While music adds more excitement and fun to wakeboarding, the kind of speakers you buy can be the difference between poor audio and a satisfying music experience. You may have regular marine speakers installed on your boat, but it may not give you the volume and the clarity you need so you can enjoy the music while water is splashing in all areas as you wakeboard. At the very least, typical marine speakers can’t project audio signals over a long-range distance or cut through background noise.
In this case, wakeboard tower speakers are the best sound investment you can make. This type of speaker is designed to project clear audio over long distances, regardless of the wind and the noises made by splashes of water, birds, and other boats. These kinds of speakers can add value to your boat and give you and the people being towed a chance to listen to excellent sound quality.
Factors to Consider
The speakers are the most important part of your boat’s audio system. Here are the different factors to consider before checking out your order to choose the best marine tower speaker.
Design and Materials
From the materials used in the building of the speaker to the appearance, there’s a lot you need to look at to determine if a speaker is worth buying. The choice will depend on what is more important to you.
If you love loudspeakers with killer looks, plan accordingly and pay for what you can afford. Maybe what’s important to you is a speaker that can complement your boat’s look, so be sure to choose the best within your price range. If what you need are high-quality sound projection and impressive audio, the appearance may not be a big deal.
Here’s what you need to look out for when checking the design and the materials of the speaker:
- Woofer – The materials used in the tower speaker woofer determine the responsiveness and quality of the speaker. The stiffer and more lightweight the materials are, the more responsive the woofer becomes. In the cone, polypropylene is a common material used.
- Woofer surrounding – The woofer surrounding also plays an important role in the audio performance. Since it is subject to wear and tear and humidity, the speakers can crack or break eventually, especially if not taken care of. Unfortunately, you can’t always control how much humidity you expose your wakeboarding tower speakers too, but you can choose speakers that have a long-lasting, durable woofer surrounding. Rubber is the best, and it’s typically found in high-performing, stable speakers. Foam and cloth surroundings are found on less expensive speakers, with lower performance and shorter life spans.
- Crossovers and sound distortion – When you buy a component car speaker set, a crossover is usually part of the package. External crossovers are used to lessen the amount of distortion a speaker has, and it’s something you need to think about when shopping for the best speaker. Because you might have signals crossing through coated wiring, make sure the speakers have external crossovers that can lessen audio distortion.
Aesthetic
Your boat audio system must not only sound great but look great too. What fits the style of a speedboat or a personal watercraft may not match the look of a sailboat or a fishing boat. Always consider the size and the look of your boat’s interior and check if your speaker matches the interior.
There’s a wide range of different looks for speakers, whether you’re looking for a low-key, subtle speaker or an outrageous and showy system. Marine tower speakers usually come in black or white, but you can order custom colors if you want something to match your boat.
Mounting Hardware
The mounting hardware on speakers vary from one another, but they are all designed to be flexible in their sizing to some degree. Though flexible, they are far from being universal. Pay close attention before purchasing an item, and take note of the measurements to make sure it will fit where you want to mount them. A speaker won’t do you any good if it can’t be mounted properly on your wake tower.
Weight
Traditional marine audio speakers weigh upwards of five pounds, making them durable but somewhat limited to where you can install them. But marine tower speakers are generally designed to be lightweight. They are excellent for high-performance watercraft where speed is a priority. Speakers mounted to a wake tower usually use neodymium (NEO) magnet and weigh in at about half of a traditional speaker.
Durability
The tower speakers you buy will surely take a lot of abuse from weather and water, so it’s essential to buy something durable. To make sure that the audio system you buy will last for a long time, make sure it’s made of coated aluminum cans. Wake tower speakers made of pure aluminum are the most durable ones. Since aluminum is resilient by nature, it can easily withstand the worst weather conditions.
Also, make sure that the cans have an anodized or a powdered coating, as these can protect the cans from oxidation and prevent corrosion. This kind of protection can give your wake tower speakers a rust-resistant shied to boost durability.
Sound Quality
Generally, since boats are exposed to elements, they need higher power audio with at least 400 to 600 watts so sound waves can travel despite winds and other sounds in the background.
Wakeboard tower speakers play music into the empty air, so on its own, it’s not powerful enough to play loudly behind a speeding boat. It must be heard by the person being towed, and it has to fight many elements like the sound of the water and the winds. Plus, the rapid sound dispersion can result in distortion, which can ruin the listening experience.
Fortunately, this can be remedied by using the right marine amplifier. Choose one with an amp rated between 75% to 150% because it supplies the speaker with just enough power to make them play louder and sound better.
Size
When it comes to picking speakers, size plays a big part. You need to find one that has the proper size that will fit into a space vacated by previous speakers. The proper size is important because anything a little bit big or a little bit small will not fit right. You need to find the right and exact size when it comes to speakers.
Consider the available space you have before deciding on picking a large or a small speaker. Since it will be attached to the wake tower, check if it won’t hit anyone’s head if someone is standing on the boat. The type of boat also plays a role. Personal watercraft or a wave runner has less room and needs fewer and smaller speakers. A fishing boat or a sailboat may also have a different seating capacity and needs less wattage than a party or a pontoon boat.
Remember, the larger the tower speaker, the more it will be able to produce lower frequencies and bass. The smaller the speaker, the better it is at producing mid and high frequencies.
Marine Rating
The marine rating for a speaker is an important consideration. Speakers that are marine-rated are acceptable for use out in the waters, guaranteeing that the materials used in making the speakers can withstand a marine environment’s conditions. If your speaker isn’t marine-rated, it will likely break or fall apart when faced with a marine environment.
Water-resistant speakers can resist rain and light ocean sprays but may malfunction if submerged in the water. Waterproof speakers, meanwhile, have high-quality seals that are built to keep the water out. Higher-end speakers have more obsessive waterproofing – and of course, they are more expensive, but it gives a more durable and long-lasting product.
Remember that marine rating also goes beyond just waterproofing. It encompasses other elements of nature that the speakers must need to endure, like UV rays and salt.
Power Handling
The boat’s electrical system will determine the amount of power output it can give to your speakers, subwoofers, and other audio components. You should look at the RMS power or the power that the speaker can handle on average. The peak level of the speaker is the power it can handle for short periods of time. If volume spikes, or when the speakers are on the wrong setting, the peak power-level can tell you how much protection you have. The higher the peak, the less likely the speakers will blow.
To get more sound with less power, get large-diameter speakers, and subwoofers.
Value
The budget is nobody’s choice but your own. However, no matter what your budget is, it’s best to get a lot of bang for the buck. It’s hard to say what the speaker can offer you the best value because it all depends on what you’re looking for. But always remember that you get what you pay for. Higher-end speakers are an investment, but they are truly wonderful. If you’re just looking to add a sound system to the budget, lower-priced speakers that get excellent reviews are perfect.
If you want to look for the best marine tower speakers, check this list out .