Transonic---Mike
06-24-2006, 03:30 PM
As the designer of the Pierced 7.0, I put much thought into what I wanted and why I wanted it. The goal was simple. Build a speaker that is high quality in sound, relatively efficient, extremely reliable and very durable in a marine application, all at a reasonable price.
Why did I want this?
Over twenty years I or my staffs have built more then one thousand boat systems. During that time we have installed a wide verity of products including every top name brand available. What I found was that every one of these manufactures shared in a common problem when it comes to marine speakers. Car stereo manufactures build either “car” speakers, or “marine” speakers which are designed for ocean style boats. The problem with car speakers is that you almost always have to choose between a 6 ½” or a 6x9. The advantage of any round speaker (IE 6 ½”) over an oval speaker (IE 6x9) is that they are more musical. In addition when you install them in a boat, they always look better and cleaner. The advantage of the 6x9 is that they go louder then a 6 ½ as they are bigger. However, the “lines” of the boat, IE the floor from the top rail are seldom parallel with each other. Therefore, 6x9 speakers often look crooked when mounted in a boat, no matter how you cut the hole. Furthermore, car speakers are seldom protected against moisture. In contrast, the problem with marine speakers is that they are plastic. Plastic is a horrible material for a speaker cone. As a result, the sound quality suffers greatly. We work on mostly fresh water boats and do not have to deal with salt water. Therefore, we can get away with our carbon fiber cone that has been treated for moisture.
Other authors in this forum have mentioned brands that are sonically superior to the Pierced. While they are correct in some regards, I would argue that one cannot hear the difference between a $200 pair of Pierced compared to $400, $700 or even $1300 pair of anything. (Especially on a boat in real world usage, not in some enclosed installation department). Furthermore, the Pierced 7.0 is physically bigger then most of the top brand components which by default will give you more volume and better base.
I also saw a remark about the style and grill. The Pierced is simple, but you can purchase it with four different colored grills (black, white, red & blue) and we will be adding more colors by summer 2007. This speaker uses an aluminum basket that has a one inch border on the surface. The actual grill press fits inside of the aluminum frame. This protects the actual grill from damage. However, if you do damage the grill, call Transonic 909-982-6663 and for $10 per pair we will send you which ever color you need. (By the way, try ordering a pair of Focal, Diamond, Dyne Audio, etc. grill and see how much fun that is. I assure you that replacing the Pierced grill is a walk in the park compare to another brand).
The Pierced speaker out of the box with the appropriate grill looks clean in every application. Is it the cleanest look ever? Probably not, but remember, those fancy billet aluminum grills made by Wizard or other similar companies sell for $150-$200 per pair. That is a lot of money considering that you will probably need between four and six pair.
The bottom line is this. When you build your system, find a shop that is reputable (many to choose from in Southern Cal) and offers quality products. The most important thing is not the product that you choose but rather who designs & installs your system and that they will take care of you if you have a problem.
Transonic-Mike
Why did I want this?
Over twenty years I or my staffs have built more then one thousand boat systems. During that time we have installed a wide verity of products including every top name brand available. What I found was that every one of these manufactures shared in a common problem when it comes to marine speakers. Car stereo manufactures build either “car” speakers, or “marine” speakers which are designed for ocean style boats. The problem with car speakers is that you almost always have to choose between a 6 ½” or a 6x9. The advantage of any round speaker (IE 6 ½”) over an oval speaker (IE 6x9) is that they are more musical. In addition when you install them in a boat, they always look better and cleaner. The advantage of the 6x9 is that they go louder then a 6 ½ as they are bigger. However, the “lines” of the boat, IE the floor from the top rail are seldom parallel with each other. Therefore, 6x9 speakers often look crooked when mounted in a boat, no matter how you cut the hole. Furthermore, car speakers are seldom protected against moisture. In contrast, the problem with marine speakers is that they are plastic. Plastic is a horrible material for a speaker cone. As a result, the sound quality suffers greatly. We work on mostly fresh water boats and do not have to deal with salt water. Therefore, we can get away with our carbon fiber cone that has been treated for moisture.
Other authors in this forum have mentioned brands that are sonically superior to the Pierced. While they are correct in some regards, I would argue that one cannot hear the difference between a $200 pair of Pierced compared to $400, $700 or even $1300 pair of anything. (Especially on a boat in real world usage, not in some enclosed installation department). Furthermore, the Pierced 7.0 is physically bigger then most of the top brand components which by default will give you more volume and better base.
I also saw a remark about the style and grill. The Pierced is simple, but you can purchase it with four different colored grills (black, white, red & blue) and we will be adding more colors by summer 2007. This speaker uses an aluminum basket that has a one inch border on the surface. The actual grill press fits inside of the aluminum frame. This protects the actual grill from damage. However, if you do damage the grill, call Transonic 909-982-6663 and for $10 per pair we will send you which ever color you need. (By the way, try ordering a pair of Focal, Diamond, Dyne Audio, etc. grill and see how much fun that is. I assure you that replacing the Pierced grill is a walk in the park compare to another brand).
The Pierced speaker out of the box with the appropriate grill looks clean in every application. Is it the cleanest look ever? Probably not, but remember, those fancy billet aluminum grills made by Wizard or other similar companies sell for $150-$200 per pair. That is a lot of money considering that you will probably need between four and six pair.
The bottom line is this. When you build your system, find a shop that is reputable (many to choose from in Southern Cal) and offers quality products. The most important thing is not the product that you choose but rather who designs & installs your system and that they will take care of you if you have a problem.
Transonic-Mike