Adding Tower Speakers

Jmac572

Active Member
Dec 20, 2016
212
Plymouth, MA
Boat Info
2004 Sea Ray 390 Sundancer "Freedom"
Engines
Twin Mercury 8.1
Hey all.... I am looking to see if anyone has any experience with the newer Sea Ray sport boat towers... I have a 2017 290 SDX and want to add speakers to the tower (alternatively, id also be equally happy with some 6.5's somewhere on the transom). Does anyone know if Sea Ray pre wires the towers for speakers? and if not how difficult it may be?

She's in storage for a couple more months so I haven't really inspected the tower close enough to know. Thanks!
 
I cannot answer if Searay pre-wires the tower on a 2017, but if not, its not an impossible job to do.

I would suggest a pair of 8" coaxial for the tower choice. Wet Sounds Icon-8 and Kicker KM8 are two of a few worth looking at.

I would also consider dual zone volume control for the tower and in-boat zones. Makes the system very listener friendly to have independent volume control.
 
I cannot answer if Searay pre-wires the tower on a 2017, but if not, its not an impossible job to do.

I would suggest a pair of 8" coaxial for the tower choice. Wet Sounds Icon-8 and Kicker KM8 are two of a few worth looking at.

I would also consider dual zone volume control for the tower and in-boat zones. Makes the system very listener friendly to have independent volume control.

I was kind of worried about head room so I was thinking of just doing a couple 6.5" tower speakers, but again I haven't measured... I would love the extra thump of the 8" but the boat does have a factory upgraded system with a subwoofer and it does sound good. The stereo in the boat is the Rockford PMX-3 and I believe it has three zones, so I would be able to control the tower speakers separately
 
Since the goal of a tower speaker is to project outside of the boat, you cannot count on the in-boat system for any contribution there. To do so, you would need the in-boat system to play at a very high level of volume and woofer with some moderate to high level of output. We like to treat the in-boat and towers as such, two distinct zones.

Spacing the speakers out should give you good room to walk around the main cabin without hitting the pods.
 
I wanted to add speaker pods to my radar arch but didn't have enough headroom. I added two JL 7.7s on the transom instead. I added a separate volume control so I don't blast out my dockmates when I have the volume up in my slip.
 
Our goal by adding the tower speakers is to get sound to the rear seating area of the boat and the immediate area in the water around the back of the boat. Not so much to get sound back to people being towed behind the boat underway. Right now its set up with two 6.5" speakers in the bow seating and two more 6.5" speakers down by the foot area under the helm and same spot on the port side... Im attaching a couple pictures to show how much seating there is in the rear of the boat.... To get sound to the rear seating areas the volume is going to have to be cranked in the front of the boat. I would honestly rather have a couple more speakers drilled and installed in the boat like a factory setup but I think tower speakers would be a way easier instal.

kE7zxDA.jpg

wQHjUX8.jpg

w3vQeTx.jpg
 
Looking at that layout, a pair of tower pods will solve both your needs, music behind the boat while anchored and music in the aft seating area while underway without excessive volume level on the rest of the system.

Adding just a 3rd pair of speaker to the cabin, will only address volume in that area.

Now, one concern. Although tower speakers will project music to those floating behind the boat, it will put that volume directly in the face of those in that aft seating area at the same time. Meaning, if you have anyone in the boat that wants to relax and have normal conversation, they would have to sit well forward of the tower speakers. So just a consideration to ponder.

One solution, add that 3rd pair of in-boats. This would likely require an external amp if the head unit is currently driving the existing in-boats. So more cost and work is the downside, but the overall system gets a huge boost with the external power. Transom mounted speakers for aft listening without blasting the cabin occupants.

Adding tower or transom speakers will require an amp likely. You could go with a six or eight chnl amp and have enough chnls to drive all 3 pair of in-boats and a pair of tower or transom speakers and still be able to divide it into to volume zones. Only one amp to install, so killing 2 birds with one stone.

I also dont see headroom being an issue, based on those pics. I think those pods would end up right above those seats. Would be hard to hit your head on them unless someone stood on the seat. The 8" speakers offer better sound quality over a smaller 6.5" all day long.
 
Looking at that layout, a pair of tower pods will solve both your needs, music behind the boat while anchored and music in the aft seating area while underway without excessive volume level on the rest of the system.

Adding just a 3rd pair of speaker to the cabin, will only address volume in that area.

Now, one concern. Although tower speakers will project music to those floating behind the boat, it will put that volume directly in the face of those in that aft seating area at the same time. Meaning, if you have anyone in the boat that wants to relax and have normal conversation, they would have to sit well forward of the tower speakers. So just a consideration to ponder.

One solution, add that 3rd pair of in-boats. This would likely require an external amp if the head unit is currently driving the existing in-boats. So more cost and work is the downside, but the overall system gets a huge boost with the external power. Transom mounted speakers for aft listening without blasting the cabin occupants.

Adding tower or transom speakers will require an amp likely. You could go with a six or eight chnl amp and have enough chnls to drive all 3 pair of in-boats and a pair of tower or transom speakers and still be able to divide it into to volume zones. Only one amp to install, so killing 2 birds with one stone.

I also dont see headroom being an issue, based on those pics. I think those pods would end up right above those seats. Would be hard to hit your head on them unless someone stood on the seat. The 8" speakers offer better sound quality over a smaller 6.5" all day long.

I think I like your idea of adding tower speakers and another pair of in boat speakers... My boat is an early 2017 production and has the best audio package that was available (four 6.5’s and the sub woofer). The 2018 and late 2017 models with the upgraded stereo have six 6.5’s plus the subwoofer. Maybe ill add a 4 channel amp then the two tower pods and two more 6.5’s in the 2018 factory location.

I would love to add transom mounted speakers but I just can’t see a feasible location.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,942
Messages
1,422,697
Members
60,927
Latest member
Jaguar65
Back
Top