Tower speaker help

[hkyplyr31]

I just upgraded to a new boat am I am looking for some serous tower speakers. My last boat had 4 momo’s on the tower - they were nice speakers, great when they boat was off, but they were worthless when wakeboarding. So I have decided on some wetsounds tower speakers, but I just had some questions to help me decide on what to buy.

The main three options that I am considering:
3-SOME
2 pairs of PRO 80’s
A set of PRO 80’s and a set of mb-8’s

What will give me the best sound quality? Anyone have any pros/cons to the three setups? Also, on the PRO-485, are the speakers wired inside the enclosure or do they have two inputs? And finally, anyone have any advice on the best amps to use for the speakers, if they sound better @ 2 or 4 ohm…

Thanks for the help, and sorry if this had already been covered… I have tried searching the forums, I cant seem to find the info I am looking for.

[SuperSquirt]

A 3-Some would sound the best, but you have to wire in 3 channels instead of 2 or 4. Wet Sounds speakers are all wired to be 4-ohm stable, which would sound the best. I would go with the Pro 80's and stay away from the MB8's. I have a set of Pro 80's for sale if you are interested, just PM me. What kind of tower do you have? Have you thought about a pair of 485's? They use one plug connecter each and run off one channel of the amp.

[hkyplyr31]

How are the 485's wired if there is only one connector… are they dual coil speakers? If there are two 4 ohm speakers there would have to be a change in resistance. Or are they different speakers than the pro 80’s?

I am not opposed to a pair of 485’s if they do sound better (it would go on a stock fct).

[Mikeski]

The 485's have 8 ohm midbass drivers wired in parallel to a single 4 ohm horn. This results in a single 4 ohm speaker, same loading as your Polk coaxials, the crossover handles the signal gating. I have heard threesome, 4 pro 80s, 4 pro 60's, pro 80s with 485s, and my 485s. Of all the systems I have heard I like my single pair of 485's the best.

[SuperSquirt]

Go to Wet Sounds website and you can learn more. Each speaker housing has a horn compression driver and 2 eight inch speakers. It is wired like it is one normal speaker using the speaker plug. I just use a two channel amp (4-ohm) to push both of these.

[hkyplyr31]

Well, it sounds like the 485’s are the way to go. Thanks everyone for all of the help. Dose anyone have any advice on how to power them?

Here are my top three:
Alphasonik PMA600HCA
http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?...;Product_ID=53

Boston Acoustics GT-28
http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?...Product_ID=128

Cadence ZRS-3002
http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=6031

I have also heard that they can handle much more than the RMS rating, can anyone confirm this?

[SuperSquirt]

I speak from experience, 300 watts is plenty of power for the 485's. Don't waste any more money on more watts unless you're partially deaf.

[Mikeski]

This is what I use to power mine (same amp running the boat too). No problems for 3 seasons now. They are discontinued, get them while they last. I have spares in my attic for the day when I lose one.

http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?...Product_ID=120

This amp will use about 50% of the battery power a comparable class A/B amp uses, translation=more stereo run time.

[Mikeski]

Or

http://cgi.ebay.com/AVIONIXX-AXT-120...3286.m20.l1116

[wetsounds1]

The 485's can handle a lot more power than the RMS rating. 300 watts is good solid power. I prefer to run around 400 watts as it gives you more headroom. You are better off with a bit more power as you can run the amp at a cleaner level and not run into clipping. Clipping is what can damage a speaker and you are more likely to clip an under powered amp. It is not as much of an issue on in boats and smaller speakers as much as it is on tower speakers or high powered speakers. So 300 watts is bare min, 400 watts is good. And they can take more if you are crazy like me!

Mikeski, You can retire your old Class T amps. Might be time to sell them off!!!

The new Wet Sounds Syndicate series amps are a Class H.

Which is a full range amplifier that is more effcient than Class D and also more effcient than the old Class T like Mikeski's Avionix. But they have the sound quality of a Class AB. Where the Class D and Class T have high distortion and some quirks.

So you get the same high efficiency but with the better sound quality. So more run time, less battery draw and less heat. So the amps will not over heat etc...Which is the most important thing when running a marine audio system.

The SYN 4 is 125x4 at 4 ohms and 400x2 at 4 ohms, same ratings as what Mikeski is running. This is the amp that we will be optimum for the pair of 485's

We also have the SYN2 which is a 200x2 for the pair or two pair of 80's which or pair of two pair of 60's.

The SYN6 is a 6 ch that does high pass on chs 1 to 4 and high pass or low pass on chs 5and 6. So it can run in boats and subs. In boats and towers. Towers and subs. All towers etc...Anything you want.

This amp is also designed to run the 3-Some. Many have made comments on the 3-Some being hard to power etc...As you need a large 4 ch amp or two 2 ch amps etc...And some have made comments about the 485 in the middle being mono etc..and getting confused on how to hook it up. So the SYN6 will bridge in 3 ch mode.

Chs 1-4 running the pair of 80's at 200x2. Chs 5-6 running the 485 with 600x1 at 4 ohms. So a true 1000 watts on the tower. It also has an automtic summing switch that will sum the signal to mono for you etc...

There is also the SYN1 1000 watt sub amp and the SYN Micro which is a tiny 75x2 2 ch amp.

The SYN6 and SYN2 are shipping now and the SYN4, SYN1 and SYN Micro are shipping in about 3 weeks.

hkyplyr31, not sure if that will work for your time frame.

Let me know if ya'll have any more questions.

Tim
Wet Sounds

[Mikeski]

Tim,

Why do you do this to me... Now I need to buy more stuff and work on my boat in the middle of summer.

You have mail.

Mikeski

[emagine]

I know that there are probably some serious upgrade options in NVS or Wet Sounds, but are there opinions on the differences/advantages between the Deafcon III's and the new Alpha 2's?

[Cam003]

i have the Pro 60's and MB-8's running together and it has an amazing sound the 8's really give a good mid bass punch most boats are missing, i have not heard the 485's but i understand they are f-ing loud but beware you will want a ton of power to run any of these setups.