Anyone add the new sound bar to a tower yet?

[firecap797]

Hi all,

Last year we purchased a 2016 242 with the tower but it only had the tweeters in the tower. I want to add more sound, so I was thinking about adding the sound bar that is coming on the newer models. Any suggestions? Looks like Wetsounds has a couple of different options.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[malibu Dan]

Great question for the masses... I was thinking same thing.Tower speakers would sit too low for me...

 

[David Analog]

The performance of the soundbar will adhere to the same principles that govern all tower speakers in open air. Speaker cone area and pod displacement. A soundbar has good enough output for listening in close proximity, like within an ATV/UTV. But it will not have the ability to project over distance and remain clean in the same way a dedicated marine tower speaker will, for example, like a Wetsounds Icon8.
Even without experiencing a soundbar outdoors, you've heard a soundbar without sub in small home theater situation. The room has boundaries. Outdoors does not.

 

[Julian]

Love the soundbar in the 242X....but the tower has fixed brackets that make bolting the sound bar to it easy. Not sure how easy it would be to add those brackets. David is correct...don't do this if you are thinking this will throw sound to a wake boarder.....but it is great for adding sound to the cockpit...unencumbered by people sitting in front of speakers, or for the helm seats where there are no stock speakers (yet)

 

[firecap797]

Mainly I just wanted a little more sound while at the helm.

 

[David Analog]

Mainly I just wanted a little more sound while at the helm.

It's better to add another pair of 6.5" coaxials to the forward cockpit coaming. They'll be warmer and fuller sounding. But if that won't work for you, then the soundbar option is going to be just fine.

 

[RightStuff]

@Julian what would you think about adding this to listen to music on the swim platform while anchored? I'm thinking about going this route instead of 2 tower speakers since I'm not looking to throw sound too far back while under way, just something to kick sound back to just behind the boat while swimming out back.

 

[Julian]

@Julian what would you think about adding this to listen to music on the swim platform while anchored? I'm thinking about going this route instead of 2 tower speakers since I'm not looking to throw sound too far back while under way, just something to kick sound back to just behind the boat while swimming out back.

I think it would work well...especially if you have/or plan to add a subwoofer. Sound bars provide good midrange to high end sound, but don't do well with bass.

 

[RightStuff]

Not having that extra bass wouldn't be much of a problem for what I am looking for. Just being able to hear the music just behind the boat as well as adjusting that sound (easily) higher/lower than the cockpit would also be a good benefit. I might have to look at this a bit closer, thanks for the input.

 

[Julian]

Part of the reason I added mid cabin speakers is because without them my sound bar was pointing towards the cabin to fill in the audio there....now I can flip it towards the stern and have it fill in sound there more.....

 

[2kwik4u]

Found this thread while attempting to post the same thing (man that feature on creating a new topic is cool)......

I'm looking for suggestions on where I can find a thin soundbar style set of speakers to mount to the tower. I'm 6'2" tall (Tower clearance on my AR190 while on board is like 6'2.5" BTW) and don't want to bonk my head on a traditional set of speakers hanging underneath the tower. The outside of the tower is all but off limits because I fold the tower down to get into the garage and the bimini top is deployed 99% of our time on the water, also over the top of the tower. Can't find a good place I like on the smaller 190's rear platform to mount traditional speakers either, so that's what drove me to a thinner sound bar type setup.

As far as sound "quality" and "quantity" is concerned, I'm not looking to throw sound to a wake boarder, just have some sound tossed out behind the boat while at anchor and relaxing. I can get sound out there now, but then the volume IN the boat is almost unbearable. Would be nice to have a little sound out on the swim platform and in the water behind the boat. I'm not much of an audiophile, I just don't like silence, SOO.....adding a sub is probably not in my future, and I think the stock speakers are perfectly adequate for what I use them for. I just need a little more sound outside the boat at anchor, without deafening anyone that wants to be sitting in the shade.

Anyone have any suggestions? I'll even take ideas from the ATV/UTV crowd as I have access to a CNC mill and design software to make my own brackets for something inexpensive

Have an extended family outing on the weekend of August 19th that I would LOVE to have this installed for

 

[Marvin willis]

Part of the reason I added mid cabin speakers is because without them my sound bar was pointing towards the cabin to fill in the audio there....now I can flip it towards the stern and have it fill in sound there more.....

Do you have pics of your mid cabin speakers?

 

[malibu Dan]

Found this thread while attempting to post the same thing (man that feature on creating a new topic is cool)......

I'm looking for suggestions on where I can find a thin soundbar style set of speakers to mount to the tower. I'm 6'2" tall (Tower clearance on my AR190 while on board is like 6'2.5" BTW) and don't want to bonk my head on a traditional set of speakers hanging underneath the tower. The outside of the tower is all but off limits because I fold the tower down to get into the garage and the bimini top is deployed 99% of our time on the water, also over the top of the tower. Can't find a good place I like on the smaller 190's rear platform to mount traditional speakers either, so that's what drove me to a thinner sound bar type setup.

As far as sound "quality" and "quantity" is concerned, I'm not looking to throw sound to a wake boarder, just have some sound tossed out behind the boat while at anchor and relaxing. I can get sound out there now, but then the volume IN the boat is almost unbearable. Would be nice to have a little sound out on the swim platform and in the water behind the boat. I'm not much of an audiophile, I just don't like silence, SOO.....adding a sub is probably not in my future, and I think the stock speakers are perfectly adequate for what I use them for. I just need a little more sound outside the boat at anchor, without deafening anyone that wants to be sitting in the shade.

Anyone have any suggestions? I'll even take ideas from the ATV/UTV crowd as I have access to a CNC mill and design software to make my own brackets for something inexpensive

Have an extended family outing on the weekend of August 19th that I would LOVE to have this installed for

Watching this post as height is a concern as well...

 

[octavio3311]

I've got WetSounds amps, tower speakers, subs, independent zone controls - but the best thing I ever did, hands down, was install mid cabin speakers.
Absolutely night and day difference. Fills the entire cabin with rich sound.

 

[Julian]

Do you have pics of your mid cabin speakers?

Of course I do! Check out this thread....I've linked to where my first photos are...there are more later...plus other people's photos too.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/easiest-way-to-add-amplify-music-at-the-helm.12049/page-8#post-215420