NVS or Wetsounds?

I'm trying to decide between NVS Entity 1010s or Wetsounds Pro 485s. I'm leaning towards the NVSs because they handle more power and have larger drivers. Which are better and why? Another option I'm considering is the Wetsounds 3 some setup. Let me know what you think would be best. Thanks in advance.

I have a pair of 1010's, and can say they absolutely rock. But you will be happy with either set you go with.

However, one aspect that I will comment on is the customer support you get by buying NVS. Duane is quite possibly the best person I have ever done business with - he has gone above and beyond all my expectations to help with any questions/concerns/inquiries that I had. So along with the best tower speakers systems on the market, you also get to do business with someone who is second to none in terms of delivering a great product with even better support for you as a customer.

1010's bro they rip. youll be very happy with them

Personaly, I like the sound quality of the Wetsounds slightly better. Can't go wrong with either. Sinko, I have recieved that same type of "above and beyond" customer service from John at Wetsounds as well.

Yea, I am sure Duane gives great customer service, but so do Wetsounds. Those guys will talk on the phone for hours if they have to troubleshoot a problem. Either way, you will be getting excellent service.

I don't own either but I've been on boats with both. If I had to pick one over the other I'd go with the Wetsounds because I think the sound quality is better.

I'm sure you will be happy either way.

I agree with Sparky regarding John's service at Wetsounds, phenomenal.
I have just ordered two pairs of PRO 60X's plus amp from him, great service

I doubt that you will ever hear anything negative about either as far as service and build quality goes.

^^^^Agree

Wurd, I wasn't implying that Wetsounds has bad CS. Just was speaking from my experience with NVS.

Basically what walt said is spot on!

depends if you want 8" or 10" drivers (this the major difference)..if 8" then wetsounds if 10" then nvs...

the ultimate would be nvs with b&c pro audio mid bass drivers and selenium hcld's..

it's easy NVS if you want noise and wetsounds if you want clear music.

This is turning nasty quick.

I've got a pair of the 808s myself and will totally echo what has been said above about Duane.....excellent customer service. Some of the best I've run across.

I've also met the Wetsounds guys at a comp in Dallas and say that they are very knowledgeable and seemed like very good, customer oriented guys.

i have also heared both. i went w/ wetsounds.
1) i thought the sound quality was much clearer
2) i think the appearance is better
3) don't have to waste so much stinking $$ on an amp- the wetsounds sound great w/ 75w or 300w.. either way you will be happy...

Love my NVS Tyrants (see my profile). Loud, clear and great sound. Duane installed mine for me at no extra cost. It was one of the first Tyrants that he had sold and wanted to make sure they were installed correctly. Forget about talking on the phone for hours to walk you through it, he came and did it for me.

One thing I can say about NVS is they are pretty heavy and it takes two adults to put up and down my tower safely.

I am sure WetSounds is much lighter since box is made out of a plastic mold and they are smaller speakers. The 485 model has an odd shape to me, I guess it might look better in person or from far away.

My neighbor has Skylon Rubicons and they sound really good and loud. I like the look of the Rubicons over the Wetsounds, but thats my opinion.

Good Luck

I got mine before the wetsounds came out.

I've heard both and own the 1010's.


WCW been on my boat and if he says the wetsounds sound better then I believe him.

That being said,I might be the only one that thinks this but I think that certain people hear certain sound better then others and vise verse.

IMO,I'm yet to hear better sounding tower speakers then my own.

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quote:

WCW been on my boat and if he says the wetsounds sound better then I believe him.

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It all boils down to what's pleasing to your ears.

I have two freinds with NVS. After hearing them, and seeing how many noise complaints we can possibly get with them, I decided I needed them also. I just ordered some tyrants from Duane last week, painted Voodoo blue. He has invested so much time with me on the phone I can also say that I've never experienced this kind of customer service from anyone.

I haven't heard the NVS but I love my Wetsounds 3-some

I think the Wetsounds 3-some is awesome!

both are good speakers, the Wetsounds look way better. IMO the NVS look like a back yard project from the 80s.

^Buwaha, not really.

I think one of the biggest issues with NVS and wetsounds is the weight. Those NVS pods weigh about 50lbs each. Add 4 boards and accessories to your tower and you are looking at 150-200lbs of weight swinging back and forth. Over time, that is going to mess up your gel coat especially if you dont have a sturdy tower. The wetsounds weight like 13-20lbs each. Both sound and look great. But that is the one difference that really sets them apart.

(Message edited by malibuboarder75 on April 13, 2007)

To SUMMARIZE, you cannot go wrong with EITHER.

End of story.

Leo,are you not over exaggerating a little?

Yes the NVS are heavier and this is one of the reasons I looked at the wetsounds but ultimately the sound is for the rider and NVS do the best job IMO.

They are 38lbs each and I got 2.
76lbs total.

