I have an uncle who is fond of saying that the two happiest days in a person’s life are the day they buy their boat and the day they sell their boat. But in fact, the happiest I’ve ever seen him is when he’s pulling wakeboarders and blasting his enormous sound system for their entertainment.
Of course, my uncle has a beautiful boat and an almost frighteningly powerful sound system – Axis Wake with Wet Sound amps and speakers, don’t you know? – so heck, I’d be happy too!
But what makes me really happy is helping people find the right gear for their needs and budgets, so I am thrilled to put together this guide to the best wakeboard tower speakers on the market today.
If you’re eager to get back out on the lake and don’t want to read through this admittedly lengthy guide, here are a few of my top choices:
- Best Wakeboard Tower Speakers – Premium – Wet Sounds REV10 V2 10″ Black Revolution Series Marine Tower Speakers
- Best Wakeboard Tower Speakers – Mid-Price – Kicker Black Mini Wake Tower Enclosures Loaded with Kicker 4″ DSC-4 Speakers
- Best Wakeboard Tower Speakers – Budget – Pyle PLMRW65 6.5 Inch Dual Subwoofer Wakeboard Tower Speakers
- The Loudest Wakeboard Tower Speakers – JBL – TOWER X Marine Series 6″ 2 Way Compression Horn Tower Speaker RGB
- My Favorite Wakeboard Tower Speakers – DS18 Hydro CF-X8PRO 8″ Compact Wakeboard Tower Speakers
What Makes a Good Wakeboard Speaker?
I guess the answer here is the same as it would be for any kind of speaker – the main thing you want is the best sound you can get within your budget and a speaker that can deliver that sound in the particular conditions in which it will be used.
So this leads us to a few basic qualities we want and need to see (or hear) in the best wakeboard speakers:
- Volume and Projection – not just the ability to play loud, which is so important in order to rise above the sounds of the motor, the water, and the happy, laughing people on your boat, but the ability to project that sound some 50-70 or so feet behind the boat to the water skiers, with as little loss of detail, dynamics, bass and overall sound quality as possible.
- Waterproofing – I should really say waterproofing, weatherproofing, and windproofing, since these are all factors that can seriously degrade the speaker and cause not just serious loss of sound quality but even early demise – I hate to get and fall in love with a piece of audio gear only to find it all demised and stuff!
- Physical Toughness – wind, water, and sun aren’t the only environmental factors a good wake tower speaker has to deal with – there’s also the question of the constant physical shock and stress they need to endure, and so we want speakers that are physically tough as nails and able to hold up, as well as a mounting system that can also handle the shocks and bumps of high-speed motorboating.
- Great Sound – finally, my favorite subject! The best wake tower speaker should not only play loud and project well but should sound fantastic, with an energetic and exciting sound that goes well with the active exciting nature of the sport. Or, if you prefer, a more refined and accurate audiophile-level sound (which can also, of course, be pretty darn energetic and exciting). But don’t worry, because my picks, at all price levels, will include a little of each and a couple of exceptional best-of-both-world speakers.
In fact, there’s no real need to worry about any of these factors, because I have taken them all well into consideration – the sound quality, of course, and not just how they sound but how they sound at the end of a tow line.
Also, durability, waterproofing, and weatherproofing are big factors in my selections, and you can rest assured that each and every one of my picks will come with all the hardware you need to easily install your new speakers,
Who Makes the Best Wakeboard Speakers in 2024?
Really there aren’t that many manufacturers of wakeboard speakers – at least of wakeboard speakers good enough to consider buying and strapping to your precious craft.
Happily, though, there are great companies making the best wake tower speakers at all price levels – the aforementioned Wet Sounds on the ultra high end, JBL, DS18, and Kicker in the premium to the affordable premium range, and Rockville, Belva, Pyle, Boss Audio and Noam for more affordable choices.
In fact, I have to say that pretty much any of the products I’ve tried from any of these companies has been excellent, and often the top choice at its respective price point, and so I’ve included links above which will take you to each company’s full range of wakeboard tower speakers.
But before you get all click-happy and leave us, please read on, because I have put together a list of my own personal favorites at all price levels – the best wakeboard speakers available from these companies, with a bit of information on each recommendation.
