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Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       11-06-2010, 8:43 AM Reply   
I've had a Liquid Trends Bat Box with 4 6x9's and it was cool for a system years ago when car audio was the way to go.

I've ran fusion speakers sounded great for what they where other then the quality of the housing and peeling chrome and pitting.

Last summer I ran Liquid Acoustics tower speakers a HLCD system and I really like the volume they throw out.

I just want to try something new as I'm always playing with the boat. Who should I give a listen too? I want an insanely loud system that can be heard from space, but it needs to sound good too!

Give me some ideas on systems I need to be listening too!!!
Old     (black_ops_09)      Join Date: May 2009       11-06-2010, 9:14 AM Reply   
I would recommend Wet Sounds! By far the best. I have only 2 Pro 80's and thats off the hook. I can hear clearly while wakebording. I was thinking about even adding 2 more to point two back and angle two out. But two do the job, it blows any car door speekers you put on tower.
Old     (t0nyv831)      Join Date: Jun 2008       11-06-2010, 10:04 AM Reply   
X2 for Wet Sounds. I have 2 Pro 80's and it's more than enough. Robert, last time you were out I did not really crank mine, but you're more than welcome to check em outt / take a listen. What can I say though, they're loud and great for riding. Don't take my word for it though. Check out you tube (search wetsounds) or even the wetsounds website and take a liste to the systems. Not so much for the clarity, but you will get an idea of how far they project. That's what really sold me. Let me know when you're all healed up so we can take a set...

Tony
Old     (cab13367)      Join Date: Mar 2008       11-06-2010, 10:10 AM Reply   
Exile! New player to the marine audio world with some great products. I have their SXT65's and love em. Their HLCD offering is called the XM7 and I believe they will be coming out with the XM9 before next season. Check em out at http://exileaudio.com/marine/
Old     (hatepain)      Join Date: Aug 2006       11-06-2010, 10:32 AM Reply   
Robert, like you need us to walk you through the various offerings in the tower speaker market. I'm pretty sure you have heard them all. I'd hang tight and see whats coming out from Exile and possibly Bullet.
Old     (lifetimewarranty)      Join Date: Oct 2008       11-06-2010, 10:47 AM Reply   
I've got a pair of the Bullet hlcd770's and they are crystal clear when riding.
Old     (crowmobe540)      Join Date: Mar 2004       11-06-2010, 12:26 PM Reply   
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/20...-X-45-97318163
Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       11-06-2010, 2:31 PM Reply   
Pretty much what I've figured I'd hear so far. Wetsounds, Exile, Bullet......

Wetsounds sound good but everybody has them....I've heard some that sound good and some not so hot but I guess allot of that has to do with who's installing them and how there set up. Are they still using that clam shell enclousure on the 485? Not to sure about the enclousures, however I do like what MikeSki, I think it was Mike, did to smooth out his enclousure. Tim also seems like a great ambassador for the company, however is it true he's stepping down and has somebody from JL Audio basically taking everything over? I heard this through the rumor mill and I'm hoping its not true or maybe Tim can shed some light on this for me.

Exile, while they sound alright there quality has me wondering if there the next fusion. I got some pics from a friends shop of some bullets that where 3 months old and had all sorts of issuses from paint fading and discoloration to chrome falling off...Plus I want something a bit more substantial... I'll post some pics of the speakers my buddy sent me.

Bullets seem like good speakers and Jaime is a nice guy but I want something substantial on my tower not allot of little cans.

I love the look of NVS and HSE, but are there any speakers out there that look similar and sound great that I should give consideration too before making a decision?

Jeremy, I saw the boat in the pic and I like the way those Wetsounds look lit up but I don't care for speakers on top of the tower. I want as loud and clear as I can get with out going on top of or outside the tower.
Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       11-06-2010, 2:36 PM Reply   
Pics of Exile speaker warrantty issuses...
Attached Images
    
Old     (mikeski)      Join Date: Aug 2003       11-06-2010, 2:51 PM Reply   
The problem with Robert is that he always has hot chicks and a keg on his boat so he never gets out to listen to other's systems... haha.

There are quite a few factors to consider. First off you have an Illusion tower so that limits your choices quite a bit. Personally I'm not a big fan of big speaker boxes on the Illusion tower. Next thing to consider is what you want to do from a power standpoint. If you get something that needs big power then you will probably need to upgrade your amps and batteries. I try to strike a balance between a good efficient setup, sound quality and pure output. Unfortunately my setup won't work on your boat. My buddy has Wetsounds Pro-60's on his Illusion tower and they do surprisingly well but they cannot keep up with my Pro-485's or his other buddies Wetsounds Threesome.

I have also been around your scene enough to know that you need something that is going to be very durable. It needs to be able to handle the random guy or chick reaching over and cranking your volume knob, so a company with very durable products and good customer support should also be considered.

I think Ryan from Chucktronics has the Illusion solutions tower figured out. He tends to run four Wetsounds Pro 80's on his special bracket. I would probably consider this or the MB8 double up.

