Tower Speakers / Audio System Help!

Hey guys, here's the deal. I have a 2002 Nautique Sport. A few years ago, we put a New Dimension tower on it. The normal speakers in the boat are not cuttin it anymore as i love listenin to music while riding and being on the lake! We need it louder! So, I want to put speakers on the tower and or a new aduio system in my boat. Any ideas, facts, suggestions, ways to go about this, or whatever would be awesome! I want to get a move on this project as i want it done before the summer hits! I have no idea where to begin! Help me out! Thanks!

oh boy.......

The truth of the matter is you are going to hear a million comments on this. You will mostly hear Exile, Wetsounds, Bullets, etc.... There are a lot of people on this site that are pretty passionate about their systems and feel they have the best system out there. In the end it is all a matter of opinion and pick a speaker that you like the best and that fits your budget.
I have Exiles on my boat and use their amps. I am very happy with the speakers and the support behind them. The next guy that posts will tell you he has Wetsounds and is very happy with them and their support. Next guy will tell you he has Bullets...... Get where I am going with this?
I would talk to Brian at Exile. Talk to Tim at Wetsounds, etc, etc, etc.... They are both very active on the board and pretty good references.

Where are you located - maybe you can go and listen to some prior to making a purchase.

All three brands listed above make a competitive product but each have enough differentiation to make them unique to the end user. You won't go wrong with whatever you pick.

In the past these types of threads have got heated and I know I have done my share of fire stoking. We are all passionate about the brands we choose to support.

Welcome to Wakeworld

Thanks Diggs! Now, if i contact these companies i am sure they will be great help and walk me through the process? RIght? But my question to you is, was it difficult to set up? A lot of wires? The procces...hard?

Murphy, I live in Ohio. Not much wakeboard or boat places around here...

Agreed on checking out the local dealers and demo'ing everything. The manufacturer's should refer to you to the most local places.

What part of Ohio are you in? I'm in Western KY, and my name might come up if you call Wet Sounds, not sure what's in between us. I do have a few demo boats around that you can check out.

I thing to keep in mind, my ear, Murphy's ear, and Digg's ear may be different, and we all may prefer a different sound or have a higher/lower expectation then you would. Making the right decision about what to buy can only be made by you. And that can only be made by YOU listening to everything available......

Good luck.

I wouldn't spend hard earned $$$ on anything until you put your ears to the test in person.

(T2),
Each speaker brand will certainly have its own characteristics, especially if the outcome was on purpose. And there is alot of brand loyalty with blinders firmly in place. This may not make alot of sense to the novice, but in my opinion, the very best systems are application-driven and not necessarily brand-driven. If people start recommending a certain brand and models before they even know your boat and your objectives, then that is probably not the best advice.
From your initial questions I would certainly begin your education here but in the end seek out a local dealer that you can trust for everything. That will make far more difference than the specific brand if you can find the right installing dealer.

David
Earmark Marine

It really depends on your budget. If you have a decent amount of cash to spend, you have a number of really good options, most of which have already been mentioned. However, if you are looking to get a decent system on the cheap that you can hear when riding, but is not super hifi quality, then look into the Kicker KMT6 speakers. I have them, and I will say this about them: (a) Yes, with my ipod turned all the way up and my head unit set at 75%, I can hear them at 70 - 75 feet, (b) yes they increase my enjoyment when boarding, (c) they require less wattage to run than the HCLD speaker due to the efficient horn design. On the otherhand, (i) no, they do not sound HiFi or as good as the speakers in the boat, and (ii) no they do not sound as good as some of the nice HCLD speakers out there when coupled with adequate power.

If I could justify paying the money for a nice HCLD system, I would. However, I already annoy other people where I ride with the lower (but still audible) volumes of my KMT6 setup. If I had a sweet HLCD setup that could be heard crystal clear across the lake, it would be awesome... until everyone else tracked me down and killed me.

If you go with the KTM6, consider the little Alpine PDX amps (probably bridging a 4 channel). They are good and take up very little space.

I havent had a bot for a couple years now but I used to have the Wet sound Pro-80's set up on the tower powered by amps from my local sterio shop, a couple subs and 6 6 in speakers in the boat. Let me tell u with only the set of Pro-80s I had one of the loudest systems wherever I went. Was very happy with them.

That being said last year I was at my local lake and heard a boat blasting out some great turnes, I assumed they were bumping the wetsounds but as they got closer I noticed they were Bullets I was very impressed to say the least. So As has already been stated, listen to speakers yourself if you have access. All these brands make a quality product and prices are similar. If I was creating a set up again i think I would go with the Wetsounds only beacuse I already have experience with them and know whaqt they are capeable of. Good luck Im jelous let us know what you come up with

(T2) - Lots of people in your exact same position doing upgrades and getting ready for the upcoming season. Yesterday I was in Canada freezing my butt off and today I'm in Houston and its 75 degrees. I suspect in Ohio you still have some time before things warm up.

My advice for you before jumping on any tower product is to take a look at your system and how its currently put together. Then compare that to how you intend to use the system and ultimately measure that out in what the right gear is going to be. In breaking it down some, ask yourself if sound out at 80 feet and beyond is the primary goal? If so, an HLCD speaker design would be most appropriate. Are you doing more wake surfing than boarding? If so, I'd get away from the HLCD designs and stick with a higher powered direct radiating speaker design. Do you spend lots of time at the party cove? Maybe I hybrid setup that blends the technology together would be in order.

Also look at whats happening on your stereo right now and spend some looking at the system into separate 3 zones: Cabin / Sub / Tower and begin to look at how the gear you have works together. In a nutshell the sum of these three zones will give you the dynamic range that you desire (also known as loud). You have to keep in mind that sometimes upgrades in one zone will expose the weaknesses of other zones.

If you want info on Exile options, shoot me an email or call and I'll connect you to a retailer if we have someone nearby.

Peace!

-Brian
Exile Audio
brian@exileaudio.com

Taylor,

My suggestion is if at all possible, Get a demo! The demo is key. You can contact us at 877-938-7757 and we can see where in Ohio you are and if we have someone close.

Tim
Wet Sounds