I’ve even included 3 recs for the best full packages – that is, not just wakeboard speakers but kits that also include optimal amplifiers for those speakers, and at great package prices.
So let’s dive right in, with this list of best wake tower speaker systems on the market today!
But remember that I’m using the word ‘dive’ idiomatically – any of these speakers will sound much better if you stay up on the surface!
The 12 Best Wake Board Speakers for 2024
Best Wakeboard Speakers – Premium
At a Glance:
- Speaker Size: 10 Inch Kevlar Reinforced Woofers :: 1 Inch Titanium Tweeters
- Maximum Power Handling: 300 Watts RMS
- Includes Amplifier: No
- Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity: No
- Includes Mounting Hardware: Yes
One of the most commonly asked questions among music-loving boat owners is “are Wet Sounds speakers worth the money?’ and my immediate and enthusiastic answer, from personal experience, is Yes, Absolutely!
I can’t say if they are somehow more tough or water-resistant than other brands, and to some extent all, or at least many, wake tower speakers look the same, so I also can’t justify my answer based on some special sense of style or extraordinary levels of fit and finish.
But wet sound speakers do two things better than any other marine speakers I’ve ever heard – they reproduce music with extraordinary accuracy, detail, and dynamics, with the most gorgeous, engaging, and musical sound you can possibly imagine, and they project that sound without appreciable loss across the water.
All of the speakers on this list do these two things to some extent, but wet sounds speakers are on a whole different level – audiophiles and true music lovers insist on them, and anybody and everybody can hear a huge difference.
All wet sound speakers are superb, and I can recommend any of them with real enthusiasm, but the 10-inch B-SC is the best marine speaker I’ve ever heard, with that perfect wet sounds sound and the unbelievable ability to project even deep, powerful bass along the wake – absolutely superb!
Best Premium Wakeboard Speaker Package
At a Glance:
- Speaker Size: 8 Inch Kevlar Reinforced Woofers :: 1 Inch Titanium Tweeters
- Maximum Power Handling: 300 Watts
- Includes Amplifier: Yes: Wet Sounds HT-2 600 Watt Amp
- Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity: No
- Includes Mounting Hardware: Yes
The 10-inch Wet Sounds speakers above do have slightly better, deeper, and more powerful bass, but these 8-inch Icon series speakers are pretty close, and to be able to get them and a superb Wet Sounds 600-watt amplifier for just a bit more than the 10-inch speakers alone is unbelievable.
Because really, while these may not have quite the resolution as their pricier siblings, and again not quite the deep bass, these ICON8 stereo speakers are very close to as good as it gets, and will actually sound a lot better with this magical amplifier than even the 10s would with a more normal amp.
A true synergy between amp and speakers brings the legendary Wet Sounds audio performance to a new level, and music is more energized, more real and alive, more finely etched and beautiful, and more visceral and exciting all at the same time.
With everything you need to get the most amazing sound possible, this expensive system is not just well worth the money, but arguably the best value on our list of top wakeboard speakers.
The Loudest Wakeboard Tower Speakers
At a Glance:
- Speaker Size: 10 Inch Kevlar Reinforced Woofers :: 1 Inch Titanium Tweeters
- Maximum Power Handling: 300 Watts
- Includes Amplifier: Yes: Wet Sounds HT-2 600 Watt Amp
- Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity: No
- Includes Mounting Hardware: Yes
I’m calling the JBL Tower X the loudest wake tower speakers, but that is really selling them short, because these premium speakers are also among the very best sound you can get, with that legendary JBL sound – dynamic, crystal clear, and wide open, with incredibly powerful deep bass for a speaker this size and the lowest distortion possible.
The loudness of this speaker is not just a product of the compression horns and their very high sensitivity, but also the way the design projects the sound so beautifully, and so completely, across the water – so these aren’t just the loudest speakers, they are the loudest speakers for water skiers and wakeboarders.
And the JBL Tower X is also maybe the most fun and exciting sounding of them all, and offers the material and build quality, toughness, and true water- and weatherproofing JBL is famous for.
Incredibly exciting speakers built to last, and to sound great, for years to come, the JBL Tower X wakeboard speakers are strongly recommended and are sure to make any outing that much more fun.
