You might love being out on your boat, but it’s an environment that’s hard on your speakers. Unless they’re designed and built to marine specifications they’ll age quickly and can fail prematurely. In our boat & marine speaker buying guides we explain why regular speakers just won’t cut it for your boat, jet ski or off-road vehicle. (Yes, these aren’t just for boats!) We cover both wakeboard and boat speakers and we share some tips about what to look for and what you’ll get for your money.
Sunlight contains UV rays that break down plastics and adhesives not engineered for life outdoors. You might relish some mud and dirt out on the trail but speakers don’t. It will get into unprotected housings and damage both electronics and fabrics. Water spray does the same, and if you’re on salt water, the damage happens even faster!
There’s a second factor to consider besides durability. The acoustic environment on a boat or in the back of a truck is very different to that of a car or your basement. High quality marine speakers are designed to handle that lack of hard surface echo and reverb by projecting sound out over longer distances at higher volumes.
If you’re a water-skier, wakeboarder or tuber, take a look at our list of the best wakeboard tower speakers. Waterproof, salt and UV resistant, these are designed to mount on your boat’s tower and project sound rearwards over a distance. Good tower speakers ensure you can hear your music over the waves and engine noise, and many look really cool too!
If you want better quality sound while you entertain or just chill on your boat, we’ve got you covered too. There’s two common sized speakers in the marine application right now: 8″ and 6.5″. You can take a look at our best 8″ marine and boat speakers guide or our best 6.5″ marine and boat speakers guide depending on what you’re looking for! 8″ is going to give you fuller sound but if you don’t have the room for them, 6.5″ are definitely the most common size.
Just as when choosing speakers for your car, power and impedance should never be overlooked. These numbers will influence your choice of amplifier so our guides don’t skimp on these technical details.
If you want to enjoy music outdoors – maybe you’re exploring trails or tailgating – regular speakers aren’t going to last. You need marine-grade speakers so take a look through our guides and pick some that will really satisfy your need for high quality sound.