Wetsounds stealth 10 soundbar help

[kyle]

After some research, my plan is to purchase a Wetsounds Stealth 10 Ultra to mount on the waketower of my AR195. We will use is strictly when anchored and swimming behind the boat and hanging out on the swim platform. I have no interest in hearing it while tubing or wakeboarding, and don't particularly care about a lot of bass. My only concern is mounting the soundbar to the tower, and more importantly, hiding the wires. Is it possible to drill into the tower and run the wires through the tower and then into the hull to the battery? I don't really want to have wires just zip tied to the tower. Anybody done this? Looking for suggestions

 

[Seadeals]

I don’t have a tower but many have fished the wires inside the tower. It can be a pain; but worth the effort if you like things tidy. I am sure someone with your model will chime in with some experience.

 

[jcyamaharider]

After some research, my plan is to purchase a Wetsounds Stealth 10 Ultra to mount on the waketower of my AR195. We will use is strictly when anchored and swimming behind the boat and hanging out on the swim platform. I have no interest in hearing it while tubing or wakeboarding, and don't particularly care about a lot of bass. My only concern is mounting the soundbar to the tower, and more importantly, hiding the wires. Is it possible to drill into the tower and run the wires through the tower and then into the hull to the battery? I don't really want to have wires just zip tied to the tower. Anybody done this? Looking for suggestions

That is exactly how it is done @kyle. As for mounting, I think it comes with brackets to use. Mine was already installed when I bought my boat, I did have to fish new wires for the rev10's.

 

[kyle]

I am just afraid of drilling into the powder coat or whatever the paint is and chipping it. I also didn't know if the tower is hollow all the way through or if its solid at the bottom where it folds. Truth be told, I have never folded it down since I bought it. I read some posts from others and they were talking about the older style towers that look like they were a stainless steel and not painted.

 

[jcyamaharider]

You will not chip the powder coat drilling it and the older towers were Aluminum.

 

[afdouble]

I have done exactly what you are looking to do. I drilled a small pilot hole and then widened it to fish the wires. The mounting was trickier. The brackets suck. I drilled pilot holes again and used self tapping screws. Secured with jb weld, no issues and sounds great. I can take pictures this weekend.

 

[kyle]

I have done exactly what you are looking to do. I drilled a small pilot hole and then widened it to fish the wires. The mounting was trickier. The brackets suck. I drilled pilot holes again and used self tapping screws. Secured with jb weld, no issues and sounds great. I can take pictures this weekend.

That would be fantastic if you could post pics. Did you have to drill a new hole in the fiberglass at the bottom of the tower or were you able to keep it all inside the tubes? And you are happy with the sound?

 

[Julian]

@kyle @afdouble please post photos of your sound bar installs! This has been asked before, but I've not see photos of how members install their add on sound bars!

 

[kyle]

I bought the soundbar last night, but won't be installing until spring since winter has finally decided to show up. We were new boat owners this year and loved it more than I thought we would so it's killing me that it's sitting in storage. There are so many things I want to do.

 

[afdouble]

A quick update...I still plan on taking some pictures for you. The boat is about an hour away, but I had originally planned on being in the area. Who would have thought it would have snowed in Upstate South Carolina.... Anyhow, it may be a week or two, but I will get some pictures for you...

 

[jeff_s]

I bought the soundbar last night, but won't be installing until spring since winter has finally decided to show up. We were new boat owners this year and loved it more than I thought we would so it's killing me that it's sitting in storage. There are so many things I want to do.

My feelings exactly.

 

[2kwik4u]

That would be fantastic if you could post pics. Did you have to drill a new hole in the fiberglass at the bottom of the tower or were you able to keep it all inside the tubes? And you are happy with the sound?

I'm like 99% certain that you don't have to drill into the fiberglass to get the wires ran. I lower my tower every time I go out (once to get out of the garage, and once to get back in), and I think I remember seeing the open bottom of the tower tubing when it was folded. I'll check when I bring it home in a few weeks (had to stash it at a friends house for a few weeks to get garage space to build a playset for the kiddo).

I'm really curious how this works out for you in terms of mounting. At 6'2" tall I don't want to put traditional tower speakers on mine because my head already BARELY clears the tower when walking under it. Anything hanging down will certainly cause a headache for me sooner or later. I can't mount anything outboard of the tower because it folds to get in/out of the garage, and I've modified the stops to get it completely inside the windshield to fit under the lower door to the garage. Can't mount above the tower either, as that space is occupied by the bimini top, which is deployed around 95% of our time on the water. SOOOO.....the only real option is a soundbar mounted "inline" with the tower at the same elevation as the tower tubing itself. Basically I've had the soundbar on my mind for months, but have been hesitant to pull the trigger on it until I can see one in person. Was hoping to get a look at a 242X at the boat show this year to verify it will work.

 

[kyle]

I hooked the soundbar up to a battery this afternoon just to see how it sounded while I was about 50 feet away. Wow does that thing sound good. Sure it is lacking in the bass category but I may add a sub to it I want to later. I also bought the clamps to go around the rear tower bar. As soon as spring gets here I guess I will get to drilling a giant hole for that wire. Still a little concerned about that but there is no other option.

 

[kyle]

And is the bottom of the tower solid like on the older towers? I think they had like 6 inches that weren't hollow

 

[afdouble]

I ran the wires through the tower. It is hollow at the bottom and only Required one large hole.

 

[kyle]

I ran the wires through the tower. It is hollow at the bottom and only Required one large hole.

Great. Thanks for the heads-up

 

[afdouble]

Great. Thanks for the heads-up

I should clarify... I drilled one large hole at the sound bar and ran the wires through the hollow tower. The wires fed easily down the bottom of the tower into the port side compartment.

 

[Julian]

I should clarify... I drilled one large hole at the sound bar and ran the wires through the hollow tower. The wires fed easily down the bottom of the tower into the port side compartment.

Are you taking photos along the way? hint hint....

 

[afdouble]

Okay, I can't find all of the pictures I took, but will post them when I find them. Here is what I have currently, Re: adding wetsounds passive 10 speaker soundboard to the tower on a 2017 Limited S E-Series:

final product:






side view of brackets:











wire run through top of tower...I found an existing hole, and widened it with a router bit in my hammer drill:

not a great picture, I know!




I''ll post the other pictures when I find them...

 

[kyle]

Thanks.