I just had a pair of the 282s installed powered by a Rockford 500 watt amp and am very impressed with the way they sound. I wanted a little more mid bass than what you get out of a 6.5 inch speaker and I am glad I went with the 8 inch. They are no hlcd but plenty loud for surfing or at the sandbar.
Not off hand, but its not an issue on my tower. They clip right into the mounting bracket so they don't come down much at all. But they are an 8 inch speaker so obviously they will come down more than a 6.5.
Yes I've heard other speakers and they are much better than the old Polks that were on the tower, but also don't compare to my buddies 4 xm9s. Not sure what response your searching for, but I was just letting him know that I was happy with the speakers I chose.