NVS is another good choice, give Duane or Todd a call, they are local so service and support will be solid.

Jaime is a nice guy too, I like his speakers, have a friend with those on his boat too. I just think they are a notch below Wetsounds and NVS when it comes to pure output.

Last edited by mikeski; 11-06-2010 at 2:57 PM.
Old     (alindquist)      Join Date: Mar 2004       11-06-2010, 2:53 PM Reply   
You should be far more concerned with my drinking lights... How are those coming along anyway?
Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       11-06-2010, 2:59 PM Reply   
Aaron forgot all about you buddy. My bad. I'll send you a pm right now! lol

P.S. Thanks again for coming out with us in Fort Walton, your home ride spot is pretty sweet. Going to have to make another trip back next summer but make sure the party is popping on the island this time!
Old     (05mobiuslsv)      Join Date: Apr 2006       11-06-2010, 3:09 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2006maliblue View Post
Pics of Exile speaker warrantty issuses...
Wow that looks wierd, almost like something was sprayed on them and started eating them away. Regardless at least that owner is covered by Exile's 2 year warranty which is double what others manufacturers are offering.
Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       11-06-2010, 3:32 PM Reply   
Yea not sure what happened to them. The shop that has that boat, topside in San Jose says the speakers are only 3 months old and Exile is giving them the run around on warrantying them. Not sure if it was a bad batch or if something got on them? But its funny how some of the speakers have issues and some don't if you look at the pics? I would have thought if it was an outside contaminate that mysteriously got on the speakers when they where stored outside all the speakers would look identical?
Old     (05mobiuslsv)      Join Date: Apr 2006       11-06-2010, 5:57 PM Reply   
Yeah I don't know, looks like there is more to the story than they were just sitting outside and this happened to them.
Old     (brianinpdx)      Join Date: Aug 2009       11-06-2010, 6:33 PM Reply   
Robert -

Your post mentioned a warranty issue about these Xm7's? Can you tell me me what the issue was? I see the damaged speaker but what was the warranty problem. It strikes me as odd that only 1 of the cans is blasted and all the others are not. There usually is an inside story to things like this... Regardless, your friends problem is has a pretty simple solution: Pick up the phone and give Exile a call directly. We view our supporters as a long term proposition. We genuinely care about about this stuff. Even if this speaker got torched, dropped in the water, eaten by acid, or smashed by a kryptonite meteor... we most likely would replace it "just because". Tell him to give us a shout and we'll sort him out.

As to your question on speakers. My personal view is that the lower height of the BU towers make it not ideally situated for HLCD's in general because it places the speakers, low, in the way, in your face and the end result is the sound field can literally be obstructive to the passengers on the boat. Then again, if they are not a concern... , the riders will be all smiles. Our solution for the guys that wantit all are a hybrid setup - two pair SXTs+onepairXM7's mounted in the highest position. That setup projects for the riders and sounds fantastic for the people in the boat and physically doesnt take up tons of space.

Lastly, whatever configuration or brand you choose, make sure the rest of your stereo makes sense with the new tower setup i.e. cabin and sub.

Cheers,

-Brian
Exile Audio
Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       11-06-2010, 7:47 PM Reply   
Brian these speakers belong to a customer at topside marine in san jose. The story as I have been told it was all the speakers except one have damage or issues lets just call it. They said they called and sent photos and where told it was nothing they did and no warranty on these 3 month old speakers. I'll tell Bill from topside to PM you on here and maybe you can figure what happened and if it was an issue of someone dropping the ball or something else? I have been running a hlcd set up on my boat for a little over a year now and love it. I just want to try something new and see if there's anything louder then what I have. If not I'd be perfectly content to stay with what I'm currently running. Theres just a few systems I haven't heard that I'd love to give a listen too. And I'm sure there might be something out there that I haven't heard of thats worth giving a listen too!
Old     (johnny_jr)      Join Date: Mar 2006       11-06-2010, 7:53 PM Reply   
Robert I can not find Brad's number, please have him call me so that I can swap out that 1 speaker with the issue. That must be a very early unit 'cause I have had mine in the sun for almost a month and they look nothing like that. I have sold quite a few of these and have not seen this happen to any of the units. Brad was one of the first customers that we loaded XM7s onto. Seems we would be seeing a lot more of these if it was a true reliability issue. Brad has 6 of these on his tower, all have seen the same amount of time up there, and only one has this issue. Not a concern, just swap it out and carry on your merry old way.

