speakers and pillows

[aronsam]

I went ntom my local Marquis dealer who spent a long time on the benefits of the Marquis.  I left with the feeling that these are very well thought out and high quality spas.  He made two points that to me, a lawman, sound right, but I'd welcome any feedbanck:

Stereos, especially pop up speakers and water and hot tub covers really don't go together.    One is asking for trouble and repairs.

Pillows due to the chemicals and hot water will need to be replaced at a substantial cost on any tub.  

Are these true and sound advice or offered because Marquis doesn't included these two items?

He quoted me twelve thousand for an Epic, is that the going price?

[Steve]

Marquis is a great product and I highly recommend the Epic!

As for speakers, though they are generally marine grade, they are certianly more suceptable to "weathering" than a system that operates transducers under the shell. Even moreso if you live in a cold climate with freezing temps.

Pillows are also a maintence and many companies are getting away from them. I suggest a weighted pillow that you can adjust and remove as needed.

Good questions!

Steve

[svspa]

aronsam,

My Jacuzzi has pillows, I haven't done anything to them in the year and a half that I have had my tub and I've seen no deterioration. I would also question the substantial cost statement, what could a piece of foam cost  

Personally I like the pillows for comfort.

You'll need to decide what features you think are important. Marquis has great spas but so do other companies that sell those features and many people enjoy those features.

Steve  

[Bonibelle]

It's strange, but if you wet test the Marquis tubs, you will find the molded headrests comfortable. They don't look like they would be, but they are. I bought a weighted pillow, as Steve suggested, and two foam pillows that attach with suction cups...and they are in my chemical cabinet..we tried them and decided that we didn't need them at all.  

[Spatech_tuo]

The pillows nowadays don't have the issues of the old type which may have been what got Marquis to get away from pillows but I wouldn't worry much about that with the newer materials used. I'm not a big proponent of stereos in spas because I don't see the value but people typically buy spas because they want to, not because tehy need to, so if you want a stereo in the spa who am I to question the choice? As far as speakers go, they shouldn't be much of an an issue if they're using the right type. Marquis is one of the better brands but they don't include either of those things in their spas so some of what you're hearing is salesmanship but that's not abnormal. It's best if sales people stick to what is positve but there is always a story to tell. If you go to a place that uses 2 speed pumps they'll tell you why they're best as opposed to a circ pump. If you go to the guys who use circ pumps you'll get the opposite story.

[katyana]

Aronsam,  try taking a look at the cost of replacement parts as part of your shopping research.  How much do replacement pillows cost?  A quick Google came up with $20 to $50 per pillow.   As for the pop-up speakers... my gut instinct is that they will get broken - hit by covers, bumped, grabbed by slipping guests, etc.    Good luck with the shopping!  It is an adventure  

[Steve]

There's a couple other aspects to pillows that haven't been covered yet.

When pillows are built into the spa, they assume we're all the same height and it fits us all perfectly. Obviously, that's not the case and it's why I recommend weighted pillows that you can adjust as well as remove from the water when not in use.

Secondly, depending on the material used, these can be a breeding ground for bacteria, rot and mold. The addition of an ozonator can also fade them over time.

Steve