How to build the Best Marine Sound System

Wet Sounds marine grade electronics have been a top tier product in the recreational boating market since they first arrived in the industry. They sell a variety of high quality electronic devices that have become the "go to" choice for many boaters. As a certified dealer for Wet Sounds we have received nothing but excellent feedback on their products, and have had a great experience with the brand ourselves doing high end installations at our MD Facility.

 

Why Choose Wet Sounds:

 

Wet Sounds sells high end speakers, amps, sub woofers, sound bars, wiring accessories, and lighting. They have established themselves as the absolute top-of-the-line in the marine audio category.  Hopefully this page will assist anyone looking for high quality parts in these categories make a more educated decision in their purchase of marine audio. 

 

Speakers:

 

Starting from largest to smallest conventional round speakers here are the part numbers you will want to look into when outfitting your boat with some new acoustics. The XS-808 is an 8" convertible speaker that has a 1" removable tweeter that can be flush or surface mounted. It is available in a white or black sportsman style grill. This is a 4 ohm speaker with a 150 watt RMS, and 300 watt PEAK. The pair of speakers weigh 13 lbs and measure 8.89" with the grille in diameter. In addition to the 8" class speakers the SW-808 is going to be essentially the same speaker but with a closed style white or black sportsman grille meant for saltwater applications.

Stepping down in size we have the XS-650 which is a 6.5" component style coaxial speaker. It has a built in tweeter available in black or silver, and outputs 100 watts RMS with a 200 watt PEAK at 4 ohms. The pair weigh 7.8 lbs and measure 6.8" diameter with the grille. This speaker is also available in a saltwater option that is the SW-650. This is the same design as the XS again but with the closed style white or black sportsman grille meant for saltwater applications.

The second 6.5" speaker that Wet Sounds brings to the table is the XS-65i. It is a component style coaxial speaker that outputs 60 watts RMS with a 120 watt PEAK. This speaker will also take up 6.8" in diameter and have about the same weight as the 650. Like the 650 it is also available in a saltwater option with the part number SW-65i available in white or black.

As an additional option Wet sounds has the XS-650 RGB and the XS-65i RGB. Both of these speakers are the same internally as their non-RGB part number, but will include LED lighting that will be either red, blue, or green. There is an option to add a RF remote to blend, fade, or flash these colors.

*New to Wet Sounds is the REV 6x9SM speakers that come in a Roto-Mold housing. These speakers work just about anywhere and they also fit under the gunnels of most offshore style boats. This 4 ohm pair of speakers has a 150 watt RMS and 300 watt PEAK. They require 7 inch wide gunnels so mount under and weigh about 11 pounds.

Amplifiers:

 

Wet Sounds also has amps providing a power platform for 2, 4, and 6 channel configurations. Starting with the Sinister Series amps we have the SD6 which is a 6 channel amp that provides 185 watts at 4 ohms stereo. It is capable of a 585 watt output mono on 3 channels. A step down from the 6 is the SD4 which is a 4 channel  amp outputting 185 watts at 4 ohms stereo, and 685 watts mono on up to 2 channels. The smallest Sinister series amp is the SD2 which puts out 400 watts at 4 ohms stereo and 1250 watts at 4 ohms mono.

If the Sinister series seems like overkill for your application then the SYN-DX series amps may be a better alternative. This series will be available in a 2, 4, and 6 channel configuration as well. The SYN-DX6 is a 6 channel amp that provides 125 watts at 4 ohms stereo for channels 1-4, and 150 watts at 4 ohms stereo for channels 5-6. This amp can also put out 400 watts at 4 ohms mono in 2 of the channels 1-4, and 600 watts at 4 ohms mono in 1 channel 5-6. Next down is the SYN-DX4 amp that puts out 125 watts at 4 ohms stereo and 400 watts at 4 ohms mono in up to 2 channels. Lastly the SYN-DX2 is a 2 channel amp that outputs 200 watts at 4 ohms stereo and 750 watts at 4 ohms mono.

