Another audio upgrade thread.....

[WiskyDan]

So, I want to update the audio on my 2015 242 Limited S and have been doing some research. I currently have the stock Polk PA4A system, six Polk DB-651 speakers, and two tweeters in the tower. I'm going to keep the PA4A system, add eight new 6.5 inch speakers, and an amp. The new speakers will replace the Polk's in the six stock positions (bow, stern, swim deck) and the two additional speakers will go in the helm area so that me and the misses can actually hear the stereo while we're underway. I'm not interested (at this point) in a sub but that could change based on feedback. I'm not looking to have the loudest boat at the sandbar - just a nice upgrade.

Speakers:

I think that I want to stick with Wet Sounds or JL but I'd like to stay around $200 per pair. I'd be open to other speaker manufacturers as well but Wet Sounds and JL appear to be at the top of the heap.

1- I've found some Wet Sounds in my price point on the Creative Audio site:

Wet Sounds XS-65i -- $149 per pair (60W RMS) discontinued but still have stock

Wet Sounds Black cone w/ Silver Grill High Power 6.5" speakers

6.5 inch Coaxial Speaker (pair) The XS-65i is a 6.5 inch component style coaxial. Silver Grille. Rubber Spider & Surround. Nylas frame/grille (Nylon Fiber...

creativeaudio.net

Wet Sounds RECON6-S -- $199 per pair (60W RMS)

Wet Sounds RECON 6-S Recon Series 6.5" 60-Watt RMS Coaxial Speakers With Silver XS Grille And Cone (Pair)

Wet Sounds RECON6-S XS Series Silver Cone 6.5" Coax open grille (Pair) The RECON6-S are 6.5 inch component style coaxial speakers. The RECON6-S features ...

creativeaudio.net

Are the Recon6 speakers worth the extra $50?

2- These JL's are a little over my per pair budget but would be interested in any real world comparison versus the two Wet Sounds options.

JL Audio M3-650X-S-Gw -- $229 per pair (60W RMS)

JL Audio M3-650X-S-Gw - M3 6.5" Marine Coaxial Speakers (pair) - Gloss White Sport Grilles

JL Audio M3-650X-S-Gw - M3 6.5" Marine Coaxial Speakers (pair) - Gloss White Sport Grilles 6.5-inch coaxial system with 0.75-inch (19 mm) marine silk dome t...

creativeaudio.net

Amplifier/s

Selecting speakers seems a bit easier to me - amplifiers not so much. It appears that Wet Sounds and JL are at the top of the list but I've seen Kicker and Rockford Fosgate mentioned here as well. I don't want to spend a gazillion dollars on an amp and am hoping that I could drive all eight speakers with a 4 channel amp. The technical ohms jargon when trying to figure out if you can run two pairs of speakers on each channel is a bit confusing so how this would work with the following amps that I'm considering would be appreciated. The Polk PA4A does have an amplifier built into the system (4x 50W - 200W total) but I don't know what the RMS value is. Perhaps I could use the PA4A to drive the pair of speakers in the helm area and then buy a 6 channel amp for the other six speakers?

I've listed mostly 4 channel amps but there are some interesting 6 channel options if the PA4A can drive a pair of speakers.

Wet Sounds HTX4: Class D 600 watt 4-channel amplifier -- $649

Wet Sounds HTX4: Class D 600 watt 4-channel amplifier

HTX4: Class D 600 watt 4-channel amplifier Wet Sounds™ Hydro-Tech™ X (HTX) Series Amplifier. Wet Sounds represents the ultimate in High Performance Marine A...

creativeaudio.net

JL Audio M400/4: 4 Ch. Class D Full-Range Marine Amplifier 400 W -- $519

JL Audio M400/4: 4 Ch. Class D Full-Range Marine Amplifier 400 W

JL Audio M400/4: 4 Ch. Class D Full-Range Marine Amplifier 400 W4-Channel Class D Marine Full-Range Amplifier, 100 W x 4 @ 2 Ω / 75 W x 4 @ 4 Ω - 14.4VThis t...

creativeaudio.net

JL Audio MX500/4 500 watt 4 channel Marine/Power Sports grade amplifier -- $389 (not sure about these small form factor amps - I've read that they can get pretty hot)

JL Audio MX500/4 500 watt 4 channel Marine/Power Sports grade amplifier

JL Audio MX500/4 500 watt 4 channel amplifier Features: Differential-balanced inputs with Input Range switches 12 dB/oct. High-Pass or Low-Pass filters, var...

creativeaudio.net

Maybe just get an 8 channel amp?