My tower shakes over D-UPs and in chop but who cares,it never hurt anything plus I just crank my shiet up and don't hear nothing but music.

I thought they were 48lbs each, I am sorry.

It is still a big difference in weight. I said with all things similar, weight is the biggest difference.

The new 1010's are 28lbs each.

I was looking at a pair of NVS (Tyrants I think) or the Wetsounds 3 some. I think when I added up the weight it was less than 20 pounds difference for the set-up in total - not a huge difference (Wetsounds is lighter). Mainly went with the Wetsounds as they were a little smaller (8' vs. 10") and I thought the design blended with my boat better, but that's a personal preference.
Haven't heard the NVS so can't compare the sound, but the Wetsounds sound awesome when riding. Seems like both are good choices as people who have either seem happy with their decision and customer service on both is excellent. Go with whatever works for you.

Ed, you have a niiiiice looking boat. I love that MC shade of blue.

Does anyone run just a pair of pro 80s or a single 485? How does that compare to getting the 3some? Just wondering if it's worth spending twice they money...

I run the pair of pro 80s and I have to say that they are plenty. I am sure the extra 485 really adds to the sound experience, but one set of pro 80s does it for me until I graduate and can afford the 485.

I am continuously finding it irritating when I cannot find a weight published on their websites when there is a discrepancy.

I have some NVS addictions and have no problem with turning heads my way.

I downloaded a siren sound and have even had people think they were bein pulled over.

I have two pair of pro-80's and am very pleased with sound quality and volume. If my tower were taller than I would have had a very tough choice because I found Duane(NVS) to be super cool to deal with, gave me some hanging measurements. That being said, Tim(WETSOUNDS) has also been very helpful, gave me advice on amps. Either way, two very good products and peeps.

I owned a pair of 1010's for about 2 years and switched to wetsounds about a year agao (4 - pro 80's) both sound very good...a few reasons for me swithching was the weight issue ( I had the older 1010's that were very heavy), and the fact that wetsounds has a qucik release. I'm now selling my pro 80's and going to a threesome setup.

Adam,

Why are you going from the four pro 80 setup to the threesome? I've been mulling both setups over and need some feedback.

Both sound great. BUT, I can tell you from experience that Wetsounds has remarkable customer service. I've dealt with them on a couple of different instances - once when I stripped some threads (my fault) and they sent me new hardware ASAP, no cost. And again, when I picked up my 2nd pair of pro80's from a dealer going out of business... needed some additional hardware and they took care of me extremely quick - despite those speakers not being 'warrantied' (since I bought them from a 3rd party - closeout deal).

I do have one (1) black pro485 for sale - new in the box, tested, ready to ship... send me a PM if interested...



(Message edited by froese on May 02, 2007)

My new boat (07 SSV). The threesome is easier to fit on that tower...the 4 - pro 80 configuration would have to be stagered on two bars to be mounted. And my new boat is black/red...so I want to switch to all black instead of my white 80's. I really prefer the look of 4 pro 80's. I will say the 80's scream...two is more than enough. I ended up using an eq just on my tower spekaers to fine tune the 4-pro 80's. Based on my experience with the 80's and hearing the 485...the threesome setup is probably the best setup right out of the box. give me a few weeks and I will haev more info. I am switching amps from the pro 80 vs the threesome.

Adam - you say 2 Pro 80s are "more than enough" -- enough for what? To hear music clearly while riding? What is the advantage of having 4? Why are you going to the 3some? Still trying to decide which way to go.

thanks!
Wes

Wes,
If you are headed to Tulloch this weekend for Spring Ride you will be able to check out NVS, Wetsounds and others.

wish I could -- working down in Fresno and LA from Thursday to Tuesday :-/ have fun!

Wes you can hear two pro 80's no problem. I pushed mine with anywhere from 150-250 RMS per pod. I used a few differnt amps on them...you'll laugh when I told you what amp I ended up with. I bought 4 because I don't like the way two looked on my boat, adn 4 is louder than 2. I'd be willing to say you probably get 70-75% of your "volume " from just two...the other pair make up 20-30%, if that makes sense....It's not a situation where I feel adding 2 more doubles the volume out to the rider. See my reasons above for why I'm switching...color and setup on my tower. What I meant by more than enough was that a pair of 80's has more than enough volume potential to hear clearly out at the rider IMO, but when it comes to tower speakers more is always better

I'm gonna check out these options this weekend at the Spring Ride.

threesome

two 485's

two pro 80's

four pro 80's (it they have this setup available)

If I can get great sound out of two pro 80's that will suit me. One thing I want to see is if the sound from the four pro 80's is better than the two 485's.

If I can get away with two pro80s that obviously would be great from a weight and cost standpoint. Adam are you looking to sell yours

Now with the pro 60s, I think we will have see more variations.

such as
-one pair of 60s, one pair of 80s
-one pair of 60s, one 485
-2 pairs of 60s

Cliff,

Make sure to check out the HSE Trident tower speakers when you are at spring ride. Talk to Jim Aikins about checking them out. I am sure you will enjoy the sound quality, maybe even more than the setups you listed.