BTW, you have heard every brand on the market in many different configurations. What do you think you are going to try next? I'm curious!
Old     (joe_crawley)      Join Date: Jan 2007       11-06-2010, 11:05 PM Reply   
is that chrome failure on plastic parts? Is it failing on all 3 of the exile speakers that have issues? I had always assumed those grills were metal like wetsounds, but is exile actually all plastic?
Old     (boarder831)      Join Date: Oct 2006       11-07-2010, 7:43 AM Reply   
Another vote for Wet Sounds. Have a pair of Pro 80's and that's plenty of sound for our riders.
Old     (riverrunner)      Join Date: Aug 2006       11-07-2010, 10:18 AM Reply   
On the plus side, speakers with warranty issues will be easy to replace with the quick release clamp.
Old     (ralph)      Join Date: Apr 2002       11-07-2010, 10:20 AM Reply   
I think for my next box I will build another custom enclosure with the wet sounds 6x9 HLCD's firing back, 6" car speakers and a pair of 8" down firing subs in to the cabin. For quality in boat sound you cannot beat down firing speakers from the tower IMO
Old     (bawshogg)      Join Date: Dec 2005       11-07-2010, 12:05 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by joe_crawley View Post
is that chrome failure on plastic parts? Is it failing on all 3 of the exile speakers that have issues? I had always assumed those grills were metal like wetsounds, but is exile actually all plastic?
The wetsounds grilles are not metal, all plastc too. They just recently converted them to a stainless overlay over the plastic grille. There were several issues with the finish on the Wetsounds speakers that I can recall also. Tim even admitted to it. Anything that spends constant exposure to the sun is bounds to have issues. As a matter of fact there was some buzz over onn the Malibu site not to long ago with a dude that was pretty disgruntled that he had to pay $100 to "upgrade" from the originals, only to find out that he got more plastic with a thin piece of stainless steel stuck on them. Even remember several customers complaining that the finish was degraded even only after one year of use on the earlier wetsounds stuff. As Tim has stated himself . All this stuff is tested under accelerated wear and UV tests, problem is you just can't always test for every "real world" situation. Why would they offer a 2 year warranty on the Exile stuff if they wern't confident that they could back it up? That's double the competetion plain and simple.
Old     (riverrunner)      Join Date: Aug 2006       11-07-2010, 1:11 PM Reply   
I hope they can keep honoring the 2 year warranty, chromed plastic + sun + water + 2 years = a lot of replacement grills, I wonder what the chrome plastice housings will start lookinglike in 2 years? I would think that they would have taken a lesson from the industry that has already be learned. If Ford made a tail light lense out of unobtainium and it failed do you think Chevy would turn around and make a tail lense out unubtainium knowing the lesson Ford already learned?
Old     (superair502)      Join Date: Mar 2010       11-07-2010, 3:04 PM Reply   
+1 again for the wetsounds. I've got two 485s and they scream. They are almost unbearable when surfing if turned all the way up. Sometimes I'll ride a short rope when wakeboarding to learn a new spin and last time I did at 80% volume we normally run I had to ask the driver to turn it down. Everyone laughed because I usually like my music so loud. That being said it's perfect at 75ft. Also the Nvs are great speakers. A boat I ride on alot has them. I think the wetsounds scream a little more but the nvs have a more full range deeper sound. Though the wetsounds do have really good midbass as well. With all that said it come down to what you are looking for. With my 2 485s and my 12 inch alpine type x I had to add a battery, spend about 250 dollars in wiring and upgrade my alternator. So the speakers and Amps are just part of the cost and effort involved.
Old     (bawshogg)      Join Date: Dec 2005       11-07-2010, 4:05 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by riverrunner View Post
I hope they can keep honoring the 2 year warranty, chromed plastic + sun + water + 2 years = a lot of replacement grills, I wonder what the chrome plastice housings will start lookinglike in 2 years? I would think that they would have taken a lesson from the industry that has already be learned. If Ford made a tail light lense out of unobtainium and it failed do you think Chevy would turn around and make a tail lense out unubtainium knowing the lesson Ford already learned?
I would have to agree. I have my speculations about the chrome also. I think for the right guys it may not be an issue. For others it may. That was a calculated risk the guys at Exile had to decide on, not myself. I think for the guys that take fairly good care of their gear it should be ok, but as with any plating procedure it's only as good as the prep and cleanliness of the tank and material being plated. I personally cover my speakers with the provided covers when they are not in use. I also take them down when the boat is parked and not on the water. I will say that after this year mine still look the way did when new. I am in the PNW and we don't exactly get a ton of sun exposure like Texas or Southern California. But you did make a good point about how easy it is to remove them with the quick release clamp should you have to have something taken care of.
Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       11-07-2010, 5:51 PM Reply   
Johnny I can PM you Brads number, actually there are like 4 or 5 that have this issue. I guess in the past he's had this issue and they warranttied them all. So these are newer speakers not the original ones. I haven't made my mind up yet as to what system I'm going with. I have kind of narrowed it down but was hoping to get some imput on speakers other than Wetsounds. Hse, NVS, dbot.....? What else is out there? I want to listen to all the players like that so i can make a descion. Like you said I've listened to allot of systems but theres a big differance between listening to a system at ski beach that some drunk is tweaking on and something that has been installed and dialed in by a shop. I plan on driving around next week to a few different shops and listening to the best they have to offer.
Old     (05mobiuslsv)      Join Date: Apr 2006       11-07-2010, 6:04 PM Reply   
There is no doubt those speakers have an issue but by looking at the pics I highly doubt the problem is from sitting in the sun for 3 months, if that was an issue you'd be hearing about alot more issues from people on here that have them. In fact one of those speakers in the pic actually looks like it has burn marks on it and the others it looks like there is something dried up on them. Strange.
Old     (mikeski)      Join Date: Aug 2003       11-08-2010, 12:09 AM Reply   
One more option that I almost forgot about. The Titan 6x9 cans with the new 6x9 Wetsounds Pro 696's. These are my favorite on the new Malibu tower, I think they really look like they belong up there, much more so than anything else HLCD. I have not seen them on an older Illusion like yours but they would be a good option.
Old     (superair502)      Join Date: Mar 2010       11-08-2010, 5:47 AM Reply   
I commented on the nvs if you read my post... They are really good speakers def as good a sound as the wetsounds if not better. Maybe not whist quite as loud but have a more full range sound at riding distance. I thought about gettingthem too but I got a really goo deal on the wetsounds I couldn't pass up. I can remember the model name of the nvs but the speakers are the 10 inch in the pods and were their top of the line speaker. And they had 800rms running to each pod. I think u are trading a little loudness for a more quality sound with the nvs. But they seemed really solid and the cans looked way more durable than my 485s. Also I noticed they seemed to project really well horizontally, I could hear the music 40 ft outside the wake really good
Old     (chattwake)      Join Date: Jan 2010       11-08-2010, 5:47 AM Reply   
+1 for wetsounds too. I've had 4 pairs of 485's. So long as I can fit them, I'll never have another tower speaker on my boat. By far the best sounding and most durable speakers I've ever heard.
Old     (superair502)      Join Date: Mar 2010       11-08-2010, 5:52 AM Reply   
He had the nvs prodigy
Old     (wetsounds1)      Join Date: Jan 2006       11-08-2010, 7:50 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2006maliblue View Post
Tim also seems like a great ambassador for the company, however is it true he's stepping down and has somebody from JL Audio basically taking everything over? I heard this through the rumor mill and I'm hoping its not true or maybe Tim can shed some light on this for me.
Robert,

