Wet Sounds Stealth Ultra HD vs Surge vs Core: Soundbar Comparison

Wet Sounds has established itself as the de factor leader in the marine and UTV sound bar market. They own the patent on the design for use on powersports vehicles and from a performance standpoint, we feel that they make the best product. There are two different sizes a 10 speaker version and a 6 speaker version. Each size is offered in three different models, the Ultra HD, Surge, and Core. All of the Wet Sounds 10 speaker sound bars and 6 speaker sound bars have the same dimensions, mounting, and speakers inside of them. The differences between them is whether or not they have an amplifier, whehter they have Bluetooth, how you control it, and the color options available. We will explain each model and also give application recommendations so that you can pick the perfect Wet Sounds sound bar for your boat or UTV.

The Wet Sounds Ultra HD sound bars have the most built in features of the three different models. The Wet Sounds Ultra HD sound bars come in both 6 speaker and 10 speaker models and include a built-in amplifier, built-in bluetooth connectivity, and the sound bar controller is built into the middle of the sound bar itself. You turn the sound bar on and off on the controller. You can also adjust the volume, change tracks, and change sources using the same controller. In addition to the controller, the Ultra HD sound bars also come with a remote.

The Wet Sounds Stealth Surge soundbars have the same built-in amplifiers as the Ultra HD models, but the Surge does not have Bluetooth connectivity built-in or an onboard controller. The Surge requires an external Bluetooth adapter or source unit. You can use this with the Wet Sounds Bluetooth rocker switch product or their Bluetooth rotary volume controller. Instead of turning the unit on and off on the sound bar itself, the soundbar has a 12V remote wire which you can connect to your Bluetooth controller or a switch. The Stealth Surge soundbar is only available in black. The Surge is our favorite soundbar due to the ease of installation and the ability to use an external Bluetooth controller. The external Bluetooth controller or head unit is usually within an arms reach and allows you to mount to sound bar wherever you would like, without having to reach back, or reach up, and take your eyes off of where you are going.

The Wet Sounds Stealth Core soundbars are essentially the same as the Surge but without the built-in amplifier. The Wet Sounds Core sound bars require a separate controller and a separate power source. We recommend an external amplifier along with a head unit, Bluetooth controller, or a Ultra HD or Surge sound bar. The Stealth Core sound bars are ideal if you are looking to add a sound bar to an existing stereo system. In these situations, you want to control your music on your existing head unit, you have other speakers, and the Core sound bar is an additional zone.

If you are mounting the sound bar overhead in front of you when you are at the wheel, the Wet Sounds Stealth Ultra HD is our favorite sound bar. It offers the easiest installation because you don't need to wire it to a head unit or Bluetooth controller. When driving, you can can keep your eyes focused on where you are going and use the controls on the sound bar to adjust volume or change tracks. However, if you will not be able to reach the sound bar, we do recommend going with the Surge. We have heard complaints from people that forget to turn it on before they get going. If they can't reach the built-in controller, they have to get up, or get out, and it can be dangerous and/or annoying. If you can sit in the driver's seat and reach the controls, the Ultra HD is the way to go.

If you are mounting the soundbar behind you, we recommned the surge. If it is too far back that you can't easily reach up and turn it on, once you get going, you don't want to be messing with the controls or turning it on. With the Surge, you can use the Wet Sounds WW-BT-RS or WW-BT-VC as your Bluetooth receiver and controller to turn the soundbar on and off, adjust volume, and change tracks without taking your eyes off of the water or the road. These units are very popular with UTVs. In a UTV, you get going, your are all buckled in with your harnesses, and then you realize you didn't turn the sound bar on. You don't want to have to get out, re-cinch your harnesses just to turn on the tunes, especially if you are riding in a big group. You don't want to be THAT guy. If you go with the Surge, if you forget to turn the sound bar on, you can use the Bluetooth controller to turn it on and off, adjust volume, and you are good to go. The price difference between the Surge and a Bluetooth controller and the Ultra HD is virtually the same.

If you already have a sound bar on your boat or in your vehicle and you want to add an additional one, the best one is the Stealth Surge. Since it doesn't have Bluetooth built in, you can use the pre-out from the main sound bar to send the signal to the second one. The built-in amplifier allows for the easiest installation as you just need power, ground, and a remote wires. We like the Surge over the Core becaues the Core sound bar would require an external amplifier. There is no need to over complicate this unless you insist on white because the Stealth Surge only comes in black.

If you already have a stereo system, but you are looking to add additional speakers with a soundbar, the Stealth Core is our reocmmendation. If you have open channels on your amplifier, you can just run speaker wire to the soundbar. If you don't have open channels available, make sure your amplifier is 2 ohm stable. If it is, you can double up the sound bar speaker wires to run the amplifier at 2 ohms.