For a more simplified amp Wet Sounds also has the HTX product line that includes a 1, 2, 4, and 6 channel option for your boat. TheHTX6 is a 6 channel amp with 100 watt output at 4 ohm stereo and 300 watt output at 4 ohm mono on up to 3 channels. A step down from that we have the HTX4 which is a 4 channel amp that outputs 100 watts at 4 ohms stereo and 300 watts at 4 ohms mono on up to 2 channels. Next in line is the HTX2 providing 150 watts at 4 ohms stereo and 600 watts at 4 ohms mono in 1 channel. The last amp offered is the HTX1 which is a mono channel unit that puts out 330 watts at 4 ohms.

Shop Amps:

Subwoofers:

No sound system is complete without that extra kick from a sub. Wet sounds has a variety of different selections depending on your application. To start with is the Stealth AS active subwoofer system. This is a 500 watt sub with a built in amp that measures 11.5" x 14.5" x 12.75". They offer 6.5", 8", and 10"  in this series. If you want something with some serious kick Wet Sounds also has the XS-XXX V2 subwoofer. This 12" SPL marine sub that puts out 1000 watts RMS and 2000 watts PEAK at 2 ohms. The dimensions of this unit are 12.4" diameter x 6.53 depth and weighs 33.4 lbs. A 15" sub is also offered in this series that puts out 2000 watts RMS and 4000 watts Peak at 2 ohms. A step down in size and power is the XS-12. At 4 ohms this subwoofer puts out 1000 watt PEAK and measures 12.6" diameter, 4.92 depth, and weighs 17.6 lbs. In the 10" subwoofer class we have the XS-10FA and SW-10FA. These are free air subwoofers that are available in 2 or 4 ohms. The PEAK power these subs will put out is 600 watts. They measure at 11.02" diameter, 4.72" depth, and weigh 8.1 lbs. The Third 10" subwoofer is the SS-10B which is a great choice for small sealed or ported enclosures. It has a 500 watt PEAK and measures at 10.12" diameter, 5.27" depth, and weighs 8.1 lbs.

Subwoofer Links:

Sound Bars:

Wet Sounds makes a great alternative for conventional speakers that may not have the ability fit in certain applications. The alternative is their Stealth 6 and 10 series sound bars. These bars fit perfectly under a gunnel or hard top, and come in the Ultra or Core models. The Ultra models will include built in bluetooth receivers and amp. The Core models will be the same unit but without the amp and bluetooth built into the platform. They are available in either white or black and have an option for a 6 or 10 driver system. The 10 driver system will measure 33.70" long while the 6 driver version measures at 20.70" long. The Ultra 10 will have a built in 300 watt amp and the Ultra 6 isn't far behind with 200 watt amp included.

Sound Bar Links:

 6 Core, 10 Core 

LED Speaker Rings:

Along with your speakers or subwoofers a great option to make your boat stand out is Wet Sounds LED speaker rings. These ring are available in 6.5, 8, and 10 inch options. With a RGB controller the colors can be changed from red, blue, or green with the option blink, pulse, or fade.

LED Ring Links:

RGB Controller  

Bluetooth Control:

The bluetooth control unit WW-BT-VC is a great way to control your bluetooth device. It is capable of pausing, playing, tracking forward and back, and volume control. It can be flush mounted and has a one knob control system. With the 3.5mm output it is an easy add on to any radio with aux input.   

 Bluetooth Links:

Recommended System Setups:

  1. One Fusion Stereo, 2 pair of SW-65i speakers
  2. One Fusion Stereo, one HTX-6 amp, 2 pair of SW-650 speakers, and one SW-10FA subwoofer
  3. One Fusion Stereo, one Fusion remote controller, one SD6 amp, two pair of SW-808 speakers, one pair of SW-650 speakers, one HTX-2 amp, and two SW-10FA subwoofers

The first setup is for a typical center console under 25' that wants a good sounding system without breaking the bank. The second system setup would be for a high end system on center console boats or cruisers. This system will be more than enough for most of your average mariners that want a high power clean sounding system. The third setup will be for you acoustic enthusiasts that want the loudest, cleanest, and wildest setup out there. There are many other options for stereo setups but these three options are going to be a good starting spot for people to grow their marine stereo systems.