2012 210 Tower Speakers

[bandit628]

I am thinking about upgrading my tower speakers and some of my audio system this winter. Right now I have stock Polk audio system with the Clarion head unit.

My main concern is tower speakers. I want some for wakeboarding. I want to be able to blast the music for the rider with minimal amount of music in the boat (I know there will always be some in the boat but some speakers are better at projecting sound than others.) I figured it would be between Exile's and WetSounds. What do you guys recommend?

What all do I need to replace? I'm guessing: 2 tower speakers, amplifier, head unit?, and add in an equalizer? Any rep I should talk to? I want the speakers to sound good, but I'm not an audio snob, if I can hear it while I'm riding I will be happy.


Also I have the FCT 5 Tower with the Z5 bimini. I'm guessing I will have to get the lower kit for this from Z5 to put anytype of aftermarket tower speakers on?

[MLA]

dual Zone volume control over equalization, would be my primary goal. This will help reduce the volume level in the boat, while cranking the tower speaker zone.

No head unit needed simply for a tower speaker/amp upgrade. On a 2012, not likely even needed if you wanted to add blue tooth. With that said, the right device can add blue tooth and zone volume control all at once.

Both Wet Sounds and exile offer an 8" HLCD that will achieve your rake range goal. However, with a little more investment, you can step up to the 10" Wet Sounds Rev-10, which has a hang height thats just a shade lower then the way smaller exile 8" pod. So with about the same pod hang height, you get more output, deeper mid-bass and about 40% more speaker surface area. Wet Sounds also offer speaker LEDs that integrate with all 3 pod mounting options, direct X mount, fixed tube clamp or Swivel. All the wiring is concealed, no extra plugs/connectors needed. Wet Sounds also offers upper and lower adapters for the OEM locations. You can use either the X or swivel options.

[swatguy]

I have pretty much had every set of tower speakers........ from NVS , Pro 80’s , rev 8’s Rev 10’s and Exile XM 9’s .

So so here is my take. The NVS were way head of their time , not available any longer So a moot point .



I know you had had my old boat with the Pro 80’s up there . Those were a great wake range speaker . Obviously brighter and little harsh up close on the highs , but minimal sound in the boat .

I swapped to Rev 8’s due to all the hype. They for sure sound substantially better in the mids and lows especially near field . If you’re a hang out in party cove guy for sure worth the upgrade. Say what you will on paper and in a perfect environment . Same amp , same power (syn 4) as my pro 80’s the Rev 8’s lacked theat extra sound at the end of the rope and definitely projected inside the boat a noticeable amount louder. i ended up selling the Rev 8’s and rolling with the pro 80’s .


Fast forward to new boat. Went with Rev 10’s. More of the same as the Rev ‘8’s. Sound quality was exceptional . I mean awesome for an HLCD , but again noticeably louder in the boat then the pro 80’s , loud enough my wife and kids would consistently lower the volume to the point I could barely hear them at the end of the rope to be comfortable inside the cabin . I wanted to be different as everyone has Wetsounds , been in a few boas with Exiles so gave them a go . Sound out to the rider was money , happy family in the boat and a happy rider with some nice sound at the end of the rope . Love the look as it matches with my stainless tower perfectly I ran the Rev 10’s and now the current XM9’s on an ARC KS600.2

The newer Exile Clamp is a huge improvement over the old twist knob . I will say this. The Wetsounds are the way to go if you’re a huge party cove/sandbar guy. The extra sound quality will be much appreciated over the Exiles in the near field . The Wetsounds are way easier to trick out with led’s . However no matter what Wetsounds says the clamp is far from a “quick release “ if you want to go on and off frequently . The Exile clamp takes 10 seconds tops to remove or install. ( pros and cons to this )

you have the Z5 so quite frankly that will eliminate most of the radiating sound to the cabin no matter which option you choose . I rarely run my Bimini so it’s noticeable for me .

A new head head unit isn’t necessary per say , but a Wetsounds 420 is a must It’s hands down the key to runnning a good system and controlling volume levels. I run the JL MBTRX as that was the original bluetooth option to add to the clarion and keep use of the factory remotes . If I was gonna do it now I may opt to Add the MBT CRX instead . There are a a limitless amount of combos to achieve Bluetooth to your boat. , but no matter how you choose get a 420sq . It really boils down to how seamless you want your system to run

[bandit628]

Thanks for the replies. I'm currently getting quotes from wetsounds and exile. I know they are both quality products, based off price and my needs I am leaning towards exile.

Generally on the water we board 80 percent of the time, not too much time floating. Once it's late enough in the day we turn just the tower speakers on and crank them up for the rider. From your recommendations sounds like exiles will have the least amount of sound projection into the boat while maximizing sound to the boarder.

For ease of setup I'm thinking about just upgrading my CMD8 head unit to the M606. From what I have read it has zone control built in. I know this is not as handy as a know for each zone, but the way I use it I don't think that will be an issue. As long as just the towers can be on and then thru linc be able to adjust volume I'm fine with that.

See thread below
https://www.planetnautique.com/vb5/f...d-clarion-m606

So right now I'm thinking on getting the M606, new amp, and 2 new tower speakers. Think this will work?

[MLA]

Nothing against buying direct from the factory, but have you considered checking with your local Wet Sounds dealer or one of their quality authorized internet dealers such as Earmark Marine in Lewisville TX. They can probably put together a complete package, including the M606 and all the incidentals to install it all.

[bandit628]

I haven't but I will. Thanks.