Where the heck did you hear that? NOT TRUE. Pretty funny how rumors get started and stretched from the truth. We hired a new VP of Sales and Marketing at the beginning of 2010, Shawn. Shawn used to be a sales rep for JL. So he works for me overseeing the sales reps and marketing side. This allows me to focus more on engineering and design. But I am not stepping down or going anywhere as your rumor says and we have been running like this for the last year!

As for your search. My suggestion is always. Try to find a dealer and go and look at the speakers first hand. Look at things like the overall build quality. What materials are used overall. Grilles, are they Stainless Steel parts or chrome plated plastic? Clamps stainless steel or chrome plated aluminum? Or raw aluminum? Housing material? Thickness of housing? Tap on the housing and see if it resonates or rings? Quality of the paint? Then have the dealer take the speaker apart and look on the inside. This is where the secrets hide. What gauge wire is used? Is it 12 or 14 ga or is it 22 ga? The size of the crossover? Quality of the crossover components and solder points? How is the crossover mounted? Is the entire inside engineered or is it a crossover just glued inside? How is the driver mounted? Is it supported or just 4 screws holding it in? Then look at the driver. Materials used? Look at the frame, thickness. Look at the mid bass cone and surround. Surround thickness. How is it glued. Try pulling on the surround a bit to see how well the glue holds. Look at all these parts as a whole and the entire assembly. This will give you an idea of true build quality and fit and finish. This will also expose a lot of weaknesses in power handling claims. For instance, you will see big inflated power handling claims but on the same product see 22 ga wire and small tinsel leads. You cannot put that much power through small ga wire and thin leads. Things like this will give you an idea of honesty in ratings and specs. Remember that anyone can print what they want in specs. But real world is completely different.

Then after looking at all that. Take a listen. See what you like. Sound is very subjective. Find what suits you best for the above in build quality and sound quality and output. And what fits your boat. Then other factors to consider. Strength of the company. How long has the company been around or been in this market? Customer service and support after the sale. Reliability? Proven product? Product mix. Do they have options to custom tailor a system for your goals. What about local dealer support.

My advice is just like car or truck shopping. Do your research first and narrow it down. Then go take a look. Look under the hood as above and check out the build quality. Look in all the hidden areas to expose the true build quality. Then take a test drive. Then compare the manufacturers strength and reliability. Then you look at the dealership and how they treated you. And so on.

My suggestion if you decide on Wet Sounds is since you have the Illusion tower. You are going to be limited unless you want to go on top. A pair of 485’s is my favorite as with many who have posted here. So that is always the way to go if you want to go on the crossbar upside down. But if you want to stick on the sides and have a ton of party cove tunes. Dual 80’s using the DXT adapter plate for the bottom one is the way I would go. Both on the sides in the factory locations with no clamps. So smooth and clean install. I run the 80 and MB-8 combo which is awesome for party cove and surfing. So that is always an option as well. Dual SYN-4 in 2 ch mode for 400x2 and your set with either the dual 80’s or 80/MB-8 combo.

