new system
 

Alright, I need your help!

I'm the new owner of a 2010 MB TWB and need to upgrade the audio system. What are your recommendations? I have about $1500 to spend.

Thanks!

-P

What part of the system are you looking to upgrade? What do you have now?

Wet Sounds tower speaker packages are on sale through the end of the month, contact Wet Sounds or your local dealer for details.

The MB comes with a clarion deck/amp, 1 sub, and 6 in boat speakers. I'm looking to get another amp and some tower speakers.

I would go with the Exile Harpoon amp with Exile XM7s. The XM7s are the best sounding HLCD for sound quailty in the boat and for the rider out there in my opinion. Plus they have a great quick disconnect. All that is needed is to loosen one Allen head connection and lift the speaker off the clamp. No wires to disconnect. The Harpoon amp is pretty impressive with the ability to shape the sound for a rider at 80 feet, to the surfer at 20 and for just listening in the boat. Plus the guys at Exile are great to work with and will help you plan your stereo. Check them out at exileaudio.com

Thanks for the lead to exile...the xm7's do seem impressive. How do these compare to wetsounds pro 80s? Also, do you know the price on the Xm7s?

Thanks,

P

The XM7s are 850 a pair.

I've owned the WS 80s and actually had them paired with the XM7s on my tower. The 80s are loud but in my opinion they do not have the overall sound quality that the XM7s have.

FYI. Wet Sounds March Madness Sale lasts until the 31st. If you order Wet Sounds Tower speakers and a Wet Sounds amp before the end of March from your local dealer you get 20% off. Pro 80s with a Syn 2 comes out to a little over $1200.

I also own Exile XM7s and the Harpoon amp, this is an awesome set up. Nate is right on with the prices and description for the set up. Also if your looking to double ups, if you have the Harpoon it will effortlessly power 4 XM7s, this allows you to get a Pair now, and the amp, then later when your budget has regained you can pick up another set of XM7s and wire them right in with out doing another amp upgrade.

I have not owned Wet-sounds, i have listened to them and they are a great sounding speaker. They are loud and bright and project very well as they should for the quality in them.

I believe though that my 4 XM7s with the Harpoon will project just as fare and sound cleaner, all i need to do is get someone local to my area to put there boat next to mine and do some real sound tests. Fare and square ya know.

You really cant go wrong with a Wet-sounds or an Exile set up but i think the Exile ability to quick disconnect, rotate 360 and the soft speaker carry case they come with is hard to beat.

Cool, I don't see the Harpoon amp on the website. Is this a new amp or something? Anyone know where I can purchase these? I'm located in Northern CA.

Thanks,

P

Yes the Harpoon is a completely new amp. It has some really nice features.
Exile is where you can read more on it.

http://www.exileaudio.com/

It should be hitting retailers soon is what i understand talking with Exile

http://exileaudio.blogspot.com/2009/...amplifier.html

I have an extra Boston Acoustics SPG555 oval sub if you need some serious boom. I'll let it go for $400 already in a box.

PM me if you are interested.

mikeskiw@gmail.com

Thanks for all the props on Exile guys. I do appreciate it.

Pip - I think a prudent question might be, give the forum a bit of information what your looking to upgrade. There is a wealth of information online. 1500 can go pretty fast on a tower setup or could go pretty far on some cabin speakers / amplifier setup.

The best advice anyone can give to you is to suggest taking a look at where you are now and where you want to go with your entire audio system over time. Meaningful changes often times require deck upgrades, charging system/ battery upgrades as the increases in performance require us to look at the overall system design picture. Makes sense?

If I can answer Exile questions for you, feel free to drop me a line at brian@exileaudio.com

Cheers!

-Brian
Exile Audio

Please correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the Exile Harpoon Amp class a/b technology. Being that is is soooo powerful and that it is very inefficient technology - that is bad recipe for a boat with limited power supply.

Why don't you take a look at the Arc Audio KS 300.2. The amplifier was designed by Robert Zeff who is originator of Zapco, some of the best amps ever made. It is class H technology which is much more efficient than a/b. You can get one online for $339.

I run this amp with 4 WS pro 80's and never once, have I had an issue with overheating in the hot TX sun.

The exile speakers are competitive with the other HLCD's and if you like them, you can't go wrong with them. But don't buy an amplfier that is old technology especially when you can buy a newer, more efficient techonolgy for a lower price.

If you do go with a class a/b amp...it better have execeptional cooling abilities and you may want to look at additional batteries.

