wetsounds HT AS 10

[rickd01]

Anyone install one of these yet?

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Looks interesting. Maybe not for the audiophiles but a nice sized all in one.

From www.Crutchfueld.com


Product Overview
Built for boating
Designed by boaters for boaters, Wet Sounds Hydro Tech™ products are made for marine use. This compact 10" powered subwoofer will bring big bass to your boat without taking up lots of space, and its built-in 500-watt Class-D amplifier gives you maximum thump with minimal current draw.

Performance that lasts
The HT AS-10 gives you a full array of sound-shaping tools, so you can fine-tune the bass to suit your tastes. You'll find an adjustable low-pass crossover and a variable bass boost to adjust the sub's performance, along with a phase switch to make sure the sub is firing together with the rest of your speakers. The package includes a wired remote control so you can adjust the bass from the helm, while built-in voltage protection keeps your sub safe from surges.

Your sub will also be safe from salt and spray. The multi-layer fiberglass enclosure is more than tough enough for life on the water, with reinforced mounting feet that keep it secure no matter how hard you're pounding the waves. The enclosure houses a 10" composite subwoofer with a durable rubber surround, and it's protected by a powder-coated aluminum mesh grille. Stainless steel hardware holds everything together and won't fall victim to corrosion.


Details:

• powered 10" marine subwoofer
• built-in 500-watt Class D amplifier
• reinforced fiberglass enclosure
• adjustable low-pass crossover (35-150Hz)
• frequency response: 20-150 Hz
• sensitivity: 95 dB
• thermal, over, and under voltage protection
• stainless steel hardware and aluminum mesh grille
• variable bass boost: 0-12 dB
• remote bass control
• built-in auto turn-on
• measurements: 14-5/8"W x 12-5/8"H x 12-7/8"D
• weight: 30 lbs.
• warranty: 1 year

 

[OperationROL]

I have heard nothing but great things about it.

 

[Detonate]

Anyone install one of these yet?

Any reason you are looking at an All-in-One? Just for ease of installation?

 

[MOA_Chaser]

Looks good to me but I have no idea where I'd put it on my boat.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Looks good to me but I have no idea where I'd put it on my boat.

Very true. In that regard, it makes more sense to install a conventional amp and sub to conserve storage space.

 

[rickd01]

@Detonate , I figure the less time I have to invest installing a sub and amp, the more time I can be out on the water

 

[rickd01]

but if it sounds like $h!&..........

 

[David Analog]

Yes, you have to place the horse before the cart. And that means that the particular boat almost always dictates the sub location and the type of sub you are going to use, whether infinite baffle, air suspension, bass reflex, or another type of loading.
The Wetsounds HT AS10 offers great value with the sub, enclosure and amplifier in one cost efficient and effective package.
You have to consider what a robust 10" driver, Class D 500 watt amplifier and truely marinized (in this case fiberglass)enclosure would cost as individual components.
Air suspension (like the WS HT AS10) is going to have an inherent advantage over infinite baffle for example. But you have to add a vent to allow the bass radiation to pass freely from within a helm or seating console. Then you have to calculate the offsetting losses of using a sub/enclosure inside of an expansive bottle with a small mouth (ie; console + vent) as compared to a direct radiating 10" subwoofer option.
You may not be able to mount the HT AS10 directly to the sole in the intended location so you might have to fabricate a mounting bridge/brackets.
All these application issues really need to be resolved before you start narrowing your product options.

 

[drjames1107]

I recently put in the HT AS 10 along with other Wet sounds equipment. The bass sounds Awesome!! I have no regret choosing this set up.It fit nicely in the cooler compartment.

 

[tdonoughue]

@David James , how did you vent it?

 

[drjames1107]

The compartment on the 242LS where the cooler is, is not air tight it is open to the front of the boat (the whole side panel is empty space all the way to the helm compartment) and has many opening into the engine compartment that you cannot see. This little 10" enclosed sub sounds GREAT. Honestly I did not think that the unit needed to be vented, guess I got lucky that it turned out in my favor.

I'm on Lake Houston, if you ever make it out this way let me know.

 

[David Analog]

You do not have to vent an enclosed subwoofer that is concealed in a boat compartment, however, the results will certainly be different if you do. Also, the sound quality that is acceptable to one person may not be acceptable to another. Let's look at what happens in this scenario.
First, air is elastic, so the larger the compartment and adjoining cavities, the more compliant that air mass is. So the sound pressure is consumed in the compartment in a similar manner to how air is dissipated in open air. What is consumed is wasted energy that you do not benefit from even though the sub amplifier and driver are working extra hard. Simply crack a cushion and listen to the bass level increase. The sub and sub amplifier that operates the most conservatively will always sound the best.
Most of the structures and divisions in the boat are a fiberglass mold. Very rigid and not the least bit acoustically transparent. What survives and transmits through is more of a tactile bass. You may get sufficient rumble, vibration and bump to feel as though you have bass but the transients, attack, upper midbass, and pitch accuracy is gone. So you have an effective boat shaker but not much of a musical bass maker.
Do this test, if you have a subwoofer on your boat. Listen to the sub in isolation without the coaxials. You will find that when listening to the bass fundamentals only and without benefit of the upper and defining harmonics that come from the coaxails that the bass will sound completely inarticulate, muddy and soggy. To have good bass sound quality you need a seamless integration between sub and satellites. Otherwise the sub tends to sounds detached and unmusical. Just indiscriminant bass.
The vent will not get you back to direct-radiating status but does help the sub/satellite integration.
If the compartment that encases the subwoofer is not vented, then you have more energy under pressure, that depending on your particular boat, may push against the rear of the coaxial midbass drivers that share the same compartment or adjoining cavity. Now you have a 6.5" speaker being modulated by the subwoofer in a bandwidth that it is not intended to play and is also out of phase. So not only does this impact the midbass but it can impact the midrange region of your coaxials down that side of the boat as well.
Call me old school, but I listen to a lot of music where they actually used string bass instruments versus keyboard generated or synthesized bass from a laptop program. So I think of bass as much more than a monotonous and percussive sidekick.

 

[drjames1107]

David Analog, when you put it that way it makes sense to vent the enclosed space, as the 2 starboard rear coaxials do share the same air space with the sub. I did think it sounded slightly better with the cushion off as opposed to the cushion on (but that was in my warehouse). We are gong on the lake for our first outing of the year today. I will play it at several different levels and different kinds of music ( cushion on/ cushion off ). If theres enough difference in sound I guess I will have to find a way to vent the Sub. Thanks for your input!

 

[David Analog]

David Analog, when you put it that way it makes sense to vent the enclosed space, as the 2 starboard rear coaxials do share the same air space with the sub. I did think it sounded slightly better with the cushion off as opposed to the cushion on (but that was in my warehouse). We are gong on the lake for our first outing of the year today. I will play it at several different levels and different kinds of music ( cushion on/ cushion off ). If theres enough difference in sound I guess I will have to find a way to vent the Sub. Thanks for your input!

Also, consider this. When you remove the cushions as a test sample, the bass radiation escapes upward and flash evaporates in the open air. In contrast, when the vent is positioned down low in the bathtub and next to the sole, you see a small benefit from boundary loading and those reinforcing planes in close proximity.