And if you want to do something different since you say everyone has them (remember that is a GOOD thing). You can still get Wet Sounds and have them look different than anyone else. Take the housings and custom paint them blue to match your boat. Then put some custom billet grilles with LED rings on them like on mikeski’s boat. But maybe black powder coated. Earmark has some billet grilles for our speakers you can check out that are different styles. I bet David will even do a one off look for you that no one has. This will change them and give them that custom look your are after.

Hope this helps and let me know anything else I can do and feel free to hit me up if you hear any other crazy stories!

Tim
Wet Sounds
Old     (guido)      Join Date: Jul 2002       11-08-2010, 10:17 AM Reply   
Lot's of good products out there. Tim really seems to stand behind his stuff, and I love the support he gives here on the site.

Robert.... You've seen our boat. You've gotta know that I'm going to recomend NVS's. We've absolutely pounded on our NVS stuff and it's great. Fidelity is amazing for a HLCD, too. They've come a very long ways from where they were 5 years ago. They're no longer agonizing to listen to for hours at a time. I also like that they use really readily available components. If you were to destroy a mid-bass or tweeter they're cheap and easy to repair.
Old     (david_e_m)      Join Date: Jul 2008       11-08-2010, 11:18 AM Reply   
Kind of an unusual thread here.
I did hear that its one 'step down' or up, depending on which direction you are going, coming out of or into Tim's mahogany tower (office) and you never know what spurs those craaazy rumors.

As for the Exile finish issue, we have not experienced that one yet, not to say that UV won't eventually take its toll on most everything. We have XM7s on display in front of a glass storefront that gets direct sunlight for a portion of every day and we've turned the display product over twice this year. So with about three months of exposure per each product rotation we have seen zero degradation. Not very telling in this case as we are inside. But, there is another possiblity to consider. A protective bra left on the front of a vehicle combined with a little moisture has been known to ruin a new factory paint. Paint is a polymer and I would think is tougher than a molded ABS enclosure and chrome application. So if you store your speakers in a tote bag and the bag doesn't breath or you store the speakers/bags in a boat with a full bilge then mold and mildew will corrode just about anything and it would not take long. Also, while fuel vapor or another volatile liquid may not attack the ABS mold I wonder if it would attack the finish. And, this combined with UV could accelerate a failure. So while it may not be the cause in this case, its a scenerio I would avoid with any removeable speaker regardless of the constuction material or process.

David
Earmark Marine
Old    SamIngram            11-08-2010, 12:02 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by david_e_m View Post
Kind of an unusual thread here.
I did hear that its one 'step down' or up, depending on which direction you are going, coming out of or into Tim's mahogany tower (office) and you never know what spurs those craaazy rumors.

David
Earmark Marine
What does that first part mean??

In regards to the pictures above, it appears as though someone used some sort of cleaner on the speaker housing, probably some type of solvent. You can actually see the scrub marks....
Attached Images
 
Old     (david_e_m)      Join Date: Jul 2008       11-08-2010, 12:28 PM Reply   
Sam,
Just a joke. Obviously not a very good one. Too dry I guess.
Old     (mikeski)      Join Date: Aug 2003       11-12-2010, 4:27 PM Reply   
Robert,

Any decision yet?

One more option... 4 WS 6x9's in your bat box and 4 more in cans down the sides. I think 8 6x9 HLCD's would get you what you want from an ouput standpoint!

