2021 AR195 Stereo/Tower Speakers

[lgparra]

Hey Guys!

So I've spent hours researching (wow this forum is a fantastic source of information) and watching youtube videos. I only took my boat out once before winter hit, but it is apparent the stock sound system isn't great. Not bad but not really great either in stock form. My current upgrade plan is:

Wet Sounds MC-2 Head Unit (already purchased but not yet installed...I liked the zone control on the face and no dash modification which is why I went WS vs JLMM50)
JL M600 6 channel amp (to power the 4 interior speakers plus 2 tower speakers)
JL M3 or M6 7.7 inch tower speakers

After reading a lot of posts I think I'm going to save a few bucks and try amplifying the Polk DB652's that come with the boat first. If they still aren't up to par with an amp powering them then replacing them is an easy task but sounds like a lot of guys who went that route are happy. I also know a lot of guys swear by adding a sub and my last boat (Celebrity I/O I owned for a 11 years) had a small sub but I lean towards not adding one to the new Yammie. Anyways my first question is under the above stereo layout will I be okay with my current battery setup? Or should I consider upgrading to larger and/or deep cycle batteries? Currently its two ACDelco Group 24 starting batteries with a Perko switch installed by the dealer but I tend to float and listen to music for a few hours at a time. I already installed a NOCO genius 2 bank on board charger and the batteries will always be plugged in charging at home when not at the lake. Second question is M3 or M6 for the tower speakers? M3's retail for $679.99. M6's retail for $889.99. Are the M6's worth the price difference or would most guys be pretty happy with the M3's? I'm sure others have faced a similar dilemma. Sure appreciate all your guys' tips and advice!

 

[anmut]

Batteries: Your battery setup will be fine.

Tower speakers: With tower speakers it depends on your usage and expectations. At 60' behind on a wakeboard the M6's will be fine to hear, but they might be a little low volume for your preference. Surfing behind the boat with all the engine noise, you barely hear them. The 8.8s are the sh*t, and because I like loud music, I'm considering adding another pair to my tower this Spring.

Overall advise is to buy more than you think you need, because once you get out on the open water, it sounds a lot different than it did in a store.

 

[lgparra]

For anyone interested or thinking about upgrading their own sound system, I ended up going with the above setup (JL M6 7.7 inch tower speakers, JL M600 amp, Wet Sounds MC-2 head unit) and it is a HUGE improvement over stock! Sounds great while floating and while under power. It's fantastic actually being able to hear music clearly while underway now. I opted to keep the stock Polk DB652's interior speakers and I can report that they sound much, much better with an amp powering them. Down the road I'll probably upgrade the interior speakers to JL M6's but for now I'm super happy with it. The Wet Sounds head unit is super nice too. I love having an actual volume knob compared to the push-button volume on the stock head unit. My one and only small complaint is that the driver side cup holder doesn't work with a Yeti 12oz. can koozie (volume knob is in the way). Normal koozie fits just fine. Anyways super happy with the setup!

 

[wwill1218]

Curious what ballpark total cost of materials were and impact on head room. Probably a selfish question on head room, I'm 6'3" but wife is 5' and kids 6/3. Looking at making similar upgrades to stock stereo on my 2021 AR195

 

[lgparra]

Curious what ballpark total cost of materials were and impact on head room. Probably a selfish question on head room, I'm 6'3" but wife is 5' and kids 6/3. Looking at making similar upgrades to stock stereo on my 2021 AR195

Wet Sounds MC-2 Head Unit: $350
JL M600 Amp: $640
JL M6 Tower Speakers: $890
Tower Speaker Hardware: $160
Professional Audio Install Labor/Materials: $1000-ish
TOTAL: $3040

Obviously all said and done it was pretty pricey but I'm still incredibly happy with it and would do it all over again. I'm not the kind of guy who has to be the loudest boat on the water but just wanted something that sounded really good and was crisp/clear. The above setup definitely accomplished that without going super overboard cost wise cause the stock stereo does leave a lot to be desired. If you wanted a more budget friendly setup I think you could even just get some smaller JL M3 tower speakers or Kicker tower speakers and be very happy. Even just installing nothing more than a quality amp would do wonders for the sound quality at a fraction of the price. Height wise I'm 5'10''...can walk under the tower just fine but I have to duck down a little bit where the speakers hang down. If you mount them as far outside of the tower as you can shouldn't be an issue but you may on occasion bump your head but after you do it more than once or twice you'll learn really quick to not do it again haha.

 

[SCP1]

How well can you hear the towers, while doing water sports? I guess what I’m asking is are you happy with the M6 7.7’s or do you wish you would have got the 8.8’s?

 

[Farny]

Curious what ballpark total cost of materials were and impact on head room. Probably a selfish question on head room, I'm 6'3" but wife is 5' and kids 6/3. Looking at making similar upgrades to stock stereo on my 2021 AR195

At 6’3” you might bump your head on the tower with no speakers ?. Good advice from @lgparra to mount towers as much toward the side as you can. I’m 6’0” and seldom bump the head.