I need some new 6.5 marine speakers

Should I go with Polk Audio MM651, JL AUDIO MX650-CCX-CG or wet sounds. I have a basic Malibu set up. four 6.5 speakers, a 12 " powered sub and 100 watt amp for the speakers.
Which has the best sound? Oh.. it's a Malibu Response, not a big boat.

I'd add Exile SX65M to the list - I've had them in 2 boats now and love em!

That's a personal preference! I have Wetsounds, had Kicker's but prefer the JL's.

Which has the best sound

Thats up to you entirely.

Wet Sounds has 2 offerings, the 650 series and the newly tuned 65i. JL also has 2 6.5" marine speakers, the M and MX series. Both are great performing, but like the Wet Sounds, they both sound different. Kicker has 4 marine speaker options, all are solid speakers. 3 coaxial and a component setup.

Go with a speaker that you like the sound, looks and price of.

What is your budget? That makes a big difference.

I scored my Polk MM's for $95/shipped a pair on an Amazon Warehouse deal. Everything else was double the price. I also liked that they were 2.7ohm instead of 4ohm as that worked in my favor for my setup.

I haven't heard the Wet Sounds but the Exile SX65M speakers sound amazing in my boat.. Very big step-up from the stock Kenwood speakers wired to my deck output. I'm driving them with the Exile Xi800.4 amp.

I have heard all the speakers mentioned above side-by-side on the identical power (in fact, 200 watts per channel running fullrange and highpassed at 55 Hz.). So while the power is almost excessive it allows you to hear the speaker's true capability without any amplifier or dynamic limitations.
For consumers that have no previous bias, and go by strictly what they hear, the Wetsounds XS-650 and the JL Audio MX650 are the dominant choice by a long shot. The Wetsounds and the JL Audio do sound a little different from one another.
The JL Audio has the smoothest response of any 6.5-inch coaxial. If you listen to classic rock or up front vocalists (prior to hip hop, autotune, etc) then you might like the JL Audio. This speaker is for the purist. If you are familiar with euro soft dome tweeters like Vifa and Seas then you will love this speaker. This speaker is designed by a crew of domestic acoustic engineers with the most sophisticated analysis gear and built here in the states.
The Wetsounds has a bit more aggression on the upper end with some treble accentuation. This is typical of most hard metal domes. If you like a little extra kick on the percussion to add a distinctive quality or you want a little extra highs to offset dominant bass at the other end or you want a little extra top end to cut through the noise when underway, then you might like the Wetsounds.
Both have true marinized construction with a synthetic spider, polymer basket, coated tinsel leads and much more.
Both have excellent midbass. None better.

David

I'm no audiophile, but I've got 8 total JL TR650 speakers in the boat for 6 years now & they've been great. 4 on the tower & 4 in the lounge area. I like the full grill for protection from kids and from the elements. I just bought two more tr650s for the bow, so once my boat remodel is done I will have 10 of those speakers.

David, what about the Polk MM651? I just got some of those and they sound pretty damn good. Obviously I'm not listening to them next to the JL's or WS, but they definitely aren't as harsh as the Kickers I replaced.

I would consider those as well. Pretty sure they are marine approved too...

Originally Posted by yooper

David, what about the Polk MM651? I just got some of those and they sound pretty damn good. Obviously I'm not listening to them next to the JL's or WS, but they definitely aren't as harsh as the Kickers I replaced.

I would consider those as well. Pretty sure they are marine approved too...

I like the Polk Audio as a balanced speaker, not nearly as well as the JL Audio, but it's a good one. No false emphasis so it handles vocals well. I would say balance is a trait of all Polk Audio speakers.

Many of the Kicker entry level coaxials use a 'W' dome which is kind of a hybrid between a dome and a cone. Very high output but on the erratic side. Also has been used by Clarion, Infinity, Alpine, Kenwood, and many others in their entry products. When you get up in the Kicker line with the coaxials or components using a true, full dome, you get a very different and smoother sounding speaker. So the harshness is indicative of the price point....but not of the brand in general.

David

MB Quart makes some pretty decent speakers. They sound loud and crystal clear. You can find them for a pretty decent price too. I picked a pair of 6x9 marine ones up for around $60.