Mike

Last edited by mikeski; 11-12-2010 at 4:35 PM.
Old     (kyle_m)      Join Date: Aug 2007       11-12-2010, 11:50 PM Reply   
the best sounding ones that i have heard are the NVS tower speakers and they look absolutly insane you cant go wrong, I think you should do the best of both world run 2 of the NVS boxs across the tower, then run 4 wetsounds down the side, 2 on each side thatd be awesome!!!!
Old     (882001)      Join Date: Nov 2003       11-13-2010, 7:23 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2006maliblue View Post
I've heard some that sound good and some not so hot but I guess allot of that has to do with who's installing them and how there set up.
thats just about sums it up. i have 2 buddys with wetsounds and my non hlcd sounds better, but the loudest clearest stereo i have heard was a wetsounds setup. its amazing how a few setting can make or break a very expensive setup.alot of peeps just dont get it.
Old     (packrat)      Join Date: Mar 2005       11-13-2010, 7:56 AM Reply   
Hopefully you are including or have an EQ to tune the speakers. I have used the Wetsounds WS420 on my last two boats. My last boat did not have the WS420 installed when I got it. After adding it, the 4 tower speakers came to life and sounded great. I like a lot more mids and some bass in my tower speakers so the EQ helps me to achieve that. Just a thought.
Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       11-13-2010, 8:14 AM Reply   
Alright getting super close to a decision. I've narrowed it down between NVS and Wetsounds. I'm going to pull the trigger next week. I will be installing a new EQ, not the 420 though. I have to be careful with Microphones around my party crowd. If I put that in the boat I'd probably get arrested! lol I spoke with Ryan at Chucktronics because I'll have him tune the system after I install everything and he mentioned an EQ he likes running in cases like mine that he can plug into the computer to tune and then install it and it has no buttons or knobs so I don't have to worry about every drunk at Ski Beach who thinks their an audiophile trying to tune my system!
Old     (ndavis03)      Join Date: Jul 2006       11-13-2010, 11:12 AM Reply   
Robert - You've narrowed it down to two very good quality brands with great customer support....you can't go wrong either way. Also, very good idea having Ryan do your tuning. That is a very important step than many overlook. I can't wait to see/hear how it all turns out..
Old     (superair502)      Join Date: Mar 2010       11-13-2010, 5:58 PM Reply   
You will be happy with either of those. I rode behind my friends 230 with the nvs today again. Love that system. To be honest these and the wetsounds 485s that I have are about the best sounding speakers I have ever heard. It will prolly come down to which speaker u prefer the looks of because both are so high quality I don't think u can go wring with either.
Old     (polarbill)      Join Date: Jun 2003       11-13-2010, 7:00 PM Reply   
First of all I really don't know anything about stereo's other than what is talked about on this site but how about this Robert? Get another 6x9 fiberglass box that is custom painted to hang on the cross bar loaded with the wetsounds 6x9 HLCD's. Then throw 2 sets of Pro80's or one set of pro80's and one set of MB8's or 2 sets of MB8's in the factory locations with the adapter Wetsounds has. Custom paint those housings as well. I am not sure what you plan on doing with amps but make sure you run 250+ watts to each speaker. You could do 4 Syn 4's or ARC 350.4's or something equivalent. I think if you did the 4 6x9's and 4 MB8's you would get plenty of high's from the 6x9's and bass from the MB's. This would keep all the speakers under/inside the tower and would look great. Again, I know jack shizz about stereo's but I think you are better off powering a lesser amount of speakers than underpowering more speakers. From your posts I would guess you would like to have as many speakers correctly powered as possible.
Old     (polarbill)      Join Date: Jun 2003       11-17-2010, 8:57 AM Reply   
Any word on what you are choosing Robert?
Old     (05mobiuslsv)      Join Date: Apr 2006       11-17-2010, 9:07 AM Reply   
If I had to guess I would say he planned on going with WS before he ever started this thread. Just a hunch.
Old     (mendo247)      Join Date: Mar 2005       11-17-2010, 11:46 AM Reply   
I'd agree! And I bet WS is giving him free product for starting this thread!!
Old     (wetsounds1)      Join Date: Jan 2006       11-17-2010, 1:31 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by mendo247 View Post
I'd agree! And I bet WS is giving him free product for starting this thread!!
LOL. No we are not.

Tim
Wet Sounds
Old     (watersun)      Join Date: Jun 2009       11-17-2010, 5:28 PM Reply   
I am not here to say one speaker is better than another, but I am here to say that there is no way those Exile speakers in the pics above were taken care of and that is not normal. I have 4 Exile XM7's on my boat and they still look brand new after a full year of use. Obviously the owner of those speakers did not take care of them at all and I have a feeling any speaker on the market would look like that if they were treated the same way. Anyways, just wanted to back up Exile here and say that I have a hard time believing those speakers were treated with any sort of care and that those pictures are not a proper representation of their product.
Old     (talltigeguy)      Join Date: Sep 2003       11-17-2010, 5:50 PM Reply   
How do you 'take care' of speakers?

I clean mine once or twice a year and cover them with speaker sox when not in use. They pretty well look like the day I bought them (NVS).
Old     (05mobiuslsv)      Join Date: Apr 2006       11-17-2010, 6:06 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by talltigeguy View Post
How do you 'take care' of speakers?
Quote:
Originally Posted by talltigeguy View Post

I clean mine once or twice a year and cover them with speaker sox when not in use. They pretty well look like the day I bought them (NVS).

A guy could start by not spraying them with caustic chemicals.
Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       11-17-2010, 6:25 PM Reply   
I finally made up my mind and ordered some speakers..........

P.S. Tim didn't offer to give me any free speakers in fact he was going to pay me to run Wetsounds! lol
Just Kidding of course! That is unless a check is in the mail.

Bet your still wondering what I went with?

This was one of the hardest descions I've ever made. Usually with aftermarket stuff there is a clear quality differance between all the players. Here I had to look to find the differances that mattered most to me!

I ended up going with 2 NVS Prodigy's for starters and later down the road I might throw some Modus's up there as well!

