Is it Possible to Replace the Coaxials in a Kicker KMT-6?

[s_kelley2000]

When I purchased my boat it came with a set of Kicker Tower Speakers similar to the current KMT67s. I believe I have the KMT6s and they still sound great but the previous owner must have left them exposed to the sun when storing them because there is quite a bit of dry rot around the 4 coaxial speakers surrounds so they are definitely on their way out. Ideally I would like to just replace those coaxials and reuse the enclosure/tweeters because my current setup does exactly what I need it to do. My lake is very close to adding noise restrictions so I have zero use for HLCDs. When looking at Kicker's different coaxial offerings I wasn't sure which if any would be the right choice to replace what I have. Anybody got any advice?

[MLA]

These use a 6.5" woofer, not an in-boat coaxial like you see listed on their website. The pods are serviceable I am 90% sure that replacement woofers are still available. A quick call to Kicker's support line and they should be able to confirm and provide the part number you need.

[kimherm]

These use a 6.5" woofer, not an in-boat coaxial like you see listed on their website. The pods are serviceable I am 90% sure that replacement woofers are still available. A quick call to Kicker's support line and they should be able to confirm and provide the part number you need.

Hey.. woofers are available in boats? I dont know actually

[s_kelley2000]

Thank MLA! Any chance you might have a part number or a lead on replacement woofers? I emailed Kicker but they were not much help:

Shawn, those cabinets are not serviceable due to waterproofing. We are out of stock at this time. Look at our dealers for replacements. http://www.kicker.com/content/Author...KICKER_Dealers

If you have any further questions let me know. Have a great weekend.



Brett Nicely

Product Specialist

bnicely@kicker.com

405.624.8510 ext.7527


I also did a little googling and found that the issue with my current speakers might not be due to dry rot. Maybe David will chime in, but any idea what the fix was for this issue? I would hate to put new speakers in and have the same problem a year down the road. Here is what David wrote on WW a few years ago.

Richard,
I'm not sure exactly what you are describing as a gasket whether it is the midbass drivers' surround or an actual sealer gasket between the speaker rim and pod. The Kicker KMT6 is really airtight and when the temperature rises the air in the pod expands and the speakers will balloon outwards. This could be a contributing factor. And, there is a fix for this condition. If these speakers are just barely out of warranty and you bought them from an authorized dealer I would be willing to bet they will stretch the warranty a bit. Then I would focus on the true cause so that you don't have a repeat.

David
Earmark Marine

[MLA]

Shawn,

I'll check with my Kicker source and see, but that response is confusing. "you cant fix them, but we're out of stock"? I was pretty sure the KMT6 drivers were serviceable. Just for the heck of it, i pulled one out of my KMT67 pods. Sorry, no model number on it, but it comes right out by removing the grill screws.

The post from WW was referring to an early run of KMT6 pods that were completely sealed tight. The fix was to drill a small vent hole in the bottom of the pod.

Can you post a pic of your speakers maybe?

[MLA]

Shawn,

I have reached out to Phil @ Kicker and he has cleared some things up. When the KMT6 first hit the market in 06-07, it was totally sealed and the pod halves are glued together. A couple years later when the KMT60 revision was launched, it technically was able to be disassembled, but a warranty would have just been a replacement pod as opposed to sending out a raw driver. Kicker is currently out of stock of the KMT60 pods.

I apologize for not being completely accurate in my original post.

[David Analog]

Is there a possibility that the KMT67 midbass drivers would work in the KMT6? I wouldn't guess there is a major difference in impedance or structure.
I don't think that the KMT6 is particularly prone to this problem.
A tower speaker should never be left exposed to take a direct UV beating all day year around. Most every speaker will show signs of some damage after several years. Cruisers at the end of the boathouse will prove that. If the boat is not stored under some type of shelter then get speakers socks.
Also, there is a chance that the previous owner did nothing in the way of care or used a cleaner repeatedly that stripped the oils from the plastic and rubber.
As MLA stated, the problem I wrote about may not be connected to your issue. However, if the surround was stretched repeatedly each time it bloated then it could become more porous and deteriorate quicker. Just thin speculation.

[s_kelley2000]

Thank you for all of your help Michael and David. Judging by the faded gel coat and lack of speaker socks when I got the boat I am almost positive that previous owner let this boat sit in the SC sun for extended periods of time with little or no protection so that was probably the main cause of my speaker failure. My boat is now stored in a covered shed when not in use. My speaker pods look just like the picture in my first post. I will have to check to see if they have the vent hole in the bottom when I get back on my boat in the spring but the sun exposure was probably the cause.

If you guys think KMT60 or KMT67 drivers would work for me and you have a way of sourcing them I would be happy to buy them through one of you. If not I am starting to reconsider going with the KM6500.2 HLCD Tower Component System if you guys think those would work well with my current pods?

[David Analog]

Shawn,
I sold my position with Earmark and retired July 1st 2013, so I can't sell you anything.
Odin with Earmark Marine is an authorized on-line dealer for Wetsounds, JL Audio and much more. Check out his on-line store for future reference.
Michael (MLA, Mike's Liquid Audio) is also a friend and I know that he is a Kicker specialist and knows the line inside and out.