Adam...I would keep the 4 you have, even though they are staggered, you can paint the white ones to match the boat. If you get a good artist with an air brush, you could match your limited ed. graphics to the cans!

No one commented on my weight comment above...

Does anyone have a reliable weight on the 485, vs the 1010?

I got a bad feeling after hearing some of these systems, I'm going to be pulling out the slush fund credit card this weekend.

HSE trident???

I'll ask him tomorrow.

Ok, since no one posted yet. I had my 3 some off the boat and on the shelf in the garage (v. easy with the quick release), so took the bathroom scale in there and weighed them. Weight of each Pro 80 was 14 pounds, the 485 was 34 pounds, so the 3 some weighs in at around 62 pounds and 2 485's around 68. 4 Pro 80's would be the lightest at around 56 pounds. The scale is accurate so I'm pretty confident these are accurate weights within half a pound or so. This does not include the clamps as they are still on the tower, but they are pretty light.
Can't speak to the 1010 weight since I didn't have any of those sitting around, but I know when I was looking into the wetsounds vs. NVS (not the 1010's though), weight was one of the reasons I went with the wetsounds.

hey mag. dont be upset when a nvs boat drives by you and is way louder than you.

Wes, you can definetly get away with two Pro 80's with the right power going to them.

Thanks Jay. I spoke with wetsounds today and Keith said a single 485 would have a slight edge over a pair of pro 80s. Plus it will be a simpler, more solid mount and I think I'll be slightly less likely to destroy my head on it than I would with the pro 80s...

Just to fill in some specs, here are the #'s on the current NVS Tower speakers:
Entity:
Weight = 28 lbs
Hang Height (from bottom of crossing tub to lowest point of speaker) 10.0 inches. Yes, less than 11 inches.
Tyrant:
Weight = 24 lbs
Hang Height an even 10.0 inches
Let me add that we have also revised the componets used which includes the crossover. Yes the early models were a bit bright but I'd say the same of other HLCD products brought to market after NVS, and to the best of my knowledge are yet to be corrected. But, as said above, you have to find what you like the most, then buy that.

Thanks for chiming in! That weight is a pretty significant reduction from previous versions of NVS. I think that there are several who stayed away based on weight.

Damn,I'm not sure I missed this thread for so long.


Wes,thanks bro.....


Duane,is there such thing as an upgrade package.

Ed, for you, anything. Give me a ring and we can talk about what you'd like to do. We've done a few already.
I'd like to give a shout out to Joe Mitchell. More of a congratulations on the loudest tower per USACi from the Spring Ride this last weekend. I think it sounds pretty damn good to boot. The fellas at Kustom Kar know what they are doing.
The package we did for Joe is also now available....for Wakeworlders anyway. Since these are essentially hand built by us they will be limited in supply.
I'll finish here by just saying that I don't care what kind of speaker(s) you have/get. If they are not set up properly they will sound like A$$.
I've had experienced Car Audio as well as self proclaimed experts with Home Theater that after a few minutes discussion talk themselves right out of becoming a dealer due to ignorance and or inconsistant business principles.
It's almost like some of the "best boat" threads where you realize the product diffs are outweighed by the dealer's ability to service you...or lack thereof.
I think Tim has his airplane already and well, mine is on order (bigger ones take longer to build) but lets face it, we can't be hands on with each install so be sure you are dealing with a prfessional if you want professional results.

This thread needs more pictures...

This is Joe's system that Duane is speaking of

Here is WetSounds answer to a big tower system...

My poor tower is going to have speaker envy with its lone 485

Go with HSE Trident!

REALLY?

SWEEET...thanks Duane,I will definitely call you!

LOUD is all I can say.

Wish I would have had a chance to listen to the Tyrants last weekend. I missed Joe's turn.

Duane, I am calling gulfstream right now and returning my G550. They said that was the biggest one I could get. Too Funny! J/K

You are correct and that it is very important for people to get the entire system set up properly and installed properly. As every little aspect from head unit and its voltage output to the wire, amps, batteries etc...will all affect the sound.

The brightness on the PRO80's was already changed with a new crossover and those have been shipping since the begining of the year, it was a running change. The main issue we have is using very high end amps to test and design. Using proper power and clean power, the speakers are perfect and not bright. But with a inexpensive lower powered amp. A compression driver will really amplify the short comings in that amp. So they are more universal now to work with more different grades of amps. I am sure that is what Duane dealt with as well. Running a recommend Zapco would give predictable results all the time. But running who knows what, is hard to predict the outcome.

Hang Height on the 485 is 10 inches, 11 inches for the PRO 80 and a 9.5 for the PRO 60.

Tim
Wet Sounds

duane and todd from NVS ROCK! great guys and great speakers

nvs for me