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Old     (wakeboardin2k4)      Join Date: Sep 2006       07-17-2010, 4:43 PM Reply   
I understand that things cost money when it comes to a boat. But will they ever come down in price? I mean LCD tvs and such were 3-4000 when they first came out but theyre down to a more suitable price.

Did wetsounds premier at a higher price than they are now?

I'd love to get a pair but its tough to justify 900 dollars plus 500 bucks on an amp in order to play music when youre a college guy working his tail off to get by and not one of those kids on here whos parents re-up and buy them a new xstar each year.

Sorry for the rant
Old     (kko13)      Join Date: Jul 2006       07-17-2010, 4:58 PM Reply   
You know I never really thought of it like that.
Actually they have gone up in price not down so you better buy now B4 they go up again.
I got lucky to get in on a "B" stock sale they had awhile back on my in boats. "the grilles had a little crack around the screw hole so small you never even notice" got them half price thats the only reason I have them. I would love some wetsounds on my tower but like you just cant come to part with that much $$$$ fro them. I love wetsounds and think they make the best speaker in the boat industry but I be damned if i can bring myself to spend that much coin on them..yet.. someday I will !
Old     (loudsubz)      Join Date: Aug 2001       07-17-2010, 5:28 PM Reply   
we need more companies competeting for our dollar
Old     (deltabri)      Join Date: Feb 2009       07-17-2010, 9:35 PM Reply   
Go for the Bullet Lines speakers. Just got 2 pair off ebay for $350 with shipping. We will be pushing 850 watts rms to them and they will be very very loud. As loud as the Pro 80's? no but close, and we saved $1400! Bullet Lines HLCD 8's ($350 EBAY)+ Kicker 850.2 (craigslist for $300) + cans ($300)= $950 total. Wetsounds package for 4 pro 80's and amp 2k easy. Krypt HLCD 8's+ craigslist amp= Baller on a budget!
Old     (you_da_man)      Join Date: Sep 2009       07-18-2010, 2:18 AM Reply   
The only reputable HLCD speaker that was on sale not too long ago that was a real sale was Bullet Hollow Points HLCD speakers at Earmark Marine back in the Fall. They were right at 40-45% off. That's when I snagged up two pair of the 770's. Here's what Earmark has going on now but if you're patient, maybe in the off season there will be better sales. http://www.earmarkcaraudio.com/Xcart/home.php?cat=337
Old     (bawshogg)      Join Date: Dec 2005       07-18-2010, 9:22 AM Reply   
I think Earmark was running a sale on Exile's too earlier this spring, I looked into them, but was not ready to buy at the time. It was a pretty good deal If I remember correctly.
Old     (smitty1258)      Join Date: Jun 2009       07-18-2010, 10:38 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by wakeboardin2k4 View Post
not one of those kids on here whos parents re-up and buy them a new xstar each year.

Sorry for the rant
By re-up are you talking about re-enlisting in the military? Or trading in a boat?
Old     (jonyb)      Join Date: Nov 2008       07-18-2010, 12:59 PM Reply   
Have you priced the Wet Sounds through a dealer yet, or do you have a local dealer?
Old     (sp0tts)      Join Date: Jun 2004       07-18-2010, 3:41 PM Reply   
Yeah, Pro 80s MSRP have gone up $100 a pair since I bought my boat 2 1/2 yrs ago. And their inboats have gone up $50 a pair. $250 a pair for a pair of inboat speakers is what seems really rediculous to me. Like mentioned above, some local dealers will offer a discount, but IMO we need more competition before prices will ever go down. They have the brand name, the customer service reputation, they're the leader, and they know it. I'd be curious to know how the new Exile stuff compares to Wetsounds in terms of sound quality, price, and loudness.
Old     (cavlxenvy)      Join Date: Aug 2007       07-18-2010, 3:44 PM Reply   
How much is his product changing each year? If its not changing at all, then prices should come down.
Old    mojo            07-18-2010, 3:55 PM Reply   
they have new internal stuff from when they came out. they have also expanded the in boat speakers to a pair that is 150/pr.
Old     (tdc_worm)      Join Date: Sep 2002       07-18-2010, 5:22 PM Reply   
none of the internals matter. none of the changes matter. pissing about not being able to afford something is a complete assault on capitalism...just because you want it doesnt mean they should make it affordable for you....