So why did I chose to go with NVS? After listening to several systems I felt there was difinitly more Mid-Bass coming through the 10's then the 485's could throw out with there 8's. I know the NVS require more power to push them but they are larger and with anything the more you have to push wether its a speaker or a car the more power it needs. The power requirement didn't weigh on me very heavy at all. If it did I would have given more thoughts toward Wetsounds. I also like that for a system that see's equal duty as a party system and a riding system that when listening from right behind the boat the NVS weren't as bright and the note seemed fuller. Tim White and Duane where both extremly helpfull and informative and I couldn't fault either one with the way the handled all my questions, and I hit them with a bunch. They also happily gave me names of local customers so I could listen to there systems and pick there brains. I don't think there was a bad choice between the two. You could easily get great sound out of either system. When it was all said in done the NVS's sounded better close up to me. Thats just my personal opinion. I suggest anybody looking for a new system give both Wetsounds and NVS a listening too.
Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       11-17-2010, 6:28 PM Reply   
As for the Exiles, I'm not saying every speaker will end up looking like these did, but as it turns out I know the kid that owns the boat. And according to Brad all he does is wipe them down with a moist towel when they get dirty. To be honest knowing Brad I'd be surprised if they where ever hit with any cleaning products! lol
Old     (apwrx)      Join Date: Feb 2008       11-17-2010, 8:40 PM Reply   
Moist towel that previously had a chemical on it,It was laying there and he was to lazy to get a fresh towel perhaps? Sorry ive just got to back Exile on this one.
Ive never heard the NVS in person but more mid bass and a fuller note sounds good to me.
Old     (polarbill)      Join Date: Jun 2003       11-17-2010, 9:02 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2006maliblue View Post
I finally made up my mind and ordered some speakers..........

P.S. Tim didn't offer to give me any free speakers in fact he was going to pay me to run Wetsounds! lol
Just Kidding of course! That is unless a check is in the mail.

Bet your still wondering what I went with?

This was one of the hardest descions I've ever made. Usually with aftermarket stuff there is a clear quality differance between all the players. Here I had to look to find the differances that mattered most to me!

I ended up going with 2 NVS Prodigy's for starters and later down the road I might throw some Modus's up there as well!

So why did I chose to go with NVS? After listening to several systems I felt there was difinitly more Mid-Bass coming through the 10's then the 485's could throw out with there 8's. I know the NVS require more power to push them but they are larger and with anything the more you have to push wether its a speaker or a car the more power it needs. The power requirement didn't weigh on me very heavy at all. If it did I would have given more thoughts toward Wetsounds. I also like that for a system that see's equal duty as a party system and a riding system that when listening from right behind the boat the NVS weren't as bright and the note seemed fuller. Tim White and Duane where both extremly helpfull and informative and I couldn't fault either one with the way the handled all my questions, and I hit them with a bunch. They also happily gave me names of local customers so I could listen to there systems and pick there brains. I don't think there was a bad choice between the two. You could easily get great sound out of either system. When it was all said in done the NVS's sounded better close up to me. Thats just my personal opinion. I suggest anybody looking for a new system give both Wetsounds and NVS a listening too.
Robert, are you going to mount those on the cross bar? That should leave you with a nice option of adding a pair or 2 of the Modus' later on the inside of the vertical section of tower.
Old     (bawshogg)      Join Date: Dec 2005       11-17-2010, 9:19 PM Reply   
On a side note: After reading this post, seeing the damaged speakers, and pondering the fact that they were supposably denied any warranty on the product, I had to wonder? See, I had a few issues with a few of my Exile products at first, mind you nothing of that type of damage. Mostly minor stuff, but still issues. Everything was handled NO QUESTIONS ASKED. I thought, "What makes this case any different than what I expierienced?" Enough with wondering. I picked up the phone and called down to Exile myself. Talked to Brian, Asked him if had seen this post. I aslo asked him "Why no warranty " It just didn't jive, and he confirmed what I thought. He stated that he saw the post. He also said that they have never heard from that specific customer to even be able to take care of the issue. He also added that even though from the pictures he saw on this post that indeed the speakers looked like they have had "something" on them, he would gadly warranty them out and get the guy handled regardless of what the truth is. All he needs to do is give them a call.
Old     (05mobiuslsv)      Join Date: Apr 2006       11-17-2010, 9:45 PM Reply   
The whole story seems like it's b.s, marinated in b.s., and served with b.s. drizzled over the top of it.
Old     (2006maliblue)      Join Date: Mar 2009       11-17-2010, 11:02 PM Reply   
Bawshogg, the first set of speakers he had where warrantied through Johnny at Liquid Trends the original installer no questions asked! This set he took to a different shop with no affilation with Exile and he was given issuses. Wether the issuses where with Exile or the shop that tried getting them warrantied I couldn't tell you. But I will tell you the day I posted thoose pics Johnny called me and wrote me an email to tell the kid that owns this boat to call him because he would swap the speakers out no questions asked. Wether that was Johnny at Liquid Trends stepping up and treating the customer right or acting on behalf of Exiles I don't know. But I do know whenever I had any problem with anything from Liquid Trends, which I rarely did, Johnny was always the first person to make it right wether it was there fault or mine and usualy it was my fault!

