The JL Audio M6 marine speakers are widely regarded as the best marine speakers you can buy. Because of this, the demand has recently been insane. JL Audio has had to make adjustments to their production lines and the new demand for new boats is at unseen levels. This has lead to some issues. JL Audio is an OEM audio supplier for many new boat OEMs, and because demand for new boats is so high, people are instead buying used or "new-to-me" boats because they can't get a new boat in time for the season. Also, the stimulus money has gone out and people are spending it! All of this has created a perfect storm for the JL Audio M6 marine speakers.

The Fusion Signature Series 3 speakers are extremely similar to the M6. If you compare the specs, it is pretty clear that the Fusion Signature Series speakers were designed as a copy of the JL Audio M6. The Fusion speakers have the same power ratings as the JL Audio M6 and they also have silk dome tweeters. The Fusion Signature Series 3 speakers use a woven fiber composite material for the cone which is both lighter and stronger to play louder and sound better while withstanding everything mother nature can throw at them. Overall, the sound quality and experience from a Fusion Signature Series 3 is going to extremely similar to the M6.

The RGB LEDs on the Fusion Signature Series 3 speakers are unique like the JL M6, but in a different way. The Signature Series 3 speakers have CRGBW LEDs which give provide both cool and warm white color temperatures. This provides even more color options and allows for both vibrant colors and pastel colors for the best ambient experience on the water. The M6 has the brightest and smoothest LED output among all marine speakers while the Fusion Signature series offers more colors and hues than any other marine speakers.

In terms of the appearance, the Fusion Signature Series 3 speakers come with sports grilles in both white and a charcoal/chrome combination with the LEDs. The Signature Series 3 speakers are available in a white mesh style, classic grille, but they do not have the LED lighting and they are less expensive.

Fusion is a Garmin brand and you can never go wrong with Garmin electronics on your boat. Calling the Fusion Signature a "Knockoff" isn't the right word because that implies that these aren't incredible speakers, but these speakers are at the same quality level as the JL Audio M6 and they are backed with a 3 year warranty!

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The JL Audio M3 is a very close alternative to the M6, especially at the 6.5" speaker size. You still get the reliability you expect from a JL Audio marine speakers, but it's a less expensive, cheaper speaker. The M3 speakers handle similar power for in the 6.5" but less power in the 7.7"

For the tweeters, the M3 and M6 use a specially treated silk dome tweeter. The tweeter is .75" in diameter on the M3 and .80" in diameter on the M6. In the 7.7" size, the M3 sticks with the .75" tweeter while the M6 steps up to a 1" tweeter.

From an efficiency standpoint, both the 6.5-inch M3 and the 6.5-inch M6 have a 89.5 dB sensitivity rating at 1W/1M. In the 7.7-inch models, M3 is rated at 90.5 dB and the M6 is rated at 91 dB. The M6 is going to have more bass response than the M3, but with a most marine speakers that are installed in an infinite baffle installation and in an open-air environment like a boat, there's not that much bass that comes from your coaxial speakers. If you want bass, you will need to add a subwoofer.

The RGB LEDs on the M6 are significantly better. On the M3 speakers, the RGB LEDs are located behind the tweeter, integrated into the grille. With the M6 speakers, the RGB LEDs are located behind the speaker cone and the cone is made from translucent material that provides a smooth, even glow. There are more LEDs on the M6, so not only do they have a better light distribution, they are also brighter. There is something to be said about the "Flex" or status that come with having the M6 speakers. JL is known for having the best marine speakers in the world. There is something to be said for the fact that others see and know when you have the M6 speakers. The M6 speakers are the "Louis Vuitton" of marine speakers.

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The Rockford Fosgate M2 speakers are probably my favorite alternative to the M6. The Rockford Fosgate M2 speakers can handle roughly twice the power of the JL Audio M6 in the same size (6.5" vs 6.5", 7.7" vs 8", etc.) and they use a proprietary tweeter material that delivers a different listening experience.

The Rockford Fosgate M2 speakers have been completely redesigned and the PXNX tweeter is made from a special material that delivers the volume of a titanium dome tweeter with the definition you get from a silk dome tweeter. The M2 speaker have a 1" tweeter and handle 150 watts RMS in the 6.5" and 250 watts RMS in the 8". The sensitivity rating on the M2-65 speakers is 91.8 dB @ 1W/1M compared to 89.5 dB @ 1W/1M on the M6. For the 8" speakers, the M2-8 has a sensitivity rating of 93dB @1W/1M compared to 91dB @ 1W/1M for the 7.7" M6.

From an apperance standpoint, the Rockford Fosgate speakers come in white or black while the JL Audio M6 speakers are offered in white and gunmetal. The JL Audio M6 speakers are available in white with either an open-style sports grille or a closed-style classic grille. Both options are available with or without RGB LEDs. The gunmetal speakers only come in a sport style grille and you can get them with or without RGB LEDs for the M6. On the Rockford Fosgate M2-65, they include open-style sports grille or a stainless-steel mesh grille. You get both style grilles in either black or white, depending on which color grilles you choose. The open style grilles on the Rockford Fosgate M2 are pretty "Standard" marine style speaker grilles. The stainless steel mesh grilles are immediately recognizable as "Rockford Marine."

The RGB LEDs that come in the M2 are unique, but in a different way than the LEDs in the M6. The M2 speakers use Rockford Fosgate's Color Optix RGB LEDs. This system allow for easy, plug-and-play installtion for the RGB LEDs. When you use the Rockford Fosgate controller and their Color Optix cables, you plug one end of the cable into the controller and the other end of the cable into the speaker. You don't need to cut, splice, solder, or any of that. The cables come in specific lengths. Instead of buying a spool of wire, simply measure the distance from your speakers to the controller, buy the appropriate length cables, and installation is quick and easy.

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The Wet Sounds REVO 6 and REVO 8 speakers are extremely popular and they withstand the environment as well as any marine speakers you can buy. However, they are a different animal than the JL Audio M6. The Wet Sounds speakers are designed to play loud and with maximum clarity, but if you are used to JL, you might find them "harsh."

The Wet Sounds REVO 6 speakers can handle 100 watts RMS and have a 1" titanium dome tweeter. The Wet Sounds REVO 8 speakers can handle 150W RMS and also have a 1" titanium dome tweeter. The titanium dome tweeter is going to have a completely different sound profile than the silk dome tweeter that comes in the M6 speakers. The titanium dome tweeter is designed to play loud and bright. It is designed to cut through all of that ambient noise from the wind, water, and engine. Some people love the aggressiveness of the titanium dome, others hate it. If the JL Audio M6 is the Rolls Royce of marine speakers, the Wet Sounds REVO 6 is the Lamborghini. (Rockford is the Ferrari) All are exotic cars, but it's two totally different experiences.

From an appearance standpoint, the Wet Sounds REVO speakers are available in the black, white, and silver. They have both open style and closed style grilles and the XS, open-style grilles come with stainless steel overlays for both the black and white speakers. All of the REVO speakers come with RGB LEDs integrated into the speaker grille and the LEDs are located behind the tweeter and shine back, onto the cone.