BTW, the deal that Ben mentioned on the Pro 80's and SYN 2 is a heck of a deal.

The SYN amps are built from the Arc Audio KS Chassis, but have some additional features that are more suited towards the marine environment.

PIP,

Give Ben (soundbox) at Acme Tops and Tunes a call. He is fairly close to you and you can go take look and get a demo. Ben is a great dealer and does some crazy work, take a look at the RGB led thread.

My number one suggestions is to go look and listen to the products. Heck even have the dealer take them apart and look at the insides and do some comparing.

Then decide what your goals are in terms of sound and style and budget. Do you want to be the one of the loudest on the lake and go for something like a pair of PRO 485's or a 3-Some set up or do you want to be one of the loudest on the lake but prefer the single housing style and go for 2 pairs of PRO 80's.

Or are you more into surfing and want something loud and clean with a ton of punch for surfing and party cove and go for the Double Up.

There are so many options in terms of your goals. You can go look and listen etc..

Tim
Wet Sounds

PIP, what do you want the speakers to accomplish? Do you want to be able to hear clearly while riding or do you want them to sound better for partying, surfing and in the boat?

I am not sure I agree with the notion that HLCD's are hands down the best tower speakers and I sure as heck don't put much weight into statements like "Brand A is hands down better than brand B". People have different objectives when building a system and they should build their system to their needs not someone else's needs. Now if your main objective is to hear the music clearly while wakeboarding than HLCD's are probably the way to go. Keep in mind you will want some way to independently adjust the gain or volume on the tower speakers, especially with HLCD's.

Earmark is having a promotional package deal on both WS and Exile tower speakers/amp combo

http://www.earmarkcaraudio.com/Xcart/home.php?cat=337

Wow, Dave's deal on the pair of 485's and SYN4 is a great deal. I would almost consider that if you just flat out wanted pure loudness. That setup gets 400 watts to each 485. That should be crazy loud. It is slightly more than your 1500 budget but should be the best bang for your buck.

PIP, its an opportune time.

The WetSounds promotion is manufacturer sponsored and applies to all WetSounds participating dealers. BTW, this promotion is over March 31st end of day.

I would recommend visiting your local dealer, especially for those who are requiring installation, and listen to their proposition. Theirs will be turnkey with all supporting parts, no surprises, plus experience tempered by hundreds of boat installations. A dealer like SoundBox would fit this profile perfectly if they're in your geo area.

For those in our area please reach out to us.

There are also some amazing specials running currently from Exile and Bullet HollowPoint.

David
Earmark Marine

Let me clear my expectations of what type of sound system I'm looking for.

I'm not looking for the loudest system on the water, however I do want to be able to hear some music 70' back. I would say about 50% wakeboarding, 25% party cove, and 25% surfing. I do like the ability of the Exile Xm7's to rotate direction. Is this a unique feature of the Xm7s or do the pro80's do the same. Another important factor I need to consider is the ability to easily remove the tower speakers so I can store my boat in the garage with the tower down. My garage height is already an issue and I know with speakers installed the tower would not be able to lie as flat as it would without them installed. Do both the Xm7s and Pro80's allow for this flexability? As far as charging systems are concerned, I currently have 2 batteries and plan on getting a dual bank charger to keep them fresh when the boat is stored. Do I need anything else?

My current setup seems to be adequate enough for sound within the boat, although I may upgrade this at a later time. If and when I choose to do this, I will replace the current amp and in-boat speakers as needed.

I agree that sound testing these speakers is the best advice and I will try to make it, however with my busy work schedule this might not be possible. This is why I am asking for your help.

Thanks,

P

Pip -

This is a unique feature to our speaker. It doesnt just rotate... It literally spins. No other speaker on the market does this. And its done in a manner that's patented. It allows you the ability to quickly directly sound pretty much any direction you choose. It also passes the audio directly thru the clamp itself. This is nice because there are no flying wires of any kind visible on the tower.

Because we made the Xm7 design so easy to quick disconnect we felt it important to support what we preach and include neoprene sox that you can stow your speakers in when you pop them off at the end of the day or end of the season. They have nice carrying handles etc. Just a nice touch and are included for free.

If a surf type of tower speaker is more applicable we are just now releasing the SXT65. It costs less than the XM7 and the design is built around a coincidently mounted 25mm titanium dome tweeter and 6.5" midbass woofer. It's a high quality component system that has fantastic sound quality. For guys that enjoy the party cove and wake surfing, this setup is for them.