I can not say with 100% cerainty that nothing ever got on the speakers as I don't own the boat and I haven't posted guard watching thoose speakers 24/7 since they where installed. But from looking at the pictures and hearing the story of how nothing was done to them other then wiping them off with a towel, with nothing on it, it makes me wonder. I hope this is an isolated incident and doesnt reflect on Exile's quality in any way.

Nu Bu, call it B.S. if you like but the pictures speak for themselves. Thoose speakers just look terrible. I hope now that Johnny is spearheading getting this all taken care of that Brian at Exile will get a chance to look at thoose speakers first hand and figure out exactly what caused this to happen. I'd love to hear what he has to say after he has a chance to examine theese speakers first hand!
Old     (wake77)      Join Date: Jan 2009       11-18-2010, 5:21 AM Reply   
"The whole story seems like it's b.s, marinated in b.s., and served with b.s. drizzled over the top of it."

That is pure awesomeness.
Old     (watersun)      Join Date: Jun 2009       11-18-2010, 5:42 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by talltigeguy View Post
How do you 'take care' of speakers?

I clean mine once or twice a year and cover them with speaker sox when not in use. They pretty well look like the day I bought them (NVS).
Exactly. That's all I do to my Exile's and they still look brand new as well. That is why I am saying the one's in the above pictures were not taken care of at all and that something else caused that to happen that IMO shouldn't be covered under warranty...but I'm sure Brian will take care of him because that is the kind of company they are.
Old     (bawshogg)      Join Date: Dec 2005       11-18-2010, 6:32 AM Reply   
MMMMM..... I love honey B.S. drizzled over the top!
Old     (tyler97217)      Join Date: Aug 2004       11-18-2010, 7:27 AM Reply   
I have exiles too that still look brand new after a year of full use.....

God I love these speaker war posts..... Tried not to pay attention to this one, but hey I was bored this AM.....
Old     (05mobiuslsv)      Join Date: Apr 2006       11-18-2010, 8:02 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2006maliblue View Post
Bawshogg, the first set of speakers he had where warrantied through Johnny at Liquid Trends the original installer no questions asked! This set he took to a different shop with no affilation with Exile and he was given issuses. Wether the issuses where with Exile or the shop that tried getting them warrantied I couldn't tell you. But I will tell you the day I posted thoose pics Johnny called me and wrote me an email to tell the kid that owns this boat to call him because he would swap the speakers out no questions asked. Wether that was Johnny at Liquid Trends stepping up and treating the customer right or acting on behalf of Exiles I don't know. But I do know whenever I had any problem with anything from Liquid Trends, which I rarely did, Johnny was always the first person to make it right wether it was there fault or mine and usualy it was my fault!

I can not say with 100% cerainty that nothing ever got on the speakers as I don't own the boat and I haven't posted guard watching thoose speakers 24/7 since they where installed. But from looking at the pictures and hearing the story of how nothing was done to them other then wiping them off with a towel, with nothing on it, it makes me wonder. I hope this is an isolated incident and doesnt reflect on Exile's quality in any way.

Nu Bu, call it B.S. if you like but the pictures speak for themselves. Thoose speakers just look terrible. I hope now that Johnny is spearheading getting this all taken care of that Brian at Exile will get a chance to look at thoose speakers first hand and figure out exactly what caused this to happen. I'd love to hear what he has to say after he has a chance to examine theese speakers first hand!

I couldn't agree more and that is my point. It's not normal and unfortunately we will never know what really happened to them. I don't care if they are WS, Bullet, Exile, Bazooka, Kraco, or whatever. That is not UV damage on those speakers.
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       11-18-2010, 10:05 AM Reply   
I wanted to say out of the thread but I can't any more. Here is my pick of UV wear and tear I hope this clears up the situation.
Attached Images
 
Old     (wakecumberland)      Join Date: Oct 2007       11-18-2010, 10:32 AM Reply   
Old     (dizzlestoy)      Join Date: Aug 2006       11-18-2010, 2:17 PM Reply   
I love this thread now.
Bad sun damage though.
Old     (mendo247)      Join Date: Mar 2005       11-18-2010, 2:59 PM Reply   
Lmao..
Old     (david_e_m)      Join Date: Jul 2008       11-18-2010, 4:37 PM Reply   
Yes, that photo clears up alot. It clearly demonstrates serious UV damage as evidenced by the deep crack.
Old     (05mobiuslsv)      Join Date: Apr 2006       11-18-2010, 4:44 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by david_e_m View Post
Yes, that photo clears up alot. It clearly demonstrates serious UV damage as evidenced by the deep crack.
I'm freakin cracking up, to funny.
Old     (bawshogg)      Join Date: Dec 2005       11-18-2010, 8:17 PM Reply   
Yeow! I like the horn. Can we see the cans? And how do you mount one of those? A few of those on the tower couldn't hurt?????
Old     (chattwake)      Join Date: Jan 2010       11-19-2010, 5:57 AM Reply   
Just go with this setup and be done with it.
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