it is simply supply and demand. while you are not willing to or not able to pay entry in to that market, somebody else is. supply is low, demand is high, and the collective market will determine the price, not a lone college kid that really wants them.

and if it werent for the aforementioned capitalism, there would be no Pro 80s for you to be whining about in the first place...love or hate it, you have to embrace it...without it there would be no wetsounds, let alone the boats we board behind....
Old    mojo            07-18-2010, 5:37 PM Reply   
tdc, chill out. he's not a communist.
Old     (wakeboardin2k4)      Join Date: Sep 2006       07-18-2010, 5:57 PM Reply   
Smitty- I was talking about the kids whos parents buy them a new boat each year.

TDC- Im not looking to disrupt the american way here. Just trying to open the discussion as to if the prices will ever come down.

I am not sure if I have a dealer in my area. I will have to look into it.
Old     (david_e_m)      Join Date: Jul 2008       07-19-2010, 8:23 AM Reply   
I'm not sure that the normal deflation that takes place in technology will ever result in serious compression in the pricing of tower speakers. Once the initial R&D plus tooling is amortized and once volume further amortizes costs then something like an integated circuit may fall in price. But those factors are probably not applicable to a low volume (comparatively) and raw materials-intensive (heavy magnets,etc) item such as a tower speaker.
The Wetsounds already holds a fairly entry-level price point in a true 8-inch tower speaker. Many of those 8-inch offerings (like Krypt) misrepresent their product as an 8 when in fact its a 7.7.
Their are Pro80 packages available with a high quality JL Audio 500 watt amplifier for just under $1200 which I consider to be a pretty good value.

David
Earmark Marine
Old     (jonyb)      Join Date: Nov 2008       07-19-2010, 8:33 AM Reply   
Quote:
I'd be curious to know how the new Exile stuff compares to Wetsounds in terms of sound quality, price, and loudness
The comparable Exile in-boat speakers MSRP for MORE than the Wet Sounds XS-650's.

The comparable Exile tower speakers MSRP for the exact same price as the Wet Sounds Pro80's and 60's.

Exile does have a better selection of amps, but I believe it's too much. WS only puts out a few amps and they do that for a reason, everything is made to match. Plenty of power for their speakers.

I'm not trying to push one over another, that's just the facts. I have a price sheet from both companies. I did a large Exile install for a customer a few months back. It's not nearly as loud as some of the WS installs that I've done, but it did sound good. I wasn't too blown away about the sub when it got loud though. It was in their pre-built enclosure for a Moomba and I don't believe that it had nearly enough space to play right, plus the port huffed and fired straight into the electronics in the helm, so that stuff was rattling. Top notch work on the enclosure though.
Old     (tampawake)      Join Date: Mar 2008       07-19-2010, 8:58 AM Reply   
Not doubting your sincerity but are you comparing apples to apples? I have done installs like that but was comparing a budget install to the anything goes budget.


Quote:
Originally Posted by jonyb View Post
The comparable Exile in-boat speakers MSRP for MORE than the Wet Sounds XS-650's.

The comparable Exile tower speakers MSRP for the exact same price as the Wet Sounds Pro80's and 60's.

Exile does have a better selection of amps, but I believe it's too much. WS only puts out a few amps and they do that for a reason, everything is made to match. Plenty of power for their speakers.

I'm not trying to push one over another, that's just the facts. I have a price sheet from both companies. I did a large Exile install for a customer a few months back. It's not nearly as loud as some of the WS installs that I've done, but it did sound good. I wasn't too blown away about the sub when it got loud though. It was in their pre-built enclosure for a Moomba and I don't believe that it had nearly enough space to play right, plus the port huffed and fired straight into the electronics in the helm, so that stuff was rattling. Top notch work on the enclosure though.
Old     (wetsounds1)      Join Date: Jan 2006       07-19-2010, 9:55 AM Reply   
Eric,

You cannot compare a product like LCD TV's which is something that every person in the world either needs or wants. Many times owns multiple ones. So the volume sold is astronomical and has become a commodity item. Think about how many LCD Tv's are sold. You can get an LCD at wal mart, costco, best buy, even the local pharmacy or grocery store. They are everywhere. Worldwide. High end wakeboard tower speakers is a small niche. Add to that, it is a niche inside of a niche. Wakeboarding is a niche sport and those that want to be the loudest on the lake or hear music when they ride are an even smaller percentage inside those that wakeboard. It is also a sport that is very popular in the US and some other countries like Canada and Australia. But not a worldwide market place like a TV.

