@TN888 , I like the discussion and focus your getting on the several threads you have going regarding the improvement to your stereo. It helps to have some exposure and input from those that have done them. I too, like you, don't care a flip about "loud" or "wake range" music. However, you can't even have music in the swimming range behind the boat without some pretty decent speakers and the power behind them to deliver it to you. And the difference discussed in the several threads between speaker differences is enough to fill a book. The Polk DB651 always gets thumbs up to a nice upgrade without breaking the bank. It is a great "entry level speaker". But make no mistake, it is an entry level speaker and you can amplify it and get good sound at certain levels. That means it can easily be powered to let you hear it above engine and wind noise at cruise or higher. Here is the rub. Hearing music and being able to actually "hear" it are two very different things. Yes, you can deliver enough power to that speaker to get it loud enough to hear it. But it is just not efficient enough to handle that level of play regardless of power, to compete with the wind and engine noise. What sound system could? Well, it is all about the things that have been discussed in the threads you have going. It is getting enough power to work the speaker to its capability and...the speaker has to have more dynamic range and capability to play clean at a much louder level to compete with that outside interference. So while you and I don't really consider ourselves listeners of loud music, when we are playing at cruise, or in your specific request, out back where we swim...you have to compete with distance and the open air auditorium. So to deliver music with any quality at all to it, you better modify and put the speakers on the transom, unless you get a better speaker to mount in the pod on the tower. You don't need the projection horns for swim distance, but you need a speaker that can handle the challenge. And like
@David Analog said, a larger speaker may be in order, but I suspect you could get swim distance worthwhile music out of a set of JL MX 650's or the Polk MM651UM. But you can certainly get better overall sound out back with the JL 770 line.
These discussions are all relative and very subjective too. Because some will be satisfied with just the background noise that you know is music...others want to hear the lyrics and every note from high to low. Some will tell you that you can't get that in an open air environment of a boat. Those of us with JL audio equipment will tell you that you can get good music at low listening levels in open air, as well as pretty crisp and understandable music even at cruise. And the music out back...well, it suffers no matter what you do, but it is attainable too. Nothing you do will be like in the small confines of a car, and certainly not like in your home, but you can have music that is worth listening to. Like David said, do it right the first time.
