OT: looks vs performance...what should I choose?

[Tarheel_]

I know this is OT, but i always get good advise here so what the heck.

I just purchased a used boat and am building a system. I'm torn between bling and likely upper end sound.

Here are my choices...i've heard the Infinity Marine speakers and they sound clear and loud, but i know the background on the famous Infinity MMD tweeter as I have a few pairs in my house, but never heard them in a car speaker so i'm just guessing here.

I think the Kappas are solid speakers, but the grill screams ugly while the marine speakers are so cool and on my boat you will see the speakers everywhere as they are exposed. No worries on reliability as they should last for years. 4 total speakers with an amp pushing them.

marine...


Kappas...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ima...&s=electronics

[Feanor]

I know this is OT, but i always get good advise here so what the heck.

I just purchased a used boat and am building a system. I'm torn between bling and likely upper end sound.

Here are my choices...i've heard the Infinity Marine speakers and they sound clear and loud, but i know the background on the famous Infinity MMD tweeter as I have a few pairs in my house, but never heard them in a car speaker so i'm just guessing here.

I think the Kappas are solid speakers, but the grill screams ugly while the marine speakers are so cool and on my boat you will see the speakers everywhere as they are exposed. No worries on reliability as they should last for years. 4 total speakers with an amp pushing them.

marine...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ima...&s=electronics

Kappas...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ima...&s=electronics

In your boat, you say? Gad, not a problem I will ever have.

Actually the Kappa don't scream ugly at me, and indeed, the Marines seem a bit garish to my eye -- but then I haven't seen the boat they have to go with. In any case for boat listening I think a some trade-off of sound for appearance might be warranted.

[Poultrygeist]

You'll get better sound from good outdoor speakers.

[Mr Peabody]

The Kappa may sound better but if you plan to crank it at times the Marine would probably be better. I had an all Kappa system in my car at one point, they sounded great but when my daughter began to drive the car and she thought it more important to be heard before seen the speakers were damaged. It wasn't the speakers fault, the Kappas are not efficient and not designed to be used in an SPL contest. I had my Kappa's amped which is another consideration, if you aren't going to run an amp the Kappa's are off the table. Seeing the Marine are designed for the application it is probably your best choice.

[GMichael]

I prefer the looks of the Kappas. More refined IMO. Not sure which ones sound better or what you prefer in sound quality. Do you want a more refined sound or flat out loud?

[Mash]

I would tilt toward the marine speakers if the kappa cannot withstand water spray and you want reliability.

I put some large (and highly modified) WestMarine speakers on our boat- but they are hard to hear if the pipes are open when we are in a hurry, so your "problem" may be acedemic.... or maybe you should go for eye candy since many of us don't listen to tunes on the water (except at tieups) anyway....

[blackraven]

I agree with Mash. Go for Marine speakers. I have a boat and the problem with boats is the acoustics unless your talking about inside a big cabin cruiser.

[filecat13]

Aside from the obvious challenges of moisture, temperature fluctuations, vibrations, bumps, and fumes in all marine environments, if you're going to be using the boat in salt water, you've got the added corrosive effects of the salt water (and air). Marine speakers are actually designed to withstand all these things. Home speakers are not.

If you had the Kappas at home you'd likely freak out if junior kept using his squirt gun on them, or if he took them in the shower or if he just hit the back of the cabinet every six seconds like hitting some chop in the water. Maybe you'd balk at the Mrs. putting a blender on top of the cabinets and running it at medium for a couple of hours. You might not like it if sis put them in the oven for a few hours, then stuck them in the fridge for a few days. You probably wouldn't close them up in a plastic tarp with a gallon of gas in a vented can for six days a week.

If you wouldn't do any of this, then you probably should get Marine speakers that were built with this kind of environmental toughness.

At least that's my experience...