When seeking serious full-range audio performance for home or commercial spaces, tower speakers deliver. Top brands like JL Audio and Wet Sounds make excellent options built to fill large rooms with stunning fidelity and heart-pounding bass.
But how do you select the right tower speakers for a booming sound that perfectly matches your tastes in music, movies, and more?
We dive deep on the crucial differences in sound profiles, build construction, key features, and overall value across these two premium speaker giants’ offerings. Read on to make the ideal tower speaker purchase decision for room-filling audio that blows you away.
Tower Speaker Basics
Before comparing specific models, what exactly are tower speakers? And what benefits do they offer over a bookshelf or floor-standing designs?
Tower Speaker Overview
Tower speakers utilize an elongated cabinet enclosing multiple woofers and tweeters in a vertical column. This allows increased internal air volume for extended low-frequency production compared to smaller enclosures.
Key Tower Speaker Benefits:
- Deeper, richer bass reproduction
- Immersive surround sound imaging
- Powerful overall output volume
- Minimal required external subwoofers
- Statement-making aesthetics
Tower speakers demand more physical space but reward listeners with fully-encompassing soundscape immersion that truly transports you inside the recorded audio environment.
Next, let’s see how JL Audio and Wet Sounds tower speakers accomplish this goal through unique engineering ideas.
JL Speakers
- JL Audio’s tower speakers deliver high-performance sound with marine-grade durability, designed for both saltwater and freshwater environments. They offer powerful audio output, crisp clarity, and are built to withstand the harsh elements, making them ideal for boats and off-road vehicles.
Sound Quality Comparison
Arguably the most vital measurement for any loudspeaker remains fidelity and engulfing bathe-in-sound performance …
| JL Audio | Wet Sounds |
| Custom woven glass fiber woofer cones Low distortion high excursion woofers 1” silk dome compression tweeters Selectable Adjustable Tweeter Levels (ATL) Stellar mid and high clarity | Injection molded polypropylene woofer cones Oversize voice coil winding layers 1” mylar dome tweeters Bi-amp/passive switchable crossover Crisp detailed response |
Both companies engineer their tower speakers for a transparent sound that emotionally engages listeners. JL Audio’s higher-end designs focus on reference-grade definition. Wet Sounds balances strong bass against quality mids and highs.
So while JL Audio carries an audiophile’s edge overall for smooth response across all frequencies, Wet Sounds still impress for max-volume clarity given its very affordable pricing in comparison.
Bass Power & Depth
Tower speakers must excel at projecting thundering lows across large spaces…
| JL Audio | Wet Sounds |
| High excursion woofers with over 1″ travel Tuned ports and cabinets for punchy bass Will shake walls when pushed loud! Preserve definition even at high output | Built-in powered subwoofers Synergy Series feature dual subs Booming bass rattles fixtures Lose some precision at max volumes |
JL Audio holds a principled philosophy on deep bass requiring proper enclosure sizes matched with sufficient woofer cone area. So their towers convey incredible low frequency nuance and detail.
Wet Sounds unapologetically favors boom and sizzle. So they integrate subwoofers directly into tower cabinets for intense bass output. Definition suffers at louder levels, but impact always impresses.
Ease of Drive & Setup
Complex amplifier and tuning requirements frustrate buyers who just want floor-standing speakers to quickly perform…
| JL Audio | Wet Sounds |
| High sensitivity designs Easy to drive with any receiver Minimal fuss tuning needed Plug and play performance | Some passive while others powered Bi-amplified models flip a switch Integrated DSP and amps Self-contained solutions |
Thanks to benign impedance loads and off-the-shelf crossovers requiring no custom tuning, JL Audio towers simply connect to standard AV receivers like traditional speakers.
Wet Sounds packs amplification and sound tuning intelligence directly inside towers for precision control and easy interfacing. So they trade some flexibility for maximal convenience.