Ryan, Think of it like this. Ferrari brings out of new model. After 3 or 4 years. Does that model come down in price just because it has been out a few years? Or because they didn’t make any changes to it. We have made changes though.

Without getting into a full discussion about economics and manufacturing. I will try to expand on the points David made. There are so many variables when it comes to manufacturing to consider. Tooling costs and amortization schedules, R&D, materials costs, equipments costs, labor and overhead, fuel costs which affect shipping as well as all raw materials. The high costs of fuel affect not only freight costs but raw material costs. And the high costs of petroleum also affect plastics and composites. Not to mention costs of metals. Costs in manufacturing are on the rise and will continue to be.

What we have done IS continue to improve our products over the years and keep the costs down as much as possible. The 2010 versions of the PRO 80 have new drivers, crossovers, stainless overlay grilles and a new swivel clamp made out of stainless steel. Tons of improvements over the years. I also feel that the PRO 80 is the best value on the market. The amount of volume you get from a pair of PRO 80's and the feature set included with this speaker cannot be matched. There are companies selling smaller car audio based speaker systems for more money.

spotts, if you compare the MSRP of the XS-650 to the other "true" marine speakers on the market. You will see that the higher end models are in the $250 to over $300 range. IMHO, there are very few true marine speakers on the market.

When comparing an in boat coax, you want to look for a few things. Is the tweeter grille mounted? If the tweeter is mounted on a pole piece, is there a water proofing boot? What type of tweeter is used? What is the cone and surround made of? What is the spider made of? What about the frame? Magnet exposed or covered? Tinsel leads? Then you have to look at the sound. Is it made for a boat? So tuned for an open air environment.

I have seen quite a few companies market a coax and call it marine when it is so far from marine, it just blows my mind that they could market and try to sell such a thing. I have seen some selling speakers with pole piece mounted tweeters with an open exposed voice coil, where water can get in. Stamped steel frames that will rust, thin un treated or un coated tinsel leads that will fail over time, exposed magnets that will rust, paper or un treated spiders that will fail over time, even foam surrounds that will dry rot over time and fail.

So the best thing to do is take the speakers when comparing and look at the front and the back. Look at every part of the speaker. And look at those items and you can then see the difference in a true marine speaker to a so called marine speaker or a car audio speaker. You will see there are very few on the market that are true marine and they are all priced very competitively.

What we have done also is expand the line to include the new 65 series of products so we have some lower prices points. Also we expanded the 650 series of products. We have the XS-650-S and XS-650-B. These are the silver open grille 650 you have seen with either a black cone or silver cone. Color options to match certain interiors better. We also have the SW-650-W and SW-650-B. These are the new series of speakers with a closed version of the grille in either all white or all black. The white is perfect for salt water boats and runabouts as well as those that prefer a white marine speaker or one that is more toned down as far as looks go. The speaker build is the same so sound quality and output are the same with the differences being aesthetics. We have brought out a full line of lower priced point in boats as well. The 65 series has the XS-65-S and XS-65-B. (right now it is called the SS-65 but changing the model name to a XS as SS and XS sound so close anyway everyone was calling it the XS-65 already, LOL) Also, the SW-65-B and SW-65-W. Again same as the SW line in terms of look but with less power handling and a smaller tweeter. Amazing speaker for the money. Same build quality across the line as well.

We have also brought out a full line of tower speakers starting at $499. The amount of options we have and the amount of different configurations is un surpassed.

I hope that clears so things up.

