How to Select a Boat Audio System

When I was a kid growing up on the Jersey shore, I recall there hardly was a day that went by in the summer when I wasn't out on someone's boat.  Back when gas was around twenty five cents a gallon, we'd spend all day long riding on the local bays and rivers.  In those days, the only option for music was bringing along a decent portable transistor radio.  Boy how things have changed since those simple times.

Today you would be hard pressed to find yourself on someone's boat which didn't have a great sounding stereo system.  The single biggest mistake that boat owners make is buying a standard auto sound system and installing it into their boat using the same installation techniques they used when they upgraded their car's sound system.  This usually proves to be a complete waste of their hard earned money since standard mobile audio and video products are not made to stand up in the harsh marine environment.  Just speak to any sales person in a custom car sound shop along the Jersey shore and see how many customers come in with receivers or speakers completely ruined after one season of use in their boats.  Sorry but its a fact of life, when adding a sound system to a boat, always be sure to spend a few bucks more and buy marine grade electronics.

I would suggest selecting a good marine boat receiver from a brand like Clarion, Sony, Boss, Dual or Alpine.  These are all names familiar to car audio enthusiasts but they also make boat specific, marine grade receivers.  Today's boat receivers are capable of playing CD's, MP3, WMA files and many will receive satellite radio and have connections for your MP3 player as well.  These receivers are made to stand up the high humidity and other problems associated with a boat's sound system.  Many have watertight faces to help protect the internal electronics.  The better receivers also have wired remote controls available so you can control you sound system from a flying bridge or some other remote area on your boat.

Unlike the quiet in your home or the relatively controlled sound level in your car or truck, the boat environment has a lot of competing noise to overcome.  In most cases you'll see the wisdom of installing a audio sound amplifier to provide your speakers enough power to overcome the noisy boat environment.  You'll find a variety of power amplifiers from Pyle, Sony, MTX, Jensen, Kicker, as well as high end amps from MB Quart and JL Audio.  Remember a basic rule in power amplifiers is that you will get what you pay for.  It is usually a good move to buy the best you can afford since the better ones will last longer.  If installing more then two pairs of speakers, you should consider buying two four channel amplifiers.  If adding a marine subwoofer to your system, you will find several mono sub amps to chose from.

Although these receivers, amplifiers and speakers are referred to as marine grade, you should be aware that this usually means the products are made with materials that will prohibit corrosion and they are not really water proof.  So care has to be given as to the location of your installation.  These is another good reason to consider the wired remote control units as the amp and receiver could be mounted inside a cabin while the remote can be outside where you spend most of your time.  Of course your speakers have to be out on deck as well since this is where most of your time will be spent.  So care should be taken to install them in locations where they will not be exposed to constant splashing from waves. 

Today's boat speakers are usually made for materials made to take the beating.  Even high end lines like Polk, Infinity, Kicker, Alpine, MB Quart and even Bose make excellent sounding speakers made of materials to guarantee years of use on your boat.  Of course you'll also find a good variety of boat speakers from Boss, Pyle, Clarion, Bazooka and more.  The best rule of thumb is to read the manufacturer's specifics on their speakers and be sure you mount them as suggested.

Over the years, the most popular complaint has been when a customer doesn't install an amp powerful enough to allow all those on the boat to enjoy his sound system when underway.  I always suggest not going "cheapie" on the amplifier or you'll regret it later.