Wet Sounds Tower Speakers
- This package features 8″ ICON Series Marine Tower Speakers with water-resistant composite cones and clamps designed for UTV/Side-by-side roll cages (1″ to 1-7/8″). Power output is 80W x 4 @ 4 Ohms, 130W x 4 @ 2 Ohms, and 280W x 2 @ 4 Ohms, with a frequency response of 10 Hz – 40 kHz.
Design & Build Quality
Tower speakers endure long-term installation in fixed positions, making sturdy construction vital…
| JL Audio | Wet Sounds |
| MDF wood cabinet construction Available luxury veneers Metal alloy grilles and trim High-quality binding posts Very refined fit and finish | MDF or vinyl wrapped cabinets Tower bases optional Industrial look with exposed drivers Spring loaded terminals Built to withstand marine duty |
You instantly recognize the difference in product generations between each brand here. JL Audio towers exude meticulous high end home theater aesthetic touches. Wet Sounds adopts a functional boat audio look focused more on extreme durability.
So style preference and intended placement environments help determine which construction ethos suits you better.
Speaker Options & Channels
Beyond basic two-channel left+right playback, additional drivers in more elaborate cabinet formations greatly expand soundscape dimensionality…
| JL Audio | Wet Sounds |
| Available in 2-way and 3-way designs Floorstanding center channels Matching surround speakers Complete home theater packages | Primarily 2-way towers Some 2.1 and 5.1 models Whole PA and karaoke bundles More limited home AV selection |
JL Audio targets custom home integration specialists seeking high-performance architectural speakers. Their wide range of models serves unlimited configurations.
Wet Sounds instead focus on flexible tower designs packing voice and music playback for mobile DJ and entertainment rigs to replace bulky separate subwoofers and monitors. Their AV options remain less diverse but with innovative flair.
Ease of Placement
For home or business spaces lacking room to spare, tower speaker footprint matters…
| JL Audio | Wet Sounds |
| Typical multi-driver designs Around 15” wide x 40-50” tall Also offer slimmer more vertical towers Custom finish options to “disappear” | Made highly compact given performance Under 12” wide and 45” max height Optional wheeled tower stands Easy transport and storage |
Given equivalent sound output levels, Wet Sounds crams impressive bass prowess into barely wider-than-bookshelf speaker chassis sizes. So they steal back spatial utility versus expectations.
JL Audio scales tower width and height based precisely on interior volume acoustic requirements, so remain quite space-conscious in their designs as well.
Price Comparison
A final vital reality check, how pricing shakes out shows true value…
| JL Audio | Wet Sounds |
| Entry models are around $1,000+ each Mid-range towers $2,000-$3,000 Flagship designs hit $20,000! Premium audiophile pricing | As low as $600 per tower Mid-grade options $1,200 Top models max out around $3,000 Aggressive pricing given performance |
Wet Sounds makes a compelling value argument against the established JL Audio pedigree. Pound for pound their ultra-modern designs often equal or best venerable audiophile speakers at just a fraction of the investment.
So budget-minded buyers seeking serious no-compromise tower sound should give Wet Sounds serious consideration. But pursuit of absolute acoustic perfection still draws interest toward JL Audio flagships as aspirational dream systems.
Key Considerations
To recap the deciding factors on selecting either brand:
| JL Audio Best For: Audiophiles wanting refined sound Custom home theater integration 2 or 3 way floor standers High end construction quality | Wet Sounds Best For: Powerful bass fanatics Karaoke/DJ PA speakers Cost-conscious buyers Marine and outdoor duty |
So carefully weigh your exact audio expectations, placement logistics, and budget limits to make the optimal tower speaker model selection.
The Verdict
Both companies produce world-class tower speakers worthy of consideration by serious home theater enthusiasts or commercial installation clients.
JL Audio carries a distinguished legacy earning their higher pricing and audiophile credibility. You can’t go wrong investing in their towers if seeking benchmark-setting musicality above all else.
But the average consumer with more mainstream bass-head tastes will find outstanding value and performance in Wet Sounds innovative designs punching way above their cost.
The good news is you really can’t make a universally “bad” choice between these two top-shelf brands. Match the use case scenario and budget to pick the right option for your specific needs from either one.