Tim
Wet Sounds

Last edited by wetsounds1; 07-19-2010 at 9:57 AM.
Old     (sp0tts)      Join Date: Jun 2004       07-19-2010, 12:23 PM Reply   
Tim, I do agree as far as your MSRP being in the ballpark compared to a lot of other in boat coax speakers, but lets be honest, not everyone pays MSRP, especially for some of the brands you compete against in that market. And I do own several of your products myself, some of which I think are great and some of which I think could be improved (pretty sure the speaker I'm the most dissapointed in has been improved also). I do think you make quality products and you stand behind them which is great. I guess from my perspective on in boat speakers though, the XS-650 is priced a little higher than I'd be willing to pay for a pair (even with them discounted) as I just don't see them as a good value personally compared to some other options that are out there. I'm not trying to tell you to lower ther price, obviously you've been very successful running your business and I'm pretty sure you will continue to be. Just stating my opinion as I know there are some speakers out there with very comparitive specs that are priced slightly lower at MSRP and can be had online for way less. And as mentioned above, I think in general we won't see lower prices in this market unless there is more competition, which may never happen b/c it is a niche for sure.
Old     (tonality)      Join Date: Mar 2005       07-19-2010, 3:05 PM Reply   
Hey Tim, is the new swivel SS clamp on the 2010 80's a standard feature or do you have to purchase them separately? Sorry for the hijack

Last edited by tonality; 07-19-2010 at 3:14 PM.
Old    SamIngram            07-19-2010, 3:10 PM Reply   
If everyone would stop beating up Ken Land, maybe we would have a direct copy of the Wetsounds by now... Now that's capitalism!
Old     (jonyb)      Join Date: Nov 2008       07-19-2010, 3:11 PM Reply   
There's a big difference in buying from an authorized dealer, to buying from an online hackjob. First off, most, if not all, online sales places are NOT authorized to sell the things they sell. I know of one place that goes as far as to disassemble a JL Audio speaker to remove the serial number from inside the spider of a woofer. They also do this with amps. Those places also don't provide personal assistance to make sure you're buying compatible products, they DO NOT have a warranty, and some of them have been known for selling new products that are dead on arrival. They'll then only repair the item, and won't replace the brick they sold you.

Some people will reply to this with "I've never had any problems out of that place". But most people won't even reply, or even be on here for that matter. The one thing for sure is that if they send you a brick, or something happens while you've got it, you won't get anything warrantied like you would with an authorized dealer.
Old     (clayton191)      Join Date: Apr 2006       07-19-2010, 3:18 PM Reply   
I am glad they are expensive. Keeps everyone from buying a pair! Wetsounds makes great stuff... Why do you think everyone wants it? Premium stuff demands a premium price. If you think you can design, build, and sell a better speaker cheaper than wetsounds you should -- competition creates better products and cheaper prices.... until then - accept the pricepoint and move along!
Old     (wakeandsnow27)      Join Date: Jun 2004       07-19-2010, 3:31 PM Reply   
jonyb- how do those online retailers who are unauthorized to sell the specific product get the products in bulk cheap enough to sell them for profit? Dont they buy direct from the manufacturer, add their markup, and list them for sale?

Im in a compltely different market, but experience the same thing on a daily basis....being undercut by online retailers. When you ask the manufacturer, they act dumb and claim they dont sell to the online shop. There's no way they are buying it from an authorized dealer and then selling it themselves "unauthorized" and still beating my price.
Old     (wetsounds1)      Join Date: Jan 2006       07-19-2010, 3:34 PM Reply   
Tony,

The TC2 SS clamp comes with the 80's and 485. It is an option for the 60 and MB-8. The new 60 and MB-8 is stainless now but fixed.

Tim
Wet Sounds
Old     (david_e_m)      Join Date: Jul 2008       07-19-2010, 4:10 PM Reply   
How do unauthorized dealers get product?
Sometimes from distressed deales who flip the product for cash and never pay their bill.
Sometimes from dealers who buy in great volume and ship it out the day it comes in for a quick couple of points. Serial numbers are removed or modified to protect the source.
Often its refurbished product but this fact isn't represented.
In a difficult world economy some manufacturers turn a blind eye as long as the orders keep flowing.
The unauthorized dealers have no technical support staff, don't know the first thing about what they sell, have little to no overhead ( you might be shocked to see where thy do business from) and may not stock anything until they have an order, so they can operate on a very thin margin.
Sometimes product is intended for other distribution or other countries but gets transhipped into the states.
Too many methods and reasons to list.

