Speaker question.

[Bearsar240]

My wife decided to purchase me speakers for x-mas without asking any questions. She bought DS18 CF65 HYDRO. Not at all what I wanted but she thought a speaker was a speaker. Love the woman. She was so excited to get these! I can't find reviews online about these. I see their mounting hole is 5 3/8 where JL and Wetsounds are 5 to 5-1/4.
I was thinking of keeping them until they crap the bed to please her but I don't want to make bigger holes to have these take a dump in a year and not have the JL or Wetsounds fit.
Any suggestions or reviews would be helpful in making up my mind. It sounds like she gets a refund with no restock but has to pay shipping.

 

[J-RAD]

That's a tough situation... Clearly you have to be sensitive to your wife's feelings in this situation. I'm not sure they'd really qualify as an upgrade over the stock. Maybe they were very decent speaker when they are powered correctly? Perhaps kindly explain to her that, although the gift is very much appreciated, there is a difference between speakers. Also, that in the long run returning the speakers and purchasing the desired ones would a true upgrade and be an overall savings. The JL 650's are a 5-1/4" diameter hole. Enlarging to 5-3/8 would be annoying... however, in reality it's only 1/16" around the entire circumference, which probably wouldn't be problematic for replacement later. But, perhaps that's your way out. Tell her they don't fit...?

A comparison in terms she'd understand. It's like if she were to send you down the feminine hygiene isle to buy her tampons. In your mind, a tampon is a tampon, but she knows better. She'll straight up drag you back down the isle to exchange whatever you've picked out for the ones that "better fit the application".

Good luck and happy holidays!

 

[Drift Away]

My wife decided to purchase me speakers for x-mas without asking any questions. She bought DS18 CF65 HYDRO. Not at all what I wanted but she thought a speaker was a speaker. Love the woman. She was so excited to get these! I can't find reviews online about these. I see their mounting hole is 5 3/8 where JL and Wetsounds are 5 to 5-1/4.
I was thinking of keeping them until they crap the bed to please her but I don't want to make bigger holes to have these take a dump in a year and not have the JL or Wetsounds fit.
Any suggestions or reviews would be helpful in making up my mind. It sounds like she gets a refund with no restock but has to pay shipping.

 

[Bearsar240]

That's a tough situation... Clearly you have to be sensitive to your wife's feelings in this situation. I'm not sure they'd really qualify as an upgrade over the stock. Maybe they were very decent speaker when they are powered correctly? Perhaps kindly explain to her that, although the gift is very much appreciated, there is a difference between speakers. Also, that in the long run returning the speakers and purchasing the desired ones would a true upgrade and be an overall savings. The JL 650's are a 5-1/4" diameter hole. Enlarging to 5-3/8 would be annoying... however, in reality it's only 1/16" around the entire circumference, which probably wouldn't be problematic for replacement later. But, perhaps that's your way out. Tell her they don't fit...?

A comparison in terms she'd understand. It's like if she were to send you down the feminine hygiene isle to buy her tampons. In your mind, a tampon is a tampon, but she knows better. She'll straight up drag you back down the isle to exchange whatever you've picked out for the ones that "better fit the application".

Good luck and happy holidays!

My whole problem is the wife bought them for x-mas and she was so happy about them. I told her I'd keep them but keep in mind we may need to buy new ones again. I was just wondering what others would do or if they were actually worth a damn.

 

[tdonoughue]

I encourage the long view.

Certainly the last thing you want to do is discourage her buying you things for the boat. Ok, maybe not. Getting divorced may be the last thing you want to do. But the boat buying thing is probably the second thing you don't want to do.

So, I think these should be your mid speakers (by the throttle and the other side). Then get some nice Polks for the 4 corners. Then start a new tradition of making each other Christmas lists. Put the stuff you would really prefer on there, so she has a guide.

Then, when they die or whatever in a year or three, replace them.

IMHO, but having 27 years of marriage under my belt,

 

[Bearsar240]

I encourage the long view.

Certainly the last thing you want to do is discourage her buying you things for the boat. Ok, maybe not. Getting divorced may be the last thing you want to do. But the boat buying thing is probably the second thing you don't want to do.

So, I think these should be your mid speakers (by the throttle and the other side). Then get some nice Polks for the 4 corners. Then start a new tradition of making each other Christmas lists. Put the stuff you would really prefer on there, so she has a guide.

Then, when they die or whatever in a year or three, replace them.

IMHO, but having 27 years of marriage under my belt,

She bought six of the things! I was thinking of just using them and see If they work. Less problems if you know what I mean!

 

[Bearsar240]

Funny thing is we fight every time somebody gets on the boat and says your speakers suck. So she says replace them. Then I say well group buy on seadek, wake racks, push button start, trim tabs.... $1000,$1000.

