Tower speakers what do you recommend

[robert843]

So I want a pair of bullet style tower speakers and really would like to spend less then $400 on them any recommendations I know nothing about these things. Am I crazy to even buy anything in that price range if so let me know and I will just work on the interior boat stuff. Not interested in hearing it at the end of a line more into helping with interior and anchored sound.

 

[robert843]

I was thinking about this package.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-KICKER...d=100338&rk=7&rkt=30&mehot=pp&sd=391583937332

 

[DieselCamel]

you just spend 50k on your new beautiful boat... your browsing the wrong isle. No your in the wrong store all together. Save your pennies and spring for some JL or wetsound stuff

 

[swatski]

As far as tower speakers I have to agree with @DieselCamel. A pair of little coaxials would just be annoying.
However, I had a set of Kicker KM6500.2 in separate enclosures in my old 190 and those were okay.

--

 

[Drift Away]

I have to Echo @DieselCamel go with JL. I have a full JL set up front to back. They cost a little more but worth every penny. This site has 15% off for tax time or some shit. So your looking at $500 or so but they straight jam

 

[mattschepker]

I am looking at these, Rockford Fosgate M282B-WAKE M2 Wakeboard 8-Inch Tower Speaker, Black. They're $649 they are also quick release so your Towing you can remove the speakers and put them back up when you reach your destination.

 

[FloJet]

you just spend 50k on your new beautiful boat... your browsing the wrong isle. No your in the wrong store all together. Save your pennies and spring for some JL or wetsound stuff

I so agree with that. Go big on that beautiful boat.

 

[renrab]

I'm going to do a pair of Wetsounds Rev8's this year

 

[FloJet]

Good Choice

 

[renrab]

Yah I'm sure I won't be dissappointed lol.

 

[TOGA]

JL Audio or Wetsound. I run JL. Don't forget you're gonna need to amp them up. Nothing sounds good underpowered.

 

[jcyamaharider]

I am not the follow the leader type person. I do not have Jl or Wetsounds on my tower but yes my tower speakers are loud. I put the Krypt HLCD on my tower. The 7.7. Buy what you want and what fits in your budget. If you are not trying to rock the sand bar and just listen to some casual music while you are coved out then any of the better named tower speakers will be just fine. How often do you listen to your radio at 100% ??????

https://www.bulletlines.com/wakeboard-tower-boat-speakers-s/36.htm

 

[Redneck_4Play]

I installed a pair of Rockford M282s on my 212X last year and I'm very happy with them. I got them on sale right at $500 and it included the tower clamps. Clamps alone are almost $100. I have them bridged on two channels of my 800 watt amp. Can hear them crisp and clean at wake distance.

 

[VONCE]

I found some used Exile XM9 speakers that were painted red to match my boat. I bought them off a member on this forum, who I believe also bought them off a member of this forum. If you have any friends who often take boat rides with you, ask them to throw down some money. My friends agreed which was another reason for me to go with a better set.

 

[mattschepker]

I installed a pair of Rockford M282s on my 212X last year and I'm very happy with them. I got them on sale right at $500 and it included the tower clamps. Clamps alone are almost $100. I have them bridged on two channels of my 800 watt amp. Can hear them crisp and clean at wake distance.

I'm looking at the polk 2000.2 amp to power them.

 

[Pinhacker71]

I installed exile xm9 this year. Love them. Had rev 8 on last years boat. I personally like the exiles better. I love the quick disconnect swivel mounts.

 

[mattschepker]

I installed exile xm9 this year. Love them. Had rev 8 on last years boat. I personally like the exiles better. I love the quick disconnect swivel mounts.

My buddy has the same speaker as you. I love the speaker but I can't afford the price tag.

 

[David Analog]

So I want a pair of bullet style tower speakers and really would like to spend less then $400 on them any recommendations I know nothing about these things. Am I crazy to even buy anything in that price range if so let me know and I will just work on the interior boat stuff. Not interested in hearing it at the end of a line more into helping with interior and anchored sound.

Stay clear of a standard 6.5" in-boat speaker that is placed in a small pod for tower use. From the in-boat perspective, the identical speaker would sound MUCH better in the context of the boat's tub/cockpit. Why? Because all these 6.5" coaxials are essentially infinite baffle speakers that belong in an expansive gunnel cavity for example. And because they are recessed into a boundary of re-enforcing planes (the cockpit bath tub). In contrast, once loaded into a compact pod, they become a limited range mid/tweeter. The path to a great in-boat audio experience is four coaxials within the cockpit (excluding the transom and bow) plus a subwoofer.
Dedicated tower speakers should be used for directional projection away from the boat, at the exclusion of the in-boat speakers, since it wastes way too much power to overdrive in-boat speakers so that they can be heard away from the boat.
Wait until you can comfortably purchase the right tower speakers, a lasting value, so you do not have a product hitting the classifieds a year later, like so many others.
Definitely the Wetsounds (Icon8 or Rev8) and JL Audio 880s are at the top of the tower speaker products. I would still stay in the larger 8" class of tower speaker even if using more of a budget product, such as Rockford or Kicker. Surface area matters. Pod displacement matters. You just can't cheat those two factors.

 

[robert843]

Stay clear of a standard 6.5" in-boat speaker that is placed in a small pod for tower use. From the in-boat perspective, the identical speaker would sound MUCH better in the context of the boat's tub/cockpit. Why? Because all these 6.5" coaxials are essentially infinite baffle speakers that belong in an expansive gunnel cavity for example. And because they are recessed into a boundary of re-enforcing planes (the cockpit bath tub). In contrast, once loaded into a compact pod, they become a limited range mid/tweeter. The path to a great in-boat audio experience is four coaxials within the cockpit (excluding the transom and bow) plus a subwoofer.
Dedicated tower speakers should be used for directional projection away from the boat, at the exclusion of the in-boat speakers, since it wastes way too much power to overdrive in-boat speakers so that they can be heard away from the boat.
Wait until you can comfortably purchase the right tower speakers, a lasting value, so you do not have a product hitting the classifieds a year later, like so many others.
Definitely the Wetsounds (Icon8 or Rev8) and JL Audio 880s are at the top of the tower speaker products. I would still stay in the larger 8" class of tower speaker even if using more of a budget product, such as Rockford or Kicker. Surface area matters. Pod displacement matters. You just can't cheat those two factors.

Since I'm more concerned with cock pit sound it would seem the play is too replace the 4 junk cockpit speakers and add two mid cockpit speakers and a sub correct? I will likley never have anyone being towed behind the boat at all. My budget mind was based more on the aspect that I only plan to keep the boat 3 years and upgrade again it was a boat I expected to keep for 10 years I would go all out. I could likely get 6 good cockpit speakers and a sub and amps for around a grand which I'm ok with. It is spending 2-3K total that I'm trying to avoid.

 

[MattFX4]

Since I'm more concerned with cock pit sound it would seem the play is too replace the 4 junk cockpit speakers and add two mid cockpit speakers and a sub correct? I will likley never have anyone being towed behind the boat at all. My budget mind was based more on the aspect that I only plan to keep the boat 3 years and upgrade again it was a boat I expected to keep for 10 years I would go all out. I could likely get 6 good cockpit speakers and a sub and amps for around a grand which I'm ok with. It is spending 2-3K total that I'm trying to avoid.

Speaking from experience yes. Upgrading factory speakers, adding amp, adding mid cabin speakers, and a sub will make a huge difference. I did that and was very happy. In process of adding tower speakers now, but am very happy with out them too.