David
Earmark Marine
Old    mojo            07-19-2010, 4:14 PM Reply   
i got my syn 6 amplifier from a dealer for lower than msrp shipped with some y-cables. just have to shop around. start at the head unit and work from there. save up money and do it right or just grab some kicker car components , throw them in a tub on the tower, and watch them rust and not project.
Old     (jonyb)      Join Date: Nov 2008       07-20-2010, 9:19 AM Reply   
David said it right, they get the product any way they can. I'm a dealer for a few products, but luckily 2 of them are VERY protected against online sales.
Old     (cavlxenvy)      Join Date: Aug 2007       07-20-2010, 10:41 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by wetsounds1 View Post
Eric,



Ryan, Think of it like this. Ferrari brings out of new model. After 3 or 4 years. Does that model come down in price just because it has been out a few years? Or because they didn’t make any changes to it. We have made changes though.



I hope that clears so things up.

Tim
Wet Sounds
Tim it does make sense and it does not. Ferrari is not the best example in this sense.

This is why I asked if the product is changing because I believe you are reinvesting in new products, R+D, etc which would mean pricing would not change so much.

This is what all good companies do. They reinvest, reinvent, to make their product better. This is what I believe you do. This is also why I have two pair of Pro 60s on my boat and a WS 420 EQ.
Old    mojo            07-20-2010, 10:52 AM Reply   
when wet sounds started they only had a couple of tower speakers. now they have a full line of amps, in boat speakers, tower speakers, and eq, new clamps, new internals on existing products, etc. i'd say they are working hard to help out the marine stereo industry and keep their place at the top of the totem pole.
Old     (wetsounds1)      Join Date: Jan 2006       07-20-2010, 10:59 AM Reply   
Thanks Mojo,

Yes we are http://www.wetsounds.com/pages/products/overview.html

And stay tuned. LOTS of stuff coming. Our full ATV line for side by side UTV's like the ranger and razr and rhino and more for the salt water side will be going up on the site in the new week or so. All of these we are finishing up now. Then after that. My lips are sealed!!

Tim
Wet Sounds
Old     (wakeandsnow27)      Join Date: Jun 2004       07-20-2010, 12:50 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by jonyb View Post
David said it right, they get the product any way they can. I'm a dealer for a few products, but luckily 2 of them are VERY protected against online sales.
so it is possible to prevent it?... I think that's key.
Old     (jonyb)      Join Date: Nov 2008       07-20-2010, 6:34 PM Reply   
2 drug dealers go down, 4 more come back...

No, there's no way to prevent it.

Clarion really put the screws to us and other authorized Clarion dealers. A couple years ago they changed the way they do business. My shop had the territorial rights to Clarion through a marketing company that was the middle person between me as a dealer, and Clarion. When they changed, they fired all the marketing companies, and sold to distributors and any other hackshop, meaning that I lost the territory for it, and my shop's name on their website.
Old     (mendo247)      Join Date: Mar 2005       07-20-2010, 9:10 PM Reply   
Quote:
Then after that. My lips are sealed!!
hahaha I'll be waiting

BTW... OP.....I'm gonna have a couple pairs of lightly used first gen Pro 80's forsale at the end of summer. That is always an option.. go used!
Old     (jonyb)      Join Date: Nov 2008       07-21-2010, 6:39 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rampagewake from Wakeboarder.com
Thanks for the advice guys. I actually found a cheaper price at my local dealer. They are not a JL dealer, so its non authorized grey-market, but I don't really care about a 1 yr warranty anyway. I've owned and had a lot of friends own a lot of JL stuff and never had a problem, esp. w/in the 1st year. Its my understanding that its all the same JL stuff, and it ORIGINALLY came from a legit JL dealer who then rebadges the serial so it can't be traced to them. Anyhoo, it was 1/2 price compared to a legit dealer, so I can afford to replace it if I have any issues.
..... This is from someone in Houston.

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