Polk DB651‘s and a set Rockford Fosgate M282 tower speakers.
-Separate clarion mono amp and a bazooka tube for a sub.
It has served me well and sounds decent but I think it is time for some upgrades. Without breaking the bank would it be worth it to upgrade the 4 x 6.5” to Polk MM1’s? Should I look at something else? I think I might also replace the Rockford Fosgate amp as I am guessing more power would improve things also.

 

[swatski]

So I built a budget system when I got my boat 5 years ago.
-Rockford Fosgate 4x100 amp powering 4x Polk DB651‘s and a set Rockford Fosgate M282 tower speakers.
-Separate clarion mono amp and a bazooka tube for a sub.
It has served me well and sounds decent but I think it is time for some upgrades. Without breaking the bank would it be worth it to upgrade the 4 x 6.5” to Polk MM1’s? Should I look at something else? I think I might also replace the Rockford Fosgate amp as I am guessing more power would improve things also.

I would suggest JL MX 650 or similar (I'm not up on the newest models/versions).

This was my experience, similar situation;

Finally got to swapping my bow speakers, have been running DB651s in the boat for 3 seasons now, love them (I have 5 pairs of DBs - 10 speakers, and a pair of WS ICON8 towers, plus a powered sub - Infinity BassLink).

The only complain with my set up has been the bow - 2 DBs were relatively tame there at speed, with my teens & friends loving to nest in the bow all the time. I decided to just replace the 2 DBs with 2 MX 650s. That gave me a chance to compare those two side-by-side during the install. They are powered by a micro class D amp - Clarion XC1410 at 50 Watts RMS per channel or so.

I used a certified JL technical expert (wearing yellow company uniform) to decide which speaker performed better:
View attachment 94143

The verdict was quick and decisive:
JL MX 650 wins, hands down .

At higher volumes that MX650 speaker outperforms the DB by what seems like a 2:1 ratio in loudness, clarity, and bass.
I'm sure with more power behind them the JLs would outperform the DBs even more.

That said, the DB is a great performer! I would say really almost as good as JL musically (minus some bass) when played at low volumes. Really, to the point which surprised me greatly and made me change my mind about replacing all of them at this time. I considered replacing all of the DBs, but will not do so, until they start croaking.

For anyone needing to entertain a cove - the choice is clear: go JL!
For everyone else (and me) - I'd stick with DBs as long as they last (in my case pushed by super efficient Clarion micros).

(My tower ICONs take care of friends with loud musical tastes and Southern rap, they just need to sit in the rear - behind those)



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[traderfjp]

Hertz make really nice speakers as does Focal.

 

[Julian]

I've been slowly upgrading to JL 650s and have been happy. (But I also have 3 amps already)

 

[bthessel]

So in looking over my system I realized my amp had lost a channel. I didn’t notice but when I mentioned it to my wife she said the front speakers hadn’t been on for a while. Reached out to Odin at @Earmark Marine and he was awesome to work with. New Wetsounds HTX6 and 4 new JL M3-650’s on the way!

 

[octavio3311]

I’m running 3 WetSounds amps - 1 to the inboats, 1 to the tower and 1 to the WS sub.
I will say - properly powered, those Polk DB651’s sound impressive.
I’ve been on many boats, some big name wake boats running JL’s, WetSounds, and Exiles - sure, they have more oomph, more throw and project louder, farther - but I can’t say they sound “better” - especially for my intended use.

 

[212s]

I will say - properly powered, those Polk DB651’s sound impressive.

I agree, my boat has the DB652 speakers and they're surprisingly clean and tight. They don't wake up till you pump about 15w of real power into them though to get them pumping. I'm a bit of an audiophile and like my sound to be clean and accurate, so I thought I would need to buy new speakers, but these Polks do a good job on the water with all the noise and wind and kids screaming. I'm content with them and a good amp to push them. Need to add another pair in the cockpit to get more volume, but other than that, they rock quite well. My wife often tells me to turn it down when we're floating...anyone looking for a trade-in?
?

 

[bthessel]

I did think my DB651’s were pretty good for what I paid for them and I always got compliments on how my budget build sounded. My most surprising part for my stereo was my bazooka tube tucked all the way back in the side almost to the the transom remote powered by a Clarion XC 2110. Really great bass, even people in the water floating behind the boat comment on how good it sounds. I am keeping that.

 

[octavio3311]

I think 1 of the biggest improvements I made was adding another pair of speakers to the mid cabin. It really filled in the sound.
All Boats should come with 6 in boats from the factory.

 

[Tobes]

Went from stock to DB651 to Kicker KM8. Definite upgrade from the 651's to the KM8's. I did a budget system which is why I went with the KM8. I have 6 total now which cost me $600 (plus tax). For one pair of JL M7.7, it would cost me about $500. I am almost ready to upgrade and try out the JLs but the investment is a lot. For a budget system, the KM8s are great IMO.

 

[gallobg]

Good timing on this discussion. My current project is add 2 tower speakers to my 2019 AR195. Looking at a pair of Wet Sounds ICON 8.

To simplify wiring, I'm considering a single 6-channel amp to power everything. Something like a JL M600/6 or Wet Sounds HTX-6.

I was also going to replace the 4 cabin stock DB652's with something decent like JL 650 or similar Wet Sounds. But based on your comments I'm wondering if the stock speakers might be good enough if they're amplified by the HTX6?

My goal is to have better sound over the engine noise, and some sound behind the boat for watersports.

If I didn't upgrade the stock speakers then I would probably put the money into upgrading the head unit instead.

 

[212s]

I was also going to replace the 4 cabin stock DB652's with something decent like JL 650 or similar Wet Sounds. But based on your comments I'm wondering if the stock speakers might be good enough if they're amplified by the HTX6?

Since you're getting a 6-channel amp, just see how you like the Polks with a good amp. If you're not happy, you can upgrade the speakers later. Personally I would consider going with a 4-channel for the cabin speakers and a 2-ch for the towers as they will need more power to get them pumping.

Originally I was looking at buying six JL speakers, but up here in Canada a pair of non-LED JL M3-650's cost $379+tax, so well over a grand to upgrade to six of them. After I put the JL MX500/4 amp in to drive the Polks I was very pleased with them and simply bought another pair to put in mid-cabin for less than half the cost of a pair of JL's. I'm sure the JL's would sound better, but probably not $1200 better in a noisy environment.