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I have 2011 Supra Launch 242 with a progressive tower. The tower has Roswell Speaker/Light bar mounted that came from the factory. The Roswell cans have Polk Audio MM speakers in them. They are weak at best for Surfing or wake boarding.
I like the light bar/speaker combo, but are there better options out there that I need to look at? Any advice on direction would be appreciated.
Are they the 2.7 ohm mm651 or the 4 ohm UM series?
You are going to be hard pressed to make a substantial gain going from one 6.5" with a 1" dome tweeter to another 6.5" with a 1" dome tweeter. Yes, you get a change in how they sound, but not in output. Both those polk models have similar specs and similar power handling to most other 6.5" speakers. This levels the playing field in terms of output as there is no magical way to get more out of a speaker. You are seriously under powering them or the tuning is way off. if all else is in target, you would need to go with more speakers or larger speakers. If its more mid-bass you want, larger speaker is the only answer.
I love my WetSounds 410 Tower speakers, 2-10" speakers that project the clarity wether you are surfing,wakeboard or on the tube. They were priced around $1400 and I waited until the end of the year and paid $1100. You won't be disappointed!!
Here is a picture of what I'm working with. I'm not opposed to ditching the light bar/speaker combo. Don't really use the lights. I haven't pulled the speakers to see what they truly are so I'm not sure of exact specs.
Attachment 18012
Switching them out with a larger speaker with more power will be the best all around bang for your buck, improvement wise. Two Rev10's or 2 Rev8's properly powered and tuned will be louder and project more than four (Polk) 6.5" speakers pushed to their RMS power specs, The 410 is also a good choice as mentioned and two of these will be KING.Quote:
Originally Posted by 4alkings
So if you want a major change in sound, I would suggest changing the tower speakers and amplifier out to larger more powerful speakers.
Amp that I currently have running tower speakers is Kicker KXM400.2. I'm guessing that I will need to upgrade this as well.
With that amp, there would be a significant wattage difference between 2 pair of the 2.7 ohm MM and the 2 pair of 4 ohm UM. A difference of 200W rms x 2 @ 2 ohm to a pair wired in parallel and maybe 80W rms x 2 @ 5.4 ohm to a pair wired in series. Thats a difference of 60W rms per speaker.Quote:
Originally Posted by 4alkings
So I really need to find out what I have and how they are wired.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wylietunes
Yes. You could be leaving more than half the amps potential, on the table.
Okay, I dug a little deeper today. Speakers are Polk MM651UM. Label says they are 3ohm 100 watt. Tested one on a meter and it read 3.2 ohm. They are wired parallel.
For poops and laughs, we will call this a 4 ohm nominal speaker, which it is, depending on where you looks. So, this means each speaker is going to receive the amp's potential of 100W rms each, 400W rms total. Set to hi-pass and about 120hz and gain set right, you are getting about all that setup has to offer.
Sticking with that amp, I would suggest 2 pair of 8" coaxial, like the Kicker KM8. You get added mid-bass as well as output. Added benefit, they come loaded with RGB LEDs that you can leave unconnected, connect single color red, blue or green, or with all 3 and add an RGB controller.
Ok all the pieces...Quote:
Originally Posted by 4alkings
if you keep the amplifer and drop to two 8" coaxial speakers in new pods, they will be severely under powered. Keep the amp and add 4 new 8" in new pods and your still under power for a tower set up. These can be Wetsounds icon8, JL's 8.8 or even Kicker KM8. Will they be louder than the current 4 polks? Yes the 4 will be a tad louder and produce a tiny more bass but you will be leaving some output on the table without upgrading the amplifier as well. It is really all about what you want and want to spend.
Your cheapest route isn't always the best route sometimes.
I'm not looking for the cheapest solution. I don't necessarily want an obnoxiously loud system. Really looking for quality of sound, ability to hear when surfing, and equipment that will hold up over time.
Hi David,
I have the same boat and wonder what you ended up doing with your system.