Kicker KXMA8008 KXMA800.8 8X100-Watt Eight-Channel Full-Range Class D Amplifier -- $764

Kicker KXMA8008 KXMA800.8 8X100-Watt Eight-Channel Full-Range Class D Amplifier

KXMA800.8 Amplifier The KXM 800-watt eight-channel amplifier is one of the most flexible marine power plants available today. Using powerful Class D tech...

creativeaudio.net

JL Audio M800/8v2: 8 Ch. Class D Full-Range Marine Amplifier 800 W -- $849

JL Audio M800/8v2: 8 Ch. Class D Full-Range Marine Amplifier 800 W

JL Audio M800/8v2: 8 Ch. Class D Full-Range Marine Amplifier 800 W8-Channel Class D Marine Full-Range Amplifier, 100 W x 8 @ 2 Ω / 75 W x 8 @ 4 Ω - 14.4VThis...

creativeaudio.net

I'm open to all ideas and manufacturers at this point and was using Creative Audio's website since it is pretty easy to navigate.

Thanks for any input.

 

[flyingnugget]

I'm in the same "boat" as you... no not really, I'm a 2014 242LS but you have got some great info and starting points since I'm doing the same thing. Hope you get a ton of info cuz I'll be following this thread.

Sorry I don't have anything to add

 

[212s]

I can only address the JL Audio MX500/4 - I have one powering my stock Polk speakers and it's got lots of oomph. Running for hours it gets warm, but never hot. I have it mounted under the port seat beside the batteries and switches, and the front channels are running parallel at 2 ohms - no issues at all.

 

[WiskyDan]

I can only address the JL Audio MX500/4 - I have one powering my stock Polk speakers and it's got lots of oomph. Running for hours it gets warm, but never hot. I have it mounted under the port seat beside the batteries and switches, and the front channels are running parallel at 2 ohms - no issues at all.

Thank you for the reply.

How many speakers are you driving with the MX500/4?

 

[WiskyDan]

I'm in the same "boat" as you... no not really, I'm a 2014 242LS but you have got some great info and starting points since I'm doing the same thing. Hope you get a ton of info cuz I'll be following this thread.

Sorry I don't have anything to add

No problem, hopefully we will both learn something.

 

[212s]

How many speakers are you driving with the MX500/4?

Right now six, but I'm adding 2 more matching Polk DB652 speakers in the cockpit in the spring and running all 4 ch at 2 ohms. After talking with the wife, I plan to run 4 speakers in the cockpit on the "front" channels, and the bow and swim platform speakers on the "rear" channels. This way I can run all speakers from the amp and if no one is in the bow or stern, I can fade them off and just listen to the 4 cockpit speakers. When floating it's more than loud enough - can't turn it over 50+ without people telling me to keep it down - LOL. When cruising we want a bit more sound at the bucket seats and the extra speakers will do that.

 

[MisfitBoy99]

I've been watching the audio threads on here for the past few months. So I also decided to upgrade my audio this past weekend. Starting my project on Thursday and ended on Saturday afternoon. Getting the boat ready for water.

I decided to do a full upgrade from the stock system the boat had. I purchased the boat in August 2020.

I put the following in the boat:
KICKER 46KMC4 Bluetooth Radio
KICKER 46KRC12 Remote Control Commander (Mounted in the rear near the cup holder)

JL M3-770ETX Tower speakers
JL M3-650X up front
JL M3 770X in rear
JL M3 10IB-S Sub
JL M700 5 Channel Amp

All JL Marine grade wiring.

