Replace your stock Seaworthy speakers! I put in Polks

[Julian]

This is for those of you with Seaworthy speakers.....white plastic grills and paper cones....they are a huge opportunity for you to easily upgrade the sound from your stock system. I replaced mine with Polks audio DB651s and also added Polk audio 6x9s in the cabin. I also cut in 651s in the bow, and put fusion 4" speakers on the stern. I added a 4 channel amp to drive all of these....

 

[KXCam22]

My OEM speakers were shot. I put in MTX car speakers last summer. Polks are not available in my area and the MTX were very cheap. They have a very high sensitivity (dB) which means that they play louder than most with the stock HU - and it is noticeable. It was my first experience with MTX equipment. They sound far better than I expected, a huge upgrade for not much money. Cam.

 

[jawsf16]

I'm on my second yamaha and I put the same polks in both. Great upgrade for the price and a drop in replacement too. I also recommend a sub...

 

[MikeyL]

I am offering an alternative, after listening to a lot of speakers.
We replaced the STOCK Polk DB-651's that came standard with the 2013 242 Ltd S ... with JL Audio MX-650's. (MX-650-CCX-CG).
Even before an amp addition, the difference in sound quality was little startling.
Only reason I am posting this is to offer an alternative in case anyone might be interested.
Best Wishes, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA
PS - And I intentionally did NOT go with the "sport grills" (require all new screw holes and 6 of them per speaker). Ours are in White and have the "Classic Grill). Barbie felt to her, the JL's were a lot more attractive in the boat as well.
These MX-650's are adjudged to be a better "boat speaker" than their more expensive brother due to the tweeter type.
I am VERY VERY pleased with this change we made.

 

[txav8r]

@Julian , I think I see a little leftover space in that battery compartment for the next upgrade!

 

[Julian]

@MikeyL For those with the stock Seaworthy speakers....ANYTHING would be an upgrade. I went with the Polks 6 years ago....they may well be better alternatives at a similar price point now....in fact if there weren't, then we'd be saying stereo manufacturers are making no progress. I actually posted this more for the speaker locations - per a member request from @BravoMike. I could have sworn I'd already put a write up about this up...but it was late and I couldn't find it. JLs are indeed good speakers.

 

[Julian]

Also, the Polks are a much more Budget sensitive alternative if you are looking for much better sound quality than Seaworthy. If you want high end....then JL is a great option....(I just looked these up at Crutchfield to compare....I was curious....I'm sure you can get both cheaper somewhere else)

 

[txav8r]

I am a JL fan...but they are over twice the money of the Polk DB line...and they are certainly twice as good, but this too is opinion based. But for a guy just wanting an upgrade over stock, Polks are a great choice. And it is about choice. Some choose the most bang for the buck, and others want the most bang period. Big bang cost bigger bucks, and you can get a MUCH better sound system without breaking the bank. My wife was on board with my sound upgrade the first time...if she could hear good music at cruise...that pretty much put the icing on the JL's, because the DB line can't produce that kind of sound at those levels, no matter how you drive them. But if your a Polk fan, they sure make a speaker that is comparable to the JL, it is the MM651UM...a great speaker line, but now your up at the same price range of the JL MX650. Totally agree with you @Julian , seaworthy isn't! Each of these boat models and lines are just a tad different. For example, the 242LS apparently comes stock with the Polk DB651's? Whereas the 240 still has the crap Seaworthy speaker. Many location challenges from model to model too, what works for one won't work the same in a different model. Best to fashion your ideas off of those that have your model and not reinvent the wheel each time. The layout of the '05 230's is hard to beat...so many cool features in that model and year.

 

[Julian]

Thanks for the link @Julian. Exactly what I am doing with my boat. The db691's are the Polk 6x9's. Are you happy with the bass response from the 6x9's? Not really wanting to add Sub to the boat, but I do enjoy good bass. Last question, I promise. What was the reason behind placing your amp in the back versus in the storage under the HU?

Not sure if this is going to work...but I copied your post from the bimini thread here so that when I answer it, others can see the answers too.

I am happy with the 6x9s, they have better bass than the 6.5's but won't come anywhere near what a sub could do. I am considering adding a sub at this point (6 years later), but am still on the fence as we really don't crank the tunes on the boat much since it is usually full of family and friends. Maybe if I had a teen?

I put the Amp by the battery for pretty simple reasons....running 2 power lines up to the storage locker was going to be a lot more expensive than just running an RCA cable and a remote power cable. I bought an "add an Amp" kit on Ebay that came with a 20' RCA, and most car Stereos end up with amps in their trunks and a lot more electronic interference in them than a boat....so I figured I'd give it a shot and if there was interference I could swap the location. Haven't had any. Also, I think the amp is more out of the way there, and easier for me to make minor adjustments to than in the storage compartment.

And you can't ask to many questions! Asking questions is what the board is for!!!
#stereo #speakers

 

[Julian]

@txav8r right on! And at the time I was in budget mode and Circuit City had a huge sale on Polk (remember that store?). And on top of the sale, I got the 6x9s for the same price as the 6.5s as they were out of stock.

 

[Lspeedss]

Replaced with Polks this year.

 

[BravoMike]

Not sure if this is going to work...but I copied your post from the bimini thread here so that when I answer it, others can see the answers too.

I am happy with the 6x9s, they have better bass than the 6.5's but won't come anywhere near what a sub could do. I am considering adding a sub at this point (6 years later), but am still on the fence as we really don't crank the tunes on the boat much since it is usually full of family and friends. Maybe if I had a teen?

I put the Amp by the battery for pretty simple reasons....running 2 power lines up to the storage locker was going to be a lot more expensive than just running an RCA cable and a remote power cable. I bought an "add an Amp" kit on Ebay that came with a 20' RCA, and most car Stereos end up with amps in their trunks and a lot more electronic interference in them than a boat....so I figured I'd give it a shot and if there was interference I could swap the location. Haven't had any. Also, I think the amp is more out of the way there, and easier for me to make minor adjustments to than in the storage compartment.

And you can't ask to many questions! Asking questions is what the board is for!!!
#stereo #speakers

Looks like it worked @Julian. Thanks for the pics and information. Knew I should of started a new thread instead of hijacking my own

 

[Julian]

@BravoMike Conversations go where they will! Did you get an alert for my quote of you, and did it bring you to this thread? (should have)

 

[MikeyL]

Also, the Polks are a much more Budget sensitive alternative if you are looking for much better sound quality than Seaworthy. If you want high end....then JL is a great option....(I just looked these up at Crutchfield to compare....I was curious....I'm sure you can get both cheaper somewhere else)

Julian makes such excellent points. And posts. And he continues that "tradition" here.
I totally agree.
All I wanted to do was point out how happy I was with an alternative ...... 1 that may be too far out of pocket for many.
So ..........It's all Good.
We ALL continue exploring new Alternatives to making our beloved Yamahas better and better.
My Best to everyone ........ In this 95 degree heat. Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[txav8r]

@Julian , did you have to remove the seatbacks in the bow to cut the holes for the new speakers up there? Any info you can pass along on that will certainly help @BravoMike and others with the '05'06 boats...

 

[Julian]

I did not have to remove the seat backs. I drilled a hole with a hole saw, then I clamped a spacer that came with the speakers down where I wanted the bigger hole, and used a dewalt hole cutter to cut the rest out, following the spacer edge as a guide.

 

[BravoMike]

@BravoMike Conversations go where they will! Did you get an alert for my quote of you, and did it bring you to this thread? (should have)

Yes it did.