If you have any questions or need help sorting out system designs, shoot me an email and we'll get you squared away. I can be reached at brian@exileaudio.com

Cheers,

-Brian
Exile Audio

Pip,

The PRO 80 includes our TC2 Quick release stainless steel swivel clamp. This clamp allows you to easily remove it from the tower or spin and angle it any direction you want. AND It is also rock solid when mounted! Plus since it is stainless steel, it is not going to pit and flake over time like some of the chrome plated ones will do. The PRO 80 is the FIRST HLCD coaxial speaker on the market and we won the Innovations Engineering award in 2007 from the Consumer Electronics Association. This is why you will always see comparisons to this speaker.

Since this speaker was the first and has been on the market since 2006, we have made changes over the time and upgraded the product. Continuing to push the envelope. Something that comes with time and experience. Once you get into real world use, you learn. With a new product, you just don't know what is going to happen. Will the product fail in a few months?? etc.. The current PRO 80i for 2010 is a new model that has the TC2 stainless steel clamp, Stainless Steel grille, redesigned driver and crossover for more output and mid bass and a truly mirror finish UV stable paint.

The PRO 60's can also be upgraded to the TC2 clamp as well. But from the sounds of it, you seem to me leaning more to a single pair of PRO 80 which is going to give you A LOT more sound than a 6.5 inch speaker. Since you wakeboard 50% of the time and do want something you can hear while riding. I would go with the 80's. You can always turn them down! But if you don’t have the horsepower, you can't make a speaker get more volume. We do have our XST-650 tower speaker and SST-65 tower speakers which we brought out a year ago after many requests for a more cost effective high performance speaker.

But with the budget you have, and the March Madness Special. The PRO 80 and SYN-2 combo at normal price of $1548 but till the end of this month for $1238. It is a set up that can’t be touched!

I know it is hard on this site as you get so many “opinions” or shall I say “sales pitches”. That is why I always say try to get the demo. Maybe Ben can set up and easy way to get you something

Tim
Wet Sounds

Disco balls spin....not tower speakers, they rotate

Since I have been an owner of both a 6" HLCD (Pro 60) and an 8" HLCD (Pro 80)...my suggestion would be that you go with an 8" HLCD if you are only running one pair. Never heard exile's speaker so take my opinion however you want.

The 8" HLCD sound's more full than a 6" HLCD. That concept is pretty common sense, but there are those who tend to want to argue that principle.

Until Exile comes out with a 8" speaker you really can't compare them to a pro 80. The proper comparison would be to a pro 60.

So, if you are going with one set...IMO Pro 80's are the way to go.

If you are running a two battery setup and have a 2 bank charger on shore...you are at a great starting point. Being that you are going to wakeboard the majority of the time with the alternator turning at high RPM's, you should be ok.

I can not stress how much more efficency you will get with a class d or class h amp. Efficiency leads to less current draw on your batteries in turn meaning more play time and less strain on your alternator.

If you have the money...go with a Wetsounds Syn amp. You will not regret it at all.

SInce I carry both the WetSounds and Exile, I think its time for me to make an objective and unbiased statement.

And that is I think both Tim and Brian are excellent salespeople. You're doing a fantastic job guys!

David
Earmark Marine

Thanks for all the replies...I'm going to try and make it to ACME and listen to the speakers before I make my decision.

-P

Well I made the trip to ACME and they didn't have any Wetsound speakers in stock for me to listen to....so I'm back to square one. It looks like I'm going to have to make a blind (or deaf) purchase hear So I will take a vote...Xm7's or Pro 80's?

-P

Taking a vote on here will probably have wetsounds win by a landslide. Sheerly based on the fact that the number of people who own them compared to who own Exile.

Both companies make a great product and will sound great on your boat. I would take a look at the different features (i.e. quick disconnect systems, how they wire up, speaker socks, how the rotate, etc.) that they both offer and see if one wins out in your mind and go with that company. Either way you won't be disappointed.

But my vote is for the Exile XM7s

Sorry about that. I will work with Ben and see if we can get some on permanant display.

A lot of the times, they are sold faster than they can stay on display.

Can I vote for myself! PRO 80's!! Trust me.

Tim
Wet Sounds

I'll second the Pro 80s, they rock...