 

[Need A Vacation]

Well, if you enlarge the hole for the speakers, and down the road the JL 6.5” won’t fit, maybe the JL 7.7” would work just fine!!!

Good luck, and hope it all works out for the good.

 

[Marvin willis]

Are the stock speakers really that bad? I didn’t think the speakers were bad in my old boat until I replaced them and noticed the difference. I do wish the new Yamahas had 4 in the cabin instead of 2 but maybe that isn’t so bad with less engine noise.

 

[Bearsar240]

We have a2015 AR240. It only has 2 in the bow and 2 in Aft seating. I can't hear anything unless they are crancked up. I want to add 2 in the mid and 2 on the swim deck. Also replace the factory 4.

 

[BlkGS]

Heres the simple option... put them in wakeboard cans. You have an AR, put them in cans to use them, and dont worry about the holes. Hell you could even buy bigger czns and make mounting plates for them if you wanted to go bigger at some point.

Then, everyone wims. The wife did a great job, youre getting use from them, and you have your future goals set. Heck you may find you like them a lot and dont want the more expensive speakers.

 

[Dwrat]

Be a man and exchange them for the proper size speaker.
If this causes a problem in your marriage then you already have much bigger problems on your hands

 

[J-RAD]

It's proven the JL 650's fit mid ship by both the passenger and driver. I wonder if the depth of these would be an issue? A spacer could be used, but that's one more issue...

 

[swatski]

Oh, just do what works, all the time, or at least until they figure it out - make it about family/kids safety.

The DS18 CF65 HYDRO speakers are an incredible gift, and those are AWESOME and you wish you could safely install and use those, however they are known to produce a frequency that can cause the FRP made hulls to develop spider cracks and possibly lead to a failure and the boat taking on water.
Or something like that.
And then just go and swap them with most inexpensive Polk DB651s or splurge for JLs and be done.

There you go, problem solved. Just keep in mind, this scheme does not work forever. Eventually, inevitably, you get busted. In my case it was when I tried to argue kids safety to purchase RIVA ECU performance tune/reflash. And sadly - that was it, the jig was up.

--

 

[Bearsar240]

Oh, just do what works, all the time, or at least until they figure it out - make it about family/kids safety.

The DS18 CF65 HYDRO speakers are an incredible gift, and those are AWESOME and you wish you could safely install and use those, however they are known to produce a frequency that can cause the FRP made hulls to develop spider cracks and possibly lead to a failure and the boat taking on water.
Or something like that.
And then just go and swap them with most inexpensive Polk DB651s or splurge for JLs and be done.

There you go, problem solved. Just keep in mind, this scheme does not work forever. Eventually, inevitably, you get busted. In my case it was when I tried to argue kids safety to purchase RIVA ECU performance tune/reflash. And sadly - that was it, the jig was up.

--

Too funny! I was mostly wondering if anyone had experience with the DS. Worried about feelings second. I hate dealing with returns so I figured if they wouldn't blow up and found decent I would just use them. I liked the can idea but being a bigger size than Polk, wetsounds and JL I'd have to waste money on DS cans. In that case she's better returning and hoping we get a full refund. Thought I would get some thoughts on the subject. Thank you all!

 

[drewkaree]

Honey, the hole size these will need is larger than what's on the boat. I want new speakers too, so let's swap these with speakers that fit. These two (show her pics and stats of the JL & Wet Sounds) will fit and they're the consensus pick for best replacements. Which of these two do you think would go nicely with the boat?

She essentially gave you permission to upgrade your boat, but she was tired of all the OTHER things that you were bringing up that she didn't see as a big deal, when the prime thing you needed to add to the boat was speakers. So replace the speakers. It's really just that simple. If you want something specific, you'll have to eat a bit of crow and apologize for not addressing "the biggest problem" with the boat earlier.

 

[Noko]

Could you put the speaker covers from the ones your wife bought onto the ones you really want?

 

[Bluewater272]

Honey, the hole size these will need is larger than what's on the boat. I want new speakers too, so let's swap these with speakers that fit. These two (show her pics and stats of the JL & Wet Sounds) will fit and they're the consensus pick for best replacements. Which of these two do you think would go nicely with the boat?

She essentially gave you permission to upgrade your boat, but she was tired of all the OTHER things that you were bringing up that she didn't see as a big deal, when the prime thing you needed to add to the boat was speakers. So replace the speakers. It's really just that simple. If you want something specific, you'll have to eat a bit of crow and apologize for not addressing "the biggest problem" with the boat earlier.

Probably the best advice here if you're intending on switching.


That being said, JL/Wetsounds aren't the only things worth buying, and unless she bought you an amp or two to go with it, aren't going to sound much better than stock. These will be an upgrade, just not the biggest upgrade around. Also, people who make fun of my speakers don't get to come on the boat again. Simple problem to solve

 

[Bearsar240]

Yeah I returned them and bought 6 wetsounds. Thanks for the input.