If price isnt a big deal, go with the higher end. They will pay off in the end.

Thanks for all the help !!!!

Sorry to impede, but rather this than a new thread.

I purchased a boat, having quite a few 6x9's in it. There a 3 pair in the seating area that I would like to replace, as well as a pair of 6.5's in the dash below the windshield. I am stuck with the 6 holes, so I'm going to stick to the 6x9's.

While we are on the subject of Polk audio a bit, what do you guys think of 3 pair of DB691 (6x9) and a pair of DB651 (6.5)

Found this when I was looking for speakers.


http://marine-speakers-review.toptenreviews.com/

Originally Posted by Jmorlan

Sorry to impede, but rather this than a new thread.

I purchased a boat, having quite a few 6x9's in it. There a 3 pair in the seating area that I would like to replace, as well as a pair of 6.5's in the dash below the windshield. I am stuck with the 6 holes, so I'm going to stick to the 6x9's.

While we are on the subject of Polk audio a bit, what do you guys think of 3 pair of DB691 (6x9) and a pair of DB651 (6.5)

The dbs are "ok" and would be a good choice if you don't have much power going to them. If you do have 50-75w per speaker, I'd spend a little more and go with the mms instead. They look nicer and sound better.

Exile SX65M getting ready to add a third pair to my boat

Originally Posted by RiverRatA20

Found this when I was looking for speakers.


http://marine-speakers-review.toptenreviews.com/

The review doesn't reveal much useful information. Why? Because they didn't even listen to all those speakers. All they did was compare manufacturer specifications which range from conservative to bogus. For example, although in reality the Polk UM is a very good sounding speaker, the Polk Audio is rated to be 2.5 dB louder (sensitivity) than a speaker that is actually slightly more efficient in true listening. Sensitivity is a totally unqualified spec. Is it peak, average, at one meter, at 1 volt, 1 watt, unweighted, pink noise, test tone, what frequency? They only assumed a smaller tweeter is less bright. A 6.5" speaker reproducing 40 Hz? Right, maybe at -20 dB, so again a totally unqualified spec.

David

Originally Posted by shawndoggy

The dbs are "ok" and would be a good choice if you don't have much power going to them. If you do have 50-75w per speaker, I'd spend a little more and go with the mms instead. They look nicer and sound better.

The DB's are half the price, do the MM's sounds twice as good? i dont know since I've never heard them but the DB's sounds very good for the $, just saying. I'm not trying to start a pi**n contest just saying that the MM's do look better but how much is that worth, to me not twice as much.

I can get those db691's for under $50/pair, and the db651's for around $35/pair.

What I'm worried about, is them not sounding good with the other expensive equipment.

Ill have 4 rev10 running on an SD4 on the tower, and 2 DC audio 12's

I don't want the polks to be a weak point in my stereo, negating the other expensive components.

Originally Posted by jcon44

The DB's are half the price, do the MM's sounds twice as good? i dont know since I've never heard them but the DB's sounds very good for the $, just saying. I'm not trying to start a pi**n contest just saying that the MM's do look better but how much is that worth, to me not twice as much.

ha ha, is a G23 twice as good as a Moomba? Will it result in 2x as much fun? Is an M3 2x as good as a mustang gt?

It's all diminishing returns and staying within your budget. In my own personal case I always end up wanting "more." So my recommendation is to start at a higher point on the ladder is all.

Option is yours for sure, but if you are looking for a solid pair and a good brand I will throw another vote for>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Exile SX65M

Originally Posted by shawndoggy

ha ha, is a G23 twice as good as a Moomba? Will it result in 2x as much fun? Is an M3 2x as good as a mustang gt?

It's all diminishing returns and staying within your budget. In my own personal case I always end up wanting "more." So my recommendation is to start at a higher point on the ladder is all.

True...true, I guess i am just so cheap that i can will myself into liking anything that saves me some coin. I was planning on all exile 6.5's in my boat but then realized they are too deep for many of my cut outs and would require allot of cutting.

So for the price of two Exile 6.5's I'm buying 4 pairs of Polk... Thats allot of gas money!

I noticed a significant difference going from DB651's to MM651's, both being fed similar power from similar amps.

The dB's sound great for the money but they are not in the same league as the MM's.