Recommend a pair of 6x9's

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Hey guys, I'm looking for a pair of 6x9's to mount in my 89SN. They will be mounted to the combing pads at the front of the boat - no boxes. I plan on running them off of my amp at 80W RMS so I have been looking at brands that are in the 2-100 rms range but I see a huge range of prices and really dont know whats junk or what works anymore. Any suggestions?

[EarmarkMarine]

If you are in fresh water then you can go with an automotive speaker. The brands worth consideration might be Boston Acoustics, Polk Audio, Focal and JL Audio. Typically the less expensive or entry level version of a good brand will be easier to drive. The more expensive version or upgrade within that brand will a little more 'linear' (treating all frequencies with equal amplitude and having minimal peaks and valleys in the response) but will generally take a bit more power to drive. I can't imagine that power handling will be an issue with any of these 6x9s. So I wouldn't get caught up in the power specs.
More important than any other factor is that the speakers are mounted in such a way and in such a location that they are acoustically isolated front to rear. This can be a problem with a speaker that is mounted close to an open coaming panel or pocket for example. When the speaker's front and rear radiation are allowed to meet, much of this opposite energy is canceled, particularly at lower frequencies. This applicational issue will in fact be more critical to the final performance than the quality of speaker you choose provided you get a decent one.
Also, keep in mind that all 6x9s are an infinite baffle design so they are designed to be loaded into a large compartment or chamber.
Some of these concerns can be more difficult to execute in an older model.

David
Earmark Marine

[Chris4x4Gill2]

I figured that the mounting location was not ideal, I would rather have found a location to keep them in a box. But I have holes from the PO to fill so....

Good to know on the auto speakers, will make it much easier to pick up a pair locally. THe few places that have marine around here want an arm and a leg for them.

[83ski2001]

i have a pair of sony xplod speakers that i used for one season in my boat. you pay shipping and you can have them they work fine...donate a few bucks to the site or something

[Chris4x4Gill2]

That would be great. I'll PM you for details.

[83ski2001]

hey man ill send out tomorrow got them all boxed up. i sent u a pm hope you got it. just donate a few bucks to the site and ill be happy. thanks

[83ski2001]

Sent this morning visit usps 12.17 to ship. Enjoy

[Chris4x4Gill2]

I got your pm, thanks again!

[Mikeski]

You can also add some XTC baffles to help the lower frequency response but cut a vent in them.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Im not sure what that is. Can you describe it?

[east tx skier]

They are little rubber cups that fit over the magnets. All of the reviews say that they pretty much kill the low end though. I understand he said to vent it, but I'm not sure why these would help from a "sounding better" perspective. They seem to be designed to keep door speakers in cars dry . I'm admittedly no expert, but they wouldn't seem to accomplish the infinite baffle setup that the 6x9s were supposedly designed to operate in.

[EarmarkMarine]

I certainly would never use the highly compliant foam baffles, at least in the context of the application in this discussion. The rigid plastic molds are a far better option when no other remedy is available. Yes, these small baffles will raise the speaker's resonance and seriously diminish the bass response, even more so for a 6x9 over a 6.5". However, in the absense of an isolating baffle, if the speakers have no other front to rear acoustic isolation, then not only do the speakers lose all bass response anyway but they have lost all power handling also. So the key is to only use the baffles when the affects of the existing environment will be worse than those of the fix. And if you can accomplish the acoustic isolation by a primative partition that maintains the infinite baffle status then you are better off. Just choose the leper with the most fingers.

David
Earmark Marine

[east tx skier]

Okay, so just to change the example a little bit, looking at my 6.5" Polk DB below, this would not be isolated front to rear because the combing pad is completely open. So, if I cant close that off, you're saying that it would be better from a resonance standpoint if I added a baffle to this speaker.

If that is the case, what kind do you recommend?

[EarmarkMarine]

east tx skier,
If I was running a subwoofer and the coaxials are running highpass then I'm not going to be as concerned with the elevated resonance. I'm still going to net an advantage with the isolation pods which is an easy retrofit.
If the coaxials are playing full range without a subwoofer then I'm going to put in the extra effort to install a crude, concealed partition. As a test, run the coaxials fullrange without the sub and use painters tape to secure a rigid cardboard partition along the bottom of the bolster and at the top of the open gunnel. The partition only needs to extend a foot or so on each side of the speaker to be effective. It doesn't have to be airtight at a protracted distance away from the speaker. We're only concerned with wavelengths as long & as deep as the speaker can reproduce naturally. On material with strong midbass you will notice a difference in extension between the two sides and you will notice a difference in excursion. The side with the better response will also have less excursion and play a little louder and cleaner.
If you like the results it doesn't take alot of engineering to fabricate and secure a removable panel between the backside of the coaming bolster and the interior of the hull.

David
Earmark Marine

[EarmarkMarine]

east tx skier,
I forgot to mention that we have the rigid ABS injection molded isolation pods on our site if that is the direction you go. As for the panel, its strictly an art store and Home Depot parts list.
David
Earmark Marine