My Favorite Wakeboard Speakers
At a Glance:
- Speaker Size: 8 Inch Hybrid Compression Driver
- Maximum Power Handling: 500 Watts
- Includes Amplifier: No
- Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity: No
- Includes Mounting Hardware: Yes
People who regularly read my blog know that I do love me some JBL, and it is maybe a bit weird that I don’t choose the superb JBL Tower X speakers, just above, as my favorite. But I have to say that these DS18 wakeboard tower speakers are something really special.
These DS18 Hydro CF-X8PRO are definitely premium speakers, in price and in every other way. And even if they are less than half the price of my top choice overall, the superlative Wet Sounds REV10 above, they are very similar speakers to the REV10 in a lot of ways.
No, really maybe in just one way – the legendary Wet Sound’s ability to bring music to life, to really capture the sound, the energy, and the emotion of any and all music, and to carry it so completely across the water is very much in evidence with these wonderful DS18 Hydro speakers as well.
In side-by-side comparisons, the Wet Sound speakers do have that nth degree of detail, expressiveness, and, well, magic. Still, it’s a close thing, and the sound you get from these DS18 Hydro CF-X8PRO, and their ability to carry that superb sound to your skiers, is nothing less than phenomenal.
Best Value Wakeboard Speakers – Premium
At a Glance:
- Speaker Size: 6 & ¾ Inch Polypropylene Woofers :: ¾ Inch Titanium Dome Tweeters
- Maximum Power Handling: 300 Watts
- Includes Amplifier: No
- Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity: No
- Includes Mounting Hardware: Yes
What Wet Sounds and DS18 manage to do with superb sound and fine engineering, Kicker manages to do with brute force, and if the results are not quite as satisfying to some (and by ‘some’ I mean audiophile snob/geeks like me) they are arguably a bit more exciting.
The Kicker MKT674 marine tower speakers have very high sensitivity and very high power handling capability and use these – and a clever and effective dual woofer and center tweeter design – to kick their intense, bright, and bold sound across the water.
No, they aren’t as refined, perhaps, as the others, and yet so many people actually prefer Kickers over more “accurate” and “neutral” speakers, which are also generally more “expensive” as well – the Kicker 674 definitely have an edge, a sharp and thrilling powerful presentation to the sound that people miss when it’s not there.
Don’t get me wrong – the Kicker MT674 wakeboard tower speakers are actually quite refined in their way and have superb retrieval of detail and dynamics, incredible transparency, and beautiful tone all the way up and down the frequency spectrum – not to mention pretty awesome bass for their size.
But they just aren’t as polite as some more expensive speakers, and for many boaters and skiers, this is very much to their benefit.
Best Mid-Priced Wakeboard Speaker Package
At a Glance:
- Speaker Size: 4 Inch Polypropylene Woofers :: 1 Inch PEI Tweeters
- Maximum Power Handling: 300 Watts
- Includes Amplifier: Yes: DS18 4 Channel Marine Amp – 4 X 120 Watts Peak
- Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity: Yes: Includes BT 5.0 Control Receiver
- Includes Mounting Hardware: Yes
With this wonderful DS18 speaker and amplifier combo, we get back into something I mentioned earlier – that kind of synergetic magic that occurs when the right speakers and the right amplifier find each other.
I mean, the DS18 MP4TP speakers by themselves are fantastic and highly recommendable, but in concert with the clean and powerful DS18 4-channel amplifier they open up on a whole new level, with detail, energy, and life you have to hear to believe.
With a great Bluetooth remote controller and all the hardware you need to get it up and running, this is a brilliant speaker and amplifier combination, with truly special sound and fantastic material and build quality.
In fact, I can easily say that this MP4TP.4A combination sounds much better than many wakeboard speakers I’ve heard that were much more expensive, and is just as effective in projecting that amazing sound over the water – and yet somehow the whole enchilada is less than five hundred dollars – and that’s with not 2 but 4 superb speakers!
How can you possibly go wrong? Well, as I see it you can’t – the DS18 MP4TP.4A 4 speaker package, with 4 channel amp and Bluetooth receiver/controller, offers top-tier sound at a really affordable price and is a highly recommended system.
Huge Sound at an Affordable Price
At a Glance:
- Speaker Size: 6×9 Inch Polyurethane Woofer :: 1 Inch Dome Tweeter
- Maximum Power Handling: 600 Watts
- Includes Amplifier: No
- Bluetooth Wireless No
- Includes Mounting Hardware: Yes
- Please note that these speakers are sold individually, so you will need to purchase at least two for stereo sound!