Should look at everything out there. I had a Wetsounds threesome on my last boat and loved it. This time around I tried the Bullet Hollowpoints 770s. I haven't had them on the lake as I installed them over the winter but I thought by listening to them they had a little more mid bass then the Wetsounds. I don't want to take anything away though from Wetsounds- I would recommend them in a heartbeat. I also bought the Hollowpoints during a Bullet price break much like Wetsounds has going on now, that might of had something to do with it. Listen for yourself to all of them (try youtube if needed) and figure it out for yourself. Honestly, I bet you really cant go wrong with any of the three. Make a call and don't look back!

Pip -

Seeing product in action is a great thing. I probably should have suggested earlier that you stop in and see the guys at Dynamic Audio in Lodi. They are about 30 mins from Acme. Exile marine retailers all have active displays that let you see the product in action and actually audition it. Usually when people see first hand how practical our spinning design is and listen to Exile gear head to head, the differences are pretty clear and obvious. Dynamic Audio has several different brands to check out. Carlos owns the shop. I think they had a boat last week with Xm7's going into it. It might still be there to check out. Good guys. They know their stuff.

I've another retailer starting a 6 pod XM7 system next week down in San Jose. Might be fun to stop in and see. I'm not sure where your located but you dont have to fly blind on anything Exile. It's the real deal! go check it out.

-Brian
Exile Audio

PS: tell Carlos the entire WW is waiting to hear how your audition goes! I'll laugh my head off if he's out of stock. hehe! (ok, that would be bad but happens).

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the info...I'll see about swinging by Dynamic Audio for a demo of the Xm7's.

Hey Brian, thanks for the props.

Pip, we are an Exile Audio dealer and I do have XM7's live so you can listen to them. We are an easy find in Lodi and you can see our shop right off of the 99. Contact # is 209- 333- 2508 or 209- 333- 9354. Anyway, I'm sure after seeing the really innovative design that is involved with the XM7's you'll be sold on the feature set alone. Listening to them is another thing, i.e. I like Breitling watches you may like a Tag or Rolex. All fine time pieces, but the right one is the one that looks great on your wrist and fits you pocketbook $$. As far as amplifier class, here is a good read. http://caraudiomag.com/articles/anatomy-power-amplifier
Look at your overall system requirement, what kind of system are you looking for? how much current will it draw, and how are you going to recharge your batteries while out on the water? or are you just going to charge the batteries the day before and listen to your system fizzle out as your batteries die out. I wouldn't recommend building a system bigger than life. As a salesperson I should recommend it but you'll be mad at me when you beat starts to shut off due to low voltage. There are so many angles you should consider.
As far as A/B vs G/H vs D fullrange. I'm no engineer so I could't make a specific statement what percentage more efficient a D class amp is over a G/H or G/H is over A/B. But I would bet it's not a that big of a deal, after all you can't change the rules of physics or ohms law. So I would go for the amp that would give you the best sound quality and volume for your buck. BTW if you need a G/H amp I'm an authorized Arc Audio dealer.

PIP- If you are going to make the drive to Lodi then you should also check out Ryan at Chucktronics..... His shop is AWESOME and he specializes in boats.
If you are going to make the drive you might as well maximize your gas mileage......

Chucktronics
Ryan Norris
2501 S Stockton St
Lodi, Ca
209-339-4600

Ryan was doing boats before it was cool to be doing boats......

Cheers
Scott

Does anyone have a video demonstrating the movement of the Wet Sounds TC2 clamp? I am in the same situation as the OP in that mounted tower speakers will not fit in my garage opening. The Exile clamps are demo'd in this video for example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxpAQmzsgwA

Thanks.

Mario-

PIP - I'm sorry to say that you are correct about Acme not having any Wet Sounds on display to listen to on Saturday. With the sales promo they have going I have not been able to keep them in stock and ended up selling my demo pair. I did have a few sets here Saturday but they are all sold. You also came in on one of the few days I was not at the shop. We ended up taking a few cars down to the Good Guys car show in Pleasanton Saturday and Sunday. Bad timing considering I'm the main "Boat Guy" at the shop.

Hijack.. Picture of one of the cars we took to the show.
Attachment 1514
End Hijack

If you want to take a listen to the Pro 80s ASAP I suggest you stop by and talk to Ryan at Chucktronics in Lodi. I will have a MB Sports TOMCAT 23 with 2 Pro 485s and 2 Pro 80s that will be playing by Friday or Monday and just had a Malibu LSV 23 dropped off for upgrades that has 4 Pro 60s on the tower. My order that has the Pro 80s for the display is due in later this week. I'll be in the office the rest of the week so give me a call if you have any questions.