If you want to add some bass to your Wet Sounds Stealth, soundbar-based stereo system, the Stealth AS subwoofers are perfect. The subwoofers come with a built-in amplifier and can easily connect to the pre-out on the soundbar. Powering the subwoofer is easy with simple power, ground, and remote wires required. If you have an older soundbar that does not have a remote out wire, the Stealth AS subwoofers also have an auto-sensing turn on feature that will turn the subwoofer and the amplifier on when the amp "hears" audio from the soundbar. These subwoofers are made of durable, roto-modled polyethylene enclosure that is both tough, durable, and will withstand the elements. There are three different sizes of the Stealth AS subowofers, a 10-inch, an 8-inch, and a 6-inch.

Wet Sounds makes two different Bluetooth controllers and one Bluetooth adapter. The difference between the controller and the adapter is that the controller allows you to adjust the volume and change songs on the device itself whereas with the adapter, you need to do that on your phone. The two Wet Sounds Bluetooth adapters, the WW-BT-RS and WW-BT-VC are pretty unique compared to most of the other controllers out there which have a "Hockey Puck" form factor.

The WW-BT-RS is a Bluetooth controller that fits the profile of a standard, Carling rocker switch. Many boats and UTV's already use these types of switches for numerous accessory functions so there are plenty of mounting options. The cut out is pretty standard and there are numerous different aftermarket switch holder plates out there.. You can use the WW-BT-RS to turn a Surge soundbar on and off, turn the volume up and down, and change tracks.

The WW-BT-VC has a different form factor and is designed for more of an "Under-dash" application. The nice thing about the WW-BT-VC is that it has a rotary volume knob. You can quickly and easily turn the music up or down. In addition to volume control, the WW-BT-VC also can play and pause the music and change songs. However, in our opinion, the WW-BT-RS is the better of the two due to it's ability to turn the Surge sound bar on and off.

Finally there is the Wet Sounds Bluetooth adapter. If you want an easy, low-cost solution, the Wet Sounds Bluetooth adapter would plug directly into the soundbar so that you can play your media via Bluetooth from your phone. However, with this product, all volume and track control would be done on your phone. The WW-BT-UR does have a remote wire so it will turn the sound bar on and off and if your music is paused for more than 20 seconds, the adapter will turn your amplifier or soundbar off to sae power. When the music starts playing again, it will turn the amplifier back on and resume playing.

If you want more than a Bluetooth controller there are several marine grade head units available from Wet Sounds and other manufacturers. If you like the square-style, compact receiver we like the WS-MC-2. Mounting is straightforward and it has virtually all features you could want. It has an AM/FM/WB tuner, a 2.7" display, an auxiliary input, USB charging, and 3 sets of RCA pre-outs, including a subwoofer out. The WS-MC-2 comes with a large rotary knob in the center of the unit to control volume which allows you to easily turn the music up or down without taking your eyes off the water or road. If that sound great, but you want SiriusXM capability and a video input for a back up camera, consider upgrading to the Rockford Fosgate PMX-3. It isn't Wet Sounds, but it does virtually the same things the WS-MC-2 does, it just adds Sirius XM and the video input.

If you want a CD player, or if you have an existing DIN size radio or cutout, we like the Kenwood DIN sized units. They are designed for marine applications, they have Bluetooth, they play CDs, and it will connect to your soundbar. It is pretty straightfoward.

The Wet Sounds STX Micro amplifiers are ideal for powersports applications and boats that have tight space requirements for an amplifier. If you are adding an external subwoofer that does not have a built-in amp, the STX-MICRO-1 is one of our favorite mini, marine-grade monoblock amplifiers. The amplifier is completely sealed and comes with the wiring harndess overmolded and connected to the amplifier itself. This makes it really easy to connect to a distribution block. If you are building a complete stereo system and you are planning to use a CORE soundbar as part of it, the STX-MICRO-4 is a great choice for a full range amplifier. You can power the Stealth CORE soundbar off 2 of channels and use the other two channels to power your additional speakers. These STX MICRO amplifiers are small, compact, sealed to the environment, and deliver tons of clean, clear, and loud Wet Sounds power.

If you are debating between M1 and M0, I think it is worth spending up for M1 vs. M0. When using an amplifier, the M1 will sound really nice and play plenty loud if you like to cruise and you don't care about other people hearing your music. The M2 will blow away the M1 when powered properly. If you like "melt your face-off" loud, go with the 8" horn tweeters. With the Rockford speakers, you get what you pay for. If you are looking for the cheapest, "decent" speakers on the market and you don't care about LEDs, go with M0. If you want it to sound good but you are on a budget, M1. If you want it loud and you want it to sound amazing while cutting through all the ambient noise, the M2 speakers deliver. If you are looking for amp recommendations, the Rockford Power Mini amplifiers are probably the best value for marine-grade, raw power output.