Added a second battery to the boat along with NOCO 2-Bank battery charger.

I feel like it's the right sound, I think the boat sounds great.

 

[jocolo21]

how much money you want to spend, i perosnally change all my wet sound to jl in my new 252 but here is a nice setup

SYSTEM DETAILS:
• 1x PMX-5CAN: Punch Marine AM/FM/WB Digital Media Receiver 2.7" Display w/ CAN bus
• 1x PMX-0R: Punch Marine Wired Remote Control

• 4x PM2652: Punch Marine 6.5" Full Range Speakers
• 2x PM282W: Punch Marine 8" Wakeboard Tower Speaker
• 2x PM282HW: Punch Marine 8" Wakeboard Tower Speaker with Horn Tweeter
• 4x PM-CL1: Punch Marine Diecast Wakeboard Tower Clamp
• 2x PM210S4: Punch Marine 10" SVC 4-Ohm Subwoofer

• 1x PM600X4: Punch Marine 600 Watt 4-Channel Amplifier
• 1x PM500X2: Punch Marine 500 Watt 2-Channel Amplifier
• 1x PM1000X1bd: Punch Marine 1,000 Watt Class-bd Mono Amplifier

 

[WiskyDan]

Thank you for the reply but I think that I'm going to stick with Wet Sounds or JL.

 

[jocolo21]

my setup
6 m3 with led

1. 2 × JL Audio Refurbished XD700/5v2:5 Ch. Class D System Amplifier 700 W
2. 1 × AudioControl LC2i 2 Channel Line Out Converter with Accubass and Subwoofer Control
3. 1 × JL Audio 8.8-Inch M6 ETXv3 Tower Speakers, RGB LED, Gunmetal & Titanium, Sport Grille - SKU: M6-880ETXv3-Sb-S-GmTi-i
4. 6 m3 led 6.5
5. wetsound preamp
6. stock wetsound sub
7. 12" wetsound bazooka

all from creative audio.net

 

[WiskyDan]

Nice, they will hear you coming a mile away.

 

[WiskyDan]

Looks like I'll be going with this setup:

JL M3-650X - three pairs to replace the speakers in the stock locations
JL M3 770X - one pair in the helm area so me and the admiral can actually hear music while underway.
JL M800 8 channel amp

Spending a bit more than I originally budgeted but I think it will be worth it.

 

[WiskyDan]

Change of plan.

My audio guy was able to get his hands on discontinued JL M650’s and M770’s which are comparable to the current M6 line. Price jumped again but he’s got me on the hook, I’m all in......

JL M650 - three pairs to replace the speakers in the stock locations
JL M770 - one pair in the helm area so me and the admiral can actually hear music while underway.
JL M800 8 channel amp

 

[RiverRat]

I think you’ll want a sub. Not to rattle the shoreline, but to fill in the music. In my little baby 19 footer I kept the stock Clarion m502 head unit and four in boat Polk db651’s. Added a four channel MTX marine amp to drive those, and a two channel MTX amp to drive a Polk DVC 10” sub in a sealed enclosure. Sounded really good. I then picked up a pair of Polk db651 tower speakers that were stock off a 242x and put them on the rear channel of the four channel amp(moved all four in tub speakers to the front channel.) I did this fully expecting to upgrade amps, but was pleasantly surprised how good it sounds. Not rock the entire cove like some of the big boy systems, but I can definitely drown out the terrible country music a few boats over if need be. All in, with adding a second battery and all wiring, I’m definitely well under a $1000 on my audio upgrade.

 

[WiskyDan]

My audio guy feels that the balanced sound that the JL speakers will provide should allow me to get away without a sub. My plan is to try the setup listed above and if I feel like I need a sub I will get one next season. I’m already spending a lot more than I originally wanted to on this upgrade and need to draw the line somewhere.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

My audio guy feels that the balanced sound that the JL speakers will provide should allow me to get away without a sub. My plan is to try the setup listed above and if I feel like I need a sub I will get one next season. I’m already spending a lot more than I originally wanted to on this upgrade and need to draw the line somewhere.