What other proof do you need. The dealers can't even keep their Wetsounds on the shelf b/c they are selling so fast. Just another reason to go with Wetsounds.

I'm sure that you will have no trouble finding the other "less desireable" brands at your local shops.

Ben, ahhh so thats where those went! Sounds like a ton of stuff going on. Thank You!

After seeing the RGB Malibu, can't wait to see what's next.

Pip, If you talk to Ryan at Chucktronics. Have him give you a demo of this bad boy with a 6 pak of 80's on custom powder coated tower. CLEAN

Tim
Wet Sounds

Scott-Tim-Ben-
Thanks for all the support

The choice for tower speakers is very subjective and relative to what you are trying to achieve. Unfortunately many people get caught up in specs and features before the overall sound and performance of a product, thus judging the value inaccurately. The exile speaker is a nice speaker ,but cannot be compared to a pro 80 ,based on sheer cone area. It would be a more linear comparison to include the pro60 with the XM7.I agree with Brian about purchasing without audition. But just as important, is auditioning in a similar environment (at least not on a display in a controlled environment ). Try to hear something on a boat , in some what of a open environment and then make your comparison.

The boat Tim posted should be available for reference by the weekend ,but might be considered " bigger than life". We will also have an X-30 available with 4 pro 80's . I know it would be a slight drive,but it would give you some real field sound to consider.

As far as time pieces...............AP...................Audemars piguet! .

are those pro 80s more black then usual? they look different from mine...

I think its the grill change, which I like.

Jason-

Those are the SS grills that are all black with only the cross being stainless

P- It was nice to meet you at Ryans shop the other day.....I hope you had a good time.

Scott

I just wanted to chime in here real quick with another vote for Exile XM7's. I just put four of them on my 2008 Super Air Nautique 210 and I cannot say enough about the way these mount to the tower and their ability to be swiveled around 360 degrees or taken off without any tools, etc.

I will be the first one to admit that I have never hear Wetsounds speakers, so I cannot give you a comparison on the sound. I do know that these speakers will be more than enough whether you want to hear them wakeboarding at 80 feet back or wakesurfing right behind the boat. Also, I cannot see how there is ANY WAY there is a better mounting system for speakers out there right now. There are literally NO WIRES showing even when I take the speakers off and you can rotate the speakers 360 degrees by just unscrewing a thumb screw. Anyways, just wanted to give some props to Exile. Here's a pic of the speakers on my boat...

I think these are the hot setup this year. Seen lot's of boats already running 2 pair.

hey Pip, my Widebody should be at Acme Tops and Tunes here in 2 weeks or so. Ben is hooking up my stereo with some NVS and bullet speakers in the cabin. when it's done (before it's shipped back) you should go over there and check it out.

PiP dont know if you made your decision yet, but I just had 4 Exile XM7's installed on my boat and sound great. I think all the HLCD speakers in the same size range will give you very similar results, I think amps play a bigger role over speaker brand. The Exile though have the baddest tower attachment on the market hands down, nothing even compares. Yes other brands have quick disconnects, but you still have to deal with wires and doesn't even come close to what the exile does. You can spin in any direction and they are still very solid, and also come off easy.

I visited Chucktronics and Dynamic Audio in Lodi to listen to the Wetsounds Pro80's and Exile XM7's respectively. Ryan (chucktronics) and Carlos (Dynamic Audio) both took the time to answer all of my questions and I want to thank them for this. The mounting technology Exile has is pretty slick and I give the nod to them in this arena, however when it comes to comparing sound from the Xm7's versus the Pro80's I'd give the edge to the 80's for the amount of mid-bass these things produce. I think the Xm7's would compete neck and neck with the Pro60's as they are both 6" drivers....but not with the Pro80s.

In the end, Ryan installed a pair or Pro80's powered by a SYN4 amplifier. He also rewired by existing stereo to make better use of the existing amp as well as correct the connections from the Perko switch to the batteries free of charge! This speaks volume about the type of character Ryan is....he's a perfectionist at heart and can't stand to see things done the wrong way. Thanks Ryan!

I took the boat out to Folsom lake this past weekend and couldn't be happier with the sound of my system both inside and when riding. For anybody in the market for a new system, I highly recommend you to visit a few shops and ask as many questions as possible. Being a computer engineer I thought I knew a lot about stereo systems.....things have changed so much since high school and I learned so much from talking to these pro's. I'll stick with designing CPU's and let Ryan handle all my audio needs from now on!

Thanks to everyone for your help!

-Phillip