I was just talking about how a DS18 or Wet Sounds speaker system may offer a more accurate and refined sound, while something like the aptly named Kicker might offer a bit more uncouth brute force, but what I love about the Boss Audio MRWT69RGB wakeboard tower speakers is that they offer a bit of both.
Ultimately the MRWT69RGB aren’t going to have the extreme detail, clarity, or expressivity of the essentially audiophile-level Wet Sounds speakers, which, BTW, are more than 4 times as expensive (!) retail to retail. But they do have accuracy and honesty which would serve any hi-fi enthusiast well, and the incredible ability to convey so much of that sound quality even to people at the other end of the ropes.
And really they are pretty close to the substantially more expensive Kicker speakers in terms of edge and excitement, with a dynamic energy that, while perhaps a bit over-emphasized, is absolutely thrilling to hear, and works so beautifully with extreme water sports.
So to me, these big Boss Audio Systems MRWT69RGB speakers are the best of both worlds and should appeal to a wide range of people. They have sound quality way beyond what you’d expect at this price and are well-made, well-designed, and exceptionally durable speakers.
Best Value Wakeboard Speakers – Mid-Price
At a Glance:
- Speaker Size: 8 Inch Polypropylene Mica Injected Woofers :: 1 Inch Neodymium Midrange Tweeters
- Maximum Power Handling: 300 Watts
- Includes Amplifier: No
- Bluetooth Wireless No
- Includes Mounting Hardware: Yes
With the Rockville RWB90 wake tower speakers we are getting to a much lower price level, but I especially love these speakers because, even at their low price, they sacrifice very, very little in terms of sound quality and the ability to project that sound effectively across a wake and over an engine.
And I would be willing to say that they yield essentially nothing to the premium choices above in terms of build quality, toughness, and reliability – Rockville is a bit of a modern legend in providing superb material and construction quality at the lowest price.
The RWB90 speakers have beautifully open, natural, and detailed mids and high frequencies, and a nicely enhanced sense of energy and power – not the most accurate dynamics, but just right for the demanding environment of motorboats and water sports. In fact, like
And that bass! No, these Rockville 8-inch speakers won’t quite reach the depths of the Wet Sounds 10 inches, but they have awesome bass, with extension, speed, detail, and raw power – and, again, the Wet Sounds are about fifteen hundred dollars more expensive!
Like the Boss Audio just above, I would say that these RWB90 offers a very nice and satisfying ‘best of both worlds’ sound – quite accurate and natural in many ways, but with an edge and excitement, pure audiophile systems don’t always convey.
All things considered – build quality and durability, sound and sound projection, ease of installation and other factors – the Rockville RWB90 are a clear and easy choice for the best value mid-priced wakeboard tower speakers on the market today.
Best Wakeboard Speakers – Mid-Price
At a Glance:
- Speaker Size: 4 Inch Polypropylene Woofers :: .5 Inch PEI Tweeters
- Maximum Power Handling: 240 Watts
- Includes Amplifier: No
- Bluetooth Wireless No
- Includes Mounting Hardware: Yes
Surprisingly, considering all the love I just laid on the Rockville 8-inch speakers, I am calling these Kicker 4-inch speakers the best mid-priced wake tower speakers you can get.
To be clear, despite their power, energy, and excitement, and despite their name, these Kickers won’t quite match the Rockville’s for deep bass – close, but they are half the size after all.
But all of those other things – power, energy, and excitement – are at such a high level with the Rockville DSC-4 speakers, and are carried over the water with real ease and authority. These are not inexpensive speakers, and you can definitely pay a lot less for passable quality, but we are really starting to hear what the high-end sounds like – especially the Kicker high-end, which is as fun and exciting as it gets.
I strongly recommend you get a good amplifier with these Kicker DSC 4 tower speakers – like the amazing and affordable Skar Audio RP-150.4ABM 1,000 Watt Marine Amplifier, because with the right amplification these speakers really transform, and reveal themselves as probably the very finest you can get at this level.