As an audio guy, there is never a replacement for a sub. You can push mids down to 63hz, even some 8s a little lower but you sacrifice volume. If you want a full range sound a sub is 100% needed. No if and or buts about it.

 

[RobbieO]

I think you’ll want a sub. Not to rattle the shoreline, but to fill in the music. In my little baby 19 footer I kept the stock Clarion m502 head unit and four in boat Polk db651’s. Added a four channel MTX marine amp to drive those, and a two channel MTX amp to drive a Polk DVC 10” sub in a sealed enclosure. Sounded really good. I then picked up a pair of Polk db651 tower speakers that were stock off a 242x and put them on the rear channel of the four channel amp(moved all four in tub speakers to the front channel.) I did this fully expecting to upgrade amps, but was pleasantly surprised how good it sounds. Not rock the entire cove like some of the big boy systems, but I can definitely drown out the terrible country music a few boats over if need be. All in, with adding a second battery and all wiring, I’m definitely well under a $1000 on my audio upgrade.

What a nice cove....

 

[WiskyDan]

As an audio guy, there is never a replacement for a sub. You can push mids down to 63hz, even some 8s a little lower but you sacrifice volume. If you want a full range sound a sub is 100% needed. No if and or buts about it.

Well, to be fair to my audio guy, I told him that I just wanted better sound and I didn’t need to be the loudest guy at the sandbar. I wanted to spend my budget on speakers and an amp so he told me that if I didn’t want to get a sub then JL would be my best bet due to their depth of sound. I was hoping to get away with an audio upgrade in the $1500 range but I’ve now pushed into the $3000 range so adding a sub and another amp may not be in the cards for 2021. I found a couple of lower cost JL 10” sub options on Creative Audio’s website but I’d still have to consider an amp. Another thing that I’m worried about is where the sub would go. It appears that many put the sub in the starboard side bench area right behind the captains chair but that is a primary storage area for us. My batteries are under the port side so,there is not a lot of room there and I store my box anchor under the starboard side bow bench seat.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

If your spending 3k - you should absolutely be getting a sub. "Depth of sound" - not sure if he said that or it was misunderstood. Depth of sound has to do with your soundstage. Which is pretty much irrelevant on a boat.

He could be referring to the frequency response of the speakers, and is essentially saying the JL speakers player louder at lower frequencies than the competition. While this might be true, the difference between any other brand would be hard to notice. Also, as I mentioned above, you really shouldn't be playing 6.5s any lower than 80hz. Subs typically handle 25-80hz. Given a lack of power with the 800/8.... I wouldn't even dare run them under 80hz.

Plenty of places to put the sub, especially an IB sub. It would take up zero space. At ~$300 for a sub and ~$200 for an amp.... it's well worth the money. But at 3k already I am curious how that is broken down. At 3k you could switch to different products and have quite a bit more.

Having a subwoofer isn't about being loud, it is about enjoying the music as it's meant to be heard in it's full bandwidth.

 

[WiskyDan]

If your spending 3k - you should absolutely be getting a sub. "Depth of sound" - not sure if he said that or it was misunderstood. Depth of sound has to do with your soundstage. Which is pretty much irrelevant on a boat.

He could be referring to the frequency response of the speakers, and is essentially saying the JL speakers player louder at lower frequencies than the competition.

Yes, he said that JL speakers were more balanced (high/mid/low) while WetSounds offerings are generally “louder” with a little bit less depth.

Plenty of places to put the sub, especially an IB sub. It would take up zero space. At ~$300 for a sub and ~$200 for an amp.... it's well worth the money. But at 3k already I am curious how that is broken down. At 3k you could switch to different products and have quite a bit more.

I was under the impression that subs need space behind them to operate correctly?

In regards to cost, it would three pair of the M650’s at $289 per pair, a pair of M770’s at $349, the M800 amp at $849, JL install hardware, wire, fuse block, wire, etc and installation. Hardware ends up at about $2400 and then install labor pushes it to near $3000.

I’m only considering JL and WetSounds at this point as they seem to be top of the line stuff.