Experience crisp, clear sound on the high seas with a dedicated boat stereo. With the power to overcome thrashing waves and the resilience to withstand salt spray and harsh sunlight, a quality marine stereo is a must-have. Take the time to choose the right components for a superior audio experience on your boat.
When shopping for boat radios, it’s important to understand the challenges that salt, water, and sun present to marine electrical components. All parts, including amps, speakers, sources and wiring must be marine-rated. This means they’re either waster-resistant and can handle sudden splashes or rain, but cannot be fully submerged. Or they’re waterproof and can last to designated depths.
Salt is particularly punishing, so also look for parts that are resistant to corrosion. The same applies to components that will spend most of the time in the open air and sun. UV rays can damage electronics, degrade plastic sheathing in wires, and overheat speakers. With that out of the way, marine-grade components deliver clarity, volume, and a soundstage that cannot be rivalled by anything else.
Initial Considerations
Before parting with your cash, consider the size of the vessel, how you use it, and what you’re trying to achieve. Smaller boats will pass with basic setups or packaged units containing everything you need. For bigger vessels and if you’re regularly entertaining more friends and family, larger systems with multiple components and correct placement are the best option. Parts differ so you can get the best sound.
Choosing Power Supply
Like car and home Hi-Fi, marine audio is about carefully pairing different components. You’ll need a decent power supply, either a dedicated amplifier or receiver, speakers with matching power output, and a music source. Entry-level systems for smaller boats are based on receivers. These have analogue AM and FM stations, digital or DAB+ tuners, or are equipped with satellite radio. They also include Bluetooth or wireless connectivity for streaming. Receivers additionally have a built-in power source to aptly handle several speakers. The benefits are the small footprint, making them ideal for areas where space is limited, the decent sound, and a large feature set to satisfy most needs. They’re also the cheapest option.
If you need more volume spread across a larger area, consider going with Hi-Fi separates. Here the main component is a dedicated marine amplifier. This has more power, can run more speakers, and the sound is vastly improved, with a wider soundstage and better sound quality at higher volumes. The sound is more defined, with better separation, thumping bass and clear vocals. Amplifiers can also connect other equipment, including VHF radios, different sources (CD and record players, phones, etc) and the option of future upgrades, for instance when adding speakers. To feed power to the amp, have a decently-sized deep cycle battery rated for marine use.
Getting the Right Speakers
Marine speakers are built with durability without impacting sound quality, performance or aesthetics. Features like polypropylene outer cones, Ferrite magnets, and UV-resistant grilles are combined into designs that produce enticing sound. Speakers will differ in power output, shape and size, so also need careful pairing with the power source and where they’re placed. A decent marine speaker puts out 50 watts of continuous or RMS power, with some capable peaks of 100W. Bigger sound, deeper bass, and better separation are features in higher-powered variants in a coaxial design, with separate speaker drivers for the lows and highs.
A pair of good quality marine speakers will get you good sound on smaller vessels, while a setup of four or more units, paired with a dedicated subwoofer for the lower notes is preferred on bigger boats. To hear music at preferred or defined areas on the deck or cabin, play with speaker placement until you get the result you want.
Why Music Sources Matter
Sources are components that create the initial sound signature before it is amplified. This can be simple AM/FM boat radios, fully-featured receivers, streaming devices, CDs, music recorded on hard drives or simple USB sticks, and even vinyl record players. Wireless and Bluteooth-enabled marine stereo can also be used with music on phones and mobile devices. Sources truest to the original recording will play music as is, without colouration, or adding anything else. You hear exactly what is recorded. This can be both a good and bad thing.
Digital receivers are a good choice for consistent sound and volume levels and can be used on their own or connected to an amp. Marine stereo separates offer more versatility and upgradability but can get pricey, and need more space and thought in pairing.
Cables, Antennas and Extras
All wired components are connected with corrosion-resistant marine-grade cabling. This is still the purist’s way of listening to music in any setting. Wireless setups, with digital receivers and built-in streaming, matched with powered speakers with their own amps, are easier to set up but slightly dearer. Also consider antennas for crisper reception, marine-grade mounting hardware such as base plates and mounting brackets to ensure a secure fit, and parts that allow for easier use, including wired or remote controllers.