Big and Loud on a Budget
At a Glance:
- Speaker Size: 8 Inch Long Excursion Woofers :: 1 Inch Titanium Dome Tweeters
- Maximum Power Handling: 600 Watts
- Includes Amplifier: No
- Bluetooth Wireless No
- Includes Mounting Hardware: Yes
As we begin to approach the lowest price levels for wakeboard speakers, I wanted to start with a big brute of a speaker, and there is no better choice than a pair of Belva BT8RGB 8 speakers.
I’m tempted to say that audiophiles need not apply because the big Belvas is really all about power, impact, and excitement, especially laying down the bass and these things they do better than any other speaker at this price.
But this is a bit of an unfair characterization, and in fact, the mids and highs of the BT8RGB 8 are quite alright. Not the last word in finesse, maybe, but an admirably open, natural, and clear presentation, with plenty of detail and plenty of dynamic expressiveness – even some reproduction of the micro dynamics and inner detail that make certain kinds of music really come alive.
Still, if absolute honesty and accuracy are your things, spend a bit more and get some of the Rockville’s above, or spend the same amount and get some cheap Rockville speakers like the nice RWB65B.
But the big, bold and beautiful Belva BT8RGB wake tower speakers will offer much of that accuracy and tonal quality, and for my money are a much more exciting speaker to listen to – and, with this kind of energy, they sound just as good and exciting way behind the boat.
Best Budget Wakeboard Speaker Package
At a Glance:
- Speaker Size: 4 Inch Poly Injection Cone Woofers :: 1 Inch PEI Neodymium Dome Tweeters
- Maximum Power Handling: 200 Watts
- Includes Amplifier: Yes: Noam NBTA4-A 4 Channel Marine Amp – 70 Watts per Channel
- Bluetooth Wireless Yes: NBTA4-R Bluetooth® Remote Control
- Includes Mounting Hardware: Yes
In this buyer’s guide for top wakeboard tower speakers, I’ve already recommended a premium complete package and a mid-priced complete package, and in both cases, I really loved the systems because of the magical interaction that occurs between the speakers and the included amplifiers.
There is no real way to predict this special synergy – it happens unexpectedly, and as often as not with amps and speakers from completely different companies, but when it does happen the amp really finds its voice and range, and the speakers open up in a way they simply won’t’ with any other amplifier.
And though this is frankly quite a cheap system, to some extent the same magical synergy is evident with the combination of 2 Noam N4 speakers with the powerful Noam NBTA4-A amplifier, which combination provides amazing energy and projection and real tonal beauty – and, it should be said, pretty extreme excitement.
For even more energy and excitement, if not more beautiful, you can also check out the Noam NUTV4 Quad system, with the same 4-channel amp and 4 N4 speakers at a still pretty obscenely low price, but this two-speaker Noam NUTV4 package is more than enough for almost anybody – a well made and exciting marine audio system and an incredible value.
Best Wakeboard Speakers – Budget
At a Glance:
- Speaker Size: 6.5 Inch Long Excursion Woofers :: 1 Inch Titanium Dome Tweeters
- Maximum Power Handling: 600 Watts
- Includes Amplifier: No
- Bluetooth Wireless No
- Includes Mounting Hardware: Yes
The last pick in my 2023 buyer’s guide to the best wakeboard tower speakers comes from the king of budget speakers – Pyle Audio.
Honestly, I feel kind of bad that they only get one mention here, because Pyle manufactures consistently amazing products at very, very low prices – but if it has to be just one I don’t think I could have made a better choice than the brilliant Pyle PLMRW65 6.5 inch speakers.
A very simple two-way system designed and engineered to provide the most complete, accurate, and musical sound possible at this lowest price level, the PLMRW65s succeed admirably, and I can’t think of another wakeboard speaker at this level that has better bass, more dynamic energy, more open and detailed sound or better projection of that sound across the water.
Not as exciting, perhaps, as the expensive Kickers, or as gorgeous in sound as the uber-expensive Wet Sounds products, the Pyle Audio PLMRW65 are nonetheless the most honest, accurate, and powerful speakers I know at under a hundred dollars, and despite their simple and unadorned sound quality they still manage to have quite a respectable amount of bass and a very fun and engaging sound overall.
Well made, easy to install, built to withstand the conditions, and offer excellent sound for many years to come, these Pyle PLMRW65 are a fantastic choice for the best sound possible on a budget, and the perfect speaker to end our list.